Who says leaders have to be perfect? Apart from Jesus Christ, there aren’t any perfect leaders. There are only two kinds of leaders in our world–flawed leaders who acknowledge their weaknesses and flawed leaders who shamelessly hide their weaknesses. I suppose if everything were known about everyone, no one would qualify to lead in any context. But there is a myth about leadership that presumes followers cannot detect flaws unless leaders reveal them and that leadership is forfeit by anything short of perfection. There is also an internal mechanism called ego, that tempts leaders to convince the “gullible masses” they are perfect in spite of unremitting evidence to the contrary.
When President Obama cast judgment without evidence on the actions of a Cambridge police officer this week, he was so clearly wrong that only the willfully blind failed to notice. Presidents can be presidents and make mistakes–all 44 have so far! What we all hoped for was sufficient integrity to admit the failure we all saw and humility to seek forgiveness. Alas, he believed the myth, thought we’d all over-reacted, and patronizingly assured us that the whole thing was simply an unfortunate word choice. Thus, according to myth, his perfection was preserved and his leadership survived unscathed. Such myths make fools of all of us.
This is not a political comment–folly enjoys bi-partisan ownership and support. I followed this story with interest because of its value to the leadership discussion. We are all leaders in some sense and we are all required to dismiss the myths of our culture in our addiction to truth. One biblical proverb says, ”Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment” (Proverbs 12:19) and the Apostle John taught that to deny sin (moral failure) is tantamount to self-deception and that admitting it results in mercy (1John 1:8-10). Our leaders must not be required to be right in every opinion and flawless in every initiative, and their artless confessions must be met with gracious forgiveness. When a leader’s reputation for flawlessness trumps truth, integrity and humility are lost and the game is all but over. Pray for your leaders. Pray for humility and integrity even more than competence.
“Behold, you [God] delight in truth in the inward being” — David, Psalm 51:6
“Truth crushed to earth shall rise again, the eternal years of God are hers; but error, conquered, writhes in pain, and dies amidst her worshippers” – William Cullen Bryant
“ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer” — David, Psalm 19:14
“To err is human, to forgive is divine” — Alexander Pope
Well said, Craig.