The eCrozier

I was blessed before our Diocesan Convention to share some intentional time with the Bishop Search Committee. We spent five hours together under the leadership of Dan Suwyn of Christ Church Episcopal, Savannah. Dan works with people in organizations to help them serve better together. We did a particular exercise that he has done many times with new CEOs so they can get a good grasp of their organization’s history. Dan’s background is brain neuroscience. He pointed out four parts of the brain moving from the back of the neck to the forehead: reptilian, limbic, cerebral cortex, and prefrontal lobes. The reptilian part functions for self-protection and asks: “Am I safe?” The limbic part focuses on tribal belonging and asks: “Am I accepted and included?” The cerebral cortex is the center of rational function where we deal with objective and subjective issues. The prefrontal lobes are our center of creativity.

Now what does this have to do with us as leaders in the Church? It connects with work I have done with clergy and vestries on trust development. There are interestingly enough four layers of trust development in any group. The first is acceptance and inclusion. Group members need to experience this in order for them to function well together. The second is the experience of the free flow of truthful information. If the experience is that this is being withheld, then trust cannot be developed. The third are the tasks or goals the group has at hand. And the fourth is the group’s envisioning of the future. These layers are cumulative. One can’t get to the fourth layer without dealing faithfully with the first three. So, for example, the when a group is stuck trying to accomplish a task it is often because there are trust issues around acceptance and inclusion and/or the free flow of truthful information.

Leaders in the Church often want to jump in and accomplish tasks, set goals, and lay out a vision. But we neglect the necessary work of inclusion and acceptance and then the free flow of truthful information. If you wonder why vestry meetings sometimes don’t accomplish what you hoped or that you are having trouble getting parishioners to stay focused on goals, it might be that you should work the reptilian and limbic layers first. Work on mutual inclusion and acceptance and the sharing of truthful information first and then you will have better success in getting folk to focus on goals and vision.

That is what Jesus did consistently. Remember the woman caught in adultery? She and her accusers were unable to envision and experience God’s grace. Jesus first stopped the stoning so she was safe. He then reached out to her so she would experience acceptance and inclusion. Then he made sure truthful information was shared (“Boys, if any of y’all are without sin, then you’re welcome to cast the first stone”). It was only then that there was a possibility that those gathered could experience God’s grace, which I believe, was Jesus’ goal. The woman, when Jesus tells her that no one was left to condemn her and that she should go and sin no more, was then able to envision a new future for herself through the loving grace of God.

Find yourself stuck in your leadership? Work the reptilian and limbic.

+Scott