When Leadership Calls

In our last class I raised the issues of fairness and expectations when “leadership is thrust onto a person”, and I found myself back on it in chapter nine’s topic of prudence.  Kolp and Rea makes a great analogy with a quote from John Climacus, “when we draw water from a well, it can happen that we inadvertently also bring up a frog” (p. 178).

Even though the authors were trying to make the frog an analogy for vice, I took that the frog could be a “role”. You see, yes life is full of grays and vices do come with virtues, however there are times where certain roles come as part of the virtue package.  Leadership is not something taken, but given.  When people come to you for advice, mentoring, guidance, and counseling, I see it as an acknowledgement of yourself as a leader.  Perhaps that’s the purpose of servant leadership, stepping up when the occasion calls on you to be a leader.

Now I’m not saying the leadership role is something permanent, because we have already discussed that leadership is hardly ever a lifelong position, and in fact it can be seen as a borrowed or rented position.  No, what I’m saying is that leadership can be exercised through intention individual choices. For example, perhaps in a meeting there is an option that is morally right, but goes against the culture or the politics of certain individuals in the organization.  No one is stepping up to discuss the undiscussable out of fear.  If you speak up, because it’s the right thing to do, you may just by speaking give others the courage to do the same.  One small act of leadership has the potential for positive change.

Comments

[Heidi Marmen]

I saw the frog as a gift. I'm a big fan of shades of grey. Few things are either/or. As a leader there will be many frogs. But if we view them as vices, that what can we learn?

[Lori Chance]

Your post makes a crucial point: want it or not, you're not a leader unless someone is following.

"The most important quality in a leader is that of being acknowledged as such." ~ Andre Maurois

And yet, I wonder: how do we know they're following? It can be obvious when we hold a title and are good leaders at the same time. But what about when the title isn't attached? It's not always so obvious that others are with us - and sometimes, I believe, being a leader is being willing to go where others will not follow. Much like courage being an emotion felt AFTER the act itself is accomplished, sometimes leadership seems to be acknowledged well AFTER the dust settles.

[David]

I did laugh at the frog analogy and I agree with you that the authors were trying to use the frog as an analogy for vice. Perhaps a broader meaning could be attached to the frog; that of representing something unexpected. The something unexpected can be both vice OR virtue.