Category: Unit 8

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Response to Matt – Light from Many Lamps – Part Four

Light from Many Lamps – Part Four

Matt, what a great reflection you’ve given on this chapter of the book. I found myself nodding in agreement as I read your whole post.

I can agree wholeheartedly of the temptation of a leader to do as much as they can, filling time with tasks and work and priorities. There is always more work to be done than hours in the day! The ability to step back from what I perceive to be the most pressing issue, to reevaluate priorities and even to ask advice from peers has helped me grow in the area of equipping others to do the work so that I am able to be more effective as a leader.

I’m also so grateful for the disciplines of solitude, silence and simplicity. It seems from your post that you have a good grasp of these and that they have taken root in your life. Having our days, weeks, and years marked not by the tasks we are accomplishing but instead by what is happening inside of us is an incredibly counter-cultural desire.

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Response to Daniel Rowe – Part 4 – Light from Many Lamps – Dr. Will Durant

Part 4 – Light from Many Lamps – Dr. Will Durant

 

Daniel, I was so encouraged to read your reflection on this chapter of the book. As a fellow pastor I understand some of the demands on your personal life and I have seen more than a few colleagues become victims of their own bad decisions, partly as a result of failing to acknowledge how to have this healthy work-life relationship, as you put it.

This year my wife and I celebrated 15 years of marriage and I’m so grateful we decided early on to keep healthy commitments and boundaries in our relationship. I was thinking just this morning that in 10 years from now our youngest son will (hopefully!) be off to university and it’s likely that we will be empty nesters. Hard to imagine during the toddler and elementary school years but I’m hoping the future we have together with just the two of us at home will be the very best years of our marriage!

I’m cheering you on as you continue to seek out rest, joy, and love in your family, in your marriage, and in your work.

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Light from Many Lamps – James Gordon Gilkey – Unit 8

“How are you?” and “I’m so busy!” may be two of the most commonly used phrases in modern society. The fact that a quesation about someone’s well-being is generally answered with a reply about how much they have going on speaks to the status symbol of busyness (Pinsker, 2017) and how we have allowed demands on our life to become out of control.

And yet, this is certainly not a new problem. The story of James Gordon Gilkey (Watson, 1951) highlights that busyness was just as present in the good old days as it is now in 2018.

Gilkey’s quote from a sermon in 1944 has as much to say today as it did when it was spoken 74 years ago:

The  crowded hours come to you always one moment at a time. That is the only way they can come. The day may bring many tasks, many problems, strains, but invariably they come in single file.

You want to gain emotional poise? Remember the hourglass, the grains of sand dropping one by one. (Watson 1951, p. 221)

Reflecting on this story gives the opportunity to consider the difference between proactive and reactive behaviour when it comes to the demands of life and busyness. Am I proactively choosing to create boundaries and margin in my life? Am I reacting to every situation around me in a way that makes my life busier?

As the study from Harvest Business Review (Bellezza, Paharia, & Keinan, 2016) shows, there is a connection between the perception of how busy someone is and their social status. Am I being careful that I am not artificially inflating my own importance and how busy I am so that those around me believe I am more necessary than I actually am? Understanding the motivation behind our decisions to become busy can help to uncover some dark places in our own lives.

Over the last several years I have been able to create margin in my life in a few significant ways. Margin in how I use my time, what I do with my money and what opportunities I agree to take on has allowed me to be more focused while actively staying away as much as possible from the trap of busyness, real or perceived.

As Watson (1951) states in her conclusion, this has helped “achieve a better, more serene way of life” (Watson, 1951, p. 221).

Question
Are there some specific habits you have put in place in your life to combat the tyranny of busyness?

Reference
Bellezza, S., Paharia, N., & Keinan, A. (2016, December 15). Research: Why Americans Are So Impressed by Busyness. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2016/12/research-why-americans-are-so-impressed-by-busyness

Pinsker, J. (2017, March 1). ‘Ugh, I’m So Busy’: A Status Symbol for Our Time. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/03/busyness-status-symbol/518178/

Watson, L.E. (1951). Light from Many Lamps. New York: Simon and Schuster.

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Gender and Leadership – Practical Inclusion Ideas – Unit 8, Learning Activity 2

As I read chapter 15 of Leadership (Northouse, 2018) and the Catalyst (Nugent, Pollock, & Travis, 2016) report I was challenged to think about practical inclusion ideas while also finding myself encouraged and grateful for the environment where I work. No situation is perfect and we should always be paying attention to the areas where we have become passive and status quo. At the same time, I can genuinely say that much of what I read about in these two resources is valued and has been implemented in my workplace.

As Nugent, Pollock, & Travis (2016) state, employees who experience uniqueness and belonging report as feeling included. This can be a challenge as an organization grows and becomes more complex. Employees are hired to complete a task but have a desire to be recognized for who they are and that they are welcome among the larger group.

As a manager, I meet with my direct reports one-on-one every month to give organizational updates but also to ask them how they’re doing, to ask what questions they have, and to ask for updates and feedback on their current projects. This is more than a performance check-in (although it does serve that function) and becomes the place where meaningful relationships can happen and trust is built between employee and manager. These meetings happen with all employees regardless of gender and the same requests are feedback are given in all meetings.

In reflection, part of my active leadership to the team I lead could then be to have employees share great insights or feedback they’ve given and to invite this from both male and female employees in our department. For the wider team to know that I value and respect the input and insight of male and female employees alike would speak to this desire for inclusion through the feeling of uniqueness and belonging.

At the same time, from taking the Gender-Leader Implicit Association test (Northouse, 2018) I was quite surprised to find a level of gender bias within my own understanding of leadership. While I don’t believe it is possible for zero bias to be achieved, I do believe that I can work actively to overcome this bias and build this culture of inclusion among those I work alongside.

Nugent, Pollock, & Travis (2016) also speak to these inclusion experiences in the Catalyst report as being invisible and yet expected. The challenge is that inclusion doesn’t speak to a program or workplace training but instead to something within the character of the leaders. Inclusion can’t be narrowed down to individual conversations or bulletin board material but needs to be instilled across the organization through leaders who are committed to acknowledging exclusionary behaviour and choosing to do the opposite.

In summary, I believe that our organization is doing a good job of practicing this inclusionary behaviour stemming from employees feeling a sense of uniqueness and belonging. However, we cannot assume this is automatic and will always continue so I need to pay attention to my interactions with all employees, regardless of gender, and look for ways to speak publicly of the contributions they are making to our organization’s shared goals. This needs to be modelled for other leaders within our organization who can then continue this behaviour to grow these feelings of uniqueness and belonging to every area of responsibility.

 

Reference
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice, Eighth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Nugent, J., Pollack, A. & Travis, D. (2016). The day to day experiences of workplace inclusion and exclusion. Retrieved from http://www.catalyst.org/system/files/the_day_to_day_experiences_of_workplace_inclusion_and_exclusion.pdf

 

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Gender and Leadership – Case Study Reflection – Unit 8, Learning Activity 1

The case study of “The Glass Ceiling” (Northouse, 2018, p. 417-418) tells the story of Lisa, an experienced, confident executive who leaves her Wall Street firm after repeated attempts to achieve partner. The working environment as well as her direct relationship with the CEO show clear evidence of gender discrimination. Lisa has relevant experience, educational qualifications, and a track record of success in the firm. She is given increased seniority and responsibility as she brings value to the company. Lisa is respected by her peers and brings positive impact to company revenue and the bottom line. Over an extended period of time, her requests for partnership based on performance are denied and Lisa leaves the firm.

As I reflected on this case study it was evident that this was a description of an environment where the senior leader helped to create an environment of discrimination and discomfort for other leaders and particularly women. Knowing there are peers of Lisa’s who are coming to her privately but not willing to speak up on her behalf publicly points to a domineering culture where there may be fear of consequences for anyone who challenges the CEO.

For this situation specifically, there is no obvious reason to say there are experience or education gaps which are the reason for the treatment Lisa is receiving. The fact that the CEO is willing to say two women in one room together is scary is clear evidence of deeper discrimination which is not connected to employee performance. Lisa is not given the opportunity to lead as a partner in the firm not because she isn’t a qualified leader but because of the advancement barriers in place in this firm, known as the glass ceiling.

With a CEO who questions a woman’s ability to lead and speaks publicly of his fear of women together in a room, it’s no surprise that a woman of Lisa’s calibre and experience would leave the firm to pursue other opportunities. Had there been a clear path to partnership which included performance, education and experience goals, the criteria become clear. Lisa could have made a case for partnership based on what she had achieved or the CEO could have made plain to her what still needed to be accomplished for her to be considered.

Giving opportunities in an organization for promotion, increased responsibility and career advancement must be equitable when it comes to gender and leadership. Employees need to be given the opportunity to demonstrate they are capable, qualified and trustworthy for new roles within an organization. When these paths to success are confusing, unclear or secret, this builds distrust and uncertainty among employees. All employees, male and female, deserve to understand what is expected of them and what opportunities are available for them in the future based on their performance and success in their current role.

Personally, this case study and reflection help me to think about how I lead in an environment where I have both male and female direct reports. My friendships and working relationships with men and women look different but I have a responsibility as a leader to be clear with those around me that they are being treated fairly, respectfully and with equality regardless of gender. They need to understand how their success helps to shape their future within our organization and I need to actively look for ways to highlight their successes as they grow.

Reference
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice, Eighth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.