Callan…Coffee…Contemplation for the Week of March 24th
Ethos – Part II
Ethos provides the group what Adolf Bastian called “elementary ideas,” such as: Who are we? Why do we exist? What do we do? And what do we stand for? The answers to these elementary ideas must be provided by the leader to the group, and must be introduced early and sustained often to create an ethos affect within the group. When leaders cultivate a vibrant ethos they create a positive binding function—an almost cellular-level knowing of the groups identity, core purpose, and guiding principles. In this way, ethos is like great poetry; it evokes deep feelings, invites movement, and galvanizes shared intent. I have found in my experience as a US Marine, an organization anchored deeply in ethos, that the stories, legends, and morals linked to ethos are heard clearly, easily, and seamlessly by every new generation that enters–because good ethos transcends time and place and represents a larger pattern of wisdom. When a group’s ethos works, which it does so well in the Corps, no one has to be told what the stories mean, what the symbols stand for, or why the traditions matter. They know, deeply and intuitively.
Heroic Performance
I believe there are two true ways to create heroic performance: (1) Great companionship or (2) great mutual sacrifice. To move out of our limited, self-centered worlds we must be forced to cross thresholds and we need crucibles to move us across those thresholds. When involved in pursuits creating genuine companionship–deep mutual affection and soulful bonds–the quality of this companionship transforms us from self-interest to group-interest. Similarly, great mutual suffering does the same thing. When groups strive together and toil together for a grand end state, and if first they fail, the suffering felt by that failure, if used positively, can also convert the group. At the heart of companionship and suffering is this common thread: Sacrifice! And it is through sacrifice that we make the experience sacred. Once rendered sacred, we are now operating on a much higher plane of performance. Does this sound like boot camp, a crucible event, or other rigorous rite of passage? It should, because it is these feelings of companionship and sacrifice that transform individuals and elevate teams from good to legendary.
Noble Purpose
One of the elements of Heroic Leadership is Noble Purpose. Purpose answers the critical “why” of our mission and objectives. Armed with purpose we can understand the end state of our aspirations and actions, which provides a compelling mental image of our group in a future context. A noble purpose is necessary to ignite passion, invite excellence, and inspire motivation because all truly noble pursuits are inherently elevating and catalytic. Humans instinctively desire to excel, strive, and be part of peak experiences; they just need to find a compelling purpose. When leaders provide their groups with a noble purpose, we move them out of their heads and into their hearts–from the circumference to the center of meaning–and call forth their highest ambitions. John Wooden, legendary coach at UCLA, was such a leader. Coach Wooden’s devotion to noble purpose, as exemplified by his life and leadership philosophy, transcended simple X’s and O’s and crossed into the realm of truly heroic leadership.
Honorable Aspiration
The second element of Heroic Leadership is Honorable Aspiration. Aspiring is about seeing; where do we need to go? What can we become? Aspiring to great deeds pulls us out of our private, selfish, and limited worlds and into heroic pursuits. High aspiration is the wellspring of peak achievement. We need honorable aspirations that stretch us, challenge us, and drive us towards excellence, mastery, and elevated performance. Noble aspirations provide this catalytic force and leaders should first instill, and then constantly reinforce, noble aspirations defining the arc of the group’s climb. But we must be forewarned of this sobering truth: this act of pursuing high aspiration requires enormous fortitude and moral courage on the part of leaders and followers alike. The silent artillery of time, as Lincoln famously said, wilts our lofty goals and tempts us to mediocrity if we are not resolute. We owe it to ourselves and those we lead to remain always honorable and aspiring, and thus, inspiring, in our leadership.
The Apprentice’s Mind
I am constantly reminded the most important component to great leadership is one’s paradigm. Yes, seeing correctly. We must therefore develop a clear lens through which to view ourselves, our leadership, and the role we play in the groups we lead. In our modern world, so consumed by present-tense living and sensory overload, we desperately need to develop disciplines within ourselves, and within our groups, to help us to know how to see, how to listen, and, most importantly—what is worth seeing. To create and sustain this heroic leadership paradigm, I believe we must have what I call the apprentice’s mind—the capacity to be devoted to acquiring mastery while also acknowledging we are constantly in beta: always developing and growing. We must keep an open mind and to retain a bias for learning. Heroic leadership is a master craft, and we—master craftsmen. To excel, we must be at once both master and apprentice, and constantly clean the lens of our leadership paradigm to see in noble, honorable, intentional, and elevating ways.
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