The Most Difficult Inner Work of Leadership

Scripture — Luke 23:34; Mark 15:34 (NRSV)

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing.

At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Devotion

In their book Leadership on the Line, Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky write something I find stunning:

The most difficult work of leadership involves learning to experience distress without numbing yourself. The virtue of a sacred heart lies in the courage to maintain your innocence and wonder, your doubt and curiosity, and your compassion and love even through your darkest, most difficult moments. Leading with an open heart means you could be at your lowest point, abandoned by your people and entirely powerless, yet remain receptive to the full range of human emotions without going numb, striking back, or engaging in some other defense (pp. 227-228).

As I think of my own leadership experience, I remember times when I felt battered down, usually by criticism or subterfuge. How tempting it was to numb myself and close my heart, losing the openness that would allow me to lead well even in difficult times and grow as a leader.

Though I am stunned by this passage on the sacred heart of a leader, what follows in Leadership on the Line is even more surprising. Ron Heifetz tells a moving story of his discovery of the sacred heart. It happened on the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashana. Ron and his wife were traveling in England, looking for a place to celebrate this holy day as practicing Jews. Not finding a synagogue, they did find a small, ancient, empty Anglican church. Ron sat down in the front, facing a crucifix, a statue of Jesus on the cross.

Given the history of Christian persecution of Jews, this was at first an uncomfortable moment for Ron. Yet he soon found himself talking to Jesus, asking Jesus about his experience on the cross. After several minutes of quiet reflection, Ron received a message from this unusual rabbi.

Ron found his wife and took her outside. At his direction, they both laid down on their backs with their arms completely spread apart. “How do you feel?” asked Ron. “Really vulnerable,” his wife replied. Then Ron continued:

Me, too. And that’s it! That’s the message. That’s what we learned about sacred heart—the willingness to feel everything, everything, to hold it all without letting go of your work. To feel, as Reb Jesus felt, the gravest doubt, forsaken and betrayed near his moment of death. To cry out like King David in the wilderness, just when you desperately want to believe that you’re doing the right thing, that your sacrifice means something, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ But in nearly the same instant, to feel compassion, “Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.” Jesus remained open (pp. 229-230).

How striking that a Jewish man would, on Rosh Hashanah, have an encounter with Jesus that revealed to him the truth of the sacred heart of leadership. For Ronald Heifetz, Jesus exemplifies the sacred heart, the open heart, the vulnerable heart of an adaptive leader. Jesus refused to numb himself against suffering. He refused to close his heart even to the people who were crucifying him, protecting himself behind the wall of unforgiveness.

Today is the fifth Monday in Lent, a season of the year in which we prepare our hearts for a deeper, truer, and more transformational experience of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Our Lenten focus isn’t only about our personal faith and private life, however. As we reflect on our mortality, our need for a Savior, and the brokenness of the world, this reflection has everything to do with our daily work, including our leadership. Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky do us a wonderful Lenten service by making a profound connection between the cross of Jesus and the heart of a leader. When we focus on what Jesus experienced on the cross, not only are we amazed by his open-hearted vulnerability, but we are also inspired to imitate Jesus in every part of our lives, including our leadership.

This devotion is the last one in my series, A Biblical Guide to Inner Work. I haven’t said all that could be said, of course. But, following the lead of Heifetz and Linsky, in the days to come, I’d like to offer further reflections on how the passion of Jesus informs and transforms our daily work and leadership. I want also to express my deep appreciation for Heifetz and Linsky, whose work has meant so much to many and whose wisdom so often aligns with what we find in Scripture.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: The Passion of Jesus (Luke 22:47-24:53).