Leadership Lessons from Ferguson

Sometime in the fall of 2013, while my husband was out of town, my daughter and I came home one evening to find our garage door open and the door into the house wide open. Night had fallen, and I knew better than to enter our home. So we called our city police and waited at the corner of our street as they did a walk-through. They were highly professional and very helpful, and they informed us that everything was fine. Their day probably ended with a boring walk through a messy home simply because we did not close our garage door when we left.

Often police work does not have the glamour and action of Hollywood movies. The line between good and evil is not clearly marked in real life. Domestic disputes and mental health crises’ may be the more frequent calls the police respond to than brilliantly plotted heists such as what we saw on Die Hard with our silver screen police hero, Bruce Willis.

Yet, in our mundane and messy lives, the police play a key role in our justice system. Some say that the police are the most important agency of our justice system (Larson & Garrett, 1996, p. 253). As first responders and crime scene analyzers, they are the face of our judiciary system. As men and women carrying weapons that can destroy human life, they are people with power who are called to assess situations and make decisions—sometimes in a matter of seconds—that will safeguard a community of people. The decisions they make can turn them into heroes, guardians upholding justice or into tyrants, abusers of power. With authority, power, and influence over the citizens of the community, our police officers are leaders. Their choices and actions cast light on their leadership success or failure.

            Like many people in our nation, with much sadness I followed the events at Ferguson, Missouri, regarding the tragic death of Michael Brown. In a different scenario, if a civilian had yelled at Michael and his friend to get off the road, had backed up his car to assert his statement, had gotten into a brawl with Michael and shot him, it may not have made headline news. But when those we trust to protect the lives of our children take away lives, we are left bewildered, defrauded, and defeated.       

But in crisis situations, we must not pass judgment on all law enforcement officers. We must remember that many police officers hold to their values and honor their calling, even though their lives are in potential danger. Yet, there are police officers who abuse their power and use excessive force to harm or kill innocent people whom they are supposed to protect. Their actions are horrendous and inexcusable. Sadly, this is the plague of humanity, not just of police officers, where the good and the evil, like lottery tickets, are mixed together.    

As I was mulling over the events at Ferguson, I remembered Malcolm Gladwell’s comments (2005): The critics of police conduct invariably focus on the intentions of individual officers. They talk about racism and conscious bias. The defenders of the police, on the other hand, invariably take refuge in what Fyfe (author and researcher) calls the split-second syndrome: An officer goes to the scene as quickly as possible. He sees the bad guy. There is no time for thought. He acts. That scenario requires that mistakes be accepted as unavoidable. In the end, both of these perspectives are defeatist. They accept as a given the fact that once any critical incident is in motion, there is nothing that can be done to stop or control it. And when our instinctive reactions are involved, that view is all too common. But that assumption is wrong. Our unconscious thinking is, in one critical respect, no different from our conscious thinking: in both, we are able to develop our rapid decision making with training and experience."

Michael Brown was not the only one ever shot by an officer commissioned to protect citizens. Just a few months earlier, James Boyd was shot by officers in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A few years ago, 21-year-old Michael Bell Jr. was shot by officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin. These are not uncommon events. Nor are such tragic incidents clustered around one geographical area. Now-a-days they happen all-too-frequently across our country. All of these have signs of split-second syndrome or conscience bias.  None should have ended in death.

Leadership Responsibilities of Citizens

Our nation is the world’s leader of democracy. Our ideals are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for every citizen. We are led by a government that is of the people, for the people, and by the people. Therefore, the Michael Brown tragedy is not the failure of one lone ranger . . . it is the failure of the citizens of a free nation.

Let me explain. The organizational chart of a city has citizens at the top of its government structure. We, the citizens, elect key officials such as mayors, city council members, and the like. Many bureaucrats report to an elected official who is to be held accountable by the citizens. When shocking events, like Michael Brown’s death, shake the foundations of our nation, we must look to see what we, the overseers of our city, our state, and our nation can do.  Indeed, there are three things that you and I can do to make sure that none suffer the price that Michael Brown, James Boyd, Michael Bell Jr., and many others paid.

1. Be an informed citizen. Since you are on the apex of your city’s organizational chart, be a citizen leader, informed and aware of what those you have handed over the keys to the city are doing.

2. Be an alert, involved citizen. If change needs to happen, get involved and make it happen. A great example was the rallying cry from Ferguson of unequal representation in the police department. Ferguson is a racially integrated community (Rodden, 2014). If a racially integrated community does not have all races represented in the city’s community services area of the government, the problem lies with the guardians of the government. Get involved. Michael Bell Jr.’s father fought a one-man war for a bill in Wisconsin to bring about accountability for police wrongdoing and transparency in police departmental investigations (2014). He won. Unfortunately, he chose to get involved only after his son’s death. Don’t wait until tragedy strikes to get involved.

3. Be a responsible citizen. Vote in every city and county election, and encourage your family and friends to vote. Moreover, we must teach every generation the foundation of our constitution that all men are created equal. This lesson begins in our homes. Yes, racial prejudices are an issue. But prejudices are not related to just the police; they are the mind-set of citizens who do not accept the simple truth of equality. It is an age-old problem that leaders such as Washington, Adams, and Lincoln have fought against since the founding of our country.

Leadership Responsibilities of Law Enforcement Officers

When rapid decision-making can lead to life or death of a citizen, leadership has to be exercised in its most excellent form. There are three things police departments can do to promote leadership with excellence and avoid distress to the community they serve and to themselves.

1. Establish the department’s values, vision, and goals around the community. All officers should be aware of the department’s values and be trained to uphold them. Then, trained officers will face hostile or crisis situations holding on to the values of their department. One of the best examples of value-based leadership in a community in crisis is in the writing of a first-century apostle, Paul. He wrote to the fledgling church in Thessalonica, where the people looked up to him as their leader. “Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you . . . we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children” (1 Thessalonians 2:7, 8, 11). In Hebrew ethics, behavior was filtered through the motive of love. Officers’ behavior should be governed by love for the people they serve. They should regularly dialogue within the department on heavy words like justice, mercy, and compassion to grow and nurture the department’s identity.

2. Provide continued high quality, multi-faceted training for all police officers. Police officers should receive continuous training in 

(a) Ethics, moral values, and leadership. Continued training in ethics, moral values, and leadership is essential for life or death decision making. Add to that the study of American history. The study of American history may even help officers to overcome prejudices they were exposed to while growing up. For example, what a great model we have in our President Abraham Lincoln, who in the midst of Civil war, made compassionate decisions keeping the welfare of friends and foes in mind. Studying our great leaders along with ethics and moral values will allow us to better serve our nation.

(b) Treatment of citizens with mental disabilities. In 1997, Plano, Texas witnessed the tragic death of fifteen year old Michael Clement, an autistic and intellectually disabled teenager, at the hands of an officer. From this horrendous tragedy arose Plano’s Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) program that trains officers to respond to citizens with special needs. Sadly, only two percent of our nation’s police departments undergo this training. As a citizen, you should know if your city’s police officers are trained to assist folks with metal health issues. If not, find out what you can do to bring this training to your city’s officers.

(c) Making rapid decisions. Training in rapid decision making will help police officers to handle unimaginable situations wisely, with a prepared mind. It will teach them to make clear observations and assess situations. It is a dangerous problem in a crisis situation that is charged with adrenaline, when men in uniform, carrying weapons, make quick and decisions without excellent training.

3. Hold every officer accountable for his actions. In the private sector an accountant who was caught in fraudulent accounting will be fired. An inventory control manager stealing products will never be given that job again. A church pastor caught in immorality will have to find a new career. However, when police officers fail, often they are not held accountable for their actions. Officers must know that if they take someone's life, they will be held accountable.

The reality of a healthy democracy is this: we, the citizens, who are guardians of our city and our city’s police officers, who are guardians of its justice cannot operate as silos. We are a team. Before crisis comes into our city, you and I should encourage the guardians of justice in our streets to be leaders of our society – leaders who hold on to high-minded values, who are competent through continuous training, and who hold themselves accountable for their actions. We do that by ourselves becoming informed, involved, and responsible guardians of our city.

References

Bell, M. (2014). Father whose unarmed son shot by police 10 years ago reflects on Ferguson. Retrieved from http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/highlight/father-whose-unarmed-son-shot-by-police-10-years-ago-reflects-on-ferguson/53f261c078c90abf87000550?cn=tbla

Bell, M. (2014). What I did after police killed my son. Retrieved from http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/08/what-i-did-after-police-killed-my-son-110038.html#.U_v8j_ldXT8

Gladwell, M. (2005). Blink: The power of thinking without thinking. New York, NY: Hachettet Book Group.

Larson, C. J. & Garrett, G. R. (1996). Crime, justice, and society. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press.

Rodden, J. (2014). Is segregation the problem in Ferguson? Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2014/08/18/is-segregation-the-problem-in-ferguson/

Leadership Lessons

Leaders who show compassion leave a legacy that is admired by all.

What is love?

            Millennia ago, when the ancient sage, Moses invited his people to love their God with all their heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5), a unique spiritual concept of love was introduced to the world. The term love, used by Moses, had the idea of a pledge or covenantal choice, which is personal, intimate, and trusting. It was a response to love that was received from their God. The word, ‘love’ was not abstract or vague. It was carefully chosen to represent man’s relationship with God, in response to their God’s love to his people. This love was the identity of the Hebrew people. The Shema repeated twice every day reinforced this identity, “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. . . .”

The Hebrew words lēb (heart/mind), nephesh (soul/life), and mēʼōd (strength), have rich meaning . . . far richer than the Greek  interpretation of it as attributes of human personality (McBride, 1973, p. 303), namely, dianoia or kardia (heart/mind), psychē  (soul), and dynamis (spiritual/moral power). In the ancient Hebrew language, lēb was used metaphorically for the seat of emotions and intellect. The nephesh, which is the throat or neck through which breath is taken, indicated life. Finally, the word mēʼōd, which appeared only twice in the Hebrew Scriptures as a noun, represented economic or social strength (Block, 2004, p. 203). Therefore, the leb emphasized absolute and undivided devotion and loyalty, the nephesh implied commitment to the point of martyrdom, and the mēʼōd stood for the substance, namely wealth and property, given in the service of God (McBride, 1973, p. 303).

The Hebrew was not just called to love his God, he was also commanded to love his neighbor (Leviticus 19:18). His identity was not one of mere awareness but it was to be lived or practiced every day. In fact, the central thought of life for the Hebrews was the practice of Scriptures (Green 1997, p. 425). They were asked to remember and be reminded of their laws (Deuteronomy 11:18) so that they would walk in God’s ways (Deuteronomy 30:16). This called for the daily exercise or "living out" of leb or undivided devotion to God and to others and the generous sacrifice of his wealth (mēʼōd) including his life (nepesh) if needed for God and for the benefit of others. Indeed, for the Hebrews, the most supreme identity of self was the love for God in response to God’s love for man, which is lived out every day in love for one another.

When Jesus, the Hebrew who claimed to be their Messiah, came he reinforced this idea of love and showed  that the radical practice of this love was expected of the Hebrews by God. It was to be unconditional with covenantal loyalty and self-giving towards everyone he encountered (Matthew 22:39; Luke 10:27-37), including those who broke the law (John 8:1-11), and one’s enemies (Matthew 5:44) (Hindson & Caner, 1984, p. 335). Therefore, a follower of Jesus, is to be marked by his or her love for God and love for all people. This love is the sole identity of a follower of Christ. This love, according to Christ, sums up and triumphs over all ethical and moral teaching in our world.

References

Block, D. I. (2004). How many is God? An investigation into the meaning of Deuteronomy 6:4−5. JETS 47 (2), 193−212.

Green, J. B. (1997). The gospel of Luke. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Hindson, E. & Caner, E. (1984). The popular encyclopedia of apologetics. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers.

McBride, S. D. (1973). The Yoke of the kingdom: An exposition of Deuteronomy 6:4−5. Interpretation 27, (3), 273–306P

Review of Followership by Barbara Kellerman

           Kellerman rightly opened her book by noting that there is very little study done on followers. In the global urban human psyche the word “follower” has a strong negative connotation. Maybe it is because the “hero” in every silver screen is a leader who somehow stands head and shoulder over the rest, balancing power and authority with concern and integrity. Or maybe it is because those who lack formal power and authority feel second-rate be it a nation under colonial rule or students in an eighth grade class room or prisoners locked in a six by four feet room.

Kellerman shattered this myth, this uneasiness that floats around the idea of followership and reminded every executive that the follower is as important as a leader. She further stressed the importance of a follower to follow well, especially towards the end of her book where she wrote what it means to be a good or bad follower.

On a single-axis, Kellerman identified five types of followers and used different taxonomy for each type. Therefore citizens of a nation were examined in her case study of Bystanders, knowledge workers of a large corporation were studied for Participants, the Catholic Church was studied to understand Activists and a government wing, the military, was used to explain Diehards. In doing so Kellerman covered a broad spectrum of followers, but unfortunately in each of these case studies the nature of followership is different. Kellerman leaves it to the reader to amalgamate the different situational followership into their daily ethos, be it in the workplace or in exercising their civic rights. This approach, on the one hand does not give the reader a clear direction for a particular role, say a follower in the workplace. On the other hand it throws open the door for wider research in an area that has been least studied but where most of the masses reside.

Earlier in her book, Kellerman briefly mentioned Chaleff’s and Kelley’s dual-axis typology of followers. Unfortunately, she herself set forth a single scale five point classification of followers. Therefore while Kellerman examined what each type of followers do, she did not look into how followers can change from Isolates or Bystanders into dynamic Participants, Activists, or Diehards. In the case study on Participants, following the role played by the knowledge workers at Merck, Kellerman’s simplistic suggestion was for the leader to “closely monitor” the follower. Most workers, particularly knowledge workers, thrive on freedom. How to motivate and engage workers, citizens, or other nomenclatures of people needs further research.

Kellerman’s book however, jolts a reader awake, particularly in election years. The importance of exercising the civic rights of citizenship gets magnified in a reader's conscience after learning about Bystanders who did nothing during Hitler’s reign and allowed terror and destruction to prevail. It also clearly shows the power and influence that every worker or citizen have within their reach. As she noted this opportunity for participation by followers is only growing because of the speed and ease of communication. The question is will these advances in science be used wisely, creating good followers, or will its use be left unknown and unused, creating bad followers? In provoking these questions, Kellerman has flung open the doors to a plethora of research opportunities that will truly impact leader-led relationships in the days ahead.

Luke 1:1-4

Luke 1:1-4
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught. (NASB)

Thinking Further
Luke expresses a purpose for his letter to Theophilus. He makes it very clear that our faith rests on facts. Today, when you face unexpected or difficult situations, remember your faith in our Almight God is based on factual truths. He will lead you through this time.

Another great idea is to journal your walk with God. On rainy days, when you read your journal, you will be reminded of God's faithfulness in your own life and you will be encouraged.

The Easiness of Sin

The world's philosophy and biblical way of life almost always violently collide. Like a ship that is buffeted by the rough waves of a storm is the life of one who intentionally walks in the way of the Bible.

In the last twenty years the storms instead of slowing down have only been upped from category one to five. Dangerous winds that produced some damage have now changed to sustained winds that produce catastrophic damage.

In Proverbs 4:24, 25 we read, Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.

When these words were laboriously etched on the papyrus, we were living in a different world. Communication was mostly face to face. So if you spewed perverse words you had to say it in the hearing of another. We probably would have heard more "shouting matches" - people screaming, yelling or cursing under their breath perverse words.

But in the last twenty years our high tech world has changed it all. Take for example, perverse words spoken by teenagers. Forty years ago, students with a mean personality carried out their acts and attacks within the classroom or the school walls. Now words are finding a new playground in MySpace and Facebook. Like a wild climber, they are quickly taking over our real and virtual worlds to engulf and suffocate their victims. Reality check from recent days is horrifying. Two years ago, a 13-year old teenager was driven to suicide by an adult who thoughtlessly scribbled perverse words about this young woman on Facebook. This year on January 14th, another teenager, 15-year old Phoebe, committed suicide after her "bullies" followed her with their vicious acts and worlds, not just in school but in Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace.

The easiness of sin plagues not just our teenagers but even us... the aging Gen X. Twenty years ago, as a teenager, we had to timidly walk to a bookstore and pick up a pornographic magazine paying for it as it lay hidden beneath the more popular Time. Today, we can sit at the comfort of our cushioned chairs and flip through Websites with obscene images that occupy our minds for days and weeks if not for months and years. As our nimble fingers click digital numbers, at the mention of hello we engage in vague and empty relationships with people outside the bounds of a sacred marriage. Psychologists today call this an emotional affair. Skype and Google chat have taught us to multitask and manage unhealthy relationships and emotional affairs with the daily business of our lives. We no longer need a well thought out plan to deceive our spouse, family, and friends... it is an easy everyday occurrence.

No wonder we are now facing sustained winds that will produce catastrophic damage in our lives. Amidst this raging storm that ebbs away our dim lights, is there hope? If we walk in the way of the Bible, is there a rescue line? With this book will we sink or will we reach shore?

The answer lies not in the book, but the person this book is all about - God.

Almost 13 years ago, when I married, my husband wrote to me a beautiful statement - the more my love for God grows, the more my love for you will grow. At that time I did not understand what he meant. I wanted his love for me to be unconditional. Now he had to love God if he was to love me. What if he did not love God? Will he still love me?

But as the days went by, the truth of this statement began to slowly dawn on me. When we love God, we love others. This is not a competing love... it is a fulfilling love.

God never seeks our second best. Rather, He wants us to enjoy a fulfilled, overflowing and abundant life. A life that is not governed by our circumstances... rather it governs our stormy circumstances. His Holy Spirit works in our hearts. He changes our attitudes and our thoughts so that we can have this abundant life that He has promised to us.

In our areas of weaknesses... whether we are buffeted by the images on a digital screen that consume our minds or we want to pick up our iPhone and talk to a man or a woman who is not our spouse or scribble words that hurt and cause pain in someone's Facebook page... when we turn to God, we rely on Him to give us self-control.

For some of us, there are days when this has to be a minute by minute, hour by hour walk with God. But God will lead us and protect us as we battle the storms.

Today, if you are plagued by temptation, as you sail through life that is buffeted by sustained temptations that can cause catastrophic damage in your life, STOP. Grab your Bible from your shelf, blow off the dust and begin to read it. If you do not have a printed Bible, you can read it online at http://www.biblegateway.com/. Then pray. God, our Lord Jesus Christ, is as close as the mention of His name. He WILL come to your aid.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
(From Proverbs 3:5, 6, NIV)

In 1873, Willian Henley began his 20-month tenure in a cold hospital room in England. Suffering from bone tuberculosis, Henley checked into the hospital to have his foot amputated. Battling infections, loneliness, and pain, Henley penned the words which is the mantra of many: I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul. Then Henley watched his five year old daughter succumb to her illness. He moved to a cottage by the river, shut all the windows and spent the summer in hopelessness and sorrow. Later he had a prominent career as an editor and, in his mind, remained the captain of his soul.

But Proverbs 3:5,6 asks us to act in exactly the opposite manner. In a principle for our life, the writer asks us to trust in the Lord through life's toughest circumstances and through its mundane routine circumstances. The Hebrew verb for trust, Batah, has two related nouns - to be secure and to have confidence. The writer reminds us that our security is only the Lord and our confidence should be only on Him. In the next part we are told to not lean on our own understanding but to acknowledge God in all our ways. This is practical faith. The writer is asking us to lean our body, as we would against a doorpost, on the Lord. Our weight entirely rests on God and we remain still... quiet... in obedience. We don't have to make things work - we simply, completely, and continuously trust the Lord. The promise that comes with this verse is that God will them make our paths straight. It means that He will clear the path for us. The road may be rough and hard to travel, but He will level it for us and give us victory.

Horatio Spafford was a well known lawyer and real estate investor in Chicago. One day his four year old son died of scarlet fever. Shortly after, the great Chicago fire destroyed all his real estate holdings. Two years later, in 1873, he sent his wife and their four daughters to England on Ville De Havre. The ship collided with The Lochearn. He received a telegram from his wife with two words on it: saved alone. Walking through that road of deep sorrow and agony, Spafford penned the now famous song, When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever my lot, You (God) has taught me to say, it is well with my soul. Years later God blessed them with a daughter.

Trust in God is often marked by faces stained with tears and knees scared at the altar. There may not even appear a light at the end of the tunnel. As Isaiah writes in 40:31, at times we may wearily walk or limp along... but we will not fall... and God will clear our path and give us victory. We are not masters of our fate, rather we are victorious children of Lord Jesus Christ.