Leadership- Faithful Living In The Marketplace
“In the end, it is important to remember that we cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are“.[1]
Leadership Is an Art by Max Dupree was a very timely read for me. I have recently transitioned into a new leadership role within my company. This is an expanded role with a whole new team and strategic focus. In every leadership role I have served in, I strive to build upon my previous experiences and continue to mature and grow in my leadership abilities. With every transition there are new challenges and new opportunities. I am personally driven by both. Each refines a different leadership trait and strengthens the areas that need improvement and development. In addition, every team I work with has new individuals with their own gifts and abilities they they seek to strengthen and refine.
In this book, Max took a non sequential story approach that he emphasized was less anecdotal but were more “ideals, beliefs and relationships” related to leadership. Each story he told reinforced the fact that leadership is not something we master but something we continue to learn, refine and grow into. He advocates that there is not a science behind leadership but that it is more about intimate connections fostered by building trust in relationships with others. I found this book to provide no novel ideals as it relates to leadership but it was a wonderful reminder of what matters beyond the profitable results in business. I have to daily ask myself “what matters beyond the day in and day out operational results?” this is the fundamental question. Managing a large strategic project for my company I must take time to wrestle with this question. Not to conjure up the immediate answers but to reflect in a practical way how I engage with my team and how in the end we will define our success. There were a few key ideals that stood out to me. I could write all day on this book and its application to my life but I will address each of these briefly in my post.
Empowering others
“Understanding and accepting diversity enables us to see that each of us is needed. It also enables us to begin to think about being abandoned to the strengths of others, of admitting that we cannot know or do everything.”[2]
I have learned that the way I approach my own career with a passionate pursuit is infectious and will either motivate the team propelling us forward or my lack thereof will demotivate the group and restrict us for making notable progress towards our goals. I have realized that the way in which I live out my pursuit with others is crucial to the way in which I make others feel empowered or not. All of us come into a space and can share our power by empowering others or we can consume the space with our need to feel powerful and leave others powerless. Empowering others isn’t just about acknowledging the strengths in others but it is about yielding and giving room/space for others to flourish and grow in their gifts. I have to check myself daily to ensure that I empower others in every area I am required to steward. Despite the fact I may share a skill set with someone else it is important to empower them by yielding that space because their strength is just as needed, if not more so, than my own.
Building Relationships- intimacy and trust
“We find intimacy through a search for comfort with ambiguity. We do not grow by knowing all of the answers, but rather by living with the questions.”[3]
There is a level setting and an basic understanding of trust that is assumed in everyday engagement on a team. To the degree by which we allow intimacy to continue to be fostered to a place that is less ambiguous and becomes clearer is up to each individual. I do believe that it is through these relationships that allow people to lower their guards and become more willing to learn and share with each other. In a corporate climate, it is not rare that someone would try to outshine or try to prove they always have the right answer. In most cases this not only hurts the team but eventually the company. The lack of trust that is exemplified in those situations makes it difficult for others to want to work with them in the future; therefore, inhibiting the beautiful results that come from effective collaboration that lives with the questions daily and works collectively to accomplish the goal.
Maintain Momentum
“Momentum comes from a clear vision of what the corporation ought to be, from a well-thought-out strategy to achieve that vision, and from carefully conceived and communicated directions and plans that enable everyone to participate and be publicly accountable in achieving those plans.”[4]
In my experiences leading others, I have found that it is imperative that I have a clear vision and plan that is both a strategic and tactical. The absence of this creates confusion and disillusionment within your team/organization. In addition it breeds distrust in your leadership. Having a clear vision doesn’t mean you have all of the answers, it just means you have the forethought to see beyond the moment and formulate a plan that sends your organization down a thoughtful path towards success. Even in scripture, God told Habakkuk to write what he saw and make it plain so that it can be communicated clearly to others[5]
On my new strategic project, it is so vital that every person have a clear direction and understanding of their role on this project. With this in place, I have built a foundation by which trust can be established. We all know what is expected and everyone has ownership in our success. In light of this, momentum grows as they work collectively while feeling empowered to let their gifts shine bright!
Making A Difference
Every single day, I recognize the weight of the responsibility I have as I serve as a steward in my role. I do not take the responsibility lightly because I know what is at stake. However; I do consider it an honor to live out my calling in the marketplace embracing every challenge and opportunity. At the end of the day, I am called to make a difference wherever God has purposed for me to be placed. Max reminds us that despite all of our obligations and responsibilities that come with our role “to be a leader means, especially, having the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those who permit leaders to lead.”[6]
[1] Max De Pree, Leadership is an art (New York: Crown Business, 2004), 100.
[2] Ibid., 9.
[3] Ibid., 57.
[4] Ibid., 18.
[5] Habakkuk 2:2
[6] Ibid., 22.
About the Author
Christal Jenkins Tanks
10 responses to “Leadership- Faithful Living In The Marketplace”
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“On my new strategic project, it is so vital that every person have a clear direction and understanding of their role on this project.”
That is so important. For example, I served as a youth minister at five different churches over my career. I can honestly say that none of these churches offered me a detailed job description that I was evaluated from. While I was able to set my own goals (with the senior pastor) and saw many plans bear fruit, there were other times that my work was not in alignment.
“Each story he told reinforced the fact that leadership is not something we master but something we continue to learn, refine and grow into.”
Yes indeed Christal! The longer I lead, the less I seem to know! We are lifelong learners – Mathetes – disciples of Jesus. I think good leaders are humble leaders that increasingly recognise their limits and the benefits that other individuals bring to the team, as you suggest in your piece!
Christal, I really appreciate your balanced approach to this topic!! Leadership really is a calling and you don’t sentimentalize the “everyone is a leader” (Lowney). You see yourself as a steward of an important task.
Your reflection shows the humility of good leaders who know the importance of their people by ’empowering them’, ‘building intimate and trust’ with them, ‘maintaining momentum’ and being willing to be a lifelong learner so that you can strive to be a leader “especially, having the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those who permit leaders to lead.”
Christal, I think it would be a joy to work under your leadership (although you wouldn’t want me handling anything to do with banks or money!). It seems to me that your superiors have recognized that you’re a gifted leader and have made the wise choice to place you in positions to practice that leadership. Kudos to them for making a good choice!
“At the end of the day, I am called to make a difference wherever God has purposed for me to be placed. Max reminds us that despite all of our obligations and responsibilities that come with our role ‘to be a leader means, especially, having the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those who permit leaders to lead.'”
I think one of the strongest points DePree makes is that faithful service to Christ can be practiced within a business just as much (or even more so) as within a church context. Unfortunately, very little has been written on serving Christ faithfully in the business world (although that is changing), so DePree’s example is greatly welcomed.
Great post Christal! I appreciate the way in which you approach power. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the blessing and curse of power. You bring a unique view to the discussion, a view from a business perspective. That’s a perspective that I don’t have and so I appreciate your insight. When you state, “All of us come into a space and can share our power by empowering others or we can consume the space with our need to feel powerful and leave others powerless.” that is the life or death question for any organizaton—do I, as a leader, hoard power, or empower others. The first is a path to death the other to growth and life. Power is no respecter of persons and the church is certainly not immune. Power is necessary to get a job done, but it not unlike the manna in the wilderness—try to hoard it and it will spoil everything. Thanks for your insight Christal.
Christel
“to be a leader means, especially, having the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those who permit leaders to lead.”
I appreciate your view and experience on leadership. It is great to share similar views with others on leaders wanting to make a meaningful difference.
Thank you for your great post
“All of us come into a space and can share our power by empowering others or we can consume the space with our need to feel powerful and leave others powerless.”
This is such a crucial point, Christal! Every day, leaders must make a choice to empower or disempower those around us. We all know what it is like to work with/for someone who makes the daily choice to consume space and disempower every person in the room in order to feel powerful. It is exhausting and so disheartening. How different to be with someone who chooses empowerment!
(also, am I the only on who noticed that “together” is misspelled in the crossword picture? lol)
Haha! Didn’t notice till you pointed it out. 🙂
‘To the degree by which we allow intimacy to continue to be fostered to a place that is less ambiguous and becomes clearer is up to each individual.’
Yes!!!!! What a difficult, but important task for a leader to create and foster an environment where we allow that intimacy to take place….
So true Christal- leadership is contagious and influential. How we lead can make or break a group. I tell my kids, “Be responsible for the energy you bring into a group.” I bet you’re a great motivator! Thank you for your well-written post.