Shepherds May Be Our Last Hope
The leadership people deserve requires more than the public service we've been experiencing for some time. In many cases, those in charge today are not succeeding.
Employees and society suffer when public and private institutions place their interests over those they are to serve. It happens little by little; when those in charge want what they want, regardless of the cost, and with little care for those who might be affected. People become resources to be used up or manipulated to do the bidding of their master.
Dangerous conditions are expanding
In the world of the shepherd, self-serving leaders approach us as does a wolf in sheep’s clothing. From a distance, they look like the rest of us. They speak our language explaining how they are helping, but something is off. They claim to be servants, making promises and using words that sound kind but are far from it. When conditions around us worsen, we discover their actions contradict their words.
A hopeful future darkens when seemingly kind words become restraints; feeling like ropes and chains placed upon each of us. When constraints make us less able to perform our best work and organizations lose their cohesiveness we need to wake up.
Something is wrong and it isn’t a dream. If we don’t wake up, it could become our lasting nightmare.
Over time, many realize how these types of leaders acquired their fleeces. Of course . . . they ate the sheep they said they were protecting. Along the way, they imitate some of the ways of their prey to cover themselves from less discerning onlookers. And today, society is filled with these types. More wolves than ever and they are running things. Not unlike the pigs in Animal Farm. They make the rules. When things don’t go well, they change them, then entice good people to do their bidding through money, power, and prestige.
This situation is happening everywhere. With wolves in charge and others emulating them, the shepherd-leader may be our only hope.
The wolves may be right. We are to blame because we have chosen to follow them initially; even after we notice how they treat others when the stakes are high. Now that we understand where they are driving us, new tactics enforcing compliance are more common.
If we were in court, coercion is on the docket. Sadly, for those that resist openly, mutton is on their menu. Truly dangerous conditions are expanding for those unequipped and without a shepherd to guide them.
Calling all shepherds to action
A shepherd-leader spends so much time with their people, it becomes evident to all. As author Dr. Lynn Anderson writes, they even begin to smell like them.
In business, we might not use that terminology. Instead, we would describe the shepherd-leader as one who places the health and well-being of their team as their top priority. They know each person well and have positioned them for success. Cultivating partnerships with their peers creates and sustains a safe environment for people to do their best work. They inspire others with their vision and they lead by example. There is no mistake. The shepherd is the real deal.
The shepherd-leader understands that without healthy teams, the organization weakens over time. The strength of the team resides in each individual, as each individual strengthens the team.
Leaving wolves in charge, the organization’s strength dissipates. Over time, lost is the opportunity to go from Good to Great as Jim Collins describes in his work. Instead, an organization that looks good on the outside is failing inside. When conditions exist too long people look for an opportunity to leave. For example, the Great Resignation as described in the Harvard Business Review. When work becomes commoditized, people run to the highest bidder. And when leadership is bare or coercive, we begin to understand why key people leave. As Seth Godin writes in his book Linchpin, this way of thinking initiates the race to the bottom.
Shepherds can turn the tide
The shepherd-leader is the strongest leadership archetype for our world today. The shepherd is the antidote to the wolf and their kind. Governed by character and humble in spirit, they are the most effective because they choose to live amongst their people. They care for them; maybe even more than they should. They not only put people first but are equipped to face hostile environments and predators that live there.
Could you become a shepherd-leader? Without someone like you, people are more likely to do what they are told instead of what is right. That is how we find ourselves in our current situation.
The shepherd may be our last hope.
Cultivating more shepherds may be our last chance to redeem our organizations. Shepherd-like people and their allies can neutralize those with self-serving interests. They can help put behind us the divisive, expensive, and toxic behaviors of people giving orders instead of asking for our permission to lead us. They can show the way and invite others to follow.
Shepherding comes with a cost
The transformation to shepherd-leader is a serious business for those who choose to become one. It can become part of your identity; permeating your home extending and your influence far beyond it. A shepherd is a shepherd regardless of its environment.
Shepherding doesn’t promise power
A shepherd leader’s power comes from those they serve. It is given freely. A shepherd does not make needless arguments. In fact, they stop conflicts from starting. A shepherd shows caring daily through laying down many of their personal ambitions. Replacing them with a compelling desire to improve the lives of those they have chosen to serve; making things better.
Last thoughts
If we are content with the current direction and leadership we have today, nothing additional is required from us; we will receive more of the same. However, if you desire better for yourself and those you care about now is the time to act. Take the harder road. Accept the cost and bring your best work, positive energy, and courage. As shepherd-leaders, we can stand for unity and against those who deceive and divide us making a path towards a brighter future.