Heroes and Undefended Leaders
I have been having some fun trying to convince the people in my Sunday School class that they are on a Hero’s Journey. We are looking at the life of Moses, and inspired by A Hero with a Thousand Faces [1], I have invited them to consider the journey Moses was on in the first half of Exodus. I not only want them to recognize the journey that Moses was on, I have also invited them to see that they are on a Hero’s Journey. While they embrace the significance of the idea, they are struggling to articulate what this means unless they are whisked to a galaxy far, far away. That is until I read Simon P. Walker’s book, Leading Out of Who You Are. [2] Walker describes how the undefended leader acts as a guide to the “unknown.” [3] This is where the Hero’s Journey and the undefended leader meet. The guide becomes the trusted leader that can chart the course inviting multiple people into the Hero’s Journey. To be a guide on the journey, one must be an undefended leader. I believe the people in my Sunday School class can be undefended leaders that guide those in their sphere of influence into the Hero’s Journey.
Which made me wonder if I have ever known an undefended leader? If an undefended leader can be an average, every-day person, than I should know plenty of undefended leaders that can guide other people. So what makes a person an undefended leader? Walker describes the undefended leader as one who leads out of “moral authority”, a term that he borrows from Jim Wallis, to describe a leader who leads out of their character. [4] This is a different kind of power than is welded by most who are in power or even the examples of leadership that come to mind. It is the kind of leadership forged in struggle and loss. [5] It is also the kind of leadership that Jesus modeled. [6]
The best place to spot an undefended leader that can serve as a guide is to look at how they interact with other people. One can look to those who carry themselves with generosity toward others to see the potential leadership qualities that can guide others. [7] I experienced this recently when a group of women from the church invited me to lunch. While this can be an opportunity to air the latest grievances, their invitation came with the question, “how can we most help the church right now?” Not only were they true to their invitation, one of the ladies offered to be a volunteer coordinator to help more people get involved. Her reason for doing this is: “I have been blessed and I want to help others receive the same blessing.” This made me think of Walker’s observation that undefended leaders “get the right things done.” [8]
I believe that she has been blessed and will do a good job as a volunteer coordinator because she has suffered loss. She has suffered from back pain the past few years and is on the road to recovery and her first act experiencing improved health is the desire to give back by helping others find their place. She is making the choice to turn her suffering into good by seeing her health as a gift to help others.[9]
It is suddenly obvious that I have known undefended leaders. The undefended leaders I know are those who selflessly serve others out of their love of life and by turning their struggles into good through the choices they make to help others. These “everyday people” serve as guides for those they encounter by encouraging them to trust God on their own journey. Now I am wondering how many I have known. It is not just the great heroes like Moses, it is also those people in my Sunday School class who faithfully demonstrate their willingness to do whatever it takes to help other people know that they are loved by God. That makes them the best guides to have.
- Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949; repr., Mumbai, India: Yogi Impressions, May, 2017).
- Simon P Walker, Leading out of Who You Are : Discovering the Secret of Undefended Leadership (Carlisle: Piquant, 2007).
- Ibid., 6.
- Ibid., 7.
- Ibid.
- Ibid., 4.
- Ibid., 117.
- Ibid., 125.
- Ibid., 141.
About the Author
Chad McSwain
Chad is a systematic creative serving in pastoral ministry for nearly 20 years, Chad is a professional question-asker and white-board enthusiast, who enjoys helping people discover their own passions and purpose. A life-long learner, he has a B.A, Philosophy - Univ. Central Oklahoma, M.A Theology - Fuller Seminary, M.Div. Perkins School of Theology at SMU and is pursuing a Doctor of Leadership - George Fox University. He is an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church, currently serving as Lead Pastor of Whitesboro UMC. Chad and his wife, Brandi live in Prosper, Texas along with their three children, two pugs and a chameleon.7 responses to “Heroes and Undefended Leaders”
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Yes! What a wonderful mindset and I’m sure a pleasant surprise when you went to that lunch. Thank you for the reminder that we encounter and are pushed forward by these “everyday” undefended leaders. I’m convinced we will ourselves be better leaders if we recognize them for what they are.
Chad,
What a wonderful reminder that we are surrounded by undefended heroes everyday! I am quite sure they are all around us, if we will but open our eyes and look for them.
Chad,
Your transition from the Hero’s Journey to the discovery of the undefended leader analogy and subsequent identification of leaders in your own church was powerful. It was as though you took us through your journey ‘real-time’ to the breakthrough moment of seeing the undefended leaders all around you.
Are you going to change how or what you teach in your Sunday school as a result?
Chad, What a great idea to weave together the undefended leader and the hero’s journey. Your description of applying both learnings in leading your Sunday School class is inspirational and a great example of how we can lay our different insights over each other to find similarities and insights for growth. Are you talking with your Sunday School class about what you are learning in this class or applying and noticing the overlap, yourself? I’m curious what the members of your church think about your studies and what insights they are drawing from the applications your passing along to them?
Also, I’m struck by how many undefended leaders might be out there who are quietly going about their business and yet, transforming the world. Thanks for pointing this out to us!
Chad,
I love the idea of “everyday people” on their hero journey. I fit right in with them. In your post, you were talking about a lady, and you said, “She is making the choice to turn her suffering into good by seeing her health as a gift to help others.” in which ways have you recently turned your own suffering into good?
Chad – This post resonated greatly with me. Thank you for the reminder that anyone can be an undefended leader. It doesn’t require great responsibility or achievement – only great humbleness and great love. Do you think it’s possible to lead undefended if you HAVE NOT experienced great pain or loss? I’m trying to think of an example, and I can’t come up with one!
Chad,
You did great bringing your Church Sunday School class into your current work with the Seminary. I agree with you, heroes and undefended leaders are with us every day; all it takes is acknowledging them in their sphere of influence.