Nouwen: Leadership
“It is the compassionate authority that empowers, encourages, calls forth hidden gifts, and enables great things to happen. True spiritual authorities are located in the point of an upside-down triangle, supporting and holding into the light everyone they offer their leadership to.”—Henri Nouwen in Bread for the Journey (HarperSanFrancisco, 1997).
The upside-down triangle. What a brilliant image for leadership, a leadership that supports, empowers, and encourages those being led. I have a spiritual friend who tells me that his senior warden explained it another way: “You have to let them know that you care before you show them what you know.” How true this is in any kind of relationship or ministry. This is one of the models Jesus gives us. I believe I have encountered a handful of leaders in my lifetime who fit this description. It is a rare form of leadership. It is servant leadership.
I recently cried with another friend, Ann, as we shared the struggles of trying to lead through practicing this leadership style. When we use it, we are often called a “weak sister.” This type of leadership is counter-cultural. We can face resistance at almost every turn.
Even if we ourselves have not been servant leaders in the past, there is still time to change. When we are given a chance, we can try to live it. We can share our experiences with other spiritual friends and support each other. It is a leadership model that is not powered by our ego—or by as little ego as possible.
Parker Palmer identifies this form of leadership in Let Your Life Speak (Jossey-Bass, 1999). These leaders who are insecure about their own identity deprive others of their autonomy, as they attempt to bolster themselves. Secure leaders are not afraid of chaos. They do not view the world as a battleground. They are not functional atheists, believing it all depends on them. The identity of these leaders depends not on the role they play or the power it gives them over others. Grounded leaders know we are all valued children of God, and that the group’s work can be life-giving for all.
May we pray to become this kind of servant leader, and that we will be led to become role models and mentors who also embody servant leadership.
Advent is an excellent time to review our leadership style.
Joanna joannaseibert.com
