Charles Gilbert wrote:
---snip---
>In my personal journey, I originally did not want "to be a leader" but
>have slowly over time found that I really have no choice. It is part of
>being human and part of making decisions.
---snip---
>When I began a journey through Christianity it was with the question,
>"What does it mean to be made in the image and likeness of God?" While I
>do not believe I can find a "complete" answer, the one that Art mentions
>captures the essence of some of it. He says, " This dreamer now sees life
>in each human; precious, sentient, beautiful, awe-inspiring, reverent
>life. I want to connect, not control." For the purposes of this
>discussion I will add that individuals are the centers of their power. We
>all have(/are) power.
>
>While meditating, once upon a time, about the third temptation of Christ
>(that's the one where the devil promises that the world will bow down if
>Jesus will revere the devil), I discovered the following. If you want the
>world to bow down before you, you need only convince them that you have
>the power. The catch in this is that they must give their power over to
>you. When someone hands over there power to another they could always
>take it back so for the receiver this isn't real power. It's a high
>maintenance situation. One must continue to feed the lie that they have
>power over others.
---snip---
>In Buddhist literature many stories describe things by saying what they
>are not. I come to understand that leadership is not in controlling
>others but perhaps instead to allow others to say, "We did it ourselves."
At the Last Supper, Jesus insisted on performing a duty which a lowly
servant would normally do, washing the feet of His disciples.
A true leader's purpose is to serve, helping her followers achieve their
vision. Bureaucratic or hierarchical organisations confuse being a leader
with being a CEO, but in a Learning Organisation all staff are enabled to
lead in their own way.
A leader does not "make" others do his will, but inspires others, as
Martin Luther King inspired others to walk to work rather than use a
segregated bus. Directing others because of the position you hold is not
being a leader, but a boss.
The secret of leadership is not to change others, but to change yourself.
The actions you take determine which followers you get.
--Richard Hills <staffdev@ozemail.com.au>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>