my son is studying chemistry in college, he wrote me yesterday to tell me that he has 3 labs.
yes, the lab. hands on independent discovery. theory tested. reality defined. problems solved.
most of us like the lab part of class.
cool equipment. dangerous work, bunson burners, safety goggles, chemicals that explode and burn and do cool stuff.
important work
discovering life
and death
and how it all works in between
in my own lab of life i have noticed :
that leaders have a freezing point.
anyone of of us, when leading
just like water, alcohol or oxygen
there are freezing points in our lives:
places
where one moment we were one way
and the next…
……………we are are very different
our old alive, moving, working as made to be
becomes frozen………….
oh, we swear we will never freeze
and then in frozen state
its too late
only the unfrozen
can rescue us
it looks like this in my living leaders lab:
a passionate person
they go into life with hope to use their talents to make a good mark on this world.
they serve
and give
and ask nothing
they seek not power-money-security-fame
they take risks
they recover quickly
running forward , growing in hope
and they swear that they will never “sell out”
and never do the hope dashing things that they experienced from others in their path
the wall
the red tape
the lack of support
being misunderstood
or passed over
being told-”you cant”
left to sleep in their car
to survive
we love the young passion and pure drive
its even the american way
someday, they say
i will help others make a way!
but then they get some area of leadership
a title or job
a position or place
something they can control
and hold onto
and put their name on
and along comes
—the choice—
a moment they hold
that could make them freeze inside
the very hope that got them into a position now frozen.
here comes a new young passionate person
who wants to work -or help-or something
they dont know
they are just all about x!
they are happily boot strapping
“eating rats to survive”
sleeping on floors
thrifting in shabby stores
but the gifts are clear, talents growing
the questions
in our “achieved” leaders mind
swirl
should we help the young buck?
how we chose
could make us freeze
from the passionate man we were
the one who would never sell out
never be a wall….
only a hand to help the younger
listening to our own thoughts can make us cold:
our boss
our reputation
our “flock”
our paycheck
our safety
our family
why do we see the young man now different already
like this?
one eye sees clear
the other, is cloudy and cold
is the young man a threat
a risk
or detriment
maybe
is there room for maybe?
who am i to say?
its getting hazy
i cant see
that he
is just like younger me
passionately crazy
risky
that risk could hurt me
im getting colder
i have a boss
a flock
a reputation
—this is the freezing point.
of a leader
once left the risk
now a risk manager
with other risk managers to help
once totally trusted God
now
helps god…. a little
once knew of nothing to fear
except being frozen
now fears
once took failing as normal course of living
now sees it
as death
and in doing so makes it death
for others
once though there was power to be free
from mindsets
addictions
thoughts
now waits
just to die
to be free
and tells the young passionate
that “technically” you can be free
but most likely
you wont be
not even with “accountability”
no more hope
makes leader
icy
now wounded
protective shields up
this loss of radical love
ironicly
freezes
the very thing
we are
trying to protect
faith now small
some talk of hope mixed with
some me
im a proven leader
that the way its shown to me
i will never cease
but i may slow down
its too steep for me
i used to be young
and now frozen i cant
pass the baton
to this younger leader
next to me
i cant even really see him
the world has a leadership void.
thats! the key
we should talk about that
to set the young leaders free
into our cage
of frozen passions
and lots of wordy theology
so its a cold country now
filled with
cold leaders
apathetic youth
broken families
the worlds wealth
hopeless addiction
will we hurt to set the frozen free?
and how do I keep this freeze
from happening to me?
i will study the leaders who stay frozen free
