One of the most iconic moments in the modern storied history of leadership is when General Alexander Haig declared in front of the White House press corps, “I’m in charge here.” President Ronald Reagan had just been shot by a would-be assassin. To say things at the White House were in confusion is an understatement.
Haig may have been Reagan’s Secretary of State, but he was not next in the line of succession. Next in line would have been Vice President George H. W. Bush, followed by the Speaker of the House, and the President pro tempore of the Senate, and then and only then the Secretary of the State. So, in that sense, Haig was not constitutionally qualified to be in charge.
Haig tried to recover by saying he didn’t mean constitutional transition as in if Reagan died; he was talking about who would run the White House itself while Reagan was recovering. Whatever the protocol on that – wasn’t there a White House Chief of Staff? – it didn’t help that Haig already had a reputation for Haigspeak.
Haigspeak is defined as “language characterized by pompous obscurity resulting from redundancy, the semantically strained use of words, and verbosity.”1 Use that word in your next Scrabble game.
True, in times of crisis, people want to know things are under control, that someone is responsible, someone is the adult in the room. Good leadership makes that happen. Not everyone can pull off the kind of calm, steady assurance needed in such an hour. It certainly doesn’t come about by blustery Haigspeak.
But you don’t have to be a general or a president to pull off good leadership. I am convinced that just about everyone has the capacity to lead. Take the verb “to lead” down to its most basic level; it means to bring other movable objects or creatures along, to guide someone or something along a way.
She led the meeting. He led the horse to pasture. They lead the company. “He leads me beside still waters,” to quote Psalm 23.
The word “lead” comes from an old Northern European word for “going”, simple as that. So, to lead has come to mean either being out in front as in leading in a race, or guiding someone or something else in going somewhere – getting where they need to be.
Not everyone can be in front in a race. It was never my lot in life. The only race I’d ever win is one where I’m the only participant. So, in that sense, not everyone can be a leader.
But in the sense of being a guide, of bringing others (humans, animals) along, I think just about everyone is designed to do just that. We are all born to lead.
How do I know this? Well, for example, just about every human being has the capacity to be a parent. Even for those with biological challenges to birthing offspring, adoption and mentoring are great and viable options. Some of the best parents I know have children who are not their own genetically. The Creator has designed us humans to nurture – to bring along, to lead, to parent – others.
It is even in the DNA of the New Testament mission. Jesus demonstrates it by example and by his declaring what we call the Great Commission. Paul emphasizes it when he writes to Timothy, his son in the faith, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”2
Paul is saying, pour yourself into the lives of others so they will be able to do the same. (And by the way, lest anyone raise a fuss, the Greek word, anthropois, translated as “people,” in the New International Version, is really and truly gender-inclusive.)
Now, can just anyone step in and oversee the White House or the nation in a presidential emergency? No, and not just for constitutional reasons. It takes special skills and giftings to handle the multitudes of personnel and concerns in the role of the presidency.
But leadership is not just about national and world events. Leadership is about bringing others along, with or without words, in any and every setting of life.
I have a distant cousin. We are distant geographically as well as genetically, so I’ve only been around him a few times in our lives. He happens to have a developmental disability of some sort. But I hear that, as he has grown as an adult, people in the church he attends have recognized his leadership gifts and have officially given him the title of “elder”.
Now in churchspeak, elder doesn’t just mean one who is older. It means someone who has demonstrated special gifts of leadership to bring people along and to get things done, to help the church fulfill its mission. It is a title of responsibility as well as of honor. This cousin of mine never had children. Yet he is leaving a legacy. People don’t just call him “Elder” to be nice to him or because he is aging. They recognize the gifts of leadership he demonstrates.
You may be biologically capable of procreating, either as a father or as a mother. However, that does not necessarily mean you will make a good parent. The parenting skill is not automatic. But the potential to be a good parent is in the spiritual DNA of every human being.
I love the movie, “i am sam,” where the actor Sean Penn plays the role of a man with an intellectual disability who has fathered a daughter he names Lucy Diamond – after the Beatles’ song. Sam fights for custody of Lucy, who has been abandoned by her biological mother.
The critics panned the movie. Whatever!
What the story teaches is that leadership is less about capacity than about character and commitment. Obviously, Lucy needed others in her life who could help her grow beyond the natural limits of her biological father. But her father’s love was irreplaceable in shaping her into a person of character and commitment.
Years ago when I was involved with a university ministry called Chi Alpha, leaders spoke of three basic characteristics to look for in potential leaders: faithful, available, and teachable (FAT). I don’t remember who first came up with that concept, but I think I learned it from Jim Bradford or Brady Bobbink, two great leaders, by the way. With that three-word definition of leadership potential, they meant that these three qualities were required to make great leaders.
Brady talks about how, when he was looking for someone early on in his ministry to lead in a certain role, one student stood out. What distinguished that student was that every week he’d show up and set up the chairs for the meeting ahead of time, get the room ready. He was always there (faithful). Whatever else he had going on in his life, he made this task a priority (available). And he did it as Brady instructed (teachable).
Again, we are not necessarily talking the level of governors or bishops, though the same applies to them. The late Reverend George O. Wood, former general superintendent of the U.S. Assemblies of God – and a great leader himself, by the way – once said of organizational leaders, “Not everyone can be a 5-star general.” By which he meant, that of the many leaders he oversaw, not all had the capabilities to rise to the top, to become leaders of leaders of leaders.
But, and Dr. Wood preached this, too, everyone can impact the lives of others and can lead them in growing in character, commitment, and skill, as long as they have those qualities themselves. You can’t impart what you don’t have.
And that was Sam’s limitation. Educationally and in various basic adult skillsets, Sam couldn’t get Lucy all the way to adulting. It became obvious that early on Lucy was surpassing her father in foundational life and learning skills.
Now, we don’t mind our children surpassing what we’ve accomplished. Child prodigies certainly far exceed their parents in specific talents, such as math or playing the piano.
Jesus even affirms the same in his disciples – that they would do greater things than he has done.3 And though Jesus was the prodigy in his generation (well, all generations), he still told his followers that they would go beyond him in what they achieved.
But a child is at a disadvantage if she surpasses her parent in basic life skills and has no one to help her go beyond. Which, by the way, is why we all can benefit from multiple mentors, something I talk about in my book, Night Shift. And so, Lucy needed other “parents” in her life very early on to make up for what Sam lacked. She needed stronger home supervision, for sure.
But Lucy was also at a great advantage having Sam in her life. He gave her a love for reading and for the music of the Beatles, but as I said, he also taught her much about character and commitment. And character and commitment are what are needed most in our day and age.
Sam did have much to offer as a parent, as it turned out. What he gave Lucy was the best part. And he gave it in the best way – with love.
Leaders with strong skillsets yet lacking in character and commitment are disasters waiting to happen. And the fallout of such leadership can be hell on earth. It’s an old question, is it better to have a leader who has strong skillset or strong character? I’d prefer both, but if I had my druthers, I’d take the character any day.
Plus teachability. People can always grow in their skills, if they are teachable and have good mentors. But they can’t grow, no matter how great their innate abilities, if they refuse to be taught. Essentially, teachability is a part of character, for it comes from an attitude of humility, the willingness and openness to learn from someone else.
I invite you to do this exercise. Reflect on the parents, teachers, and mentors in your life.
- How have they demonstrated to you or taught you the essentials in life – specifically, character and commitment?
- How have they imparted to you basic life skills, what we might call “adulting” skills?
- How have they helped you hone your other skills and talents that have enabled you to do life and bless the world in your own special way?
- How have they let you down, fallen short? (We can learn from bad examples as well as good.)
Now, three more questions:
- Who are you bringing along (leading)?
- What are you imparting to them?
- What are you missing in your life that could help you be a better leader?
As a boy, I rode the yellow school bus to R. D. Wood School every day for seven years (Kindergarten through 6th grade). For a time, the driver of the bus was a man named Skip. He had a way of making those bus rides incident-free – meaning the bullies on the bus were contained – and even fun, especially the personal way he greeted each of us as we got on or off the bus. I never had a nickname, and I don’t care to have one now. But as a boy, I thought to myself, if I had a nickname, I’d want it to be “Skip.”
That is what a good leader is – someone others want to be like.
Interested in getting some coaching in leadership? Check out this page on my website.
Public domain photo: President Ronald Reagan attends his first cabinet meeting after the assassination attempt; Alexander Haig stands on the left.