for money, sex or power respectively. In Christian teaching these are the three greatest temptations. There is nothing wrong with these things in themselves as long as we use them for the good of others and we do not kid ourselves that they can give us the deepest experience of satisfaction and ultimate meaning that all human beings seek.
One of the most formative experiences of Michael’s ministry was being called to a house in Reading where a woman had just died. He met her husband, a well-known local businessman, who ushered him into a huge drawing room, complete with a concert grand piano. As they talked he could see the gardener mowing the extensive lawns which stretched into the distance. The bereaved man spoke of his life and how he had built up a business from scratch, working seven days a week to provide for his family. He had always thought that when he retired he would be able to enjoy their company. His daughters had grown up and married and now, having retired four months previously, his wife had unexpectedly died. ‘You see,’ he said, ‘I have everything that I could possibly need but now my wife has died, I no longer have any of the things that I really want.’
During the horrific events that took place in America on 9/11, many of the recorded messages that people left for their loved ones, as the plane on which they were flying was about to crash, have survived. What is significant is that no one spoke about finance or promotion. They spoke about love and relationships. They focused on the things that mattered most deeply to them.
So as leaders we need to dig into our psyches and unearth the things that truly make life worth living for us. If we undertake our work in the light of these motivations, we are much more likely to be transparent and authentic. There is a greater likelihood that we will find fulfilment in the things that really matter, rather than in the attractive yet transitory things that can so easily distract us.
This may take time and a great deal of reflection. Few individuals will be motivated for a lifetime by an aim such as ‘We want to make a bigger profit than last year’ or ‘We want to outperform our main competitor’. Conversely people are more likely to be inspired by aims such as ‘We want to build a car which pollutes less’ or ‘We want to make a tangible improvement to the lives of those who suffer from Parkinson’s disease’ or ‘We want to offer the very best service possible so that . . .’ Finding and articulating inspiring aims is a vital part of leadership.
For reflection
Make a list of what inspires and motivates you. Focus on the ones that relate to what you really want in life. Does your use of time and your priorities reflect these?
Do the aims and objectives of your organization resonate with what inspires and motivates you?
How might your use of time and your priorities better reflect what matters most to you?
4. Know your strengths
Jeremy had founded an organization to help gardeners sell their produce in local markets. Initially it had been a great success. He had collected the produce, rented the stalls, sold the vegetables and completed the paperwork. As the business grew he found that he was so busy that he could not always fill in all the paperwork. It took increasingly long periods for the gardeners and suppliers to be paid. Grumbles broke out into open criticism. Jeremy was hurt at the comments and wondered whether to pack it all in.
Simon, an old friend, heard about the frustrations and rang Jeremy, offering to talk it through. He was aware of both Jeremy’s drive and his lack of organizational skills. He sought to persuade him to concentrate on what he was good at – collecting the produce and selling it – and to appoint someone to do the organizing. At first Jeremy was reluctant. After all, it had been his idea and he had developed it. Eventually, Jeremy had to admit to himself that he was not the person to expand the business.
Jeremy now acknowledges that it is a relief that he is doing the things he really likes and at which he excels. Six years on, the whole enterprise has expanded significantly. A manager is responsible for the organization and several other growers are also selling the produce in markets across the county.
Most of us think that we have a high degree of self-awareness. We reckon that we know what we are like. Because most of us in leadership roles are self-confident people (by virtue of having got to this point) there can be a tendency for us to overestimate our strengths and abilities. Having realistic self-knowledge is essential for good leadership. We need an honest assessment of our values and motivations, as well as our gifts and weaknesses. If we think that we are stronger in some area of leadership than is actually the case, we may not be able to achieve what we set out to do. We may not realize that we have to work on these areas to develop them. We may fail to appoint colleagues whose skills complement our own. On the other hand if we think we are weaker in some areas than is actually the case we may be overcautious.
We need to have a realistic estimate of our strengths, so we can build on them and develop them. But how can we grow in such self-awareness? It is a challenge for those in positions of leadership to get clear feedback. Employees in the organization know that they depend on us for promotion or for this year’s bonus. If asked directly they are likely to be overgenerous in praise of our strengths and less than forthcoming about our weaknesses.
One of the greatest problems for any leader is finding colleagues whose judgement we can trust and who are willing to be open with us about our abilities. Sadly, we are more likely to be surrounded by people who say what they think we want to hear rather than what they and their colleagues truly believe. For most employees or volunteers it is simply too much hassle and involves too many risks to be honest with their boss. The result is an unhealthy collusion which helps no one. Unfortunately the higher up an organization we are, the harder it is to find someone to be open with about our strengths and weaknesses.
A wise leader will always be on the lookout for that small number of thoughtful people in the organization who can give them genuine feedback. This is not always easy, as some may be critical because they are jealous or have a chip on their shoulder. How can we find those who will genuinely try to be objective? Such individuals are a rare commodity. Often they are near retirement and know that they are not going to get promoted any further. They have seen a number of leaders come and go and they are sufficiently wise (and at peace with themselves) to dare to be honest if given the opportunity. They are a most valuable gift to any leader who wants to grow in self-knowledge.
If we cannot find such a person within the organization, then we can bring someone in from outside to listen with a constructively critical ear to help us grow in self-awareness. People are far more likely to be honest about our gifts and weaknesses when they know that the comments will be fed back anonymously through a third party.
Another way in which we can grow in self-knowledge is through work appraisals or reviews. Many organizations have a system of annual reviews although sometimes these are only for those in less senior roles. However, appraisals or reviews are more likely to be effective if everyone in the organization believes in them enough to use the system. Indeed, the best way for such schemes to be introduced is for the leaders to be the first to go through it.
Reviews for the leaders may well be conducted by someone from outside the organization or a chair of the board. It is vital that all appraisals, including the leader’s, has a mechanism for an anonymous 360° feedback, from people working at different levels in the organization. Unless we are willing to be seen to learn about our strengths and weaknesses why should we expect others to be open about theirs?
Part of the challenge is to create a culture in the organization where we are honest about one another’s gifts and weaknesses, so we can deploy our diverse skills and abilities in the most effective way. While it may appear to be a risky thing to do, the wise leader does not shy from such insights but instead sees them as useful information. If everyone knows
