Leadership Through the Lens of Mary Lou Anderson’s “Leaders”

Leave a comment

I remember meeting Mary Lou Anderson when I was in leadership training as an officer. Her poem stuck with me for the last 25 years and has always influenced how I envision leadership. Her poignant words from her 1970 House of Delegates Address encapsulate a profound vision of leadership. Mary Lou Anderson articulates a leadership ethos that transcends conventional paradigms, urging leaders to embrace the challenges of shaping history.

The Lonely Stand of Leadership

Anderson introduced a vivid image of leaders standing in the “lonely place, Between the no longer and the not yet,” portraying the unique position leaders find themselves in — a space filled with uncertainty yet overflowing with potential. Difficult decisions are the essence of leadership: navigating uncharted waters with the courage to make decisions that will forge the future. It emphasizes the solitary journey of creating impactful, pivotal choices that impact history. It may only be the history of one organization, but what are the ripples of that history?

The Call to Courage and Risk

Defying the allure of popularity, safety, and conformity, Anderson puts out a call of leadership characterized by bravery and risk-taking. Her belief that “We are not called to be popular, / We are not called to be safe” highlights the essence of leadership as the capacity to make uncomfortable decisions that may defy immediate approval for transformative change. She celebrates the audacity required to challenge existing norms, change mindsets, and take bold steps toward creating a more equitable world.

The Gamble for a Better World

She ends with an appeal for leaders to “gamble our lives / For a better world,” emphasizing the altruistic aim of leadership. This powerful statement underlines leadership as a selfless quest for societal improvement, emphasizing a commitment to the collective good over personal accolades. The use of “gamble” accentuates the unpredictability and sacrifices intrinsic to the leadership journey, portraying true leaders as those prepared to risk everything for the benefit of others.

My Vision Formed by Mary Lou Anderson

“Leaders” by Mary Lou Anderson profoundly reflects on the essence and challenges of leadership. Through her depiction of a leader’s role, Anderson, in our leadership training, provided us with a vision of leadership, championing a model based on courage, risk, and altruism. In a world constantly evolving, her message remains pertinent, calling upon leaders to rise to the noble task of historical transformation. I find her words still guide me and inspire me.

LEADERS

Leaders are called to stand
In that lonely place
Between the no longer and the not yet
And intentionally make decisions
That will bind, forge, move,
And create history.

We are not called to be popular,
We are not called to be safe,
We are not called to follow.
We are the ones called to take risks,
We are the ones called to change attitudes,
To risk displeasure,
We are the ones called to gamble our lives
For a better world.

House of Delegates Address 1970
Mary Lou Anderson

The Spirit of Higher Education Should be Equality

Leave a comment

Equality (1)

Once a month I speak with a spiritual director. Today he was rather insistent that I am where I am supposed to be and am her for a reason. This came after a discussion of a need to see the mission as greater than any one individual and the need for a spirit of unity within any organization.

I am opposed to class systems that separate people. The separation in our culture is largely based on wealth, occupation, social network, and education status. While wealth in the United States is either earned or inherited and social networks are frequently associated with birth into a community, education should be available to all.  If one is so fortunate to be born with the necessary intelligence to pursue a university education, the person should not be treated unequally in any educational institution. We know that private schools sometimes offer preferential treatment for those who have parents that are alumni or sufficient wealth to influence the admissions process. This should never be the case in public institutions. It is the role of a public institution to eliminate even the perception of bias. Once enrolled it is the responsibility of the professors and leadership – legal, ethical, and moral – to ensure that system is equitable.

Allowing inequality in education, and establishing a system that rewards the privileged increases the likelihood that class bias is carried into our general society and perpetuated by graduates who had it reinforced in school.

Universities should be doing all possible to educate the whole person. Let us endeavor to educate students in a manner that demonstrates that God-given gifts do no justify preferential treatment.  By our actions, we should model our espoused values and implement policies and practices that make us stronger as a whole by respecting the individual and honoring equality.

Perhaps we lost our way when we forgot that the heart of leadership lies in the hearts of leaders. We fooled ourselves, thinking that sheer bravado or sophisticated analytic techniques could respond to our deepest concerns. We lost touch with our most precious gift-our spirit. To recapture spirit, we need to relearn how to lead with soul. How to breathe new zest and buoyancy into life. How to reinvigorate the family as a sanctuary where people can grow, develop, and find love. How to reinfuse the workplace with vigor and elan. Leading with soul returns us to ancient spiritual basics reclaiming the enduring human capacity that gives our lives passion and purpose [Bolman and Deal, 1995, p. 21 in Arthur W. Chickering;Jon C. Dalton;Liesa Stamm. Encouraging Authenticity and Spirituality in Higher Education (pp. 35-36). Kindle Edition].