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| Cheryl Lower, Donna Mellen, and Stephanie Tickner, Editors | Summer 2007 |
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Bishop Gene Robinson Speaks to Management Students
Steven P. Guerriero
O&M Chair/Interim Dean
We read and hear a great deal about leadership in our popular culture. With the opportunity to meet and listen to a story of leadership from a gifted individual, the dynamic of leadership comes alive. Students and faculty in the Organization & Management Department welcomed an extraordinary leader last spring. The Rt. Reverend, Gene Robinson, Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire, presented on and discussed with students the role of leader in a complex, changing world. Bishop Robinson is the first openly gay person to be elected Bishop in the Anglican Communion. He vaulted onto the world scene overnight, and the controversy over his consecration continues today. After describing his journey, which included death threats and condemnation, Bishop Gene sorted through his own reflections and posited his thoughts on what it takes to be a leader in today’s world and beyond.
“The first thing a leader needs to do is manage his or her anxiety.” Then, he said, you need to help the people who work with you to manage their anxiety and stress so everyone can focus on the work to be done. Managing anxiety begins with a clear sense of yourself as leader, being reflective, and seeking guidance and counsel from others, including professionals. It means drawing from a deeper well of wisdom and spirit that can anchor you when the storms and trials arise. The Bishop spoke about how his Christian faith, and particularly the Psalms from the Hebrew Scriptures, has provided great sustenance in his journey. In a light hearted way he said, “About 3000 thousand years ago, the book of Psalms was written for me, and I have shared it with others since then.” He recalled his ability to stay calm when processing down the aisle at the ceremony for his consecration, wearing a Kevlar vest under his vestments and with a bodyguard (vested as a deacon) behind him because of death threats. Not surprisingly, he quoted from Psalm 27, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”
Anxiety in others, if unchecked, can promote the dependency of others in the organization and so paralyze the leader. We only need to think of our own experiences and how anxiety can paralyze the process of empowerment. However, the Bishop was clear that managing the anxiety of others does not mean making them dependent on you. In fact, he told a story of two men passing each other on a narrow footbridge high in the mountains. One individual had a rope tied around his waist and was holding the other end of the rope. As the two men passed each other, the one with the rope handed it to the other man and jumped. We too frequently find leaders getting caught holding the rope.
Once able to manage the anxiety of self and others, the leader must hold the vision and be an exemplar of the mission. It is easy in our fast-paced world to lose sight of our individual and organizational directions. The leader must always point to the vision. Too often we see in the news leaders pointing to themselves in self-serving ways rather than to the vision of the organization and the well being of the employees and constituents they serve. Bishop Gene told how he challenged the people of the diocese to think of how they can make the church a viable and vital part of our world today. He stated that this begins with “an infinite respect for one another and a radical hospitality for the world.” This calling requires risk and courage from everyone and a leader with a non-anxious presence to hold the stresses in check. One of the Bishop’s first actions was to change the logo of the diocese. A wonderful example of the power of symbols, the logo changed from a “coat of arms” with swords and arrows to a pair of open and uplifted hands with a flame in the middle. The message is clear in words and symbol: our future is dependent on how we treat each other within our organization and how the organization fulfills its mission of respect to the rest of the world.
Striking a familiar Antiochian theme, the Bishop spoke of the importance of understanding the dynamics and complexity of systems and the value of a systems mindset. This includes the leader’s ability to balance on a continuum that features autonomy and separateness on one end and integration and connectedness on the other. The strength of being apart is in the ability to be self-directed and motivated. A focus on connection provides listening, feedback and inclusiveness of people and ideas. The leader must balance within this dynamic tension, drawing from both polarities within the ever changing landscape. To fall to either extreme will result in despotism or abdication of leadership.
Managing anxiety of self and others, holding the vision, empowering people to take risks, taking a systems view, and negotiating the balance of autonomy and connection are the core attributes of an effective leader from the Bishop’s perspective. Underneath it all is an abiding presence of spirit that provides courage and assurance that our lives are meaningful and valued. We are grateful to Bishop Gene Robinson for sharing his journey with us.
© 2007 Antioch University New England, 40 Avon Street, Keene, NH 03431-3516 800.553.8920