Tag: Light from Many Lamps

In times of war, the sense of hope usually becomes the first of many casualties because the paralysis of fear overwhelms the populace, leaving a negative and lasting impression well beyond the physical destruction upon the landscape. After the last shot is fired, the battle for spiritual healing never ends, and those with permanently scarred hearts and minds are left to once again redefine and rediscover what faith and confidence look like. In the book titled Light from Many Lamps, former Chairman of the United States Atomic Energy Commission, David E. Lilienthal (1951), shares his inspiring testimony of how faith-in-action could propel post-war era Americans through “one of the blessed periods of all history” (p. 288). Lilienthal knew that times would be challenging, especially for disillusioned women and young men, sensing now more than ever, that this was his opportunity to lead others through a tumultuous environment with a message of hope. For those of us leading through changing environments, Lilienthal’s message reminds us how re-patterning ourselves as an adaptive response towards building new realities in quickly transforming landscapes is precisely where “all hope, creativity, insight and possibility resides” (Bridges & Bridges, 2009, p. vii).

Lilienthal focused his message towards young men and women in the United States because he understood that the future of the country belonged to them. Moreover, like leaders in organizations and groups, he knew that behind every successful transformation effort lay a necessary foundation built upon developing a compelling message through “visualizing positive outcomes” (Northouse, 2016, p. 174). Armed with his capacity to inspire, Lilienthal fiercely believed that followers could align themselves with this vision allowing their new-found strength through faith to become what Lilienthal called “the most potent weapon ever devised” (p. 291). Apart from using visioning techniques to show others how their dreams could be realized, Lilienthal emphasized his message of “developing a capacity for new thought” specifically towards leaders, because the overwhelming psychological challenge of a supposed atomic threat forced individuals to fear innovation. (Lilienthal, 1951, p. 295).

It never ceases to amaze me just how often the capacity to innovate becomes stifled in the presence of gripping fear. In Lilienthal’s era, individuals feared innovations like atomic energy because they were focused solely on its capacity to destroy. When compared with situational changes in organizations, similar to a post-war populace, fear still prevents individuals from seeing the opportunities that exist while in transition. However, “transition starts with an ending”; therefore, leaders who demonstrate faith and vision, alongside establishing safe places to innovate and brainstorm, strengthen the measure of hope and ultimately, transform reflections of past hurts into positive contributions towards the future (Bridges & Bridges, 2009, p. 7). Like Lilienthal, I spend a great deal of time integrating vision into all planning and executing processes because not only is our vision is fixed as an ethereal objective, it ultimately exerts itself practically as the binding fabric in the tapestry of our everyday discussions and actions.

Matt

Bridges, W., & Bridges, S. (2009). Managing transitions: Making the most of change (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Da Capo Press.

Lilienthal, D. E. (1951). The age in which we live can become one of the blessed periods in all history. In L. E. Watson, Light from Many Lamps (pp. 287-297). New York: Simon & Schuster.

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: theory and practice (Seventh ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

Hello Sarah

I really appreciate the way your prepared your response drawing upon some very strong intuition, insight, pragmatism and specific tools you use within your professional and personal life when facing suffocating demands and expectations. I echo your struggle and short tolerance for the “I am too busy syndrome”; but alas, I fall into the same habit when overwhelmed sometimes. In describing his own burdens, James Gordon Gilkey (1951) provides some water to a dry palate suggesting that he was able to stay calm and poised “by refusing to let everything rush in on him at once” (p. 220). Like you, I use lists to compartmentalize and prioritize tasks to achieve a scope of pace that (1) – keeps me measured in terms of my accessibility and volume of output helping others, and (2) – forces free time to reflect and recharge as a means to reduce anxiety, fear and tension. Ultimately, this passage and your commentary triggered some thoughts when considering the importance of setting realistic expectations for yourself and those that you lead. In my experience, if the leader does not communicate reasonable expectations for time and task management, followers will either take advantage of the opportunity to do less, or overwork themselves trying to meet perceived expectations left by the leadership vacuum.

Matt

Gilkey, J. G. (1951). You want to gain emotional poise? In L. E. Watson, Light from Many Lamps (pp. 219-222). New York: Simon & Schuster.

Hello Norm

A good synopsis with some important reflections as it relates to leadership even though the passage does not make it necessarily clear and obvious what the leadership lesson could be. When discussing “constructive controversy” as a leader skillset, I believe you accurately described what I have personally learned in terms of knowing when to introduce or remove a state of tension between two individuals, or in a group. You mentioned the release of energy, generation of good will and depth, which can be accomplished through discussion as part of this tension (like that experienced in marriage), which indeed, keeps the soil of growth churning with fresh nutrients (ideas). The sense of well-being or happiness has such a broad range of expression, that it the context of my own personal leadership, happiness exists within the pursuit of happiness. In other words, if my influence somehow manifests happiness in others, especially in the context of goal achievement or personal growth, it validates my own sense of meaning and satisfaction within this pursuit. Our group meetings typically enjoy this tension, with deliberate checks on each other’s’ biases and respectful challenge of opinions leaving everyone with elevated spirits from enjoying a stake in the decision-making process.

Matt

In an ever-shrinking world filled with increasing demands and distractions, affording yourself the means to enjoy solitude and the art of contemplation is fast becoming a rare luxury. Regardless of the approach, style, technique or strategy, leading others through a culture that abhors living a minimalistic or simplified life is not an enterprise for the faint-hearted, but requires a “mature attitude towards success” and a strong will to stand firm through processes of development that sometimes require patience, time and nourishment (Thoreau, 1951, p. 238). In his passage titled Our life…, Henry David Thoreau (1951) reflects on his decision to experiment with simplicity, prompting the reader to consider how life could be so much more meaningful and deliberate in caring for others when choosing to live, work and think alongside what he terms as “Spartan simplicity” (p. 233). What Thoreau discovers through living a simplistic life, is that by integrating solitude and reflection into the life of a leader, it enhances clarity, improves cognition and strengthens their capacity to be alone, and in response to it, better equipped to lead.

In order to exercise one’s state of mind, allowing it the freedom to become grounded as means to enhance perspective is not what some would call introversion, or worse, self-imposed isolation. Solitude and life simplification are what Thoreau (1951) describes as opportunities to improve the “soul’s estate”, growing closer to understanding life’s basic, but elusive truths that give it meaning (p. 233). Unlike what Dan B. Allender (1996) states in Leading with a Limp, when solitude is sometimes used as a vehicle to hide and “guard against hurt”; leaders need to reserve moments to reflect and recharge so that they can more effectively lead others (p. 116). Through his emphatic expression, Thoreau is saying that we as leaders, need to abstain from succumbing to a reality that suggests we should fill every available moment and space to the point of “enslavement”, and instead, supplant it with more simplicity as a means to be more emotionally and mentally prepared to execute their very best in decision making and influence.

Finding moments of solitude in an overly-connected work environment can be difficult these days; however, the relevance of this lesson speaks to the choices we make and what measure of intentionality we apply towards achieving those goals. Apart from time in prayer and reflection, I try to keep a journal which captures both daily events and the measure and sense of my emotional state. In addition to the cognitive benefits that solitude offers, the practice of journaling helps form perspective, aids decision-making and in being organized, expands the time available as a means to consider future actions and the needs of others on my team. As an accomplished scholar in his time, Thoreau was clearly outside the norm with his decision to experiment with solitude. Nevertheless, his experience teaches us to keep our burdens light, enjoying every moment in itself, and through it, every opportunity to use it to benefit the lives of those we lead.

Matt

Allender, D. B. (2006). Leading with a limp. Colorado Springs, Colorado: Waterbrook Press.

Thoreau, H. D. (1951). Our life is frittered away by detail… simplify, simplify! In L. E. Watson, Light from Many Lamps (pp. 231-238). New York: Simon & Schuster.

Hello Norm

Apart from integrating some very keen observations in terms of how they can be applied within a church context, you skillfully extract and reference components within the closing paragraph of Lincoln’s inaugural address connecting them with some very key servant-leader traits which speak to both his authenticity and his compassion for people. As a measure of his authenticity, I believe that Lincoln reflects what Northouse (2016) states to be an “intrapersonal approach”, which emphasizes a leader’s life experiences and the meaning he or she attaches to those experiences in terms of developing others (p. 196). Leading from deep conviction was one of his strengths; however, Lincoln did have the benefit of leading through an earlier term in the highest political office in the land. I suppose in the sense of identifying reality in the context of church, politicians, like church leadership, or even more so, the body, can also stumble without spending adequate time with others that can help them see, as you stated, the big picture. Ultimately, Lincoln had the benefit of hindsight to develop his foresight; therefore, in the context of leading through and with others, our ability to listen, ask and involve as many people as possible, we need both a critically-minded approach and the often-elusive resource of time.

Matt

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: theory and practice (Seventh ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications

Hello Daneen

Nice reflection and synopsis as it relates to the importance of intentionally stepping into acts kindness at every opportunity in one’s life and career, most certainly as you look towards integrating the unknown author’s (1951) statement, “I shall pass through this world but once”, as a bridge to both your peers, and the hope and relief you bring to your patients (p. 192). I suppose the true capacity of effectiveness behind every leadership lesson depends on the type of motive whether the word, or act, flushes out from a heart that serves, or a heart that hurts. The passage leaves one feeling that sense of urgency in terms of living in the now, which in the context of your work environment, means that you see these opportunities to “not neglect kindness” because you are constantly surrounded by those suffering from life-limiting illnesses. In business, that same sense of urgency remains; however, kindness and opportunity are sometimes used, even from leaders espousing great skill, as doppelgängers, concealing underlying destructive motives often rooted in malice, revenge, jealousy and greed. In terms of understanding the brevity in our mortality, I agree with both you and the unknown author, that we should honour the limited time we have to improve the quality of life in others. However, we are all fallen and are constantly bombarded by messages from a world bent on “me”; therefore, this passage and your commentary are great reminders when considering how my own motives will either hurt or help, especially in those brief moments of opportunity to share kindness.

Matt

Let me not neglect any kindness for I shall not pass this way again. (1951). In L. E. Watson, Light from Many Lamps (pp. 191-193). New York: Simon & Schuster.

When the hard truths of life and eternity need to be spoken, you can always depend upon a preacher to pierce through the many layers of our self-deception. Although the pulpit offers an excellent vantage point to deliver messages of truth, hope, love and forgiveness, on a more practical level, we as leaders can be just as effective to inspire and change hearts that are burdened with heavy loads. The passage describing Phillip Brooks (1951) sums up the basis of all moral and ethical principles in human relations which is to “do unto others as you would have others do unto you” (p. 186). As he imparts a moment of deep reflection and clarity, Brooks calls out those unbending, stubborn and hardened hearts of his congregation to become what love represents – a people that forgives and forgets.

In leadership, there are times where truth must be defended out loud, even in times of great peril and personal loss. We only need to refer to countless martyred heroes in, and outside the church to understand the power of spoken word whether it communicates vision, wisdom and empathy. One voice can change the very air we breathe; however, as leaders in our own individual realms, I believe that the degree of sensitivity in our delivery can amplify the measure of inspiration, influence and impact we have upon others. Brooks (1951) finds “just the right combination of words to inspire his listeners” and pulls them out of the mire of selfishness to consider how short life really is in the midst of hanging onto grievances, grudges and resentments (p. 200). Is the right choice of words easy for some? Yes, but for most in leadership like myself, fear can take hold leaving us wishing we had said nothing at all in the first place. When Brooks (1951) says “Life is too short to be vengeful or malicious. Life is too short to be petty or unkind”, he wants his followers to experience the joy and opportunity in each other once the past is finally let go of (p. 200).

Ultimately, upholding truth surrounded by those that deny it, can be a lonely place; however, like Brooks, I can see what the other side looks like when helping others let go of their hurts and hang-ups. This message of hope is less about the burdens shed, but the exponential increase in opportunities for growth individually and collectively once tolerance and understanding puts the past in its shadow. This resonates with me specifically as it relates to where I place my focus in terms of leading others. Without exploring and fine tuning what is holding others back first, all the proactive leadership approaches or styles in the world may simply fall on deaf ears and be wasteful, or worse even offensive.

Matt

Brooks, P. (1951). The time is short! In L. E. Watson, Light from Many Lamps (pp. 198-203). New York: Simon & Schuster.

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: theory and practice (Seventh ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

Cancer.

The very breath one takes before saying that word is often just as long as the silence that follows it. For those poor souls burdened with an affliction that strikes indiscriminately with murderous indifference; I ask, which process reveals itself as the true menace? The arbitrary nature of tissue destruction, or the fear that strikes the mind because of it? In the case of Mary Roberts Rinehart, a mid-twentieth century world-famous novelist who battled against cancer, it was the measure of courage and endurance “to face your danger” (Rinehart, 1951) ushering her successfully through a crisis which inspired countless others to refuse the all-too-natural response of fear, silence and delay.

Rinehart’s approach to this very personal challenge was to reject any power it held over her aligning with what Dan B. Allender (2006) calls in his book Leading with a Limp, “effective responses”, drawing upon courage or hope paired with depth (p. 10). Allender goes on to describe how fear is a “completely understandable motivator” in which leaders need to understand precisely how those fears keep us silent and trapped as it relates to our potential influence upon others (p. 5). Because Rinehart is demonstrating an approach that “helps others explore and change their values” (Northouse, 2016) especially in the midst of sudden change, this measure of adaptive leadership is relevant within my own leadership context when learning how to fight for perspective and opportunity in crises, versus letting it produce dysfunctional reactions (p. 258).

It is clear that a crisis like cancer is incomparable to anything I personally encounter in the context of my organizational duties and responsibilities; nevertheless, Rinehart’s words of inspiration resonates just the same. Rinehart (1951) states that “every crucial experience can be a setback, or a new start”; therefore, I believe this should be the quintessential choice before beginning to tackle issues (p. 103). Sharing your courage with others in choosing to adapt one’s comfort level to a new boss, communicating workforce downsizing, or a handling a crisis like a major product recall are just some of the business examples where, with the acknowledgement of fears manipulations, time and contrast with other experiences, we should ask, is it as “soul-shattering as people think?” (Rinehart, 1951, p. 102).

Matt

Allender, D. B. (2006). Leading with a limp. Colorado Springs, Colorado: Waterbrook Press.

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: theory and practice (Seventh ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

Rinehart, M. R. (1951). Courage & the conquest of fear. In L. E. Watson, Light from Many Lamps (pp. 100-103). New York: Simon & Schuster.