Leadership and The Respectful Power In Asking

Respect and dignity join themselves,

In the leader who delves,

In the asking of permission,

The seeking for their commission.

This leader, this respecter of all,

Knows on their life God’s ardent call,

Honour’s for the person before them,

No person can they easily condemn.

The leader asks and takes care not to tell,

In this world with decorum they do dwell,

They know the power of influence,

Beyond the trappings of a grievance.

The leader gets on with everyone the best they can,

There is no reason for any sort of punitive ban,

The leader’s love stands high and helpful,

They have a way for progress that’s respectful and gentle.

A good leader – a healthy leader – has no use for coercion as a normal mode of operation. The coercion of telling is reserved for times where all other relational measures have failed.

Relationship is the matter of hope in the midst of conflict.

With relationship we have everything to hope for, even if matters appear forlorn. But without relationship even the simple things appear hard.

Why do leaders and those in a leadership capacity resort to power dynamics and posturing and jostling in order to assert their dominance? It’s a fear that’s unreconciled, unrecognised, and unrequited. They have no control over their fear, so they must endeavour to dominate through coercion.

They will use the powers of position, coercion, and manipulation. The healthy leader, however, knows their limits and they are blessed and are not threatened by the person who – in their difference – can help. They use personal power with which to engage distant persons and they use information power to empower others.

The power in asking is palpable as it is telling.

When we let go of all our fear, then, and only then, are we capable of loving others as we can and as we should.

If we have no use for loving people we have no use as leaders – in any sphere of life. And if we can see that love is to be our central motive for life, then we are on a golden trail replete with majesties of wonder, grace, and joy.

There is great and elusive power in simply asking, without threat of condition, and without need to make people do things beyond their will.

When we use the power of asking over the force of telling, we are joining with God in the heavens to bless people relationally.

© 2014 S. J. Wickham.