{"id":33387,"date":"2023-10-13T07:14:52","date_gmt":"2023-10-13T14:14:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=33387"},"modified":"2023-10-13T07:14:52","modified_gmt":"2023-10-13T14:14:52","slug":"shaping-our-identity-the-dance-of-joy-and-fear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/shaping-our-identity-the-dance-of-joy-and-fear\/","title":{"rendered":"Shaping Our Identity: The Dance of Joy and Fear"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is a continuous quest for growth and development in the realm of leadership. Forbes said as of 2019 (four years ago) that, leadership development was a 366 billion dollar industry[1]<\/sup><\/a>. Everywhere you turn, leaders are trying to discover how to lead better. It is a journey marked by the pursuit of excellence and the ever-present challenge of expanding one’s leadership capacity. But the more I study leadership, the more I understand that, yes, as leaders, we should constantly pursue improvement, but we must also deal with our identity. Who are we, or better yet, who am I as a leader? What is my identity in the framework of leadership? A quote in the book Rare Leadership says, “Identity is powerful motivation that can be hijacked by fear to create really dangerous people. Identity can also be fueled by joy and transform the world.[2]<\/sup><\/a>”<\/p>\n

In the realm of leadership, the concept of identity holds a profound influence over individual and collective motivations. As Marcus Warner’s book “Rare Leadership” asserts, identity is not merely a static construct but a dynamic force that can propel individuals and organizations in different directions. This quote highlights one of the critical factors in the book, the transformative power of Identity, and how it can either be misdirected by fear or harnessed by joy to bring about positive change.<\/p>\n

This exploration of identity’s role in leadership reminds me of another book, \u201cIdentity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment\u201d by Francis Fukuyama. While his main lens is political identity, Fukuyama provides an analysis of national identity. He suggests, \u201cIdentity can be used to divide, but it can and has also been used to integrate.[3]<\/sup><\/a>\u201d Currently, it seems as though our prevailing national identity is division dominated by fear, affecting both individual and group identities. Warner’s perspective on the potential dangers and merits of identity, depending on its emotional foundation, is particularly relevant in the context we find ourselves in today. I want to spend some time looking at the quote I gave earlier by Warner “Identity is powerful motivation that can be hijacked by fear to create really dangerous people. Identity can also be fueled by joy and transform the world.[4]<\/sup><\/a>”<\/p>\n

Identity and Fear:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first part of Warner’s quote underscores that identity, when under the sway of fear, can lead to dangerous outcomes. This notion resonates strongly with Warner’s exploration of leadership capacity. Fear, a primal emotion, can hijack one’s identity, causing individuals to act in detrimental ways to themselves and their organizations. Leaders operating from a place of fear may exhibit authoritarian tendencies, prioritize self-preservation over team well-being, and resist change. This can lead to a toxic leadership culture and hinder organizational growth.<\/p>\n

“Rare Leadership” emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and resilience as antidotes to fear-driven leadership. Leaders who can manage their own fears and those of their teams are better equipped to steer their organizations away from the dangers of Identity hijacked by fear. They foster an environment where open communication, trust, and innovation can thrive.<\/p>\n

Identity and Joy:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The second part of the quote is equally profound, identity when infused with joy, holds the potential to transform the world. This perspective aligns closely with Warner’s view of leadership as a force for positive change. When leaders and organizations cultivate a sense of joy in their shared purpose, values, and accomplishments, remarkable transformations become possible.<\/p>\n

“Rare Leadership” champions the idea that leaders should inspire joy within their teams, not as a fleeting emotion, but as a lasting sense of fulfillment and meaning derived from shared goals and accomplishments. Joyful leaders create environments where team members feel valued, motivated, and empowered to contribute their best.<\/p>\n

The quote is a guiding principle for leaders. It underscores the importance of understanding and shaping identity within organizations. Fear driven identity can lead to destructive leadership, while an identity fueled by joy can inspire positive change and transformation.<\/p>\n

As leaders recognizing the transformative potential of identity, we can help become architects of positive change, shaping organizations that are not only successful but also meaningful and fulfilling for their teams and stakeholders.<\/p>\n

[1]<\/sup><\/a> Westfall, C. (2022, October 12). Leadership development is a $366 billion industry: Here\u2019s why most programs don\u2019t work<\/em>. Forbes. https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/chriswestfall\/2019\/06\/20\/leadership-development-why-most-programs-dont-work\/<\/p>\n

[2]<\/sup><\/a> Marcus Warner and Jim Wilder, Rare Leadership: 4 Uncommon Habits for Increasing Trust, Joy, and Engagement in the People You Lead (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2016), 241.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/sup><\/a> Francis Fukuyama, Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment. (New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2020), 183<\/p>\n

[4]<\/sup><\/a> Marcus Warner and Jim Wilder, Rare Leadership: 4 Uncommon Habits for Increasing Trust, Joy, and Engagement in the People You Lead (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2016), 241.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There is a continuous quest for growth and development in the realm of leadership. Forbes said as of 2019 (four years ago) that, leadership development was a 366 billion dollar industry[1]. Everywhere you turn, leaders are trying to discover how to lead better. It is a journey marked by the pursuit of excellence and the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":156,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2859],"class_list":["post-33387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-warner-wilder-rare-ledership-dlgp01","cohort-dlgp01"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33387","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/156"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33387"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33387\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33389,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33387\/revisions\/33389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}