What Exactly is Leadership…Part 4

September 8, 2017

So, our series on What Exactly is Leadership has covered several characteristics of covenant leadership including relationships that are:

Influential and Dynamic more Than Positional and Controlling…
Developmental More Than Dictatorial…and…
Humane More Than Commodified
Committed To and Valued More Than Used and Consumed…

Today, we will discuss another characteristic, Respectful and Loving More Than Intimidating – One of my favorite authors is the late Henri Nouwen, who wrote about the temptation of leaders to rely on power. In talking of his own struggles as a leader, he noted, “I still have moments in which I clamp down and tell everyone to shut up, get in line, listen to me and believe in what I say.”

Wisdom from Nouwen

Nouwen offers a profound answer to the important question of why “leaders” sometimes do this: “Maybe…power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love. It seems easier to be God, than to love God, easier to control people than to love people, easier to own life than to love life.” He explains further that many people opt for power and control because they don’t know how to develop healthy relationships. So what’s the answer?

At Southwest Job Satisfaction Flies High

It starts with respect for others, which allows leaders to resist the power temptation and share rather than wield power. That allows building relationships and focusing on what Nouwen calls “the hard task of love.” Consider Southwest Airlines (SWA), a place where employees are known to work hard but also have fun while doing it. Recently it was named one of Fortune Magazine’s” top 10 most admired companies in the world. Uniquely, Southwest executives work hard to create partnerships, including with the unions. It makes sense because the focus within the organization is on building healthy relationships and a sense of ownership for the common purpose they serve.

The atmosphere commenced with former chairman Herb Kelleher, who talked consistently about respecting and even loving his people. Witness the big heart painted on the airplanes symbolizing that love and the energetic friendly demeanor of employees that reflects it. These and other attitudes at Southwest help explain why the company has lower turnover rates than any other airline. And evidently, all this talk and practice of love doesn’t compromise profitability. Consider that in 2016, for the 44^th straight year, SWA netted $2.2 billion in net profit, despite the turbulence in the airline industry.

This stands in considerable contrast to the concept of commodification. Commodification works well with the purchase and consumption of actual commodities like groceries and cattle. However, it clearly inhibits the development of relationships in which people give themselves to a common purpose. That’s because commodification is dehumanizing and relies on power and sometimes intimidation to move people. When that is prevalent, then potentially everyone becomes a free agent looking for the best deal.

Examples from the Sports World

As my value in a relationship is measured and rewarded by my ability to perform and serve someone else’s self-interest, then my focus will be on keeping my perceived value high. The problem with that is the higher the stakes the more relational dynamics lend themselves to deception, manipulation, power wielding and even cheating to enhance my performance and keep my value high. Consider the results of increased commodification in professional sports. The growing incidence of illegal steroid use and other forms of cheating may enhance performance short-term, but they injure the long-term health and credibility of athletes and they diminish the respect of fans. Witness the rapid decline in popularity of Sammy Sosa, Mark McGuire, Barry Bonds and more. In the final analysis, it’s difficult to embrace a cheater either as a hero or a trusted leader.

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What Exactly is Leadership…Part 4

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