Martin King also understood that executive decision-making is not a string of individual orders. Rather, it is more of a continuous, uninterrupted process that is similar to the beating of a heart that sends blood through our body. Without it there is no life. Donald T. Phillips: Martin Luther King Jr, on Leadership.
Leadership is an art form that requires you to work at the intersection of sensitive facilitator and fearless visionary. As a leader, your role is to inspire, cajole, mediate, and motivate your staff to work beyond their self-imposed limitations – to establish a workplace where people come to become better people. Leadership asks you to see and tap the talents that each staff member possesses, to help bring out their best so they can do the same for our KIPPsters; it will bring out your best as well. Enlightened leaders create this SuperVision through dynamic and authentic communication, transparent ethics, and the desire and skills to develop leaders within their organization.
Staff meetings provide common ground to reinforce this culture, creating a sacred space to anchor intention where reverence and rigor reside comfortably. The word sacred is used here in a spiritual not religious context. It refers to creating a space that is dedicated exclusively to a single purpose. A place that is worthy of respect, where we identify and honor our values, manifest a fulfilling and mindful approach to work and life, and be fully present to the possibilities.
The purpose of a meeting is to take care of business, build and nurture teams and reinforce community culture. It’s a time and place to problem-solve, maintain clear and open communication channels, and exchange news that affects the daily management of the organization. Meetings are a place where staff can push through callused patterns, struggle to connect their heads with their hearts, take risks in front of one another, and laugh out loud.
You might ask: How can I do this and still focus on our mission, keep my primary stakeholder’s best interest at heart and in mind, and conduct business? In fact, your purpose will be clearer and stronger, your team will feel more committed to their work, and the level of productivity will increase when you develop the practice of meetings as sacred space.
Staff meetings provide a place where:
- Everyone owns a piece of the Truth.
- Bringing out the best in others is good for people and good for business.
- Feedback and conflict (even challenging criticism and evaluation) can be a positive, uplifting experience, when the goal is to bring out that best.
- Most people will pursue what they need to learn in an atmosphere of trust and encouragement.
- Passion and laughter are necessary.
These essential elements lead us through the arduous process of self-discovery and self-actualization as we become more authentic and daring. When meetings are sacred spaces, particularly when the organization’s business is people centered like KIPP is, it becomes possible to intentionally live the mission, act on the organization’s values, and embody its vision.
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