Everyday Leadership, Everyday Miracles
Over the last two days, I’ve written posts about leadership and change – in particular, about transformative change and the kind of leadership necessary to engage in the disruption that is part and parcel of transformation. I think all of this is true and important and valuable and that this kind of leadership is, frankly, quite rare.
But I also think there’s a danger in focusing on the rare leader who can inspire transformative change. Or, indeed, focusing on any element of leadership that seems rare and unique. Because the thing is, each of us is called to lead every day. More than that, each of us can and does lead already, particularly if we are willing to define leadership, as Drew Dudley does in this rousing 7-minute TED Talk, as making a difference in another’s life.
Except when you listen to his story – about a time that he changed someone’s life forever…and didn’t even know it – you realize that it’s not just that each of us is capable of everyday leadership, each of us is capable of everyday miracles. Reaching out to touch another, sharing our courage or humor, inspiring someone to be true to themselves, empathizing with someone hurting, responding with compassion to another’s need – all of these things and more are not just available to us, but we each engage in them each and every day. And each and every act of compassion, empathy, courage, and concern is a miracle in that it defies the worldly wisdom that says that there’s never enough to go around and that it’s a dog-eat-dog world.
A couple of Sundays ago many of us heard in church a portion from the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus says that we are the salt of the earth and light of the world. Notice that Jesus didn’t say we ought to be salt and light, or provide directions on how to become salt and light, or threaten us if we don’t act like salt and light. Rather, Jesus just promised that we are – already! – salt and light.
So what would happen if we start paying attention to those everyday moments when we are salt and light by improving another’s life? I suspect we’d only grow in our capacity and confidence to change this world God loves so much. Dudley calls this everyday leadership and refers to these encounters as “lollipop moments” (you’ll understand when you watch the video). But I’d also call them everyday miracles, and I look forward to hearing about them being multiplied in the power of the Spirit. 🙂
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Superb!!! I’m showing this TED Talk to the kids at church tonight! It illustrates our capabilities of saltiness and light beautifully. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing this David. YOU have been this kind of leader in my life and in the lives of many others. Thanks for being you.
This is a great talk! There’s so much discussion right now (something’s in the water…) about being the change we wish to see or putting our personal, individual needs out into the world in the form of fulfilling these needs for others, and “filling buckets.” I think the fact that we already ARE salt and light is an important piece of this conversation as well.
As always, thank you for writing and sharing.
Totally what makes an authentic leader or a great leader is the difference he/she makes on other people’s lives. But I’d like to add another important word to describe difference, it has to be positive- or life changing for the better. Some leaders may make affect someone’s life negatively and this is not the type of leadership we want to experience.