Animal Farm and Modern Leadership

Even though I read Animal Farm by George Orwell over 30 years ago, it still haunts me. And, at the oddest times, scenes from Animal Farm invade my thinking. Does that happen to anyone else besides me?!?

In the StarTribune Opinions Exchange on April 5th, David Lebedoff, author of The Same Man: George Orwell & Evelyn Waugh in Love and War,writes about the Orwell’s predictions of economic collapse based on moral failure.

Lebedoff asserts that the Modern Age (which he detested) has a major distinguishing factor that separates 21st Century people from all previous ages-people no longer believe in life after death. Even though Orwell was an atheist, he asserted that this long-term-view-of-life worldview impacted people’s immediate decisions. It caused many to stop and reflect on their actions… from a moral sense.

In the Modern Age, without this long-term-view-of-life guidance, human’s are more prone to live for today. A reigning thought process might be “Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we may die.” In the article, Lebeoff says, “If you go around once, then the main thing is to have fun.” He goes on to state, “Materialism, hedonism and Stairmasters are what people do until the clock stops ticking.”

So, what does this have to do with our life as president, CEOs, owners and sales leaders? Earlier this week, we looked at Zenger and Folkman’s research published in The Extraordinary Leader. Character is foundational for the leader. Without character as the center of a leaders life; the trust needed to lead people through tumultuous times will be missing. And, as leaders in today’s economic climate, we need trust, or we’ll be one of the many business statistics.

How does your worldview effect how you lead? How might a long-term-view-of-life worldview impact your leadership?

Our Deepest Fear as Sales Leaders

I’m certain that most of us have read this poem that is popularized by Nelson Mandela. However, it struck me anew as I was rereading it. I’ve been dealing with a couple of sales
leaders this week who are so tentative in their decision making.
In fact, when they asked me about what might be one of their
greatest obstacles to turning their sales force from declining sales to record-breaking sales, I answered, “Your decision making ability.”

Stopping the downward spiral of an excuse making, blame-game culture takes DICE+1 leaders. Yes, that leadership means that we as CEO, owners, board members, and sales
leaders, need to build strong relationships with those around us.
However, that leadership also calls us to be clear with our
expectations and to be willing to follow through with consequences when
expectations aren’t met and promises are broken…even when we’re
afraid.

So, what are you afraid of? What’s holding you back from doing what you know is right?

Our Deepest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate,
our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?”
Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some of us,it is in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

- Marianne Williamson

Is the Lantern informing your Leadership Journey?

For one of my Transformational Leadership classes taught by Dr. Sam Rima, I wrote a 99 page Personal Case Study entitled, “The Lady with Lantern.” 99 pages! I didn’t even know that my leadership journey had that much to talk about! However, whenever I see anything having to do with “light,” it immediately catches my attention and imagination.

So, while having my relaxing Saturday morning cup of coffee, I decided to read Psalm 119. The first stanza I read was, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path (105).” I immediately wondered, “Hmmmmmm, I wonder what Google has to say about this verse as it relates to the role of leading during tumultuous times? What does it say that could refute some of the Leadership Myths that we read about in the endless array of leadership books and articles written for business leaders, entrepreneurs and sales management leaders?”

The first entry is a quote from Charles Spurgeon, that says, “We are walkers through the city of this world, and we are often called to go out into its darkness; let us never venture there without the light-giving word, lest we slip with our feet.” Isn’t this true, that we often feel blind when faced with all the economic and market news? Doesn’t if often seem that the pathway into the future seems so murky that it’s scary to make any moves forward, for fear of falling off the cliff?

Spurgeon goes on to say, “Each person should use the word of God personally, practically, and habitually, that he may see his way, and see what lies in it.” Again, isn’t that what we need in these crazy times? To really see and to really see what lies in the uncertainty?

Spurgeon explains the concept of Lantern and why the Lantern metaphor is so powerful. “Having no fixed lamps in eastern towns, in old time each passenger carried a lantern with him, that he might not fall into the open sewer, or stumble over the heaps of ordure which defiled the road. This is a true picture of our path through this dark world: we should not know the way, or how to walk in it, if Scripture, like a blazing flambeau, did not reveal it.”

If you’d like to read more of Spurgeon’s comments on this passage, go to Eternal Life Ministries.

So, here’s the question for you to ponder, “Where do you need the a Lantern in your Leadership Journey? Where do you need clarity? Insight? Direction?” And, where are you looking for this clarity? Finally, as they say in the sales world, “How’s that working for you?”

Love it hear from you and what you’re learning about in your Leadership Journey.