A Dark Force
“…malice needs nothing to live on. It can feed on itself.” – A.W. Tozer
Yes, it’s a dark image. I even toned it down a bit!
But…maybe we need to be reminded of just how ugly the spirit of malice can be once in a while.
In doing so, we put ourselves in a better position to take it seriously and face it head-on.
Tozer’s statement is as true in the workplace as it is in our life and faith walks.
Malice needs no source, no reason, no logic.
It truly does feed on itself. It is incessantly hungry. And it can rear its ugly head in an instant.
You’ve been in the meetings. You’ve heard the harsh sarcasm.
Be it subtle or demonstrative, you know the truth of which I speak.
As purpose-driven business leaders, what can we do about it? Here are a couple proactive ideas for us to consider:
See it for the destructive force that it is and consider a ‘zero tolerance’ policy for malicious behavior
Investigate for root cause in case one does exist, but as a rule be quicker to embrace the reality that there is rarely justification for such negativity and put a stop to it without qualification or unnecessary pomp and circumstance
Flood the halls with light, goodness, and purpose
What?!?
Yeah, that last one may sound a bit Pollyannaish, but I’ll ask you to lean into it with me for a second.
Darkness and light cannot coexist.
This is a deep truth. A theorem of life.
And it’s just as true in the workplace as it is under the street corner lamp post.
What are the sources of ‘light’ in your workplace culture?
Consideration of others’ opinions? Benefit of the doubt? Common cause/purpose? Honesty? Integrity? Encouragement? Honor? Care?
Adequate resources, direction, and freedom to accomplish a necessary task? Support in the trenches? An acceptance that failure, though certainly not our goal, is an integral part of the path toward success?
Reasonable project timelines? Adequate down-time? Pay and benefits worthy of the responsibilities? Absolute days off? A conscious perspective on what it means to be a ‘healthy’ workplace?
Smiles? Laughter? An understanding of everyone’s unique ‘love’ language? Knowing their personal situations? Caring for them when life is tough?
It is often noted that the executive leader is also the ‘Chief Culture Officer.’
What are you doing to intentionally infuse your culture with light, goodness, and purpose…
…with the expressed intent of fending off the irrational, insatiable, destructive spirit of malice that lives and breeds in workplaces across the globe?
In a previous Stretch message, we noted the leader’s responsibility to “Absorb Chaos; Create Calm; and Provide Hope.”
If we are not intentional about this in the spaces where we lead, there will often be hell to pay.
As harsh as that sounds, you know it’s true.
Let’s do something about that.
CTA: In this season of “Peace on Earth; Goodwill Toward Men” – look for specific ways you can infuse light, goodness, and purpose into your workplace culture.
Then rinse and repeat throughout the year.
Blessings to you, my friends!
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This Week’s Resource Recommendation:
"12 Rules for Life: An Antidode to Chaos"
“Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life”
– Jordan B. Peterson
Buckle up, buttercup. These are not light reads. But I promise…you will be better for it.
From Amazon: 12 Rules – In this book, [Peterson] provides twelve profound and practical principles for how to live a meaningful life, from setting your house in order before criticizing others to comparing yourself to who you were yesterday, not someone else today. Happiness is a pointless goal, he shows us. Instead, we must search for meaning, not for its own sake, but as a defense against the suffering that is intrinsic to our existence.
Beyond Order – While chaos, in excess, threatens us with instability and anxiety, unchecked order can petrify us into submission. Beyond Order provides a call to balance these two fundamental principles of reality itself and guides us along the straight and narrow path that divides them.
MMS 24-24
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Blessings to you, my friend!
