Suppose there was a man who had risen to great power and influence as a result of his compelling vision, extraordinary skills, and fortunate circumstances. He had close to a lifetime of sweat equity vested in his accomplishments. His exploits were heralded in such a way as to conceal the chaff that is inevitably part of all human achievement. He had much to loose if anyone were to expose any weakness or dark side in his character. Such a man would face great temptation to surround himself with raging fans and to marginalize anyone who would threaten to tarnish his impeccable persona.
People who are powerful, successful, and highly regarded can be intimidating. Because of this, the rest of us may hesitate to hold them accountable, especially when we observe them in alleged “minor” offenses. I may have enough chinks in my own armor to make me think twice about confronting flaws I see in someone who has far more credibility and influence than me. Perhaps I fear that such a person could hurt me. Just a casual slight or dismissive comment from him could cause opportunities I might otherwise have had to vaporize. Faced with these fears, I just suck up to “the man”.
When a powerful person falls into sin, it’s not unusual for those who surrounded him to admit that they saw it coming. Little compromises, time and money unaccounted for, and the unexplained departures of previously trusted colleagues all pointed to trouble. Yet the loyal followers chose not to raise questions. For them it must have felt like a lose/lose proposition: “If I’m wrong, I’m humiliated. If I’m right, the gig is up. It’s safer to live in denial.” Yet I wonder how many great people could have been saved from disgrace if their followers had had the courage to hold them accountable.
So what do these observations mean for you?
If you are a leader, don’t be threatened by people who seek to hold you accountable. Don’t be put off by those who ask the hard questions, even if they come across as skeptical. These skeptics are giving you an opportunity to win their trust. They can become your most loyal supporters if you take the time to answer their questions honestly and transparently.
If you’re a loyal supporter, don’t be afraid to ask honest questions of your leaders. Ask with a positive expectation, not a tone of skepticism. A wise leader will take your courage to ask tough questions as an indication that you fully expect reasonable answers. He’ll know that you’re not one to live in denial and will view this as a sign of integrity.
If you’re one who feels like you’ve been marginalized because you’ve expressed concern to a leader, examine your motives. Were you motivated by the best interests of your organization or were you merely seeking to increase your personal power? Were you encouraged when a situation you identified was resolved or were you jealous when the leader heeded your warning yet choose to resolve the problem without your involvement? If you continue to be troubled because your concerns remain chronically unanswered, you should ask yourself the question, “Can I walk away peacefully?” You do have a responsibility to confront and to expose, if necessary, unlawful or immoral behavior of which you are aware. You do not have a right to broadcast every suspicion you might imagine just because your questions have not been answered to your satisfaction. Structures of accountability, especially in large organizations, must be reasonable, lest they place an undue burden on the leaders. You don’t necessarily have a right to know everything.
Finding cohorts and leaders with who you can build a high level of trust is not easy. First you must trust God; believing that He will protect you even if you get burned. Secondly, you must risk being authentic. Don’t reinvent yourself for the purpose of impressing a leader or fitting into a group. The best way to find your people is to be yourself. Third, you must take some risk by anteing trust to your cohorts, exercising patience, and letting trust grow. Trust grows at different rates for different people. Forth, you must forgive.
I’ve been asking myself these hard questions lately: Do I trust God? Do I trust Him enough to protect every opportunity to which He has called me? Am I willing to accept cheerfully the opportunities He gives me? Do I believe that my fate lies in God’s hands and not in human hands? Am I comfortable with the idea that God’s plans for me might involve suffering? Am I willing to hold others accountable, no matter how powerful or influential they might be? Am I willing to be an authentic person even if it means being marginalized by those in power? Am I willing to repent when I’m wrong? Am I willing to take responsibility when my failures are exposed?
Lord, please give me the courage to be all that you created and saved me to be!
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his[b]faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully (Romans 12:3-8, NIV).
