Provision #663: Faith Matters
by Bob Tschannen-Moran
Laser Provision
What kind of leader are you? Do you seek to stir up people with anger and
violence or do you seek to inspire them with understanding and love? Great
leaders come from a framework of faith. We see the beauty as well as the
possibilities of the present moment. This appreciative frame is always possible,
no matter how difficult or tenuous the moment might be. And it makes a
difference to do so. The confidence of leaders translates into the hope of
people. After reading this Provision, I hope you will be inspired to take up the
ball and run with it.
LifeTrek Provision
Once a year,
LifeTrek Provisions comes out on Easter Sunday, that day when Christians
celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Whatever you think of that
story as an existential event, a metaphorical mystery, a scandalous scheme, a
diabolical deception, or something else entirely one thing is certain: it has
fueled the hearts and minds of millions of people ever since it started to
circulate, about two thousand years ago.
Why is that? Why does the "idle tale" of a few grieving women turn into one of
the biggest phenomena of history? The answer, at least in part, has something to
do with hope. Not only does the story speak to our primordial fears as to what
happens after we die (if Jesus rose from the dead, then perhaps we can too), it
also speaks to our basic needs as to what happens in life (if Jesus rose from
the dead, then perhaps his life was not in vain). For those who believe in it,
the story gives people reason to hope that following in Jesus' footsteps is a
good idea.
Hope is a powerful force and people the world over are thirsting to have more of
it in their lives. It's easy to become discouraged, depressed, and despairing as
to whether or not things are going to work out all right. From the powerful to
the powerless, and everyone in between, hope fuels the world. Why bother to get
up in the morning if we have no hope? Why bother to save or to set aside things
for the future? Why bother to sacrifice our life for a cause? Why bother to do
anything at all if we have no hope?
It has been said that getting up in the morning is an act of faith. I agree. It
is, in one sense, a way of staking our claim in the world. Whatever it is that
we are about, getting up in the morning and going about our business is a way of
saying, "Here I am, let's move." And so we go. If we are honest with ourselves,
we recognize that nothing is ever guaranteed or completely under our control.
Ours is but to do our best and to hope for the best.
Those who take comfort in the resurrection of Jesus may think they have a
supernatural power on their side. Even so, as they themselves would admit, there
are no guarantees this side of the grave. Even with God on their side, hope still
plays an important role. God may influence the course of events, more often than
not by influencing the hearts and minds of people, but human beings are not marionettes
and God does not pick the winners and losers of penultimate battles. By whatever
name you may call upon God, including no name at all, much is unknown when it
comes to the course of life itself.
Understanding the uncertainties of life, leaders make a point of communicating
confidence. There may be, in fact, no more important function of leadership.
Faith matters. Leaders believe that a team, organization, school, company, or
country has what it takes to succeed and then they loan that confidence to their
players, members, staff, employees, or citizens. The faith of leaders turns into
the hope of people.
So where does that faith come from? For some leaders, it is a life position, a
framework, a spiritual orientation. It is a sense that everything will always be
OK, no matter what happens. That may seem contradictory, since leaders are often
responsible for carrying and executing a variety of visions, plans, and goals,
but hope does not depend upon outcomes. When great dreams fail to materialize,
great leaders find ways to appreciate what does materialize.
To borrow a phrase, great leaders know how to turn lemons into lemonade. And we
do that not just through persevering, working harder, or finding a way around
the disappointment. Great leaders find ways to appreciate the disappointment
itself. Things may not have turned out the way we wanted or the way we planned,
but what can we celebrate about the way things turned out? What silver linings
can we see? How can we pick up the pieces and move forward in hope?
Great leaders have a knack for doing this, no matter what. Just to be clear:
this is not the same thing as the "power of positive thinking." It is not about
putting on "rose colored glasses" in order to pretend there are no problems or
to paint over problems as though they were no big deal. Problems are real and
they hurt. But they are never the whole story.
The following maxim illustrates the point I am trying to make. The optimist
looks at the glass and calls it "half full." The pessimist looks at the glass
and calls it "half empty." The artist looks at the glass and calls it
"beautiful." Artists appreciate its many wonderful qualities, just the way it
is. In that sense, great leaders are artists. Instead of evaluating and
assessing whether or not things measure up, as half full or half empty, great
leaders observe reality, suspend judgment, appreciate its beauty, and move on in
faith.
What faith? Faith that beauty can always be found. Faith that no situation and
no turn of events is ever completely devoid of goodness and possibility. Faith
that tall trees grow from the tiniest of seeds. Faith that life is always
perfect, just the way it is, even when it's obviously not.
I know that sounds like another contradiction in terms, but such faith is an
essential aspect of great leadership. Great leaders see the beauty and believe
in the possibilities. We realize that life is always a work in progress, and
that there is no way to get from here to there other than by going through the
now. That's what makes the present perfect. It is the only moment we have to
work with, and it can't be any different than the way it is or it wouldn't be at
all. So we may as well appreciate what it has to offer and move on accordingly.
Each of us has the opportunity to be a great leader, in this sense. It's not
just the people at the top of the food chain who need to pay attention to these
dynamics. It's all of us, since all of us are leaders in the positions we hold.
From the top to the bottom and everywhere in between, our attitude and approach
to life affect everyone around us. If we see no beauty or possibility, then
others may see no beauty or possibility. If we despair, then others may despair.
If we give up hope, then others may give up hope.
So don't let that happen. Especially on this day of days. If those early
Christians could still find hope after the death of their leader, then we can
still find hope no matter what happens in our world. When things don't go our
way, or don't turn out the way we want, becoming angry and violent is the
opposite of leadership. Such attributes may provoke but they fail to inspire
others. They may agitate but they fail to appreciate. They may launch armies but
they fail to win wars.
The kind of leadership our world needs today is rooted in faith. Faith in the
simple notion that goodness can always be found and, like the smallest spark,
can always be fanned into a warming fire. If you've been feeling rather cold
lately, then perhaps it's time to start thinking, feeling, and acting like a
leader. Perhaps it's time to take stock, to take heart, and to take off. Perhaps
it's time to celebrate the best in order to bring out the best in life and work.
Coaching Inquiries: In what situations and in what respects do you hold
positions of leadership? What do you see and what do you believe is possible in
those positions? How can you come from a more appreciative frame? How can
you share your faith with others so as to inspire hope, confidence, and love?To reply to this Provision, use our
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LifeTrek Readers' Forum (selected feedback
from the past week)
Editor's Note: The LifeTrek Readers' Forum contains selections from the comments
and materials sent in each week by the readers of LifeTrek Provisions. They do
not necessarily reflect the perspective of LifeTrek Coaching International. To
submit your comment, use our Feedback Form or
Email Bob.
I just finished watching your
YouTube videos. Kudos to
you! One of my favorite segments from the Evocative Coaching video was about the
student who was disappointed when she could not find any advice to give the
teacher that she was coaching. Nothing was "wrong". I found myself remembering
how confused I was when I was first exposed to the idea that focusing on
strengths was more useful than focusing on problems. I kept thinking, "Yeah, but
what if you're so busy focusing on strengths that you forget to attend to a
problem and disaster ensues" ? I am not sure when I made the shift, but now it
is second nature for me to be asking myself (and others) "What is the best,
cleverest, most fun thing that can happen here?"
Another comment that stayed with me from the video was the concept of the
"Golden Sigh." That moment when we realize we can set our burden down. I know it
well, and I love it.
In watching your
YouTube videos I
especially identified with your distinction of request versus demands. It
parallel's something that my fiancι and I have been learning about and
discussing within the boundaries of our relationship in consideration of the
successes and failures of our pasts. We have been discussing the concept of
dreams versus expectations. That so often prior to marriage we have so many
dreams and then once you tie the knot those dreams no longer are dreams but
become expectations.
Then, when expectations fail to be met suddenly there is disappointment which
results in dissatisfaction. If you don't have good communication skills,
listening skills, and resolution strategies this dissatisfaction then grows into
a small fire which may smolder but can then become more intense if fueled by
increasing disappointment. The best thing that I have learned in my years of
successes and failures is that "listening" is the best part of the story because
you take the time to really listen so that you can practice empathy, experience
inquiry and creatively design direction. Top
May you be filled with goodness, peace, and joy.
Bob Tschannen-Moran
President, LifeTrek Coaching International,
www.LifeTrekCoaching.com
CEO & Co-Founder, Center for School Transformation,
www.SchoolTransformation.com
Immediate Past President, International Association of Coaching,
www.CertifiedCoach.org
Author, Evocative Coaching: Transforming Schools One Conversation at a Time,
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