leader as closer

Bottom of the ninth inning, the bases are loaded, the score is tied, there is only one out, and you are called to shut down the home team to give your team another chance in extra innings.  You have been successful in the past, but mostly to get three outs when your team is ahead...the home crowd is loud and hoping for your demise...the previous pitcher had done nothing to help you at this point...the manager changes things up by bringing one of the outfielders into the infield...nothing is what you had in mind when the game began AND you have been preparing for this moment your entire career.

Such is the life of the closer...and the leader.  As I watched the above scenario unfold last night at Miller Park in Milwaukee (and as I was thinking about what I would write this morning), I was witnessing leadership in action.  While much of the daily work of those in leadership positions is about planning, meeting, thinking, and executing, there come those moments where all eyes are on the one in charge, and the burden of "finishing the game" lays in one place.  Here are a few thoughts on how leaders can navigate their role as "closer:"

• be prepared: there are very few scenarios a closer has not thought through.  Though each situation is unique, each situation also calls for the same result.  The closer knows ahead of time the players he will most likely face and knows what they can and cannot hit.
• live into the paradox of the moment: while the closer can prepare and simulate any given situation in their mind, they still do not know all of the exact circumstances they will face.  The given reality of being fully prepared and being fully ready for anything new and different allows the leader to act upon the immediate situation they face.
• shut down outside voices: in a conversation once with Huston Street (a major league closer currently with the Los Angeles Angel), he told me that as he stands on the mound, he never even hears the crowd.  The noise around leaders can be deafening at those big moments of decisions - learn to listen to the inner voice.
• rely on others to do their jobs: just as manager Joe Maddon made a defensive move and just as catcher Alex Avila called for the right pitches, the closer (and leader) knows that there are other people behind them to do the role for which they are prepared.  Choosing (and training) the right people to have your back and then letting them do what they do best (especially in tough situations) is a key role of the leader.
• do the job you are asked to do: in these type of situations, paralysis of decision making can set in and keep the leader from doing her job.  For the closer, there is no choice - throw the ball towards the plate and hope that the result you have been charged with actually happens.  Leaders must make the hard decisions at times...because that's the job they have been asked to do.
• remember that tomorrow is another day: Most closers will have a blown save or two during the season, and will not lose their job because of those circumstances (too many blown saves and the role should quickly change).  Good managers know to put their closer back on the mound quickly after a blown save to restore their confidence.  Sometimes leaders get it wrong...and must be willing to get back into the game the next day, making difficult decisions again.

For those who were wondering...Wade Davis (closer for the Chicago Cubs) did get the final two outs of the inning, the Cubs scored two runs in the top of the tenth, and Davis went back to the mound and got three quick outs in the bottom of the tenth for what was an important win for my team.  Go Cubs Go!

leading from your own story

Let's begin with two premises:

1. everyone has a story and that story often emanates from somewhere early in life, often having to do with one's childhood and upbringing and often shaping how one sees and understands the world
2. leadership is hard work because it is personal work...and this personal work causes one to anguish (or not) over decisions that affect other people

As I sat in class this past week and listened to my students relate their stories, I was amazed at how much of their lives have been already shaped...they see the world through a certain lens (based on previous experiences) that will impact the way they interact with others and, ultimately, lead others.  I then came across a text the next day which presents as its premise that one's own story impacts their leadership in a definitive manner; in other words, we can't escape our past.  As I thought about these two encounters, it struck me how powerful one's story is in shaping how they think about leadership and ultimately how they lead.  The aspect of that idea made me think about how many people, who are thrust into leadership roles, never take the time to think about their story and how it has an impact (positive or negative) on their ability to lead well.

So what can leaders do to have their own story more positively impact their leadership or, on the other hand, mitigate any negative affects that story might have? Here are a few thoughts:

1. rehearse one's own story: only thinking about one's story may or may not bring out the important details that have an impact.  Telling one's story over and over (and filling in the details along the way) creates clarity and has the chance to reveal more "aha's" over time
2. embrace one's own story: some people may not want to consider their story...others may feel it unnecessary to tell their own story...still others are too busy to think about their own story.  Telling one's story takes time and courage
3. encourage others to tell their stories: whether in one-on-one conversations or in group settings, hearing and listening to others' stories helps to make sense of one's own story.  Not only are you learning more about yourself, you are also giving others the gift of discovering their own leadership potential
4. have others help fill in the details: if our stories have their beginnings in the past, talking with those who helped shape one's story can reveal new insights and highlight those parts of the story which may, for a time, seemed unimportant
5. find someone to help tell the story:  having a coach has proved invaluable to myself and my team.  A coach, a therapist, a good friend...there are many people who can help unearth the story and bring about application to one's leadership

A final thought...I do believe that one's behavior and ability to lead is not completely dependent on the story we know and tell ourselves.  The past is past and it cannot be changed...one's story is their story.  What can change is our current and future story and how we are able to modify or control our behavior by knowing and rehearsing our story.  One of the great paradoxes of leadership (and life) is that our past defines us AND our past does not need to define us.  The best way to embrace that paradox is to know our past - to know our story - and to use that story (today and into the future) in doing the hard work of leadership.

ends and means

This blog was written last year on this same day...the morning of my first Board meeting of the academic year.  It is reprinted here as a good reminder of where leaders should put their focus.

As I get ready to hold my first board meeting of the academic year, I am reminded of the great adage for boards: don't confuse means and ends.  What that simply means is do not confuse activities with goals.  My Board of Regents focuses on the mega-outcome of men and women who transform communities by seeking out leadership opportunities and influencing people for Christ.  Of course, to get to that end (goal), we as an institution have to execute a lot of means (activities) which the Board monitors to ensure that we execute in an excellent and consistent manner. 

At a meeting this week, I had to remind myself and my team that the decision in front of us was a means decision (an activity) that had an impact on our end (goal).  While this sounds simple, it becomes very difficult in the rush and flurry of activity that an enterprise undertakes.  So what can those in leadership roles do to keep themselves and their teams focused on ends and not get hung up entirely on means?  Here are a few thoughts:

• Always ask the question "what are we trying to accomplish?"  Sometimes the answer might be as simple as making a means decision...and sometimes the question will lead to a very strategic discussion which can change the decision on the means
• Clearly identify the ends - what are the goals toward which the organization and/or the team is aiming?  If this is known, it becomes much easier to sort through the many means available for a team to decide
• Revisit the ends from time to time - do not assume that everyone will remember them or even think about them.  In the rush of daily activities, means often become the driver of people's time and thoughts
• Ask the question of whether or not a discussion is an ends discussion or a means discussion - both are important...clarification will keep the team on track
• Be as clear as possible about the ends the organization is trying to accomplish - "save the world" is great, but often unknown when one arrives there (if one arrives there at all).  Trying to identify an end goal that makes sense and can be accomplished makes it easier it is to talk about the means to get there.

As I get ready to walk into this board meeting, I know that much of my reporting is on means...are we doing what we said we would be doing and how well are we doing in those areas?  AND I know that the Board will want to be assured that we are still on track to accomplish the end/goal/outcome of men and women who transform communities by seeking out leadership positions and influencing people for Christ. 

by grace

Concordia University Texas chooses a theme each year that guides our worship, our thinking, and our life together.  This year's theme (both as a reflection of being an institution of Lutheran higher education and the 500th anniversary of the Reformation) is By Grace, Through Faith, taken from the second chapter of the apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesians.  Yesterday, as I walked the grounds of my alma mater Concordia University Chicago (known then as Concordia Teachers College), I was flooded with the memories of my time there as a student...and especially the many ways in which I was shown grace by so many people.  As a college student (like many college students I have known and loved) I did many things for  which I should have received anything but grace...and yet, there were always people there to give me another chance.  I believe that I am the person I am today - and the leader I am today - partially because of the grace I was shown as a college student.

As one learns leadership and develops as a leader, grace becomes an important part of the process. Here are a few reasons why I think that is so:

• people learn how to lead by taking chances - and often failing.  After those failures (perhaps many failures) receiving grace from those who have authority not only restores the relationship - it allows for one to try again...and even fail again
• receiving grace over and over teaches one how to give grace to others, a key aspect of leadership
• receiving grace over and over teaches one how to accept grace and give grace to oneself.  Leaders are prone to make mistakes (or at the least second guess themselves) and, being able to give grace to to themselves, are then able to move forward
• grace given (and received) can and should be separate from giving (and receiving) consequences.  While given grace multiple times, I also had to live through the consequences of my actions.  Strong leaders are able to differentiate between these two - and explain that difference to others
• leaders who choose and work with other leaders need to be able to spot those who freely give grace...and those who would rather withhold grace.  Grace giving leaders should (and most often will) chose others who follow that lead
• giving grace is not a single event or time - it is a lifestyle.  Living as a grace giving person exudes into all the aspects of leadership, and is noticed by those with whom one serves

The mission of Concordia University Texas is that we are developing Christian leaders; one of the fundamental pieces of Christianity is knowing about, believing in, and living out God's grace in one's life.  Perhaps this is one of those hallmarks of Christian leadership - living out the vocation of leadership in a way that is grace giving.  I know that I benefited from such people in my life many years ago...I pray that I am that same type of leader and that others will follow in that same manner.

hope for the best, prepare for the worst

As Hurricane Harvey makes its way to the Texas coast, I am watching how communities, organizations, and individuals respond to what has been brewing for several days.  As people leave their homes, as owners board up their businesses, and as governmental agencies prepare their people and equipment, everyone is getting ready in their own way to brace for what could be a devastating weather occurrence.  As always we hope and pray for the best outcome, knowing that the worst could occur at any time throughout the next 48-72 hours.

Leaders of organizations, who should always be purveyors of hope, must also be people who are constantly on the watch for what could harm or devastate their organizations.  Today it might be a flood...tomorrow it could be a wildfire...and later on it will be a public relations disaster.  Whatever the time and place, all organizations are susceptible to outside occurrences that, while always hoping for the best, could produce the worst results.  So what can leaders do to prepare for the worst while hoping for the best?  Here are a few thoughts:

• ensure financial security: I have always taught that cash is king, and that is no more true than when a disaster strikes.  Having cash on hand to address immediate issues provides a safety net for all organizations.  Financial security also includes having the right insurance policies and having a relationship with a bank that can help in times of need.
• ensure that there is an emergency management plan (and that it is practiced): having a plan does not guarantee that anyone knows what to do for any specific emergency.  Having written a plan, read the plan, practiced the plan, and updated the plan is of utmost importance for organizations.
• understand the leader's role: many leaders see themselves as the person who should be "in charge" at all times.  In the case of an emergency or unplanned disaster, there are people with more expertise and competence than the positional leader of the organization.  Letting others be in charge at the moment speaks highly of the leader and those who step in to make things happen.
• understand the leader's role (part 2): this is the time to be the purveyor of hope...when all else seems to be in confusion and nobody (including the leader) has any idea what the immediate future holds, those who have been given the title "leader" should be the person who keeps the vision, values, and mission in front of everyone.  Each leader will do this differently, and each organization will expect and need different things from their leader.  
• wake up the next morning: there is a darkness that occurs in the middle of a disaster, whether it be the darkness of the night or the darkness of the moment.  Hope comes in the morning, and the leader needs to be there, finding ways to help those in the organization understand that there is hope and to be able to see that hope in action.  It is these moments (hours, days, months) after a disaster that might be the hardest times for the leader.

My prayers are with those who, at this moment, do not know what the next 2-3 days will bring.  For those who have evacuated, there is no way to know to what they will return...for those who have closed their businesses, there is no way to know if that business will be open next week...and for those who are preparing to be first responders, there is no way to know what they may find as they arrive.  They are hoping for the best and preparing for the worst, a lesson all leaders should take to heart. 

calling what is, is

Martin Luther, in his Heidelberg Disputation of 1518, stated the following theses: A theologian of glory calls evil good and good evil. A theologian of the cross calls the thing what it is.  This statement forms the basis of a theology of the cross, where the cross is central to how one understands their relationship with God and with others.  The cross is an instrument of torture...the cross causes pain and suffering...the cross brings death and destruction.  The cross, for Christians, is also a place of salvation...it is a place of redemption...it is a place that brings forth life.  For many, it is easier to focus on the second part of this paradox, where the cross is glorified and is only an afterthought to Easter and the resurrection.  For Luther (and for those who now claim him as a founder) it was the place of beginning, where Christ's work was done once and for all, a reflection of what St. Paul meant when he said "I preach Christ crucified." 

For me, this theological understanding is a critical component of good leadership, namely the ability to call what is, is.  Many writers on leadership have noted that leaders must name reality for others and for their organizations.  The ability to do this - to name reality - allows an organization to move forward by fixing issues and not ignoring what might be holding them back.  This is not an easy task for leaders, who are often promoted to their positions because they were good cheerleaders of others and their organizations.  Rather than calling what is is, leaders will often cover up the problem by fixing it themselves, not having to worry others with the situation.  Yet it is precisely the ability to name reality - to act in the same manner as a theologian of the cross - that will serve leaders and organizations well.

This past weekend saw evil manifest itself  through the protests in Charlottesville, where a group of people decided that their race, their nationality, and their status was more important and better than others.  The philosophy behind this group, the remarks that were made, and the actions that were taken are nothing short of wrong...nothing short of evil...nothing short of sin.  For them, their lives are more important than the lives of others, and they saw nothing wrong in making that known and bullying others for that right.  And that, for me, is sin.

It is easy to dismiss these actions as a group of fringe lunatics...it is easy to blame both sides for the bad behavior...it is easy not to be concerned with what happened because it does not affect one's own life or beliefs.  But for me, the beliefs, words, and actions of this group of people made me angry and left me in a state of flux, wondering what I can do to make a difference.  Thus this Friday Morning Blog.

There should be no fear in calling out evil and sin...there should be no fear in naming reality...there should be no fear in calling what is, is.  Leaders, it is time to stand up and call out bad behavior, both in our organizations and in the world.  Those who claim to be white nationalists or believe in their manifesto are nothing short of evil and sinful.  I know those are harsh words...I know those are words that bring division...I also know those are words that name what is, is...and I also know those are words that leaders should speak.

power given and withheld

A part of my morning devotional time includes the prayer book A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie (many thanks to my friend Rev. Walt Waiser for giving me this book over 4 years ago). One of the prayers I used earlier this week included “It is thou who hast put power in my hand to do one work and hast withheld the skill to do another.” This line struck me as the ultimate leadership prayer with an acknowledgement of what one can accomplish...and another acknowledgement that one cannot accomplish everything.  This acknowledgment is actually a reliance on a higher power and a deep understanding of oneself, a dual role that leaders should think about and engage with on a regular basis.  Knowing what one CAN accomplish (because of what they know and what they can do) and what one CANNOT accomplish (because of what they do not know and cannot do) brings great freedom to the one who leads, whether in a formal or informal role.  This freedom serves both the leader and the organization she leads, as it can clarify roles and give responsibility to others whom God has put power in their hands to do one work (power that might be withheld from the leader) and skills to do others (skills that have been withheld from the leader)...all of which develops and builds other leaders throughout the organization.

So why might this be an issue for leaders and, when not properly understood or practiced, can hurt them and their organizations?  Here are a few thoughts:

• followers often expect their leaders to possess all power and all skills to accomplish all things.  Leaders who buy into this false assumption begin to believe that a) either they must and will accomplish all things; or b) once they realize they cannot live up to this belief, they question their own leadership abilities and abdicate all use of power
• when one knows what they can and cannot do, time on task can be spent on what can actually get accomplished.  Attempting to do the impossible gets no one anywhere (unless you are Superman, and when mere mortal leaders attempt to leap tall buildings in a single bound, someone is going to get hurt)
• leaders HAVE been given power to do something and gets things accomplished...so by all means, they should get those things done.  This is a gift given by God, so the proper stewardship of that power is to use it for the good of the organization and those who are being served
• knowing that a certain skill has been withheld does not release the leader from ensuring that that particular item is accomplished.  As the steward of an organization, the leader learns what he can about that skill, finds someone who has been gifted with that skill, and then provides the resources to ensure that skill gets done well.  Note that the prayer does not say God has withheld the responsibility, only the skill
• as leaders do accomplish goals and move their organizations forward, it can become easy to believe that they actually do possess all power and skill, and quickly forget the essence of this prayer, that power given and/or skills are put there (or not) by God.  An ongoing reliance on a higher power and an understanding of ones own finite self serves the leader well, both in times of abundance and in times of leanness.

One final thought: KNOWING what power has been put in ones hand and what skill has been withheld is, in and of itself, an act of leadership.  It may take others to help one know and understand the particular powers and skills that have been given or withheld.  The sooner a leader knows and put this into practice, the more quickly they are able to lead authentically and from a place of freedom.