Matt's Muzings
Being Vulnerable as a Leader
To help you think, ponder and reflect on the human side of leadership
October, 2006 Volume 8, Issue 70
When I look at what has been the most challenging part of leadership for me I would say it is trying to be vulnerable with those I am leading.
One meeting comes to mind as an example. I was leading it and I sensed the question before the group was re-looking at what ‘missions’ was. We had a teacher come in and preach and it stirred people to think about missions in a new way.
I organized myself and put down my own thinking on an overhead. I explained the words I was using and what they meant to me. I was being as vulnerable as I knew how to be as I knew a discussion about missions would be awkward at best and I wanted to lead us into a healthy dialogue about it and who we were.
I won’t go into the details but in essence it scared people. Some thought I was telling them what I put on the overhead was how they had to think and they didn’t like that. Others were so nervous they reacted immediately and wanted clarity. Still others jumped in through the open door and pushed their own agenda. Others just shut down at the awareness of tension.
I learned alot from that time and other meetings that have been like it as well. Now, the point of the example is not to look at who is right or wrong, but to understand the dynamics of leadership.
How to be vulnerable?
I think this is the question for leadership in a fallen world.
When sin entered our world through the choices of Adam and Eve, the element that changed for them was their awareness of being vulnerable (naked). They felt no shame before their sin and then the weight of their nakedness was too much to bear after it. The response of covering up, hiding and blaming others was established, set and sadly, has been reproduced with growing perfection to this very day.
When you read all the best books on change management, organizational learning and learning leaders you come back to this point over and over. The leaders must make him or herself vulnerable. That is the essence of change management. It is the essence of leadership in a changing world.
I have a lot of thoughts on this but I want to turn to God as the standard. How does God model leadership to us? This is terrifying news. He emptied himself and became a man. He took the form of a servant (read no power) and became vulnerable to us. So much so, that we could kill him. Then he used that act to forgive us.
I must say I don’t see much of this in our world. I am not blaming anyone, as it is terrifying to learn the art of vulnerability.
If I was setting the standard I know exactly what I would say. “Get power and protect yourself. Conform and keep your head as low as possible. Cover up and blame others. That is the only way to survive.”
But, we are not called to survive. We are invited to lay our lives down as a living sacrifice. We are called to die. It is the only way we overcome this world. You can’t do that without vulnerability. If we are to follow God’s leadership it must include being vulnerable. There is no other way.
I know that is such a painful thought to me and I can’t do it without God. It seems that is where he wants me to start. No cover up. No hiding. No blaming. Owning my choices and loving people as vulnerable as I can.
May the grace of God be abundant to you in this expression of humility.
Matt & Celia
===================================
If this monthly Muzing is helpful, please forward it to friends and family.
If you're not yet a subscriber, email mrawlins@mac.com and ask to subscribe.