Dare Great Things

Looking to sacred scripture for inspiration on leadership is a task that requires us to sometimes read backwards.  Such as the case in Matthew 23 where Jesus issues seven woes.  Seven consecutive condemnations of the leaders of the Israel of his day.  Reading from the other side we see what he really was looking for from the leaders of today.  Here we examine the fifth of the woes -OK a desire for leaders who lead from the inside out.

Today’s world is full of messages.  People claim to know the truth and to assert that their opinion is a true guide.  The choice of the people we listen to is one of the most important decisions a leader can make.  Who is guiding us?  Who is pointing us in the right direction?  In Matthew 23 Jesus accuses the scribes and Pharisees of being blind guides.  Why?   What do they do?  What can we learn from this correction of Matthew’s gospel and how can we lead better thanks?

They say that the mark of a good leader is their ability to do the right things.  Making choices to stay focused on what needs to be done is essential for anyone wanting to succeed in their endeavors.   But what does God want us to focus on?   What are the things that he expects from us in the places where he’s asked us to lead?  In Matthew 23 Jesus gives us a clue.   He criticizes the Pharisees and scribes for missing the point and shows us what he wants from us as well.

In Matthew 23 Jesus gives us a list of seven woes addressed to the Scribes and Pharisees of his time.  These woes read like a list of condemnations and that of course they are, but what would happen if we flipped those conversations to see what they were saying on the positive side?   That is, what is Jesus looking for from his leaders and that he did not find in the Scribes and Pharisees of his time?   Today we take a look at the second of the seven woes.

In Matthew 23, Jesus says “Wo” seven times.   He’s not speaking to a horse but rather to the Scribes and the Pharisees declaring that evil is upon them for things that they are doing.  Since they represent leaders of their time, condoned by religion, I think it’s appropriate for us to look at these seven “Woes” from Jesus and understand what exactly he’s desiring.   What is he really looking for from us?

Leadership needs rules but whose rules are we following?  Robert Green lists 48 laws of power in his 1998 work ,“The 48 Laws of Power”, and at the very end the last law he puts is “assume formlessness.”  Jesus Christ gives us a different way to rule.  He speaks about the cross and gives us the example of assuming the ultimate freedom.  But what’s the difference between leadership according to either of these rules?

In 1999 the book “The 48 laws of Power” emerged as an amazing example of the thinking of the world regarding leadership.   These 48 laws were rules that were taken from history about what made leaders great in the eyes of the world and what kept them in power.   But what happens when we hold them up to the law of the cross, the way Christ leads the world?   Today will look at law 32 and see the difference between fantasies and heaven.

Leading from our faith and in the light of faith has many advantages for leaders.  In particular Christian leaders are allowed to shine to give the best of themselves in unique ways without fear of incurring jealousy from their boss since their boss is Jesus Christ.  What would our world look like if we allowed those who worked for us and under our authority to shine in the same way?  In the seventh part of our series on the 48 laws of power we look at law 41.

In his book “The 48 Laws of Power”, author Robert Green says that people who desire power should play on people’s need to believe to create a cult like following.  This is very different from what Jesus Christ did and yet Jesus Christ arguably created the most powerful movement in human history.  Any Christian who’s exercising power today needs to understand the dynamics of people’s belief and imitate their master Jesus Christ who leads in truth.

Robert Green, the author of 48 Laws of Power, presents a challenge to us: how do we perceive leadership, what are the rules that we play by, how much do we really want to succeed, and what does success look like?  Jesus Christ gives us answers to these questions which are very different from the answers that Green comes to.  By comparing the two we better understand our vocation as leaders in Christ especially when it comes to how we deal with other people.

One of the most enigmatic phrases of our Lord is his command to the apostles to be as coy as serpent and simple as doves.  Anyone, however, who is in the realm of leadership knows the importance of this balance.  In the third law of power by Robert Green, Green insists that keeping power means hiding ones true intentions by being duplicitous.  Christ obviously intends something different from us.  He shows us an example of authenticity.

When it comes to leading something, we can’t avoid is that we leaders are in the limelight.  Being in the limelight means that what we do and say is often measured in a worldly standard.  How do we reconcile this with the importance in Christianity to be hidden, to look for the hidden things as the most important?  The teaching of Christ shines out brilliantly and contrast with Robert Green’s sixth law of power and this fourth part of our series I take a look at what he proposes in contrast with Christ.

All of us who lead are men and women of action and being men and women of action we’re responsible to create changes to make something out of nothing.  To change status quo into something new and doing this in a social setting means that we will often encounter competition.  How are Christians supposed to deal with competition?  In this third of our series of 10 on “The Rules of Power” by Robert Green we focus on law 15 where instead of loving our enemies he calls us to crush them.

In 1999 Robert Green published a book called the “48 Laws of Power”.  The book was a sensation.  It’s sold over 1 million copies and has been translated into over 25 languages.  At its root the book is practical.  This practical book gives 48 lessons from history on how to grab and keep power.  It’s a helpful example for Christians about both what not to do and what to understand about the way people’s minds work today.

Christian leaders need help to lead just like anyone else.  We usually return to the gospels or the lives of the Saints or other Christian leaders for inspiration but sometimes it’s important to read those whose positions are antithetical to Christian leadership.  Sometimes we can learn a lot more from those who operate differently from us to show us just how special our position is.  One of these people is Robert Green and his “48 Laws of Power”.  I begin the series with a commentary on the preface from this book and Greens insistence on our thirst for power.

In 1997 and the year 2000 Pope John II sent a letter to all the priests in the world as was his custom and in both of these letters he emphasizes a very important truth: the priest has to lead out of who he is.  As important as this might be for priests to remember it’s also important for all leaders to remember Jesus doesn’t lead in abstraction.  He asks us to give ourselves.  Learning how to do this well is an essential aspect of Christian leadership.

Beginning of the first year of his pontificate, every holy Thursday Pope John Paul II would write a letter to all the priests in the world.  Since this tradition spans his entire pontificate, these letters are a very precious source of wisdom and inspiration for us that show how priests are called to lead in the world.  At the same time we can drive very special leadership lessons for people who are in the world to lead as well today we focus in on spirit filled leadership.

If I were to ask you who it is that's responsible for making the world holy most of you would respond your priest or your minister or someone who works for the church.  While this may be true, what’s the place for a businessperson or working professional or stay at home mom or even grandparents for that matter?  In his letters to priest from 1996, Pope John Paul II makes a compelling case for the special way that people can make the world holy too.

Because the lifestyle of a leader is marked by action, fatigue and wearing out are a common problem.  This is the same whether you are a secular leader or a religious one.  How can we renew our energy and find the way forward when we feel overwhelmed and worn out with exhaustion.  In this second part of “Leadership Lessons From Priests”  I focus in on Saint Pope John Paul II’s letter to priests from 1982.  Here he lays out for us a pathway to hope.

From 1979 to 2005 Pope John Paul II had the custom of writing a letter to all the priests in the Catholic world on the occasion of Holy Thursday.  The letters are a treasury of wisdom and insight into leadership and all leaders of denomination or state in life can find insight here.  In this beginning of our next session on “What Can Priests Teach Us?”, we discover our own role as stewards and witnesses.