Have been watching a Military Channel program, The Long Gray Line, about the US Military Academy that trains new Army officers. I have known quite a number of West Point graduates and always found them interesting, unique and somewhat ill at ease with the masses around them. I always found that very interesting. In the program, a former Superintendent of the Academy made an interesting comment that fear is the greatest challenge to leadership. Wow, I live this stuff, teach this stuff, study this stuff of leadership and in those few words, felt a deep pinprick to my brain and heart of just how true that is about this thing called leadership.
Those that know me know I believe that there is no respect unless there is a solid foundation of fear. In other words, you will only respect that which you perceive fear from or about. I absolutely believe this just I have not problem generating a dose of gut level fear into new students about to embark on a journey to learn to lead. How can you learn to lead if you do not experience the same emotions of those you will lead, right?
But in process that comment, I turned the mirror on myself to analyze what that means and how that feels. Fear is a cliff on which a leader must stand on and decide to jump or not. I believe in my heart that leadership is a gift and that gift is a small box each person you are hoping to lead carries with them all the time. Inside that box is a very personal slice of respect and the transfer of that person's gift box of respect into the possession of the leader is a gift of all gifts to that person now charged and challenged to lead. We learn from the Bible that you will never learn to lead until you learn to serve for leadership is all about serving. Jesus was an excellent template for that concept.
Overcoming fear of others, of events, of issues is secondary to overcoming self induced fear from deep within yourself. I will admit that I grew up with many self induced fears and therefore anxieties for that is the currency of fear, anxiety. I believe the first step in casting out the demons of fear is assessing who you really are which is usually quite different that who those around you tell you you are or should be or can be. Knowing the real YOU is vital to casting out the demons of fear and thus respect. We all have strengths and we all have weaknesses. Acknowledging that is a right first step. Being someone you are not is trampling on emotionally dangerous ground.
My wife likes to tell people that I am "fearless." I always find a smile creep over me when I hear her utter that but she is certainly not the only one to ever say that. While there might be deeply rooted fears, think of a leader you respected that you felt was afraid of anything? The answer is probably that is exactly what you admired most about that leader is the air of fearlessness they exuded. Try standing in front of a few thousand people and singing a song or giving a speech or dealing with a class of a hundred students you have never seen before, go ahead try it. Or even worse, try being in a jail or a prison and mentally preparing to deliver several songs and testimony to people that are scared, hurting, destitute, have killed other people, etc! But here is the crucible of a leader ... you just have to get it done!
A young man I used to sing with told me once very clearly, "there comes that moment when you have to decide you are going to sing that song and then sing it!" So very true for if you are nervous, those watching you will sense that very quickly and there is an unspoken tension that hangs in the air very heavily. Leaders must decide TO LEAD and lead through the good times and the bad times. Leaders must never fear to take a new and very different path and then stand to and lead the way!
So the power of fear is, well, powerful. We all have fears but fears that cripple or impugn your leadership capability is unfair to you but more, much more, is it unfair to those that are looking to YOU for the command to move out and not look back. I believe fear a positive motivator is summoned for a proper, well intended fear. I love my God but why; because I am scared to death of Him! But knowing He loves me draws me even closer to Him. I think that a pretty good role model, don't you?
Leadership is not for everyone. It is certainly not for the weak of spirit nor those that only want to use that gift to manipulate for manipulation's standpoint; that sickens and angers me greatly. So the question, really, what are you afraid of for in knowing that, you can then know what you have to face squarely up to and fight that demon and move forward. You cannot dodge a fear; you have to confront it and from the confrontation you gain wisdom. Seek the wisdom!
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