I was fascinated by the Leader to Leader summary of Thomas Kolditz book on In Extremis Leadership. In extremis is an adverb that means “at the point of death.” Kolditz thus defines in extremis leadership as giving purpose, motivation and direction to people when there is imminent physical danger, and where followers believe that leader behavior will influence their physical well-being or survival. In their book they systematically studied leaders and followers in dangerous settings: police, firefighters, soldiers, mountain guides and others, including 36 Iraqi prisoners of war. In their interviews, they discovered a distinctive pattern of in extremis leadership.
I realize that leadership in the spiritual world is not leadership in the kind of battle where we risk–at least directly–flesh and blood. Paul reminds us that we lead others not into a place of physical danger, but into a struggle against rulers, against authorities, against the powers of this dark age and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Eph. 6:10-12). And yet, the Bible affirms over and over this reality: when we build spiritual movements, we serve a God At War against spiritual forces both real and fierce and deadly. And in that war, we lead those who look to us for spiritual (and perhaps even physical) well-being or survival. In our spiritual tasks, we too must give a type of in extremis leadership, of which the lessons learned by Kolditz might be instructive.
According to Kolditz, the in extremis pattern of leadership suggest that leaders exhibit:
1. A Learning Orientation: Kolditz observed that the in extremis contexts are inherently motivating and energizing to those who are in it. Cheerleading and motivation are thus less necessary. But what is required by leaders in such contexts of potential hostility is the ability to scan the environment and learn very, very rapidly. So when leaders find themselves among highly motivated followers, they should pay extra attention to precursors to learning–awareness of the environment, creativity, critical thinking, and outcome analysis. Motivation is most powerful with paired with an emphasis on learning.
2. Shared Risk: Sharing the same risks as those we lead enhances our credibility and improves our effectiveness. In extremis leaders place more value on taking care of their followers than they place on their own comfort or personal safety. To be the best leader we can be, we will gain the most trust and loyalty by demonstrating in tangible ways that both risk and reward are distributed fairly in the organization, and that much of the risk is your own.
In discussions with my nephew after his tour in Iraq as a Marine, I asked him what distinguished in his mind the best leaders. He said, “The ones who ate dust with us. I never respected the leader who sent someone else to retrieve me from the front lines and bring me back to the safety of headquarters for some sort of orders or directions. I always respected the leader who made his way to the front, who ate dust with us, to give me orders.”
3. A Values-Based Lifestyle: The lifestyles commonly led by in extremis leaders continually broadcast the message: “I’m not in this role for my personal gain.” Such leaders exhibit a lack of ego investment and live a life of willing commitment to the cause, the organization, and to their followers. Selflessness and humility are internalized, part of their character; they are characteristics, not techniques. Kolditz observed that in extremis leaders lacked materialism, focused on values and accepted, even embraced a lifestyle common to their followers.
4. Competence: Followers demand leader competence, and nowhere is that more critical than in dangerous contexts. Kolditz observed that the average soldiers is likely to find court martial to be an attractive option compared to following the orders of an incompetent leader in a war zone. “Only competence commands respect, and respect is the coin of the realm in in extremis settings.” Competence, trust and loyalty are inextricably intertwined. Competence leads to trust relationships in dangerous contexts, and trust leads to loyalty.
5. Passion: In extremis leaders aren’t typically drafted. The dangers are too great, the pay too low. They are leaders with passion–enjoying the challenge while making the commitment to serve. Their passion inspires and influences . . . they want to lead, but not out of some desire to advance bureaucratically. Amazingly, they often love what they are doing.