You WILL Be
Make no mistake.
You can ‘take it to the bank.’
If you are brave enough to take the helm of leadership, you WILL be persecuted.
To be fair, let’s define our terms, shall we?
Persecute – 1 : to harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict; specifically : to cause to suffer because of belief; 2: to annoy with persistent or urgent approaches (such as attacks, pleas, or importunities); to Pester – Merriam Webster
Yes, despite your politics (which is absolutely not in the arena of my purpose here today), the scene outside the Department of Education a couple days ago was an example of persecution.
Open AI went on to flesh out the definition in an interesting way:
The term "persecuted" refers to individuals or groups who are subjected to persistent harassment, oppression, or ill-treatment, often due to their race, religion, political beliefs, or other distinguishing characteristics. This mistreatment can manifest in various forms, including discrimination, violence, imprisonment, or social exclusion.
Understanding the concept of being persecuted involves recognizing the severity and injustice of such treatment, as well as acknowledging the resilience of those who endure it.
Did you catch that last part? The concept of persecution includes “acknowledging the resilience of those who endure it.”
I watched the man standing in front of the door take personal insults, slander, intimidation, threats, and more – from very powerful people – without retaliation of any kind.
That is resilience in the face of persecution.
To the point of today’s MMS…
As a purpose driven leader grounded in strong values, conviction, purpose, and intent to do what is best for all parties involved (to the best of your ability and from your perspective)…
…how well do you hold up in the face of persecution from coworkers, employees, customers, random strangers (social media), or even family members?
How is your resilience?
Do you:
Pout?
Bite back?
Inflict harm?
Lay the hammer down?
Invoke consequences?
Show them who’s boss?
Give them a cold shoulder?
Or, do you:
Accept the fact that resistance to change, even when it is necessary and beneficial to the organization, will be resisted by the masses…
Resist the urge to push back by stooping to the same level of the naysayers…
And keep doing what you believe is the right thing to do in the moment…
In peace and with your head held high?
In other words, do you allow entanglement in the weeds to slow you down, or do you stay clear of the weeds and LEAD with compassionate conviction and resilience?
Taking your organization, your church, your family, or even yourself into tomorrow is a daunting task.
We do not know what lurks around the next corner, and the unknown is scary.
But…I am confident of this: If you and I are not willing to take the risks that naturally come with the reins of leadership, tomorrow will not be a better place.
Because the natural path leads to chaos. Or as a great Leader many of us know has said, “The wide road leads to destruction.”
Be open to constructive input. Surround yourself with wise counsel. Be brave. Be strong. Be resilient.
The world of tomorrow needs you to lead well.
Let me know if I can help.
Something to think about anyway. Blessings to you all, my friends!
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This Week’s Resource Recommendation:
“The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World”
- Shannon Huffman Polson
From Amazon: Your guide could not be better qualified: at age nineteen, Shannon Huffman Polson became the youngest woman ever to climb Denali, the highest mountain in North America. She went on to reach the summits of Mt. Rainier and Mt. Kilimanjaro and spent more than a decade traveling the world. Yet it was during her experience serving as one of the Army's first female attack helicopter pilots, and eventually leading an Apache flight platoon on deployment to Bosnia-Herzegovina and a flight company in Korea, that she learned the lessons of leadership that forever changed her life.
Where did these insights come from? From her own crucibles of experience—and from other women. In writing The Grit Factor, Polson made it her mission to connect with an elite pack of tough, impressive female iconoclasts who shared with her their candid stories of combat and career. This slate of decorated leaders includes Heather Penney, one of the first female F-16 pilots, who was put on a suicide mission for 9/11; General Ann Dunwoody, the first female four-star general in the Army; Amy McGrath, the first female Marine to fly the F/A-18 in combat and a 2020 candidate for the US Senate—and dozens of other unstoppable women who got there first, including Polson herself.
These women led at the highest levels in the most complicated, challenging, and male-dominated organization in the world. Now, when positive role models of women leading are needed as never before, Polson brings these voices together, sharing her own life lessons and theirs with storytelling flair, keen insight, and incisive analysis of current research.
With its gripping narrative and relatable takeaways, The Grit Factor is both inspiring and pragmatic, a book that will energize and enlighten current and aspiring leaders everywhere—whether male or female.
MMS 25-06
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Blessings to you, my friend!
