Off With His Head

The president ended General McChrystal’s command in a meeting that lasted only 20 minutes. According to one aide, the general apologized, offered his resignation and did not lobby for his job. This meeting was a result of an article in Rolling Stone magazine in which General McChrystal made statements that were critical towards the current administration’s efforts in the war in Afghanistan.

After a seesaw debate among White House officials, “there was a basic meeting of the minds,” said Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff and a major player in the deliberations. “This was not good for the mission, the military and morale,” Mr. Emanuel said. I guess there is a time and a place to air dirty laundry and a public magazine article was considered not the time and the place. I have to admit, I have gotten myself in trouble with announcing truth in an unfavorable atmosphere. Must one know when to politicize something and when not to?

Mr. Obama has forced out officials before, including the director of national intelligence, Dennis C. Blair; the White House counsel, Gregory Craig; even General McChrystal’s predecessor, Gen. David D. McKiernan. Maybe the president now has the right man for the job, someone that he can put his thumb on, someone who will agree with his agenda, someone who might not be so critical if the mission is not being accomplished? The question is, is this healthy, is it right, is it Biblical?

I am not trying to pick on the president; Lord knows there are enough people doing that, including Christians (What about Romans 13:1-6?). However, I would like to address this dilemma of making sure people on leadership teams, boards, staff, ministry

teams, and elderships always think alike -- that these teams would never challenge the status quo -- that people who are accountable to a group of leaders, to the best of their ability will always make sure to get individuals on their team -- that will always agree with them and never challenge their ideas, thinking, or actions.


Why do we seek a bunch of yes men for the team? Are we insecure? Is it a case of too much pride? Maybe we don’t need counsel, because we are always right anyway. I know that is true in my case. Ha ha. How would we process new thinking and new ideas, which would challenge our outdated thinking and old ideas? “I am in control and I am in charge here, no one can tell me what to do or what to think.” In reality, whether we like it or not we are all under authority and for us in the Christian realm that authority is ultimately God.

The high priest might even slap you in the face for such thoughts. Are we afraid of opposition that might cause us to think outside of our own box? Maybe we choose and formulate rah rah teams, because we just don’t want conflict, even though the Bible guarantees us that the storms of life will come?

I am responsible to a group of nine guys on my board, and ultimately, I am answerable to God. The latter frightens me more than the former. I am safe to say that because my board members never read this blog. Ha. We don’t all think alike, that is healthy. They don’t agree with everything I say. There is wisdom in counsel. I do accept their advice and guidance even though at the time it might make me angry, but as I swallow my pride, God really did use them to help NPEA become a holier ministry. I would not want to be responsible to a bunch of robots that always thought the same way and never challenged what we do here at NPEA.

I have also in my experience seen the negative flip side of a board always trying to keep the status quo and avoid conflict at all cost, never addressing the elephant in the room because of the fear that it might sit on them, and kill them, even though they are allowing it to kill the organization they are a part of. Why does a group of leaders do nothing when the leader is not following through with his/her obligations to the organization? Why does a group of leaders not make legitimate demands on an individual that is not doing his/her job? Why do a group of leaders seldom and sometimes never evaluate the individuals that work for them?
 

It is ironic that the business world probably does most of the above as far as boards are concerned. Most of the lack of follow through seems to take place in the Christian realm. Why shouldn’t God’s Kingdom have just as much integrity in this arena as the business world, if not more?

The ultimate answer to overcoming acedia is that we seek to develop and establish healthy, Biblical teams. Teams that work together to accomplish the mission that God has put on our hearts.

Teams that value accomplishing the mission more than they value making sure that we all stay friends. Teams that are secure and comfortable in their faith, which will allow them to be critical if needed in a loving manner (speaking the truth in love). Teams that aren’t afraid of conflict. Teams that will attack conflict and resolve it in a Biblical manner. Team members that will be loyal to the team at all times. Team members that will sell out to the goals and objectives of the team even though they might not have agreed with everything. (Once a decision has been made in the war room, whether we agreed or disagreed with it, our task now is to get behind the decision and accomplish the mission.) Teams that sincerely do love and care about each member on the team, so no matter what happens you won’t lose your head.