LEADERSHIP
LESSONS | The Growing EdgeApplying the Principles
Today, commentators often lament the way polls, not leaders, set
the direction and the pace. National leaders can seem captive to
the latest currents of thought and emotion, their convictions
seemingly irrelevant in the quest to take the pulse of the people
and therefore “lead them.”
It’s easy to lament and critique leaders; but it’s another thing
entirely to skillfully, and with integrity, lead without losing one’s
followers or convictions.
On racial issues, as on many others that confronted him dur-
ing his career, Billy had to constantly search his soul. He had to
drive stakes in the ground that would maintain his integrity yet
not jeopardize his primary mission.
Whatever our own leadership challenges, we face the same
core dynamics. How can we effectively lead in this area?Establish Convictions
Billy would listen carefully to a multitude of counselors before
he formed his own convictions on racial justice. A conviction is
but a shallow idea if it is simply reflective of how one was raised
or as a response to persuasive voices. Issues are complex, and
forming conviction takes depth of analysis and careful probing of
one’s soul.
Once established, convictions must be nurtured by fresh eval-
uations as new circumstances and information arise. Sometimes
new realities require they be modified. Leaders must seek that
mature space between being doctrinaire and bullheaded versus
wishy-washy and checking every wind of change.
Know the Edge
If we don’t have a good grasp of people’s intensities and beliefs
on an issue, we face two limitations. First, we won’t know how
to articulate our convictions in ways that communicate effectively
Expanding the Growing Edge