MGA #2: Leading People with Curb, Mirror and Guide

Lord, who may dwell in

your sanctuary? 

   Who may live on your holy hill? 

He whose walk is blameless

   and who does what

is righteous,

who speaks truth from

   his heart

and has no slander on his

   tongue,

who does his neighbor no

   wrong,

and casts no slur on his

   fellowman,

who despises a vile man

but honors those who fear

   the Lord,

who keeps his oath

   even when it hurts,

who lends money

   without usury

and does not accept a

   bribe against the

   innocent. 

He who does these things

   will never be shaken.  ~ Psalm 15

Lord God, Heavenly Father, You are a holy and righteous God. In my own flesh I cannot stand before you in your holy sanctuary; I claim no righteousness of my own, my walk is far from blameless.  I fail to honor You by honoring others and I fail to behave ethically and fairly.  Forgive me for Jesus’ sake.  For Jesus’ sake, covered with His blood and born again in my baptism, allow me to dwell in Your sanctuary; call me blameless and righteous through the death of Your son. Show me Your paths of righteousness so that my walk is blameless and pleasing to You; give me Your wisdom in all things.  Strengthen me to speak the truth, to reject slander and never harm the people around me with my words; to reward holiness and rightness but punish evil.  Bless me to always to be a person of integrity, to do the right thing even at personal cost; to manage all resources selflessly and to never favor the strong over the weak, the guilty over the innocent.  Bless me to stand strong in You, in Your wisdom and righteousness. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

The second Major Graded Area (MGA 2) is Leading People.  I’m sure there was significant discussion about ordering and prioritizing in whatever back rooms this list was written in; the last MGA is Executing the Mission, so there’s less a sense of prioritization and more one of A + B + C = D.  I’m glad that People are not simply left as one of the resources to be managed under MGA 1; MGA 1 does list manpower and airmen’s time as resources, but MGA 2 goes much deeper into what it means to lead people.  It states in part “Leading People shows that an established and maintained communication process is in place and ensures unit members are well disciplined, trained and provided opportunities for personal and professional development.  [Leadership] should foster leading by personal example, paying attention to the welfare and morale…enforcing standards…[and establishing] a healthy climate.”  The major descriptors are Communication, Discipline, Training, Development and Quality of Life Engagement.  

When I read this Area in particular, I am very proud to be part of the USAF.  I know there are other organizations that strive to treat people well, but this MGA describes a deep commitment to the full-spectrum wellbeing of Airmen.  We ask people to do hard things in the military, so taking excellent care of them is an appropriate quid pro quo.  But it goes beyond that, I believe.  All of these elements—training, discipline and adhering to standards, treating people with respect and dignity—have at their foundation an innate belief in the value of the individual.  The military retains a culture where people behave with integrity and honor, where they are assumed to be of value and to treat others as having value.  

A previous pastor of mine would start many sermons by addressing the congregation as “People whom God dearly loves….”.  The apostle Paul describes people as “those for whom Christ died”, which is an echo of what Jesus said in John 3: 16 “For God so loved the world….”.  And of course, in the Creation narrative, God declares all of creation good, and declares humankind very good. Human beings are not just animals who speak; we are not just the culmination of years of random evolution.  Human beings are created intentionally h in the image of God (Genesis 1:27); every one is precious to Him.  While not overtly stated, the intrinsic value of human life is present in MGA 2.  This makes Leading People more than part of a management formula; it represents a philosophy and a worldview as well.  Believing that people have innate value fits well with my personal beliefs and ideals, and will serve as a firm foundation to consistently treating people with both high, consistent expectations as well as with individualized development, respect and compassion.  

At its heart, the military has been described as an organization that has as its mission “killing people and breaking things”.  While the USAF is a little further from the battlefield than bayonet-bearing infantry, with planes that flight high above the earth and engage the enemy from a distance, often with an incredibly asymmetric display of power, “killing people and breaking things” is still an accurate description of the ultimate mission.  As a medic, I’m even further away from that mission; my immediate mission is more along the lines of “fixing broken people.”  The medical mission therefore seems a little more intrinsically ethical, more “pure” and less tainted by moral uncertainty. But the reality is that all military members—physicians and fighter pilots, dietitians and those who navigate surveillance drones—are engaged in the business of national defense, which by its nature is one of targeted aggression and focused, intentional violence.  Without an incredibly strong moral core, an organization that exists to perpetrate violence on others would devolve quickly into chaos and murder.  

Therefore the MGA of Leading People must guard that moral core.  Leading People is about clearly communicating expectations and standards; training and developing people so they are able to meet those standards; actively, consistently enforcing standards of discipline and accountability; and ensuring factors that influence morale and therefore compliance, focus and loyalty, are addressed.

I’ve been reading about the “three uses of the law”, which are as a curb, mirror and guide.  I learned about these in Catechism class many moons ago, but they are worth studying as an adult.  Having this diverse understanding of the purpose and uses of God’s law keeps me from the dangerous distraction of proselytizing at work—which I firmly believe has no place in my role as a commander—while still honoring God’s law and His ordered design for Creation.  The law as curb (the first use) is a general application within civilized society:  murder and theft are punished because if murder and theft were acceptable, generalized chaos would ensue and nothing productive in human society could safely occur.  The second use, that as mirror, has the specific purpose of convicting people of their sinfulness and their need for Jesus Christ as Savior.  I see this as a private use of the law, that between God and the person who is on their knees before His holiness.  The third use of the law is that of guide; it shows Christians what God’s holiness looks like, what we are to emulate as we seek to grow in faith and obedience.  

For me as a leader, I believe that I will most often apply the first and third uses of the law.  The law as curb lines up very well with “good order and discipline”, or as the MGA says, “a cultivated culture of compliance and accountability.”  There are certain things that must be done, and other things that must not be done, for the sake of good order and discipline.  I’m not attempting to force Judeo-Christian morality on someone when I punish them for theft or fraternization; I’m simply working to hold chaos at bay.  Whether they know it or not, every leader is working against the forces of darkness and disorder; the devil thrives where basic laws are not upheld, where lying, murder, theft, sexual sins and gossip are rampant.  This would be a horrible work environment, and certainly not an environment where people could confidently and literally place their lives in the hands of their Wingman. 

I will less directly apply the second use of the law at work, that of the law as mirror showing people their need for a Savior from sin.  That said, it does inform how I treat people; I know that everyone is a sinner, they will fail me and they will fail their own standards.  I’m not going to be surprised, angry or inordinately disappointed by sinfulness; I will simply hold people accountable with compassion and consistency.  That said, I think the act of holding individuals accountable—reminding them that they and only they are responsible for how they act and respond—can reinforce whatever work of God’s law might be going on in the private heart of a person.  

The third use of the law, that as guide, is for me personally as a Christian leader.  Psalm 15, which I started with, outlines very specific behaviors associated with righteousness:  telling the truth, not slandering or defaming other people; honoring people who behave rightly and not those who behave evilly; keeping promises; not being influenced to act unfairly or to mistreat the weak.  If I read these through the lens of the law as curb, I would see expectations for general fair treatment which are not unreasonable; if I read these as if they are a mirror, I see only my miserable failure to truly live righteously.  But I stand as a forgiven sinner, clothed in the spotlessness of Christ; the words of Psalm 15 are not ways of creating righteousness on my own, but a pattern of what God’s righteousness looks like as I live out my faith.  It is also His holy Word, a word of power which will strengthen me in righteousness.  This third use of the law supersedes all management texts and Simon Sinek Youtube videos.  God’s Word is living and active, sharper than a double-edged sword; even as His Word spoke the world into being and speaks faith into the hearts of unbelievers, His Word will not only show but will empower me to be a Godly leader.  I believe that I can also emulate the mercy and compassion of God, not in excusing sin or being soft on standards, but when I believe in the possibility of reform and I am willing to take a risk by giving people more than one chance.  

The first and third uses of the law—curbing and guiding—also relate to another larger discussion, that of vocation.  My role as a leader is a calling before God.  It is how I serve people on earth.  Scripture is clear that God establishes and works through human civil authorities, through governments, laws and chains-of-command.  When I curb and guide the behaviors of those I lead, I am living out my vocational call as a leader of people within the military.  Effective management and sound leadership gives God glory in my vocation.  When I not only discipline and hold people accountable, but I train and develop them to use their God-given gifts and abilities to be successful and to thrive, I am living out my vocation—and helping others to do the same.  Leading People is a good and necessary thing; I believe that God will bless my efforts, that as I seek God’s wisdom to lead His people, I will not be shaken.

 

1)      Consider what you believe as a Christian, about God creating the world and declaring it good; about God redeeming the world through Jesus Christ, about the obvious value which God places on people and on His Creation.  How does this inform your desire to Lead People, and the approaches or strategies you adopt to effectively do so?

2)      MGA 2 uses the phrase “a cultivated culture of compliance and accountability.”  How does God’s law—especially the use of God’s law as curb and guide—help to inform the shape of this culture of compliance and accountability?  How can intentionally spending time reading and studying God’s word impact your ability to effectively cultivate such a culture?

3)      Do you view your job, your profession and your role as a leader, as a vocation assigned to you by God?  Why or why not?  How can viewing your job as a vocation in service to God on earth change your leadership style, your approach to leading people, and the energy and resilience you bring to each day’s challenges?

4)      God’s law is a mirror.  Even more than the stringent list of expectations outlined in the MGA’s, God’s standard is impossibly high for human beings to attain.  In your own reason or strength, you cannot achieve the righteousness of God.  But in Christ Jesus, you are declared righteous; all of your sins and failures are forgiven.  Failures to properly administer these MGA’s are not damnable offenses; everything is forgiven in Jesus name.  What does this truth mean to you personally, and how does it impact your actions toward others?  How can your status as a forgiven sinner preserve you from both pride and despair?