We have heard so much in the news lately about the qualities of a true leader.  And we see constant examples of poor leadership no matter where we turn. But what is leadership that is good for the soul and how do you cultivate it?  We are Quakers, and as such we are all ministers, here to serve the world in servant leadership.

          We are all called to be followers, followers of the inner light, but we are also called to be examples to others through our attitudes, our reputations, and our actions.  In this way, we are leaders that have influence, not authority, not CEO, not a boss — influence.  Kids nowadays stay on their phones looking at other people who have a lot of social media followers.  They are called “influencers,” and sometimes they can model good behaviors and choices, and even give advice on how to repair things.  Some, however, are as shallow as they are young and obviously just want the attention.  So, I’m not saying that kind of leader who is an influencer on social media, but to aspire to be the kind of influencer that answers the following questions introspectively, “Do people want to imitate what you say or do?” “ When they do, will it be healthy spiritually for them, for the world around them, for the world to come?”  At any one time you never know how many people you are leading or who is your follower.  But your job is not to encourage them to be good followers of you but to encourage and equip them to be spiritually healthy leaders that go on to inspire and encourage other good leaders. 

          We think of leadership as the ability to correct courses when you are headed for an obvious disaster.  But you need to be self-aware and know the reality of any situation and admit you may not have the answer. You have probably heard the joke about the arrogant captain of a battleship  that saw a light in the heavy fog.  He was headed right toward it, so he had his bosun to quickly send a message to the ship to correct course 10 degrees north.  The person at the other end sent a message immediately, “You are the one to correct course.   Go 10 degrees South.”  This went back and forth until the light was almost blindingly clear.  The captain said in an authoritative voice, “Correct 10 percent course North now!  This is the captain of  a battleship.” “Yeah?!” the other replied, “Well I’m the Lighthouse Keeper!  And you are heading for me!”  Know who and what influences you and make sure when you think you should correct someone else’s course.  Self-awareness is very, very important when you are trying to be a conveyor of information, or to help make decisions  —-  Thes have to be for the right reason and in the right way.  Leadership is about making sure you are living in a manor worthy of following, it is not about power.

          We think of leaders as being the smartest person in the room.  It is true that leaders try to learn new things to create new options in this world, but sometimes leadership is just common sense.  Sherlock Holmes and Watson went on a camping trip.  At three AM Sherlock looked up and saw the stars.  He woke Watson.   “Watson, what do you deduce by looking at all of these stars?”  Watson thought for a minute and then said, “It depends. Astronomically it says that there are millions of galaxies with the potential of billions of planets.  If you look at it astrologically, it tells that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically it tells that the time is about three AM. Theologically it tells of a God that is omnipotent and that we are so small in comparison to all of these vast creations.  Meteorologically it tells me that tomorrow is going to be a beautiful day.  Which did you mean?”   “It means, Watson,”  Sherlock corrected, “that someone has stolen our tent.”  Keep it simple.  You don’t have to be a vast know-it-all to be a leader. Humility is a key characteristic.

It also helps if you want to learn and if you are willing to change personally.  Effective leaders must be self-aware, acknowledging their limitations and demonstrating humility rather than seeking power. Those traits are pointed out in all healthy leaders: willingness to learn new things in new ways, and willingness to change your perspective or your own behaviors. 

          We’ve talked over the last three weeks where Jesus’ followers did not follow him to the cross or to the grave site. He was not a powerful leader in a human sense.  Jesus, before all of crucifixion and resurrection had happened had bent down and washed the feet of the disciples. That kind of servant leadership requires unpretentiousness and meekness.  It comes from a well of compassion and a source of all love.  Its primary goal is to uplift and encourage and try to help people to align their values with their decisions in their lives.  To be the right kind of influencer you have to display consideration, spiritual growth, and integrity, which means you cannot be perfect or think you are perfect.  It isn’t about not getting “It” wrong whatever “It” may be, but the ability to learn from missteps and be accountable for your actions.  Leaders are always accountable.

          In a world where getting away with crimes and not following laws is in vogue for leadership positions, it is important to remember that we are called to a different kind of leadership.  Our leadership needs to be based on integrity and humility where we choose to put the needs of others first.  It means knowing your own limits and not taking on too much.  A humble leader works for the common good, not self, not ego.  If you consider yourself a follower of Love, all of your decisions, attitude and behaviors should point back to Love.  But everyone who is taking their leadership role seriously must be willing to create credibility not based on power and wealth but on compassion and sacrifice.  Honesty in all things is paramount.  As is transparency.  It has to be honorable but not necessarily complicated.

Forrest Gump is an example of leadership that doesn’t have to be complicated.  When he took off running across America, people followed him, trying to do what he was doing.  He was not interested in being that kind of leader, and as a result his movement grew.  He was an example of a upstanding individual for whom honesty and integrity ruled his choices. The business author and speaker, Tom Peters, is known for saying “Leaders don’t create followers.  Leaders create more leaders.”

In healthy leadership this can be found not just in the simplicity of just living with good character, but we are expected to love one another and for our decisions are to be grounded in love.  The phrase “Let us then try what love can do” is attributed to William Penn. He used it in his writings.  He emphasized the power of love and compassion to heal and build positive relationships. Penn believed in the potential of love to overcome disputes and achieve positive results. Quaker beliefs prioritize love, compassion, and peacemaking. William Penn, as a Quaker, advocated for religious freedom and peaceful coexistence, believing that love could be a powerful tool for social change. The phrase “Let us then try what love can do” reflects Penn’s commitment to these values and his belief in the potential of love to mend broken relationships and build a more just and peaceful world. 

It is important to care and have concern for those you are leading, and for all people involved in a situation. Empathy is very important for the healthy leader to have to best understand situations from different perspectives when faced with a problem or a large crisis.  But empathy is also a quality that helps in reflecting on past events and trying to learn from them, imagining each person’s point of view.   This builds an internal self-awareness so that you can find common ground with others, and better inspire and encourage them so that they can inspire and encourage others. Effective leaders must be self-aware, acknowledging their limitations and demonstrating humility rather than seeking power.

But it is also important not to create cult-like followers but leaders. James Leavesley, another corporate leadership guru, quotes a part of a book entitled “Built to Last” (James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras) about “clock builders” and “time tellers.”  “Time tellers are those [leaders] that can look up at the sun and know what time it is.  Their gut and instinct is[sic] something that drives the strategy.  Clock builders are those [leaders] who build a clock to enable the whole organization to tell the time.”  He equates leaders who want to be seen as time tellers to ones who want to control the organization.  The clock builders trust those who are looking to them for leadership.   True leadership is characterized by servant leadership, where individuals serve others and lead by example, encouraging spiritual health in those they influence.

It is important that we trust each other and act and react in trustworthy ways. Trust among leaders and their communities is essential for effective leadership, emphasizing collective efforts and shared responsibility.  We are to be ministers, all of us, and as such we are responsible and accountable parties in the ministry of this church.  As we minister in the community, we should be better enabling others to be encouraged and inspired.  We are to be an uplifting presence in this world.