I've been back from Israel now for 2 whole weeks, and I still find my mind spinning from the experience. I hope many of you had a chance to look at my pictures and read the mini- stories that I put in the captions.
The REALITY experience wasn't meant to be a one-and-done deal for the participants. We're now part of a network that we can continue to access to help us with our professional and spiritual growth. And, in classic TFA style, our trip leaders and coordinators are making us do a lot of reflecting on the trip, how it may have shaped our values, and how it is influencing our professional decisions.
One of my favorite leadership exercises on the trip was a session we did profiling the greatest qualities of some political leaders in the Bible. We did what you might call a "case study" on the book of Exodus: What did it take to move an entire nation out of slavery against the wishes of the most powerful king in the world, mobilize them, journey them across the desert, reestablish their culture and identity, and establish a new nation? Thinking about that in a modern business mindset is kind of shocking! What would that look like today? And who did it back then? We looked at the 4 big guys involved in that project and what made them special:
1. Moses: He's our visionary, but let's face it. Buddy wasn't really popular. He stuttered, he was always yelling at everybody, and sometimes he'd tromp off to a mountain and hang out there for more than a month to figure stuff out and talk to clouds and bushes. People could not have been confident in a guy like that, but you have to hand it to him- he had a vision, and he stuck to it.
2. Aaron: Made life a lot better for old Mos' by being the great communicator. The people loved him and he made it all make sense for them with great speeches and fabulous rhetoric. Can't say he was very deep: he let the vision slip as soon as Moses was gone and he was in charge (golden calf anyone?) But even though he slipped up, the journey would have been impossible without his instructions.
3. Miriam: When things are tough and a vision is starting to feel impossible, someone on your team has to be the optimistic cheerleader. Miriam did a lot of singing and dancing, she cheered the people up and kept their spirits going. She was the USO of the wandering tribes, you could say. Without good morale, can any any leadership challenge succeed?
4. Josh: This guy kept the books. He organized the tribes and set people on the right path. He probably figured out the best ways for manna distribution and the like, but the bible skips that part. We do know he was essential for the logistics of the operation, and even though he wasn't super cheery or had any kind of ground-breaking ideals, we learn from him that pragmatism is key to undertaking any huge venture.
Since I've been back to work and starting what is presumably going to be my career, I've been giving a lot of thought to who in that group of four I most relate to, and how the other people in my office and life fill those different roles. I've been thinking about different leaders I've worked with in my and what qualities made them successful. I've also been doing a lot of thinking about when they needed help, and what things I need the most help with. Who, from that Exodus case study, do you most relate with?
Deep thoughts for a Sunday night. Next week should be a crazy one at work. I'll have lots to tell about what it's like to write a proposal for Bill Gates! I'll be calling on my inner-Josh so I don't lose track of the disgusting amount of paperwork that I'll be handling.
Peace and Love.
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