The World on Our Shoulders
For those who have visited Rockefeller Center in New York City, you might remember a large statue of the ancient Greek Titan Atlas holding the heavens on his shoulders. Something fascinating about this statue is that depending on the angle from which Atlas is viewed, spectators might come to different conclusions concerning this Greek Titan. From the front, Atlas is holding the world with relative ease. He is invincible. However, stepping around to the statue’s backside and an observer might make a different conclusion. From the back, Atlas looks as if he is using all his strength to keep the world steady on his shoulders. He is strong, but it takes work. Ultimately, onlookers might not feel complete confidence in Atlas’s long-term ability to hold the world.
The example of the Atlas statue standing outside 30 Rockefeller Plaza parallels Simon Walker’s ideas concerning the front and back stage in his Leading Out of Who You Are. Walker describes those in leadership as often maintaining a front stage and a backstage. [1] The front stage is the place where leaders perform for their audiences. Whereas the backstage often becomes storage for insecurities and self-doubt, things left unrevealed to audiences. Walker writes, “The front stage is the place for conviction and confidence, the backstage the place for struggle and uncertainty.” [2] He continues, “What is important to understand is that all our strategies are to do with self-presentation, or ‘impression management.'” [3] Much like the Greek Titan Atlas, the leader appears confident and invincible when viewed from the front stage. However, if the audience were to take a few steps backstage, the different viewpoint would reveal a different story. The invincible leader could be struggling to keep the world steadied on their shoulders.
In Greek mythology, Atlas was a half-man, half-god known as a Titan. Unfortunately, after the Titan’s defeat, Atlas was punished to carry the world on his shoulders. [4] We often use this familiar idiom to carry the weight of the world on one’s shoulders. [5] This is an experience many leaders can intimately resonate with. Leadership can often feel like a punishment when put in a position to carry the world on their shoulders. Walker describes the hostile environment in which leaders often find themselves. Followers idealize and demand godlikeness from their leader to meet their emotional needs. Walker writes, “For the followers, it may lead to dependence; for the leader, it may lead to isolation, loneliness, and intolerable strain. He cannot share any of the issues he is struggling with inside because no one will allow him to.” [6] However, the leader also demands approval and appreciation from their followers to meet emotional needs. Walker refers to this as the leadership-followership collusion cycle. [7] The outcome of this collusion cycle is incredibly unhealthy. We were not meant to carry this weight.
I often hold to the idea that it takes more courage to show the backstage mess, the insecurities, and self-doubt than to put on the front stage performance that everything is fine. However, it is one thing to show others our backstage, but it is another to do something about it. Walker confidently suggests we can do something about it in Leading Out of Who You Are. We can move from the defended to the undefended leader. He carefully outlines how we can locate the root of the defended self. Walker writes, “To understand the route to undefendedness, we must first understand the architecture of our ego, for ultimately it is that we are defending.” [8] Walker further describes four leadership egos: 1) the shaping ego, 2) the defining ego, 3) the adapting ego, and 4) defending ego. Each leadership ego is shaped by our experience of trust (e.g., this begins in infancy). This post will not list the characteristics of each leadership ego but rather emphasize the broader importance of understanding our ego to allow transformation. Friedman states, “To gain more regulation over one’s reactive mechanisms requires commitment to the lifetime project of being willing to be continually transformed by one’s experience.” [9] Each leader can place themselves in one of Walker’s four leadership egos. Through better understanding of experiences with trust and defining the leadership ego, leaders can move towards undefendedness. However, there must be a willingness to change.
Leaders cannot carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. The are not godlike Titans able to sustain the weight. Walker’s Leading Out of Who You Are exposes the leader’s tendency to control what the audience sees and unhealthy relationship dynamics between the leader and followers. Walker further describes four leadership egos that foster defended rather than undefended leaders. It takes courage for a leader to reveal their back stage, but more courage to do something about it. Walker confidently suggests we can do something about it. We can be free. Ultimately, becoming an undefended leader requires divine support. I agree with Walker that our needs can only be fully met and that only God can fully define and heal our egos. No human or system can do this for us. Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matt. 22:28-30 [NIV]).” Only God can mold us into undefended leaders. We can trust Him to make sense of our back stage.
[1] Simon P. Walker, Leading Out of Who You Are: Discovering the Secret of Undefended Leadership (The Undefended Leader Trilogy Book 1). Piquant Editions. Kindle Edition.
[2] Simon P. Walker, Leading Out of Who You Are (p. 40). Piquant Editions. Kindle Edition.
[3] Simon P. Walker, Leading Out of Who You Are (p. 39). Piquant Editions. Kindle Edition.
[4] “Atlas.” Accessed March 15, 2024. https://www.rockefellercenter.com/art/atlas/.
[5] “Have/Carry/Bear/Feel the Weight of the World on Your Shoulders,” March 13, 2024. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/have-carry-bear-feel-the-weight-of-the-world-on-your-shoulders.
[6] Simon P. Walker, Leading Out of Who You Are (p. 28). Piquant Editions. Kindle Edition.
[7] Ibid, 30.
[8] Ibid, 71.
[9] Edwin H. Friedman, A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix (10th Anniversary, Revised Edition) (p. 43). Church Publishing Incorporated. Kindle Edition.
About the Author
Elysse Burns
12 responses to “The World on Our Shoulders”
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Elysse,
I appreciated reading your post so much! I’m always curious what areas each person will highlight.
I’m guessing you have a leadership role in your current place. Have you encountered times when you felt like you were carrying too much weight on your shoulders? If so, how did you work through it?
Hi Nancy, I worked as an administrator in a small, nonprofit clinic here in Mauritania. It was the most challenging work I have ever done. I had to learn new government regulations in another language and find my way through a lot of red tap. These things don’t seem so hard to me now, but initially, the learning curve was overwhelming. However, the thing that was hardest, was I felt responsible for the livelihood and wellbeing of the local employees. There were a lot of layers to this situation, but many of them were unsustainable and very unhealthy. I was exhausted. Ultimately, I chose to walk away from the clinic. It has only been a few months since I stepped away. I am appreciative of the trustworthy voices who spoke into this situation. But to answer your question, it did feel like carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. This experience taught me that I am not the savior of this country.
What a great analogy Elyyse! I could visualise it as I was reading it.
One of the things that struck me while I was reading your post was they “why’s”. Why do leaders have to bear so much on their shoulders. Why can’t they let their guard and facade down and be more vulnerable. Why is there so much fear to do that. Is it all ego?
You don’t need to answer those. I am just thinking out loud so to speak.
Maybe you can answer this:
Is it right that leaders maintain an outward appearance of confidence while struggling with inner doubts?
Hi Chris, thank you for your kind words. Your question is one that I am still navigating in my own life. I believe it’s not altogether wrong for a leader to want to lead people in confidence even if they are experiencing inner doubts. I think that’s where the importance of accountability comes into play and having trustworthy voices speak into our lives. Unfortunately, leaders often set themselves up for very lonely, isolated lives. We think we can do it, but we can’t. This idea of accountability and seeking trustworthy voices is something I have learned to really embrace working overseas. I have days when I feel a lot of inner doubt, but I know there are people who will help walk me through it.
Hi Elysse,
Unfortunately, I can relate to the leadership-followership collusion cycle. I have found myself in this cycle and been saddened when the Lord has revealed my sin in my leadership. It’s interesting how this even happens – as intentions starting out are seem to be pure.
I love your analogy of Atlas carrying the world on his shoulders. Leadership is a heavy burden to bear – lest we cast the burdens on Christ himself.
Are there any recent leadership burdens you’ve given to Jesus in which you’ve been able to find freedom?
Hi Christy, I am also a recovering leader-followership collusion-ist! Thank you for your question. Working overseas, I have often felt the weight of “saving” people. This is something I have experienced a lot of freedom in. I find there are so many philosophies and methods of how to best reach people and see results. It can be overwhelming if you are swayed by each new thing. I have surrendered this idea of “results” to Jesus. I remain an active presence in my community, but I have released the weight of rescuing people. Life is a lot lighter and joyful after this surrender!
Elysse as a native New Yorker I felt that post. I remember looking at Atlas but never saw it from that perspective! Great insight. Carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders is common for many people. My thought centers on your point of sharing the back stage. As you mentioned your willingness to do so, how do you discern who and when to do such?
Hi Daren, thank you for your comment. Living overseas, I have grown to really appreciate accountability and looking for trustworthy voices to speak into my life. Over the summer, supervisors from my company came to visit me overseas. I have a good relationship with them, but the level of closeness wasn’t one that I felt I could show all my backstage. However, my backstage leaked onto my frontstage during their visit and this led to some good conversations. They really helped me walk through some challenging decisions that I was struggling to accept. I believe this interaction was the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of each person involved. Oftentimes, I forget to ask for the Holy Spirit’s discernment regarding who I can show the “messy” things to. I believe this is an area where I am growing. I want to be quick to ask for God’s discernment and guidance on who to allow onto my back stage.
Elysse, I can completely relate to the Atlas figure with the weight of the world on my shoulders. As a pastoral leader, I have felt this often and have to regularly shift the weight onto the shoulders of Jesus. After all, he is the one who is leading the church in real-time, my real job is to live in response to his leading.
What methods of discernment would you recommend to individuals and groups to live in response to the leading of Jesus?
Hi Graham, thank you for your comment and great question. This is still something I am navigating in my own life. Pray journaling is a method that has really helped me in areas of discernment and releasing things to the Lord. I might not walk away with all the answers in that moment, but my mind is geared towards looking for the Lord’s guidance. If I don’t receive the answer directly, He usually leads someone to me who has the answer. I would highly recommend prayer journaling and taking about 10-15 minutes of silence and solitude with God each day. I think in times of busyness this is the first thing to be put on the backburner. I am guilty of this myself. However, when I make it a priority, it has proven to be so helpful and life-giving for me.
Thank you, Elysse, for your post, it so informative and reassuring. Definitely it is encouraging to be reminded of how ‘yoking’ with our LORD can gives us the courage to deal with our ‘frontstage and backstage’ life. Can we say that our frontstage is the manifestation of our backstage?
Hi Noel, thank you for your comment and question. I believe the front stage and the backstage are closely connected. You can’t have one without the other. Yes, I do think we can say our front stage is the manifestation of our back stage. I believe this can look healthy or unhealthy. If our backstage has a strong foundation and is healthy, we can present an authentic, transparent front stage. If we have an unhealthy back stage, our front stage is inauthentic and forced. Eventually the backstage will leak onto our frontstage (healthy or unhealthy). We cannot hide! 🙂