What we learn about leadership from hate.
It is with great sadness that I have watched the news of Lebanon. For those of you who do not know me, I am blessed to be the grandson of Christian lebanese immigrants. It is especially upsetting because I know cousins who live there and have walked along among them in 1999 when Israelbombed the power station just to punish them for not controlling the Hezbollah. While my journey was scary, things settled down soon after the bombing and we are able to visit Lebanon without further concerns. So, this may be a slightly biased posting, but coming from a Orthodox Christian family, my people have little issue with Israel. What they have done to Lebanon is sad and I am afraid will not be forgotten. Imagine how you would feel if the Golden Gate Bridge had been bombed.. and while you may not agree with whether the anology is right, the same emotional anger exists. Perception is reality and for most Christian Lebanese, what Israel has done may set things back for more than the 15 years it took to rebuild Lebanon. So.. I am sad, for Lebanon and also Israel. So, what does this have to do with leadership. Let me share some reflections I have had this week...
Lesson 1 - Weak leaders always try to look strong in the short run. They emerge and appear to be very strong leaders by simplyfing and take public stances that sound great in the moment.. we all want to follow them in the short-run. They take positions that serve them well for the next day, next week, or month. They often ignore the long term implications of their decisions until it is too late. Israel did this in the 80s when they attach Lebanon and went all the way to Beirut. Thus.. Hezbollah was born and here we sit years later fighting the same battle. It is equally bad for the other side. Hezbollah cares only about now.. the next 24 hours.. if they can be a pain in the giant's side, if they can win for at least another 24 hours. They have no hope of winning this battle, and yet against all odds, they spare the future for 24 hours of fame. What is the lesson for today's organizations.. think about the implications of your decisions.. especially when you are in a crisis. Ford and Firestone.. a crisis we all should remember. Ford thought about the long term and re-made themselves, the other only focused on the current crisis and winning short-term battles... . and today, if you go to their web page, you see they are still recalling tires.
Lesson 2 - Leadership is more and more about courage to make tough decisions and get others to follow you. How many of us wonder where Lincoln found the courage to move this country through our civil war. How we see a vacuum of that courage today, not only in Lebanon and Israel, but also in our countries. It is easy to test the attitudes of the public and then lead them where they are already going. But this is not really leadership. Leaders take people where they might not have gone, to a place better than they could have hoped for. For Israel, it is the acceptance that the majority Arabs and Lebanese do not seek their distruction. They can one day be friends if Israel can move past it's history of fear and anger. For Arabs, it is the courage to control their radical cousins. Can they take responsibility for their brother's actions and seek to make peace a way of life. For the world, Courage to look at our own views, to see that we need to hold everyone accountable. That poverty yields hate which yields war.That all people deserve liberty and freedom, from their leaders as well as from others. I will end with final statements that sum up my grief..
Until the Arabs and Israel accept each other like they would a brother, there will be no peace... Their futures are forever connected, implications for their future are linked. The economies, their security, and their quality of life are all depended on their neighbors. Neither will thrive alone. There will always be setbacks.. It will take leaders who have courage and vision to lead their people to peace. I see few of these leaders today...
Posted at 09:47PM Jul 23, 2006 by mowen in General |