September 2017 – Matters Of Leadership

On February 9, 1960, Adolph Coors III, millionaire head of Coors Company, was kidnapped and held for ransom. Seven months later his body was found on a remote hillside. He had been shot to death. Adolph Coors IV was then fifteen years old. He lost not only his father, but also his best friend. For years Adolph Coors IV hated Joseph Corbett, the man who was sentenced to life for the slaying of Adolph Coors III.

In 1975, almost 15 years later, Adolph Coors IV became a man of faith. Yet, his hatred for Corbett, the murderer of his Dad, still consumed him.

Adolph Coors knew he needed to forgive Corbett as he himself had been forgiven. So he visited the maximum-security unit of Colorado’s Canon City penitentiary to talk with Joseph Corbett, however, Corbett refused to see him.

Adolf Coors left Joseph Corbett a Bible with the following inscription: “I’m here to see you today, and I’m sorry that we could not meet. As a man of faith, I am summoned to forgive. I do forgive you, and I ask you to forgive me for the hatred I’ve held in my heart for you.”

Later Coors confessed, “I have a love for that man that only God could have put in my heart.”

Business leaders do much to hone their skills as leaders. They learn about communication, team building, vision casting, influence, risk management and assessment, strategic planning, conflict resolution and much more. One area of leadership not often discussed is the area of forgiveness. Leaders must be able to forgive their employees, team members, directors and others if they desire to be the most effective leaders possible. They must also be willing to admit mistakes and offenses and seek forgiveness from others.

Be Willing to Forgive

If leadership is influence, forgiveness is freedom. Nothing can hinder leadership and influence more than the unwillingness to forgive someone on your team or under your direction. There are going to be times when someone doesn’t do what you expect, says something disrespectful, acts in an unbecoming way, betrays your trust or drops the ball with regard to meeting a deadline. While some situations require disciplinary actions and even worse, possible dismissal, forgiveness still needs to be part of the equation.

The first step to forgiving is being willing to forgive. Taking up an offense and holding a grudge is not healthy for the individual who is offended but it’s not healthy for the team either. Team members can sense when there is tension between individuals, especially between a leader and a subordinate. It’s always best to gather the facts, deal with the individual directly without undue delay, come to a resolve and forgive the offense. Sometimes an offense can take more time to “heal” from, but don’t let anger, resentment and bitterness linger. It will poison you and your team.

By the Measure of Forgiveness You Provide, So Too Will Others Forgive You

Leaders are not exempt from offending others and need to be aware when it happens. For various and understandable reasons, workers don’t usually approach their leaders when the leader has acted in an offensive way, said something hurtful or was carless about the effort put forth by their team.

When a leader becomes aware of their own offensive actions or words, they need to move quickly to admit they are wrong and seek forgiveness from others. Leaders will quickly find that by the measure of forgiveness they have provided others, they will be rewarded by that same measure in return. For some, that may not be good news.

Leading in the area of forgiveness is not easy, but it is necessary to lead effectively.

It’s Not About Getting Even – It’s About Getting Even-Keeled

When someone says or does something to hurt or offend us, we are thrown off kilter. We may be taken back by those actions. We struggle to understand what warranted such comments or actions. Thoughts might turn to paying that individual or organization back, however, it’s not about getting even, it’s about getting even-keeled.

The word keel has its origin in boating and sailing. The keel is a flat blade sticking down into the water from a sailboat’s bottom. It has two functions: it prevents the boat from being blown sideways by the wind, and it holds the ballast that keeps the boat right-side up.

When applied to people, even-keeled means someone is well balanced and not likely to change suddenly.

Leaders don’t allow the actions and comments of others to blow them off course or lose sight of the goal and destination. As tempting as it may be at times to strike back or engage in a verbal boxing match, good leaders know how navigate through delicate situations not stoking the flames by foolishly saying and doing things to create more problems.

Forgiveness is a keel that keeps leaders on course, properly focused, and free from torturous thoughts.

Louis B. Smedes said, “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”

Having recently watched The 10 Commandments, starring Charlton Heston, I was reminded of the Biblical account of the plagues that came upon Egypt, most notably the plague of frogs and how we can sometimes feel overrun by all the things we need to get done. There was no escaping frogs as they were everywhere. Frogs where in their houses, bedrooms, beds, ovens, even in their jars of flour. Sometimes it can feel that same way when our to-do list grows as we go from one meeting to another taking on more action items to complete. Everywhere we turn there is something that needs to be done. No matter where we are, whether at home, in bed trying to sleep, making dinner, or with our friends, we think about all the tasks that need our attention.

When Pharaoh had seen enough frogs he summoned Moses to finally put an end to the problem. When Moses asked Pharaoh when he wanted Moses to take action, Pharaoh replied, “Do it tomorrow.” With millions of frogs in the land of Egypt and the opportunity to rid the land of the problem, Pharaoh did what so many of us do when overwhelmed by a growing list of demands, he delegated it to tomorrow. Pharaoh, the King of Egypt, in one act, became Pharaoh, the King of Procrastination.

Overcoming procrastination is never easy but there are some steps that can be taken to help move toward a more aggressive approach to completing tasks, satisfying commitments, and fulfilling responsibilities.

Summarize the Problem (Tasks)

Creating a to-do list is one of the most important components of completing and fulfilling one’s obligations. Too often people attempt to keep a running list of all their tasks, promises and commitments in their heads only to forget what was promised to who and by when. Don’t forget, there’s an app for that. Task management software and apps by the dozen are available to assist in one’s effort to compile and track all your to dos. “Ta-da List,” “Evernote,” and “Remember the Milk,” are just a few of the more popular apps that can be downloaded. If writing out a list of tasks is simpler, then grab a piece of paper and do so. Use a journal to track your daily list, a wire bound note book or a Franklin Planner, but whatever you do, write it or log it somewhere.

Prioritize the List

Since thoughts of what to do come at us randomly, it’s good to list the items as they come. Take the time to list all that you need to do and then assign a priority rating to each item. Develop a priority rating schedule that works best for you but you may want to consider 3 priority categories to choose from, 1) the tasks that must be done promptly or immediately, 2) the tasks that should be done soon, and 3) the tasks that can be delayed without any problem.

Capitalize on the Opportunity to Do It Now

Once your list is summarized and prioritized it’s time to capitalize on the opportunity to do it now. Get to work on completing the items on your list, check them off as you go and move unfinished tasks to the next day. Keeping a prioritized list will minimize your thoughts to procrastinate and help you to get more things done allowing you to sleep better at night.

Remember, when there are frogs in your flour, act now!

The Leadership of Forgiveness