Four character concepts – authenticity, self-management, humility, and courage. Writing of the commonalities in the demise of six CEO’s, Tim Irwin* uses these four concepts to describe the places where people in leadership make grave mistakes. He also points out that when they become points of focus, they can help the leader to not only succeed, but excel in the pursuit of their goals.
Irwin defines these four concepts through example and helps us to see the effect of not getting it right. At the same time, he focuses our thoughts on what it means to have or be each of the four concepts:
1. A failure of authenticity is not a blatant attempt to deceive but rather is a failure to let others see who we really are (111). When we see people who actually are who they “appear” to be, we call them authentic. There’s alignment between the inner person and the outer person (114). Becoming more authentic is not without risks; however, a person’s unwillingness to risk expression of their true beliefs and convictions and to break through the “authenticity barrier” eventually becomes their undoing. Lack of authenticity becomes a derailment factor (116).
2. Self-management may be best defined as skill, insight, sensitivity, impulse control, optimism, and persistence applied in the particular environment in which we work and live (123). Effective self-management is heavily dependent upon good self and other awareness. A lack of self and other awareness is a common denominator among those who derail. The ability to manage ourselves and to manage our relationships is heavily dependent upon our perceptiveness of what’s going on within us and others. Self-aware individuals pay attention to their emotions without being ruled by them. They observe the responses of others and are able to adjust their behavior to make their interaction more effective (126). One interesting component in the area of self-management is the concept of emotional intelligence (EQ). As defined by Daniel Goleman, EQ comprises the capability to be self-aware, self-managing, interpersonally effective, stress tolerant, and optimistic. Goleman’s research indicates that the higher a leader rises in an organization, the less important technical skills become and the more important EQ becomes (125).
3. Humility is not about being self-deprecating or arrogant. It’s about self-forgetfulness, remembering that in our jobs we’re seeking to serve others. All jobs have a “that is why I’m here” factor. The “why” is usually to serve a customer or to provide information or resources to someone who serves a customer. Humility is about an accurate self-assessment – “My job is important and I need to do it well” – but it’s also the freedom to not inflate who you are or what you’re doing (137). Humility at work means we are coachable. “Coachability” has nothing to do with age or position (139). Irwin cites an old axiom to illustrate the point of humility: “If the leader didn’t come to work today, everything would probably get done; if the people didn’t come to work today, nothing would get done” (138).
4. Courage is not being unafraid. It’s about choosing to do the right thing under difficult circumstances (149). A courageous act only occurs when we are also convinced that something is true and truly important, rather than simply a preference (150). Courage to do the right thing results from clarity about what we believe (153).
Having worked through those definitions, I personally see incredible value in incorporating their positive focus into my scheme of “non-negotiables” that are to be a part of the second half of my journey. No doubt, there have been times in my journey to this point where I can see points at which I have not measured up in regards to the four of the areas in question at differing times and places. But for me, the focus is not to be gripped by a sense of failure, but rather a commitment to answering the question, “What am I going to do about it?” Socrates once said that “The life which is unexamined is not worth living” (151). In my pursuit to be the authentic disciple that Christ has called me to, a healthy self-examination must ensue, and that is what I am committed to in these days of discovery.
Two thoughts pervade my mind and heart today:
1. While critics may be many, Jesus made it clear that we were to remove the log from our own eye before addressing the speck in someone else’s (Matthew 7:3-4). In our culture today, we are all tempted to point an accusing finger when things don’t go as we desire. What would happen though if instead of looking to others to find a scapegoat, we simply looked within and allowed God to examine our hearts? I love the prayer of David, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way” (Psalm 139:23-24, NASB). His words do not illicit a sense of being vengeful or accusatory – instead they reflect a desire to go deep within and make certain that as an individual he was not the problem. That is my desire. To allow God to search my heart to make certain that as I move into the second half of my journey, that I will live with a clear sense of certainty knowing that God knows me and that He has made me to know myself so that I can be authentic, self-mastered, humble, and courageous.
2. Secondly, I must always remember the example of Jesus. His is a picture of a life that was lived truly authentic, fully self-mastered and aware, humble to a fault, and courageous in all things. If I am to be His disciple, I must so order my world, not because I have to, but because I want to. I want to reflect the very heart of Jesus, and in so doing, reveal to others a life on a journey that refuses to be derailed by the pettiness that comes from wearing masks, or blaming others, or being arrogant, or simply, refusing to act. I must pattern my life and my living after the One who never wore the mask of falsehood, or sought to blame others, or exerted pressure because of His position, or idly stood by and let things happen because He refused to act. I must, as it were, put on authenticity (measured through accountability), self-management (realizing I am His Temple in every area of my life, and that I must know and respond to the culture within which I am living), humility (accepting nothing for myself that Christ might in all things be glorified), and courageous (choosing to act out of a sense of what I know to be true and truthful, right and certain), that in all things His kingdom might be advanced in and through me.
I close these thoughts admitting that God is seriously at work in my heart. I can see through what He is doing that He is shaping my heart for something greater than I have previously known. There is depth of character and purpose. There is a resiliency to criticism and attack. There is a motivation to act in concert with the One who is leading me. And there is a new and strong desire to step beyond what has up to this point become very comfortable and live on the edge of the dangerous – where obedience to God alone captures my attention and captivates the pursuit of my life. I no longer want to maintain the status quo or serve in environments that tolerate anything less than excellence. I want to model Christ, to mirror Christ, and to share Christ in every area of my life and being. I want to authentically be (both publicly and privately) the person Christ alone knows. I want to master both my own life and be a student of the culture in which I live to serve and be aware of all that it has to offer, and all the traps and temptations that it puts in my way so that I do not fall prey to its seduction. I want to exude humility – not to the point of self-deprecation, but so as to live in a manner that Christ gets all the credit. And I want to be a man of courage – who acts as the Spirit leads, not according to the sound of the loudest drummer or the whims and fancies of man, but in step with the One whose Church I love and whose will I ultimately want to fulfill with my life. Lord, help me to be that man and so to live regardless of the cost or consequences.
*Tim Irwin, Derailed: Five Lessons Learned From Catastrophic Failures of Leadership (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009)
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