True Leaders use crooks. Not scepters.

Digital disruption. Uber & Amazon. Fintech & Bitcoin. The Year of reckoning for CMO’s. Millennials and HR. The Global Brand engagement crisis.

In the face of global discord, the calls and cries for true leadership have never been so resounding.

But don’t look to the courtyard.

Rather, look to the pasture.

Pick any of the opening topics and regardless of your personal stance ranging from “the sky is falling” to “the glorious new age has arrived”, there can be no argument that the global landscape is in a massive state of flex, flux and change.

And again, the cry for true leadership resounds.

But before leading, the leader must understand his or her role and moreover, must understand the context in which they will be leading. To isolate a centralized theme – or a centralized context – look closely at the issues behind the issues:

• Uber has massively disrupted the established norm of organizationally controlled taxi operations
• Amazon has massively disrupted the established norm of corporate retail
• Bitcoin has massively disrupted the established norm of government regulated economics
• Digital has massively disrupted the established norm of 4P-established marketing
• Millennials have massively disrupted the established norm of office culture and HR protocols

What do Amazon, Uber, Bitcoin, Digital Marketing and Millennials all have in common?

Choice.

They all fundamentally rest in a core ethic of free choice.

And choice – the ability to chose – fundamentally resides in the core value of respect.

 So where do we find a leadership paradigm that holds both wisdom and knowledge while simultaneously empowers choice and respect?

Again, don’t look to the courtyard.

Rather, look to the pasture.

In the courtyard, you’ll find a scepter. A king’s tool and symbol of absolute power, a hierarchy of rules, a unified purpose to serve and advance the king and, legions of laypeople removed from choice, input or self-advancement.

In the pasture, you’ll find a crook. A shepherd’s tool and symbol of guiding governance, a framework of principles and flocks of sheep free to roam, grow and advance.

Amazingly, the scepter-crook, king-shepherd paradox transcends much of known history. Kings were the ultimate elite, second to none and surrounded with decadence, wealth and fame. Shepherds were the absolute lowest class, cast into servitude, owners of nothing and surrounded with mere basics and poverty, cultural outcasts.

But the Shepherd-leader paradigm resounds:

Tutankhuman, ancient Pharaoh of Egypt held a crook and not a scepter. World religions and cultures feature countless stories of shepherds turned into great leaders (Abraham, David, Jesus) and when applied to today, there’s a strong case as to why:

Your flock, tribe, employees and customers are not yours.

Shepherds in ancient times, never owned the flock. They were given great responsibility to exercise power and control but held that governance role for the sake of someone else. Whether for the aim of livestock sales, wool, meat or milk, the shepherd had to feed, care and protect a herd and negligence of any of those duties resulted in flock harm, poor yield and ultimate removal from their position.

Likewise today, tribes, employees and customers are not assets of ownership but responsibilities of governance, care and protection.

Shepherds are vulnerable.

They carried a crook, not a sword. Growing up on a beef farm, it always amazed me that my father could easily walk right through the middle of a herd, surrounded by animals weighing close to 1,000 lbs (450kg) with absolute confidence. He knew his flock and his flock knew and trusted him.

The flock knew him because he spent great time with them. They trusted him for he represented safety, care and provision; he earned that trust through caring and providing but never through force. Moreover, he knew that only through trust, would the animals reach their ultimate potential.

Shepherds don’t wear armor, they don’t ride horses and they don’t live in castles. They wear regular clothes, walk the fields and live among the herd.

Likewise, leaders today are normal people: they walk the fields, know their flock and are vulnerable, earning the trust through providing safety and care. For a leader knows that only through trust, will their staff or customers reach their ultimate potential.

Shepherds are responsible for the environment (good pasture)

When you keep a flock in the same field for too long, the flock will destroy it. They will eat all the grass and trample the ground so that new crops wont grow. A shepherd knows this and will continually move the flock into new pastures.

However, with each move, the shepherd must scout the landscape, identify any new threats and assess the pasture to ensure it’s best for the flock. Moreover, in addition to scouting the new pasture, the shepherd has to lead the flock to the new land. Flocks don’t easily move to an unfamiliar space – they trust what they know and will resist moving / change with great stubbornness. Only when the shepherd guides them and leads them and shows them that the new is truly safe and better, will the flock move.

The new pasture might not be easier for the shepherd. But the shepherd doesn’t care about what’s best for him, he selects what’s best for the sheep.

Likewise today, the leader has to keep careful watch on the flock in their current pasture and be ready at all times to move the flock to a better place. This manifests itself into educational development, new services and offerings that serve the betterment of employees and customers and being fully aware of any potential risks that the “new” represents. The leader leads and makes the investments in themselves first, showing the way and proving that advancing to the new is truly better and best for the customer / employee.

Shepherds are overseers

An overseer is one who watches over. It’s a responsibility of care. Shepherds oversee the flock in their care just as babysitters oversee the young in their care. To be an overseer you have to know the looming and very real dangers that exist and be on vigilant guard at all times.

A sheep will fall into a pit, wander off into the woods just like a toddler will head towards the staircase with no regard to the danger of falling. The absence of an attentive shepherd gives full opportunity for wolves or other forces to sneak in and destroy the herd.

Likewise today, the leader must oversee. Make governing choices for the organization cognizant of the financial, physical, emotional or other dangers that exist. This reflects itself primarily in the governing purpose of the organization – Simon Sinek’s why – the leader is responsible to and for why the organization exists. They make decisions to realize the why and they establish policies and protocols to ensure no harm happens while the why is being pursued.

Shepherds serve.

The role of the shepherd is service. Their entire day and night exists in a position of care. They not only care for the sheep but they exercise care for the true owner of the flock. If you fail to serve the flock, it will fail. If you fail to serve the owner, you will be fired.

Sheep also stink. They’re dumb and they’re stubborn. To be a great shepherd, you have to absolutely love sheep. You look past the smells and are patient with the sheep’s small minds – your joy and passion and purpose is realized because you love the animals and want above all else for the flock to succeed.

Likewise today, the role of the leader is service. If you fail to serve your employees or customers, they will abandon you. If you fail to be patient, diligent and caring, they will not succeed and you will be fired. And you must truly love people – your joy and passion and purpose is realized because you truly care and want above all else for them to succeed.

Shepherds must give an account for the flock

When granted assignment, the flock is counted and assessed. The exact number is known and the health and state of each sheep is also known. Over the shepherd’s tenure, they keep track of each sheep knowing exactly how many lambs are born or even if an elderly sheep passes away. This along with the overall health is measured, tracked and known. At the time of going to market, the shepherd must give account to the owner. Exact numbers shown and health of the herd assessed.

A positive report and the shepherd is rewarded. A negative report and the shepherd is fired.

Likewise today, leaders must give an account for their employees and customers. Each and every day, the leader brings their flocks to market; are the employees and customers engaged and healthy? Is the herd growing?

So pick up your crook and lay down your scepter.

Today’s global society needs true leaders who embody care, love, wisdom and knowledge while simultaneously empowering choice and respect.

We don't need more kings.

We need shepherds.