called to disrupt

Lately I have been considering the role of leaders in disrupting the status quo...when does one decide to do so? when is the right time to do so? and what is the end result that would make the disruption worth the cost?  Leaders are the ones who ask the hard questions...Leaders are the ones who always believe things can be better...Leaders believe they can make things happen (and often have the resources to do so)...Leaders are seldom satisfied with the status quo, especially when that status quo is harmful to others and the organization.  So when is the right time to stand up, speak out, and disrupt?

Being Lutheran my entire life, I grew up learning the story of Martin Luther nailing the 95 Theses to the church door at Wittenberg because he believed it was time for a public debate on what the church believed.  He had done his homework...he had talked with others...he had contemplated the outcomes...and then began to disrupt the status quo.  Because of his actions, he was brought before the Council and asked to recant what he had said and written.  His famous line still resounds in my head: "Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise.  God help me."  And with that, a reformation was birthed that changed the church...and the world.

Many, many, many years later, an aging woman was tired...tired of the long walk she had that day; tired of the way she had been treated for many years; and tired of a system that dehumanized black people.  So she sat down in the front of the bus.  Rosa Parks was so tired, she chose to disrupt the system.  Unlike Luther standing her ground, she sat down and refused to move, despite the pressure of those around her.And with that simple action, a movement was birthed that changed her life, changed the life of her fellow travelers, and changed the life of this nation.

Disruption is difficult, for the following reasons:

• it puts one out of their comfort zone
• the end result is unknown
• it could lead to loss (income, friends, life)
• it takes an extreme amount of courage
• others may not follow
• it is often not seen (at least in the present moment) as the right things to do
• people will brand you as a trouble maker
• it is sometimes difficult to put into words (even when you know it is the right thing to do)

So when is the right time for the leader to stand up (or sit down) and disrupt?  I do not know.  It might be when you have collected enough evidence to know that a continuance of the status quo can only lead to harm...it might be when enough people have had enough...it may be when danger lays ahead and someone has to act...it may be when you are so angry that you have to do something...and it may be when you are so tired that you can do nothing else but disrupt.  My encouragement to you (and to myself) is to tread carefully, gather the facts, wrestle with the idea of whether you are disrupting for your own good or the common good, gather a group to join you if possible, and then act.  And when acting do not look back, because the disruption will have already begun and there will be little you can do to start again.  

my Maine reading maration

As many of you know, each summer I get to spend four weeks in Maine with my wife, and that the highlight for me is the time I get to read...and read...and read.  All year long I put aside books I want to read in Maine, then ship them up ahead of time.  One of our great joys is going to the post office, getting the box of books, opening it up, and then beginning the reading marathon.  When we return, everyone's first question is "so what did you read?"  Below is my list of books read during that stretch.  I will refrain from commenting on them at this point; while there was no theme going into the vacation, several did emerge throughout my time there.  Enjoy the list - and enjoy reading some of them.

FICTION:
The Moviegoer by Walker Percy
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Brothers K by David James Duncan
The Stranger by Albert Camus
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

NON-FICTION:
The Big Screen: The Story of the Movies by David Thomson
Baseball as a Road to God by John Sexton
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabell Wilkerson
Red, White, and Muslim by Asma Hasan
Questions of Character: Illuminating the Heart of Leadership through Literature by Joseph Badaracco
Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success by Phil Jackson
The Path to Power by Robert Caro
The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle
The Gettysburg Campaign: A Study in Command by Edward Coddington

MISCELLANY
In the Shadow of No Towers by Art Spiegelman
The Book of Job
The Book of Lamentations
The Book of Amos
The Tao Te Ching

The view from my reading chair...

3-3-3

I am back from my yearly month-long sabbatical in Maine where the weather was cool, the books were plentiful, the time with my wife was incredible, and the food was delicious.  All of which is to say that we are already counting the days until next year's trip...

THREE REASONS TO VACATE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD:

• It changes one's mindset: I feel better about myself and what I do
• You learn you are not dispensable and others learn they can make decisions
• You  fall in love with your spouse all over again

THREE BOOKS TO READ AS SOON AS YOU CAN:

• Path to Power by Robert Caro - detailing the beginning of Lyndon Johnson's Life (through 1942) and explains how to use power and influence to make things happen
• Question of Character: Illuminating the Heart of Leadership Through Literature by Joseph Badaracco - explores the deeper (REALLY DEEP) questions of how one can raise their level of leadership through inner exploration (by using great literature as a resource)
• 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami - this newest novel by one of Japan's great writers explores relationships, vocation, religion, ethical decisions (and a host of other topics) through a story that will keep you engaged and wondering how it all ends...until the end (which is 1135 pages later - and worth every minute of it!)

THREE TELEVISION SERIES TO WATCH:

• GAME OF THRONES (HBO) - we got through season 1 and loved the intrigue, the familial relationships, and the play between the different characters.  A great way to spend summer evenings when only re-runs are on
• HOUSE OF CARDS (NETFLIX) - not only is Kevin Spacey his regular slimy (and amazing) self, this show exposes how politics really works (for good and bad) and how to use influence to make things happen (see Lyndon Johnson above)
• THE NEWSROOM (HBO) - fell in love with this show but am now unable to watch CNN, HLN, MSNBC, or FOX NEWS.  Will McAvoy (as played by Jeff Daniels) is my new hero - and the the relationships are wonderfully fun to watch and follow

NEXT WEEK...the complete list of books read (for those of you who might be curious)

finding voice

I was visiting the San Antonio cohort of The Concordia MBA this past Tuesday - a group that is getting ready to graduate in August - and began asking them questions about their experience in our program.  As we began to go deeper into the conversation, one young lady, upon being asked what the most significant things was was for her int he program, responded with, "I found my voice."  Now I don't know about you, but that reply got me all choked up.  In creating The Concordia MBA, we knew it was important to teach business skills...we knew it was important to for students to have the various tools called for in making decisions...AND we knew it was important to create leaders.  What greater gift to have as a leader than to FIND ONE'S VOICE?

The importance of finding one's voice lays in the fact that they can now have a seat at the table...they can now disagree without being disagreeable...they can now negotiate for a better outcome...they can now speak with passion and conviction...they now know they can make a difference.  You are probably aware of those around who have not yet found their voice...or are not even sure they have a voice.  They remain quiet...they speak random thoughts that do not seem to carry any weight...they are often at the sides of the conversations...and they are ever doubting themselves in their decision making.  These are not bad people - nor are they incompetent people...they have merely not yet found their voice.

As leaders and managers of others, I believe it is our responsibility to help those around us find their own voices.  This does not come naturally, but rather comes about as a series of ever expanding opportunities and encouragements.  Here is my list of how you (and I) can help others FIND THEIR VOICE:

• during meetings, find a place and time for everyone to speak their thoughts out loud
• when one makes a comment, ask them to elaborate more on what they have just said
• if one talk too much and rambles, ask them to be more concise
• put people into teams and let them work together
• process, process, process with people - ask them WHY? over and over again
• put people in front of other people
• put people in uncomfortable (yet safe) situations and encourage them to try something new
• ask people to put their ideas into words - writing memos and documents are a good thing
• remind your team about the power of introverts - and give those people the space and time to speak
• just because you can talk doesn't mean you should...let the team have the floor
• encourage, encourage, encourage - when someone does something wonderful and exciting, go to them and tell them the difference they made
• encourage, encourage, encourage - when someone says something out of the box or provocative, go to them and let them know you value their ideas
• make meetings a safe place to share ideas, no matter how off the wall
• give people new skills - the more they know the easier it becomes to have a voice

Roger Hemminghaus, the former CEO of Diamond Shamrock Oil and Gas, told me this week that the way he learned his voice was that his first company, Exxon, gave him multiple assignments that would STRETCH & EXPOSE him to new ideas and new projects.  He called it one of the greatest times of his life.  For him, that meant traveling the world and having ever increasing responsibilities.  For those around you, it may mean   taking someone on a call with you, giving someone a different assignment for a short time, letting someone come to a Board meeting to talk about their newest project, assigning a mentor to a person, or simply asking someone to read something outside of their field and then having a discussion about it with them.  

For me, hearing this young lady say, "I found my voice" was one of the great moments in my life.  I had a hand in creating a program that not only taught skills and ideas, but literally changed someone's life.  This young lady is a different person - no, a better person - because she has FOUND HER VOICE...and that makes all the difference in the world!

the big purpose

During my morning prayer time today, I came across a prayer by Walter Brueggmann in his book Prayers for a Privileged People which talked about our BIG PURPOSE.  The prayer, which is entitled "Swept to Big Purposes," reminds us that we care called to make a difference in the world, and that the difference is made when we are different.  Here is the prayer in its entirety:

You call and we have a vocation.
You send and we have an identity
You accompany us and we are swept to big purposes:
chosen race, royal priesthood, your own people, receiving mercy.

But we, in our restlessness,
do not want to be so peculiar.

We would rather be like the others,
eager for their wealth - their wisdom - their power.
Eager to be like them -
comfortable, beautiful, young, free.

We yearn to be like the others,
and you make us odd and peculiar and different.

Grant that we may find joy in our baptism,
freedom in our obedience,
delight in our vocation.

The same joy, freedom, and delight
that so marked our Lord
whom we follow into oddness.

As I finish typing out that prayer, I am again struck by the power in the words that call us to be different and to make a difference in the world...and it is within that difference that we find our calling and vocation...and it is within that calling and vocation that we find our delight and joy.  There are many days I wonder what "difference" I can make - will make - am making in the world.  I catch a glimpse of it at times as I watch people's lives change and as they head into their own callings and vocations, ready to make a difference.  There are many stories I can tell where this has become a reality for me...and yet I always seem to want more.  There is a part of me (and I am sure a part of each of us) that yearns to be like the others,wanting the wealth, wisdom and power that comes with title, position and prestige.  And yet, we are made to be odd, peculiar, and different.

So as you consider your vocation - your unique calling - your big purpose, think about how you are making a difference by being different...and bask in the joy, freedom, and delight that is yours to enjoy!


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what to say when there is nothing to say

That's right...when there is nothing to say, say nothing.

The end.

the best question ever

Those of you who follow me on this blog - or know me personally - understand that I like to ask questions...and that I like to ask questions that are difficult and thoughtful.  I am not sure where that comes from, but I have come to understand that the better questions one asks, the better answers one receives.  As a teacher, this is an important technique to assess whether or not students have comprehended the ideas in class...and as an administrator, this is an important technique to help my faculty and others around me consider our mission and vision at an even deeper level.

I have spent much of this past week doing exit interviews with graduating seniors in the hope that they will provide me with information that leads to an improvement in our program.  The best results from this type of interview come from good questions.  While I have a standard set of questions I ask everyone, there is always a moment in each of the interviews in which I have to pause and consider what the next question should be, because I know I am on the verge of getting an answer that will give me even better information.  In fact, most of the best questions I ask often come as a result of me having to pause and think for a few moments about what the next question will be.  Using the right words, the right tone of voice, and the right intention are all a part of shaping "the best question ever."

In a recent book I have been reading entitled Essential Questions: Opening Doors to Student Understanding by Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins, the authors have a section entitled "Intent Trumps Form" in which the reader is reminded to consider the intent of the question...what is the context in which the question is being asked?  what is the purpose behind the question?  what is it that we really want the student to consider when answering the question?  and what will the answer lead to next?  In the interviews noted above, I have to be careful that the students never feel as if I am trying to trap them or that I am looking for a specific answer, otherwise the answer will provide little or no useful information and the student will stop trusting the process.

So what is "the best question ever?"  My initial thought when beginning to think about this blog was that "the best question ever" would be a simple WHY?  The depth of asking WHY? is critical to helping others understand themselves and for getting an answer with which you can learn something.  But I think I have changed my mind...perhaps "the best question ever" is the one asked where 1) the inquirer has only the best intentions; 2) the inquirer has no preconceived notion of what the answer will or should be; 3) the inquirer cares enough about the one being asked to create a safe and trusting environment; and 4) there is always an option for the one being asked to not answer the question.

So start practicing asking "the best question ever."  It will not be easy...it will not be comfortable...and it will not be welcomed all the time - but it WILL make a difference in the answer you receive and in the life of the one being asked.