Shepherding-Leadership -- a New Very-Old Model

What do call the people you work for -- bosses, managers, owners?  

● What kind of people are they?

● How do they treat others?

● How do they treat you?

● How do they treat themselves?

I have heard, and I feel, that the leaders of many companies, especially big corporations, have place “Value” (money and wealth) over “Values” (the timeless ideas of what it means to be moral and ethical people who value the common good). Have corporate leaders sacrificed concerns over the well-being of their workers in the name of more profits?

The more I look at this situation the more I believe that the results are: less productivity, less or no loyalty, more stealing, and less creativity. Devaluing workers also devalues their work. There is very little mentoring. People feel isolated, helpless, afraid of losing their jobs, angry and enraged, sometimes to the point of inflicting their rage on their co-workers or bosses – at the very extreme by shooting those they blame -- or by committing suicide and killing themselves. 

Maybe we need to rethink these things. Is there another model for leadership that should be considered? I believe that the Biblical metaphor of a Good Shepherd has a great potential. Think back to those terribly boring Sunday School stories for a moment. Some of the most important characters in the biblical text were shepherds -- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David, to name a few. By the way, that other Jewish guy named “Jesus” was also called a “Good Shepherd,” and the first person to be murdered in the Torah was also a shepherd, the first shepherd, and he was named Abel. The Creator seems to really prefer shepherds to lead his people.

What kind of qualities does a “Good Shepherd” possess?

● they are with the flock

● they provide sustenance for the flock

● they guide the flock in the right direction

● they protect the flock from danger

● they search for members of the flock that become lost

● they strengthen weak members of the flock

Can you imagine what the benefits would be to everyone involved in company if the leaders followed the “Shepherding-Leadership Model?” I believe its long-term profits would increase, its sales would grow, creativity and productivity would dramatically increase – and a new spirit of loyalty, satisfaction and peace would be revealed.

I know – you think I'm dreaming -- right? But I am not, because I know of some leaders of corporations that are doing things in a “shepherding way.” Their workers are happier and productive because they and their work are valued. This power model does not require a huge capital investment. It requires a spiritual investment at the top, beginning with a set of commonly accepted and shared core values, beginning with the “highest value” of all – “the protection and preservation of human life.” “Shepherding-Leadership” acknowledges that employees have lives outside of work and what happens away from work can have tremendous impacts of what happens at work. The rewards of this leadership model will far outweigh the investment required – and those rewards will reach far beyond the workplace.

Choose Life By Doing TOV,

Rabbi Jeffrey Leynor

If you like my blog, please visit my TOV Center FaceBook Page and “Like It” by clicking here! Please share my blogs with others too!