When I coach leaders, we talk a great deal about balance. Sometimes this is work/life balance--giving proper emphasis both to work, family, and self-care. Sometimes is balancing between relationship and task--caring for people while getting the job done. Other times it is a balance between career stability and trying something new.
In our volatile world, emerging and unexpected changes make it difficult for one to keep balanced. Just when you think you have your work assignments, schedule, and personal commitments in some equilibrium, along comes change. The change may be sickness of yourself or a family member, the departure of a colleague, or a pandemic that alters how you do everything.
In his book, The New Leadership Literacies, Bob Johansen explains that in such volatile settings,
“Leadership skills will have to be wrapped in broader literacies that combine:
“Discipline, to provide order—but not too much order;
“Practices, to understand and share what works—and what doesn’t;
“Perspective, to learn from a wide diversity of views—but not get stuck in any single view;
“Worldview, to look long instinctively—but focus on action when that is needed.”
How does this apply to you as a leader, especially if you lead a church or faith-based organization?
First, discipline is based on one’s values and those values drive your personal mission. This can also be applied to your organization. If you already know what is important to you, you have a “North star” to keep you oriented even in turbulent times. In any crisis, the Christian leader does not settle for the quick fix but seeks the greater good. This informs not only priorities but our relationships. The crisis will pass but will the leader have the moral integrity to continue to lead after it is over. When Britain was being bombed daily during the Blitz, people were unsure of the future and buildings were in ruins. Prime Minister Winston Churchill made is a point to get out among the people, share the tragedy with them, and provide encouragement. He was acting on ingrained values.
Second, practices are procedures and processes that help one to be more efficient and effective. During the Coronavirus pandemic, we find ourselves putting aside, creating, and trying processes on the fly. When we learn something is not working, we do not waste our time trying to perpetuate it. We are doing a lot of “holy experiments” in order to find the best way forward. We take risks, evaluate the impact, and adjust appropriately.
Third, in coaching, one of the most valuable tools is helping the client get a different perspective on his or her situation. Very often, I will ask, “What would your spouse/best friend/staff member say to you about this?” Getting another’s point of view is a helpful resource. Of course, we are free to accept that input or to reject it. During this time of volatility, I find that many leaders are anxious to hear what others are doing. Whether or not it will work in their situation, this “crowdsourcing” provides a more robust perspective in planning and decision-making. If your only tool is a hammer, every challenge is a nail waiting to be driven. What can you add to your toolbox?
Fourth, our worldview undergirds the way that we respond to our changing environment. If you are naturally pessimistic about the world, you will seek data to justify your point of view. On the other hand, if you are an optimist, you tend to look for the silver lining in the dark cloud. Martin Luther King, Jr., reminded us that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” King believed in a moral universe and that informed everything he did; his belief motivated his actions. If you are a Christian, you realize that Christians are playing “the long game.” Things might not be so great right now, but we only see a small part of the big picture.
Leadership in volatile times requires discipline based on integrity, creativity arising out of necessity, an openness to learn from others, and embracing the “long game.” Many of us are now engaged in a crash course in these competencies.
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