Four leadership lessons uncovered in lockdown

These four reflections on leadership uncovered in lockdown seem to apply to leadership at any time. See if any of them resonate and figure out what you need to do in your own context.
__

One of the key roles of a leader, under God, is to step back, reflect and learn. To observe and grow. To interpret and bring change. The leader needs to bring both operational leadership as well as strategic leadership and I like to think of the difference between the two as working ‘in’ an organisation and working ‘on’ an organisation. 

Both are essential. Both require time from a leader.

“There isn’t any more time that will magically appear out of a cupboard, you have to build it into your schedule with some focussed intentionality and self-control.”

However, the issue is that often, the operational demands of the hour can cause leaders to push the necessary strategic work out to tomorrow or next week or when it feels like there is more time. But guess what? There isn’t any more time that will magically appear out of a cupboard, you have to build it into your schedule with some focussed intentionality and self-control.

Alternatively, you wait until the off-chance that there is a severe disruption to your schedule, like the one we have all experienced over the last two years, and you find that your rhythm and prevailing events cause you to reflect on the bigger picture anyway. 

I wouldn’t recommend that approach, as it is much more important to be proactive in these things, but nevertheless, over the last couple of years, leaders have been stepping back from the normal-time operational demands and have been observing, reviewing, seeing things from a different angle, and praying.

As a result, there are some new trajectories, new adjustments, new initiatives that have emerged.

I’ve been doing some of my own reflecting too. I had been leading a church for almost 10 years when the pandemic and lockdown was rolled out on the UK. I remember when the PM announced that lockdown was approaching within a few days, there was such a scramble. I hosted a couple of zoom meetings with other church leaders to work out how we were going to get through that first Sunday.

Anyway, after the dust settled a little bit, and we began to regain our stride, and in between the home-schooling and our one escape from the house every day in that first lockdown, as well as having a series of conversations with leaders on a new podcast I launched with a friend, I began to think a little bit more about some leadership lessons that can apply to any leadership situation.

1.A ‘new normal’ is always around the corner

I imagine all the talk about ‘the new normal’ didn’t escape your attention? Whether we liked it or not, it was one of the phrases that seemed to best sum up the new reality that had been thrust upon us. It occurred to me that the principle of a ‘new normal’ is always around the corner for the leader. It may not be a major disruption like a global pandemic, but it could be something else that causes a disruption to the way you operate. 

What now? Always be prepared to get disrupted, which means you’re going to need to get good at holding things lightly and keeping the things you lead firmly in the Lord’s hands. It’s the only place for it.

2.Values & Culture > Vision & Strategy

I noticed that we couldn’t really talk very much as a church community about our church ‘vision and strategy’ during lockdown; the goals and objectives, the mission action plan. For one, rather than thinking about where we needed to get to, people were focussed on how they could just get to the end of the day, especially as we had a lot of medical healthcare workers in our community. As a result, I noticed that what became more important and most resonant for people was doubling-down on who we were as a community and as we focussed on those values and who God was calling us to be, we began to establish a road map to navigate those turbulent times.

What now? Values and culture form the foundation of your organisation and community, but I have noticed that often, more work goes into crafting a vision statement and working on a strategy. They are not in competition with each other, but what about being just as if not more attentive to the God is forming me as a leader, us as a team, the community that we’re part of.

3.Innovation is always available but not always prioritised

When we suddenly found ourselves days away from lockdown, the most natural thing was to work out how we could do online what we normally doing on site. We had to adapt and change, and immediately there were some innovations and opportunities that presented themselves. In time there were some other innovations that began to shake out too as we found our stride in the new way of doing things. There was a huge amount of energy that went into finding new modes of operating, but those ideas, the technology, the same tools had been available to us for years before, so why hadn’t we spent more time using them?

What now? We don’t need to wait for a pandemic and national lockdown to lead to innovation. Build in time to step away from the coal face, get away with a core team, do what it takes to invite God into the blue sky thinking and listen to where he maybe leading you for the future.

4.Repentance is always necessary

Repentance, or if you translate the biblical Greek word, metanoia, more accurately means changing our thinking. It’s used for people who have had a change of mind about sin in their life. Repenting from walking away from God, and now doing everything they can in their power to run towards God. I would say in my own life the disruption to our schedule over the last couple of years has caused a lot of repentance in the area of attitudes, expectations, hopes and dreams, even around systems and structures. We can hold on to things as though they’re going to save us, but of course only Jesus can do that. But the process of repentance continues each day. The process of letting go of the things that seem shiny, and embracing Jesus. Of changing our thinking.

What now? Review where there are sacred cows in your life, in your leadership and in your organisation. Have a mentor or spiritual director who can ask some tough questions. Get away on a retreat. Invite God to show you the things that take his place, or the areas that you’re holding tightly and let God shape you into the likeness of Christ, a journey that we’re invited to embark on each day.

Let me know in the comments below whether any these resonate with you, and what your own reflections have been…