GLS Session 6: Michelle Rhee “Students First” and Dr. Henry Cloud “The Evil, The Foolish, The Wise”

Global Leadership Summit Session 6: Michelle Rhee and Dr. Henry Cloud

For more on Michelle Rhee, see the The Bee Eater and Waiting for Superman.  Big take-away: sometimes leaders must be able to make the difficult, unpopular decisions.  I would like to watch her documentary.

Cloud: wherever you are, God has called you to be a steward of a vision.  Are you could to allow “that guy” (problem people) stand in the way of the vision.  These “problem people” job your joy, keep you up at night, and have the power to stop an organization.

What does a problem person do when reality/truth comes to them?  What are you doing with people who are allergic to reality?  You make certain assumptions as a leader, but not everyone is like you.  You cannot lead every person like they are the same. There are three types of people: the wise, the fools, and the evil.  (All of us have these parts in us.)

1. What is a wise person: when the light comes to them (when you confront them with truth), that person adjusts themselves.  “Correct a wise person and he will be wiser still.“  Wise people appreciate the correction.  As a leader, you just talk to wise people.  You resource them.  You need to make sure they are a match for what they want and you need.  And you have to keep them appropriately challenged.

2. The fool is maybe the most gifted person.  But the fool tries to adjust the truth when it comes to them. They deny it, change it, or they minimize it.  Or they shoot the messenger!  They will get angry when you confront them, and they make the messenger the problem.  Fools do not own their problems.  Fools don’t change.  “Do not confront or correct a fool, unless you incur insults upon yourself.”  They have stopped the vision.  As a leader you have to protect the vision and the culture of the team.  You must address the pattern of the fool who keeps denying their problems.  Fools have shame and fear issues.  There is great hope for fools.  Jesus died for fools.  But it takes guts to lead fools well.  But you need to limit your exposure, give them consequences, and give them a timeframe.

3. Evil people.  They need a different strategy.  They have destruction in their hearts.  They want to divide things and people.  “Reject a divisive person after a second warning, and then have nothing to do with that person.”

God has called you to lead people.  It’s about getting people to implement the plan/vision.  Don’t let someone’s character problem derail the vision.