Monica, thank you for your for your very vulnerable post regarding your personal leadership growth through the mechanism of suffering. I, too, have had a similar experience in that during my first year of senior leadership, I not only had to navigate very challenging leadership decisions, but also significant health challenges and family trauma. Though not a positive year to walk through, in retrospect, was a valuable learning experience overall. It developed character and critical thinking, and helped me to establish practices of self-care.
It is interesting to note, that suffering is not a leadership trait that has been discussed as yet in any of the readings. So far, the literature has focused on personal strengths of a leader, and how these are either inherent personality traits, or learned practices. Many people think that leaders should be strong. Suffering is perceived as a weakness. However, suffering is a key component to our growth and effectiveness as leaders. There is research and writings to support this. For instance, in Allison and Setterberg’s article, “Suffering and Sacrifice: Individual and Collective Benefits, and Implications for Leadership” (2016), they analyze the counterintuitive benefits of suffering on a leader’s development. In sum, they assert that suffering produces these positive outcomes:
(1) has redemptive qualities,
(2) signifies important developmental milestones,
(3) fosters humility,
(4) elevates compassion,
(5) encourages social union and action, and
(6) provides meaning and purpose (pg. 198)
They assert that just as human development occurs through time by individuals facing challenges and growing through them, so too a leader’s development grows through meeting challenges and therefore achieving maturity through them. The ultimate outcome, as seen in their proposed outcomes of suffering, is that of providing meaning and purpose. This is where faith is birthed and a clear vision can be carried out.
When I look at examples of who are considered “Heroes in the Faith” over time, I see suffering as being a common link. Leaders such as Eric Liddell, Gladys Aylward, David Livingstone, Hudson Taylor, William Carey all faced severe trials and immense losses. However, through their suffering they developed depths of compassion and humility, which enabled them to fight even more boldly for social action through faith in a vision God gave them. Through their example, we can see that suffering is not a welcome element of leadership, but one that we must be mindful will occur, embrace when it occurs, and learn and grow through.
Allison S.T., Setterberg G.C. (2016). Suffering and Sacrifice: Individual and Collective Benefits, and Implications for Leadership. In: Allison S.T., Kocher C.T., Goethals G.R. (eds) Frontiers in Spiritual Leadership. Jepson Studies in Leadership. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 197-214