New Podcast Episode

This podcast was fun to record. Stephen and I discuss some crazy ministry experiences. It was a fun way to end the summer.

https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/dontpanic/episodes/2017-08-12T06_47_21-07_00

Leadership Without Easy Answers, written in 1998 by Harvard instructor and businessman, Ronald Heifetz, served as a landmark resource in the emerging field of leadership studies. This text proved influential in the study of transformational leadership and laid a foundation for others to expand on his theories.

Central to his philosophy is the conviction that leadership is an activity as opposed to a position or trait. Heifetz rejects the notion of the "Great Man," who relies on his innate ability or the concept of "positional leadership" that bestows unquestioned power. He counters these views by pointing out that talented people fail and not all individuals in authority lead. He introduced a theory that created a distinction between technical and adaptive problems. While Technical difficulties are overcome with competence and supervision, adaptive problems require ingenuity because they address the disparity between values and circumstances. Leaders must be resourceful when correcting these issues and wisely distribute assets to alleviate needs. They must also recognize that adaptive problems are often behavioral. He asks, “Does making progress on this problem require changes in people’s values, attitudes, or habits of behavior?” These traits are separate from traditional skill sets. Thus, adaptation is necessary to produce better results.

In Part II of the book, Heifetz teaches how to Lead from Authority. He mobilizes adaptive work by encouraging leaders to establish order by orienting people into their places and roles, controlling internal conflict, and establishing and maintaining norms. He emphasizes the importance of trust, stating, “Trust in authority relationships is a matter of predictability along two dimensions: values and skills.” Trust allows leaders to apply tension to the process without losing his team
Heifetz examines the role of pacing and attention. “Pacing consisted of gauging the correlation between how much pressure the family could stand, and the next piece of adaptive work could generate.” Meanwhile, “Attention is the currency of leadership. Getting people to pay attention to tough issues rather than diversions is the heart of the strategy.” These two factors are important for the leaders because they significantly influence morale and job performance.

Leaders must choose a decision-making process; autocratic, consultative, participative, or consensual. Leaders also place themselves in one of three positions when addressing a problem, circumvention, frontal challenge, or riding the wave. These methods greatly influence the outcome of the project, and they require sound judgment to prevent setbacks.

Crises provide authority figures with more power and distress can enhance their visibility and impact. What is often perceived as a weakness can be leveraged into a force for change. Leaders who correctly harness crises earn credibility while also guiding people in making difficult decisions.
“Exercising leadership from a position of authority in adaptive situations means going against the grain.” Five strategic principles of leadership.; Identify the adaptive challenge, keep the level of stress within a tolerable range of doing adaptive work, focus attention on ripening issues and not stress-reducing distractions, give the work back to the people, but at a rate they can stand, and protect voices of leadership without authority.

In Part III of the book, Heifetz teaches leaders how to Lead without Authority. Heifetz draws a distinction between leadership and authority. He challenged the conventional wisdom of his day that could not separate these two. Heifetz uses examples of marginalized groups that wielded substantial influence to prove his point that leadership is not always hierarchical. Women and minorities, in particular, serve as an example of people with little power significantly influencing the decision makers of their day. Gandhi serves as the key example of this type work in India. While he did not hold any official authority, he wielded tremendous influence on his culture. Heifetz separates authority into formal and informal, with formal authority serving as positional, while informal authority permeates from personal integrity, credibility, and ability. He also examines the interdependent relationship between leaders and followers who are bound together by mutual interests and skills to reach a common goal.

In Part IV of the book, Heifetz teaches leaders how to Stay Alive. “Leaders and authority figures get attacked, dismissed, silenced, and sometimes assassinated because they come to represent loss, real or perceived, to those members of the community who feel that they have gotten, or might get, the bad end of the bargain.” Heifetz encourages leaders to “get on the balcony,” distinguish between themselves and their role, externalizing conflict and give it back to its rightful owners, identifying and sharing the burdens with partners, finding a sanctuary, and preserving a sense of purpose.
Leadership Without Easy Answers earns its acclaim because it influenced a generation of leaders to embrace difficult circumstances, understand and harness authority, examine the relationship between leader and follower and survive their position long enough to make a maximum impact. Heifetz, gives precise, albeit dated, examples of his theories, utilizing presidential, civil rights, and other leaders in case studies. His examination of the effectiveness of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. without formal leadership was insightful. Similarly, his description of Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon’s lack of adaptation during times of difficulty provides sound advice for leaders who find themselves in similar circumstances.

Heifetz’s theories of authority, power, and conflict are valuable to emerging leaders. His definition of authority was helpful, though his comparisons between human and animal behavior were contrived. Nevertheless, defining and describing authority gives leaders insights and prevents them from abusing their position. He teaches that power is used for good and positive influence as opposed to the tyranny associated with the term. Power is necessary to accomplish goals, but it is not the end goal of leadership. Heifetz’s best contribution is in the area of conflict. Leaders struggle when stability is the chief goal. Heifetz asserts that there is nothing ideal about stability and that it can stifle growth and creativity. Conflict is unavoidable and rarely resolved. Therefore, the presence of conflict is more of a daily reality than an indictment on a leader’s ability. This fact frees leaders who feel paralyzed by the need to avoid conflict, and it emboldens them to challenge their organization toward better performance. Leaders are defined by their willingness to step into uncertain circumstances and provide strong direction without guarantees of success. Heifetz’s organizational advice gives practical steps to take on conflict with maximum chances for success.

As its title indicates, Leadership Without Easy Answers provides excellent insights into leading in a volatile world. Heifetz gives helpful advice, but never deviates from the narrative that leadership requires sacrifice and savvy to survive to gain maximum influence. This book is highly recommended to teach emerging leaders the challenges of leadership as well as to encourage seasoned leaders in challenging times.

Washington D.C. Institute 2017

I recently attended the Washington D.C. Institute for the Dallas Baptist University Ph.D. in Leadership program. It was an enjoyable experience as I was able to study leadership in the context of Washington D.C., Annapolis, Philadelphia, and Gettysburg. We considered great leaders who shaped our country and also examined leadership in light of our faith heritage.

My research on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. provided a new lens to view the entire D.C. cohort experience through the Civil Rights Movement. Every monument bore some relevance to King’s legacy. Whether the founding of America under the premise of all men being created equal, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation abolishing slavery, the Civil War, Civil Rights or modern governance, King either furthered the work of those before him or influenced future generations through his efforts. King’s influence was particularly influential on the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, the National Cathedral, and the monument that bears his name. His civil rights work transformed the museum from a display of despair to that of hope and a bright future. Through his sacrifice and his leadership, his people took on insurmountable odds to victory and rewrote American history for the African-American community. The National Cathedral is forever remembered as the last place he preached before his untimely assassination. Finally, his monument serves as a symbolic beacon of hope for those who need to come and not only remember the hard work of the Civil Rights Movement, but also rediscover his speaking, writing, and lasting legacy to inspire the future generations to lead and to love one another.

After my return home, many people have asked me what I was doing in Washington D.C. When asked this question, I answered that I would never lead or preach the same way again. This experience, along with Ronald Heifetz's book, Leadership Without Easy Answers, challenged me to expect more out of myself and what I'm able to accomplish. I desire to be a leader like the people we studied on the trip. Whether Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, or countless other ordinary men and women who rose to their respective leadership roles that changed the world, I desire to use my influence to make the world a better place and bring glory to God.

Heifetz's book discussed the fact that stability is neither good nor evil. The pursuit of security can cause bureaucratic atrophy and sometimes cripple the organization’s growth. Moving forward, I know that if security is not possible, I can make decisive decisions with the confidence of knowing that most leaders face those challenges every day. Presidents, activists, and ordinary people shaped this great nation by sacrificing their stability. Relying on faith inspired them to reach for loftier goals than individual success and stability.

In the future, I may avoid the safe path in favor of the way that I can produce the best results for God's kingdom. 21st-century metrics are more about cultural influence than money, buildings, or worldly success. As I make future decisions, I will weigh which option is more necessary for the glory of God rather than which option provides the most notoriety and stability. This trip also taught me that I have a greater influence and I must answer that call to exegete my culture and help those around me.