Profits and Prophets: The Power of People
In The Art of
Possibility, Benjamin and Rosamund Zander (2000) said, “A monumental
question for leaders in any organization to consider is this: How much
greatness are we willing to grant people” (p. 73)? As a conductor with the Boston Philharmonic
Orchestra, Benjamin Zander understands the importance of synthesizing talent. He explains in the chapter titled Leading From Any Chair “Leaders should speak
to the passions of their people and look for opportunities to hand them the
baton” (p. 74).
Zander quoted a musical student, Amanda Burr, who
said, “I learned leadership is not a responsibility—nobody has to lead. It’s a gift, shining silver that reminds
people huddled nearby why each shimmering moment matters. Things change when you care enough to grab
whatever you love, and give it everything” (p. 74). Leadership has evolved from being about the
qualities of one to encompassing the passions of many. In today’s complex world of technology,
knowledge, and globalization, leaders are learning that there is a significant
competitive advantage in creating an atmosphere where passion and commitment
meet goals and objectives.
St. Luke’s Communications and the Morning Star company
have demonstrated that people are committed to greatness. They have achieved profits and double-digit
revenues that debunk McGregor’s Theory X perspective and embraced his Theory
Y. Creating a firm with no bosses, no
promotions, and no hierarchy can feel as scary as walking over Niagara Falls on
a tightrope. However, demonstrating
trust and releasing the human desire to achieve may be the new frontier for
organizational success. For those who
doubt its validity and discount its success, they need to look no further than
the model implemented at W.L. Gore & Associates.
Alan Deutschman (2004) in a Fast Company article tells of Gore’s approach as “A place with
hardly any hierarchy and few ranks and titles.
He [Gore] insisted on direct, one-on-one communication; anyone in the
company can speak to anyone else. In
essence, he organized the company as though it were a bunch of small task
forces.”
Diane Davidson, a new Gore employee kept asking,
“Who’s my boss?” Her sponsor (a fellow colleague
assigned as mentor; not boss) replied, “Stop using the B-word.” Davidson found that “your team is your boss,
because you don’t want to let them down.
Everyone’s your boss, and no one’s your boss.”
At Gore, leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership flows from talent. Deutschman (2004) defines leadership at Gore
as “natural leadership.” He said,
“Leaders aren’t designated from on high. People become leaders by actually leading, and
if you want to be a leader there, you have to recruit followers. Since there’s no chain of command, no one has
to follow.”
Gary Hamel (2011) said, “Inefficiency stems from
top-heavy management models that are both cumbersome and costly” (p. 50). Highlighting the success of Morning Star,
Hamel explains that “Employees (colleagues) are ridiculously empowered yet work
together like members of a dance troupe” (p. 52). By operating with a view of self-management,
Morning Star and the team at St. Luke’s are encouraging a trust in people. In speaking of Morning Star, Hamel said,
“Developing personal mission statements facilitates a shift from “rule-driven
compliance to peer-negotiated accountability” (p. 53).
Likewise, Diane L. Coutu (2000) referencing St.
Luke’s Communications said, “At other firms, people can hide. They can hold back. But here we repeatedly ask people to go where
they have never been. Our employees must
take nothing for granted; they must peel away all the levels of their
personalities to become who they really are” (p. 145).
Releasing passion in a company is similar to
releasing a person’s gift or talent in a church.
At The City Life Church (TCLC) in Newport News, Virginia, Pastor Fred
Michaux believes a person’s gift makes room for them. Meaning, your passion and abilities as
designated through service ultimately creates a place for you to lead. In short, the church is not about a place of
titles, positions, and pulpit possibilities. Rather, it is a dynamic operation of individual
hearts collaborating on a mission to bring the Gospel to the community while
facilitating personal transformation and healing.
Like Morning Star, St. Luke’s, and W.L. Gore, The
City Life Church does not operate from a rigid hierarchy; but rather, within
concentric circles of accountability. While
there are pastors and leaders at TCLC, they are created organically. Fancy credentials and traditional titles are
not promoted and advertised. Flying in
the face of religious tradition and current church hierarchy, TCLC believes that
leadership is not bestowed but recognized.
Outreach programs, adult ministries, and missionary
initiatives are “managed” based on an individual’s influence and peer
followership. People are not “assigned”
to teams but rather a team is built based on its gravitational pull. In short, followers support ministries that
connect to their passion. With a culture
of experimentation, population promotes the success, failure, or continuation
of a ministry. It echoes the simplicity
of the 1989 film, Field of Dreams, “If you build it they will come” quote. In other words, if they “don’t come” then the
church doesn’t force it. By letting the
congregation determine its needs, individual leaders merely facilitate a path
and help guide rather than force people into traditional boxes such as Sunday
School or small groups.
Today’s press-and-click expediency has forced church
leaders to rethink new ways to reach the next generation of up-and-coming
leaders. Since the process of spiritual
maturity is a lifelong journey, individuals can get frustrated with the
process. By integrating the church with
mentors and coaches, Pastor Fred has released people who want to help other
people. Giving people freedom to
minister to others has created a church of pastors rather than the mantle of
leadership resting on one man. One pastor cannot possibly meet the demands of a
large church with over 200 members. By
letting leaders lead and coaches’ coach, each individual member feels
valued.
Coutu (2000) said, “People scream out for individual
mentoring which has replaced conventional management in many ways” (p.
146). Historically, congregants were led
merely by Sunday morning sermons. The
pastor visited a family only during difficult times. At TCLC, everyone has taken on the
responsibility of helping everyone. It
is not the pastor’s responsibility to disciple, teach, and develop new
leaders. One person cannot possibly pray
with every person for every need.
Lastly, TCLC is similar to W.L. Gore in that there
are functional ministries and structures; however, these structures merely
highlight passions and generate focus.
They do not operate within an atmosphere of self-entitlement or royalty
and rank. They recognize they are
servants of a higher calling. From
profits to prophets, both TCLC and W.L. Gore realize the potential of their
people and are willing to take great risks in promoting these beliefs.
Steve
References:
Coutu, D.L. (2000). Creating The Most Frightening Company
On Earth. Harvard Business Review, 78(5),
142-150.
Deutschman, A. (2004). The Fabric Of Creativity.
Retrieved from http://www.fastcompany.com/51733/fabric-creativity
Hamel, G. (2011). First, Let’s Fire All The Managers.
Harvard Business Review, 89(12),
48-60.
Zander, R., & Zander, B. (2000). The art of
possibility. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.
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