The Source of Leadership Power

On this bitterly cold day, I am reminded that there are many sources of "power". Not merely in the physical realm of electric vs gas, or any of the other mainstream headlines of renewable energies versus fossil fuels battles. The power that fuels our thinking, our souls and our leadership. The energy that "powers" our beliefs, our values, our motives and our style of leadership.

The impetus of my pondering is that today we honor and remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; his young life, his impact, and his servant leadership. A leader of stark contrast to so many in authority and positions of privilege/prestige today. What fueled his power was evident for all to see. He did not hide what drove him. Love drove him. There was no deception or hidden ulterior motives. There was no quest for domination, wealth or prestige. His love for his fellow humans and his beliefs in Faith, Equity and Justice were openly displayed for all to see, and he pursued them with peacefully fierce advocacy.

His beliefs powered his quest for the equal treatment of all people. His love of the Divine, not the dogma, enabled him to lean into calling out those "in" power of religious institutions and their complicitness in generational systemic racism, while at the same time calling them into something better. His being firmly and transparently rooted in his belief systems provided him the ability to stand in his power, against headwinds unlike that which most of us will ever willingly face in our lifetimes. It was not money or traditional trappings of authority that ignited the flame that powered Dr. King Jr.'s leadership. It was his love-based belief system. A belief that there is a Higher Power who is the source of unconditional love. A belief that all humans are created equal and should have equal opportunities to grow freely in order to evolve into the highest and best versions of themselves.

As I sit with the stark contrast of what our broken society idealizes when it comes to sources of power, I am reminded that those who dare to shine the brightest in contrast to that brokenness will always face the threat of others trying to extinguish their flame. Each of us chooses the power source that fuels our very existence. Whether it is fear, greed, comfort or justice, love, equity. A power source that is rooted in fear creates fuel that is like a furnace. Everything around it is used, taken and consumed for its own existence. A power source that is rooted in unconditional regard for others is like a windmill. The wind turns the wheel to bring up the water, the water sustains whatever utilizes it, such as the soil; the soil produces plants, they are consumed, those who consume them eventually pass and become part of the cycle all over again. It is a constant giving and receiving, but it starts with giving.

I realized years ago what a role fear played in my belief systems and values. The fear of being rejected, the fear of not being good enough, of not measuring up to what I envisioned were other people's expectations of me. I was driven by the never ending fantasy of achieving perfection in order to be loved. If I was not perfect then I was not good enough. If I was not good enough, then those who didn't even matter most in my life might not hold me in high regard. If I wasn't perfect then those who did matter most might be disappointed in me, not love me. Yet, no one in my life ever asked me to be perfect, other than me. I allowed that false narrative to be the power source during the first thirty years of my existence on this planet.

The next twenty years have been spent trying to unlearn those beliefs and replace them with power source of strength found in loving myself as the wonderful, flawed creation that I am and loving others as the wonderful, flawed creations that they are. After a bit more than a half a century on this planet, I am embracing the power source that has truly shaped my ability to continue to learn how to lead well. I am centered in a position of strength that comes in opening sharing my love for others; knowing that if unconditional regard for my fellow human beings is at the center of my decision making, then I have a better than average shot at making the highest and best choice in my decision making. If I start worrying about how much money a decision might cost me, or if a stance I take might cause me be rejected by those who do, or do not, matter most in my life, then I know that I have slipped into a place of fear and that the power used to fuel that place is not aligned with my desired source of love.

Some may scoff that this post is too touchy feely, but I would ask you to sit with that discomfort and ask yourself why would you reject the idea of love being at your core? Why would you want your source of power to be fear? Why do feelings and an admission to care unconditionally for others make you uncomfortable? They did for that young me. I had to do the work, and I have to continue to do the work; to root out my biases, and my fear-based beliefs in order to be a leader who stands in the strength of a loved based power system. I am indebted to great love-fueled leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for shining his light so brightly that I may continue to see it even after he is gone from this earth. It is my responsibility to shine as well. To call others in. To be the change in the face of leadership that I want to see. We have the choice of which pump to choose when it comes to powering up. Choose wisely.