Proverbs 6:16 - 17a (AMP) “These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look [the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others]…”
You know that look from the person who “has it all together:” a “proud look.” Sometimes it’s a glance. A smirk. A roll of the eyes. The look that says, “How in the world could you ever be that dumb?
It’s a look that should never cross a leader’s face. But it does, sometimes. Pride is like that – insidious. Authentic, inspirational leadership does not underestimate others.
Connecting to the team demands that leaders be vulnerable. Goffee & Jones, in their September-October 2000 Harvard Business Review article, “Why should anyone be lead by you?” wrote about four qualities of inspirational leaders: one of those qualities is that leaders selectively show their weaknesses (“by exposing some vulnerability, they reveal their approachability and humanity.”)
How do you do that? One way to begin addresses attitude: “do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves].” (Apostle Paul to Philippian church) Now, be human, vulnerable and approachable.
Powerful stuff that is hard to reconcile with the hard-charging spirit of the times: but it is the leader who is open to the thoughts of others - their experiences, knowledge, and words of wisdom – that leader will truly achieve this Biblical mandate.
Are you willing to listen to your team?
Copyright © 2009 by P. Griffith Lindell
Monday, April 06, 2009
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