Leading Through Submission

5 areas a leader must be willing to submit to make lasting change.

authority – free will – accountability – perception – time

20th century neurologist, psychiatrist, author, philosopher, and holocaust survivor- Viktor Frankl- endured possibly the greatest of hardships and witnessed the worst atrocities imprisoned in the concentration camps of Nazi Germany. His book Man’s Search for Meaning describes his experience and postulates the theory that would become the focus of his work for the next 50 years. Frankl’s theory suggests that an individual’s primary motivator or driving force is to find purpose and meaning in life. He greatly emphasized one’s freedom to choose their own attitude or their response in any given situation. Here are the 3 basic tenets of his logotherapy theory:

• Life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable ones.
• Our main motivation for living is our will to find meaning in life.
• We have freedom to find meaning in what we do, and what we experience, or at least in the stance we take when faced with a situation of unchangeable suffering.

When we can’t change our situation, we can change ourselves.
As a leader, your greatest power of influence lies in recognizing when to change your perspective or adapt your approach. Whether you’re leading a team at work, leading your family, or one individual, the most significant difference you can make in the lives of those whom you lead is giving them the space to make a difference for themselves. This requires a more subtle approach in style of leadership than a brash “my way or the highway” mentality, or the often altruistic but burdensome “come with me if you want to live” style of leadership.

And while both of these styles may have their usefulness in the right circumstances, they should not be our default approach to leading others. Why? Because they may produce results for the task at hand, but they will not produce the longevity of positive change in those we are leading, and they will leave you either a leader with no followers or a burnt-out leader who can no longer lead.

Our goal should be to empower others to lead, and we must do our part to prepare them by understanding where they are in the process compared to where we would like them to be and lead through a submissive attitude and approach. We must learn to lead through submission. Specifically, submission in 5 key areas to make lasting positive change.

• Submission to Authority: Perhaps you’re leading a team as a manager, supervisor, or some other middle management title. You may be the general manager of a retail space and for that location the buck stops with you. There is always some authority above you. Whether it’s a district manager, CEO, shareholder’s, government, or God – there is always a higher authority. Learning to submit to those in authority over you will set the example for those you lead. Like children who follow their parent’s example, your team will follow yours. If you bicker in front of them about your manager, they will bicker amongst each other about you. Create a culture that honors those in authority, regardless of feelings. Remember that as Christians the Lord is our highest authority, and we should be reflecting His will in honoring those whose leadership we are serving.
  (1 Peter 2:13-25)
• Submission to Free-Will: Arguably the greatest gift granted to mankind is the freedom to choose our own way. To practice free will. When we are already in submission to God’s supreme authority and to the authority of those we serve, our free will has purpose and a clearly defined direction. As the proverb says:

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

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The heart of man plans his way,

    but the Lord establishes his steps.

Proverbs 3:6 / Proverbs 16:9

Our influence as leaders is most effective when we exercise our free will within the framework of God’s call to live righteously, and also within the values, laws, and guidelines set by our employers, government, and others in authority. We do well to recognize that we must submit to authority before exercising our free will.

And therein lies our greatest understanding when leading others. To be an effective leader, we must also submit to the free will of those we lead. We honor their perspective, their value, and human dignity when we allow them to exercise their free will in a given situation. Instead of the “my way or the highway” approach, we communicate the expectations and give the guidelines but allow others to choose their method of execution. Instead of the “come with me if you want to live” approach where we continually do everything for them and take an unnecessary burden upon ourselves, we allow others to do for themselves, with the freedom to learn from mistakes along the way.

Submitting to the free will of others allows us to delegate effectively and produces leaders. This allows others to take pride in their own successes and learn from their mistakes, holding themselves accountable for outcomes. When mistakes are made be there to coach them, not condemn them. Lead through submission by communicating the what (expectations) and why (reasons/priority) while allowing the how (method to accomplish) to be chosen at will!

Submission to Accountability: “With great power, comes great responsibility.” Uncle Ben’s admonition to Peter Parker has gone down as one of the greatest comic book lines in history. And for good reason. An awkward teenager who had just recently experienced some changes needed to hear the loving lesson of accountability. We all need reminding.

You are accountable to those in authority over you and to yourself. Those you lead are accountable to you and the expectations you set. You are also accountable to them. You set the example they are watching. You follow up (or don’t) with consequences to actions. You coach through mistakes and more effective methods. Submit to accountability at all times for those you serve and you will see trust build, progress grow, and leaders emerge.

Submission to Perception: There is a pervading new age philosophy that says “live your truth.” On the surface it’s akin to “just be yourself”, however with one big difference. Just be yourselfers like to highlight their uniqueness despite what others may think, live your truthers do it regardless of what others may think. And while I believe it is important to express yourself and utilize the skillset that is unique to you, I believe it is also important to be mindful of how others may perceive you so you can best relate to them where they are.

Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?

Amos 3:3

As leaders, we can not disregard someone’s perception of us and hope to lead effectively. We must also be mindful of how we are perceived by those who are in authority over us. This requires intentional thought and effort on our part to continually view ourselves through the various ways someone may view us. Utilize the put yourself in their shoes mentality, and hold yourself accountable to changing the negative impacts of how you are perceived. This does not mean that you falter on your principles to suit someone’s fancy, but may change your approach to a situation depending on the person involved. For example: You’re a retail manager. You may deliver the same expectation of sales but use a different approach when speaking with the twenty-two years old “I want to grow with the company” stock-boy versus the sixty-seven years old “working a part-time job just to socialize because I’m retired” grandmother.

Understanding how you want to be perceived and taking the time recognize how you are perceived by others will cause you as a leader to prioritize relationships over results and align priorities with your mission. Submitting to perceptions will allow your relationships to produce results. They will feel more connected to you as a person and therefore will connect to your goals and purpose and save you time and energy.

Submission to Time: We are all subject to time constraints. Whether it’s the privileged eighteen years of parenting, the 3p.m. email, or due date to pay the bill. Cultivating good character traits in ourselves and our children takes time. Executing the Christmas decor reset in the retail store takes time. Developing trust, accountability, and respect in relationships takes time. Submitting to time’s role in developing leaders around us, or accomplishing tasks, will help us lead others more effectively.

As a leader, be aware of the time constraints that you place on those you lead. Make sure they are realistic. We must be ready to adjust and adapt at any given moment. How we utilize our time is of great importance. Time is limited and we have good work to do.

Each one of these “submissions” builds upon the last. Who is your authority? Are you honorable in exercising your free will? Are you accountable for your words and actions? Are you aware of how others perceive you? Are you a good steward of the time given to you and others?

Jesus exemplified these as he submitted to the punishment of the cross. He honored the authority of God. He exercised free will by praying for this “cup to pass” and yet still chose to follow through within the framework and expectations laid out by the authority He submitted to. He was accountable to the mission He came to accomplish and also to the perceptions of the ones who condemned him for being a blasphemer. He submitted to time by building the future leaders over three years of His ministry. This culminated to His death on the cross at the symbolic time of Passover, and His raising to life by the power of the Holy Spirit in three days’ time.

Husbands and fathers, you are leading your family. You may be leading a construction crew, a classroom, or a retail shift. You may be a student. You may be a CEO. You may be a pastor leading a congregation, or a governor leading a state. We all have someone to lead, and someone to answer to. Let’s begin with ourselves.