Lessons from the swimming pool

I am sitting watching my niece in her swimming class. She is fascinated by all that is going on. She is a beautifully inquisitive and engaging 10month old. She has a gentle and calm disposition. But according to my sister-in-law, my niece doesn't like the bit when they go under the water. Suddenly when the water hits her face she changes. She squeals at the shock. It is as if she is saying 'Mummy what on earth just happened?' It shouldn't have been a shock, she was warned. Mummy told her several times what was about to happen, and so did the teacher, but it was as if she either didn't listen or was simply too fascinated by everything else that was going on to register the instructions. Now her eyes are fixed on mummy, but she doesn't want to have another go at going under the water. Fear of being shocked again has robbed her of the joy she had a few moments ago. But she needn't fear. Her mummy is there, it is totally safe. Mummy loves her. Parents are to protect us and empower us. Empower us in the sense of releasing us to be all we were created to be, releasing us to reach our full potential. Releasing us to be greater than they were. That's why mummy is taking my niece swimming, to enable her to swim so she will be safe around water. Protecting and empowering.

Parenting is a good model of what leadership and authority looks like. Parents have authority over their children. Team leaders in the work place have authority over their teams. Bosses have authority over their employees. However, today we seem to struggle with the concept of 'authority'. The very word provokes strong reactions. And add in the concept of 'submitting to authority' and it sometimes unzips people, rather like opening the lid on a can of cockroaches. This doesn't totally surprise me because when I look around, sometimes I struggle to see good role models of authority. Instead I see leaders (or parents) controlling or holding someone back out of their own insecurity, not releasing others to be greater. Or, at the other end of the spectrum, I see parents pushing children to be something they're not, simply because the parents wished they had been or done that one thing. I see bosses crushing the creativity and suggestions of those below them simply because they are insecure, or trying to build their own empire. I see bosses taking the credit for ideas that are not their own, or blaming employees for something that went wrong instead of owning the responsibility as the leader.

Yes, authority has been abused, in the home, in the workplace and in the government of our land. But just because it has been abused does not mean it is an outdated concept. Quite the contrary. It is a beautiful thing to be under authority that protects and empowers, training you to be greater, releasing you to be more than you are already. This type of leadership is known as servant-hearted leadership. Servant-hearted because it seeks to protect and defend, and ultimately the leader would give up their own life to save the life of another. To protect them. Servant-hearted because the leader lays down their rights to their own desires and pride and serves another, pouring out and investing for the other to become greater.

Sounds like being a parent doesn't it? As a doctor on a children's intensive care unit I  looked after some of the sickest children in England. Many a parent said to me they would do anything to save/help their child. They would literally give up their life it they thought it would help. That is protecting, defending, fighting for those under your care. And in the same way, what mother at home with small children denies that looking after them is a sacrifice? A laying down of her rights to her own time, her own desires etc etc. It truly is a servant-hearted job especially when the children are small. I wonder what your workplace would look like if these concepts were applied there? I wonder what my workplace would look like, if I led like that and embodied this principle?

And now my niece's swimming lesson has finished. Today, she actually went under the water. She didn't squeal, she loved it. I could see the grin of delight on her face as I watched from the seating area. She knows she has a mummy who protects and empowers. And I pray she grows up to be the same. A servant-hearted leader. Someone who protects and empowers.

By the way, Jesus is the greatest role model of this type of leadership. Servant-hearted leadership. So if you want to know more about how this concept works, read his book.