A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus in his book, Mind Shift (p. 41). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)
Now that is a very interesting thought.
Erwin says, "Leaders create clarity, raise standards, and call people to more. By definition, this creates a dividing line. Great leaders are not afraid to define what it means to be on their team, organization, or movement. They know their vision isn’t for everyone, and they recognize those with a shared vision. Great leaders also know that great teams form when there is a sifting process."
He goes on, "For years I allowed those most resistant to change to have the most influence on our rate, pace, and scale of transformation—even though this went completely against my natural inclination. I was an idealist. I genuinely valued people, and I thought that meant that I should act as if every person could thrive in our new reality. What I didn’t realize is that most institutions—whether they’re a church or a Fortune 100 company—are led by administrators and managers. Their highest value is to protect what exists. Their strength is risk management. Their weakness is an aversion to innovation, creativity, and risk."
Later in talking about his church, he says, "Twelve years ago, we relocated Mosaic to the heart of Hollywood. The move seemed like a no-brainer. It’s a rare opportunity to get to plant your flag on Hollywood Boulevard, a place where millions of people visit every year. We had multiple campuses across Los Angeles, and our most established campus at the time was in massive flux. With no permanent location, we were constantly having to relocate our services at a moment’s notice. We had to move more than two thousand people back and forth between Pasadena and then Glendale and then back to Pasadena. The property on Hollywood Boulevard would give our community a home, a place where we could invite Angelenos to come and find meaning and hope."
He says, "One evening, Kim (his wife) was assessing the cost of what this move would entail. She began naming one, then two, then three families she felt certain we would lose. By then, I was no longer a novice to the leadership journey. I understood the costs of change. I also understood that without change, there is no future. As a leader, you cannot make decisions based on who you have. You have to make decisions based on who you serve.
He then says, "Kim named three of our most-committed families. These three families had been with us for decades. They had served in the church alongside us and become our personal friends. I felt the pain of losing them at a gut level. Although Kim didn’t mean to do this, I sensed she was holding it against me. I was holding it against me. After a moment of silence, I shared with her a harsh reality that I will never forget: 'I wish I had the luxury of making my decisions based on only three families. I have the responsibility to make decisions based on the thousands of families that will be affected.'"
He later says, "Having people choose to leave can be the greatest gift they give to you. Some of your most defining moments will be when you bring such clarity that people know whether they are in or out. In the process, you help them define their values. They may not choose to move forward with you, but they may be choosing to move forward with their lives."
And that is what effective leadership is all about. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning
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