Reverence For Leadership Effectiveness

One of our innate tests of effective leadership is reverence.

Sadly, reverence is somewhere off-stage today, jammed into a box in some civic storage facility for a social fee. There, we keep the nostalgic things, and stuff we are just too lazy to handle but we suspect still have value. Like reverence.

You remember reverence, don’t you? It’s about a deep respect for someone or something. Somehow, we’ve lost respect for the word, and “reverence” makes us feel uncomfortable outside of a religious context. We live in a world lacking respect. Respect is due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others: respect for human rights.

“Leaders” who cause trauma are partly to blame. Yet, if we aren’t practicing a strong set of core social values (like fairness and reciprocity) that preempt gregarious greed, we play a role in this, too. When people imitate arrogant, selfish leaders, they get what they deserve, and this is very difficult to reverse.

We must be discerning about the company we keep and where we place our reverence. Lofty aspirations are less important than attending to worthy and virtuous actions. The company we keep and the discernment we bring to our attention and attendance is of primary and disproportionate importance.

Feeling deep reverence for your politicians or corporate executives, lately?

If so, write and tell me who they are and what supports your reverence. I’d like to feature them appreciatively.