Category: Leadership Skills

On this Maundy Thursday, we start three days of solemn remembrance of the events leading up to and immediately following the crucifixion of Jesus. The English word “Maundy” comes from the Latin mandatum, which means “commandment.” As recorded in John’s gospel, on his last night before his betrayal and arrest, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and then gave them a new commandment to love one another as he had loved them (John 13:34).

This is a different picture than what we generally see of the modern “macho” man in America.  According to research, the five most difficult statements for the modern man to make are:  (1) I don’t know; (2) I was wrong; (3) I need help; (4) I’m afraid; and (5) I’m sorry.  In other words, real men don’t admit vulnerability.  But Jesus provided a different example.  So did John the Baptist.  One of his best known statements was in reference to Jesus:  “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30).

There’s nothing phony about John’s humility—it’s real.  He has come to grips with who he is in relation to Jesus.  A humble man is not afraid to admit it.

Interestingly, Simon Sinek has found similar traits when researching leaders in industry.  Check out my summary of his latest book, Leaders Eat Last.

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Being named the fifth HR Director for NASA’s Johnson Space Center last November was a humbling experience for me…especially when I considered the legacies left by our Mount Rushmore of Leaders.  So, I began to think…what kind of legacy do I want to leave with the organization?

Last week, we convened our HR Leadership Team retreat, and I talked with the team for the first time about what we should deliver over the next five years.  We’re focused on a long-term workforce strategy that provides the right “forward fills” for our Journey to Mars.  We want to prepare leaders at all levels for a successful future, and we want to emphasize Inclusive Leadership as a key skill.  Within HR, I want to emphasize a “Culture of Leadership.”  I explained that this involves aligning authorities with responsibilities; rewarding ideas and innovation; a round table (not hierarchical) approach to decision-making; and preparing the organization for the future.

To help with this idea, I listened to an on-line workshop by David Marquet last December and followed that by reading his book Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders during the Christmas break.  I really appreciated his story and advice and hope that you will too.

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