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Learning to Lead

• October 19th, 2006

Of all the tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. I think this expresses my sentiments precisely. I was discussing this very idea with a colleague of mine this morning. Robin agrees with its message but also is wonderful about sharing the opposite of this perspective. She finds most of her examples, if not all right here at Hope House. I not only appreciate this, I need it. It’s not that I don’t see all that is right and life affirming about the support that we offer folks with disabilities; I see it often. I live in and share the same community, pay attention most of the time, but more than I care to admit sometimes to the wrong things. Well maybe not wrong but misplaced or too heavily weighted in regards to my focus. I think people in my position get in the habit of concentrating on what’s not right, a life that is still not supported in a way that appears to work or produce joy or self direction…..I get caught up in problems. I read once that if you seek to lead then you seek to solve problems and if you don’t accept that it’s like playing baseball and not wanting to step up to bat, or practicing medicine and not wanting to treat the disease. I suppose I believe this, leadership deals with filling the gap between what is and what needs to be, maybe that is how I have always sought to fill this role, maybe there is so much that I still believe must change that I am unable to lead in any other way, its habit, familiar, like the love of your life or the perfect blanket… complex and simple.

Robin and I talked about a new approach to providing our monthly report to our funders and board; we want to stop listing what the people we support do and start writing stories about what we are learning. Robin wrote the first one, it was moving and brilliant. I told her so and her response wa that she could write hundred more. I needed that.