Leaders are the Light

“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here I am, Lord, send me.” — Isaiah 6:8

This week, a person from my inner circle asked me: “You care so much about leadership… why?” I first nodded in agreement, then pondered. My initial response included the downsides, pitfalls, and tragedies derived from people who immorally used their authority, influence, and power. I fervently ranted about Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot, Mao Zedong, and the ongoing dictatorship in North Korea. The middle of my response highlighted the contagious ripple effect a leader’s words and actions could have on the bodies, hearts, minds, and spirits of millions of people (notably Jesus Christ in my own life).

And, with a deep sigh, I finished my response by shifting from “the importance” to “the absolute necessity” of authentic, integrous, and upward-striving leadership.

Months ago I heard a remark by psychologist Jordan Peterson in response to the following quote from Friedrich Nietzsche’s book Beyond Good and Evil: “Battle not with monsters lest ye become a monster… and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.” Peterson exclaimed, “Right, but I would say, “Bring it on!” If you gaze into the abyss long enough, you see the light, not the darkness… I’m betting my life on it.”  

There are many powerfully optimistic and inspiring ideas in this world; this might be one of the most critical ideas to understand and personally adopt as an ethically sound leader: commitment to light through truth-filled speaking and acting triumphs over adherence to darkness through lying, cheating, and deceiving despite any magnitude of pain, suffering, or pull toward devilish temptation.

Leaders choose the hard right over the easy wrong, always.

This quote from the United States’ Women’s National Soccer Team Head Coach, Jill Ellis, came to mind as I thought about Shackleton’s courage of adventuring back into the brutal ocean after finally finding solid ground. Leaders compete, celebrate, and compete again.

Incredible amounts of resiliency, heart, and determination bolstered Shackleton and five other men back to South Georgia’s southern coast. Never celebrating for too long, Shackleton organized four rescue attempts to save all crew members on Elephant Island. On August 30th, 1916, it happened, and no lives were lost. This expedition, detailed in Alfred Lansing’s book titled Endurance, has been deemed one of the greatest stories on leadership ever recorded.

The best definition of leadership I’ve ever come across simply states: leaders disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. 

A person who calls forth the best versions of themselves and others through realistic yet challenging standards receives admiration. Yet he or she cannot merely bark orders, telling everyone what to do and how to do it. He or she must embody the standard, as well. Furthermore and equally as essential, that person must also build a bridge of trust so strong that it can withstand the weight of the truth. They do this by comforting the disturbed… by asking questions and listening… by complimenting, congratulating, and consoling… by being a beacon of hope and encouragement, especially in really dark moments.

Inside my favorite TED Talk on this topic, “the rarest commodity is leadership without ego,” Bob Davids makes a distinction between management versus leadership — managers attempt to control whereas leaders inspire and enroll others on a mission toward a meaningful vision. 

Davids emphasizes, “There are three things, and only three things, that you can control: quality, time, and money [not people].” Davids uses a perfect, visual metaphor to display leadership: a chain. When we push a bunched-up chain, it sprawls in an uncertain direction; when we pull a chain, it follows us in the direction we go. 

People cannot be managed; they can only be led.

The purest and truest form of leadership is by example.

“The pessimist complains about the wind.The optimist expects it to change. The realist adjusts the sails.”

Don’t be a manager. Be a leader.

Don’t dwell in the darkness. Be the light.

Disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. 

— MG