Chris Morton » leadership

What Obi-Wan, Dumbledore and Jesus Have in Common

Chris — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:05:42 +0000

I finally got a chance to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, an angsty film that falls short of the book’s entrancing sense of obsession and fear. While an otherwise mediocre film, the director does a great job of capturing the anti-climactic death of the great wizard Dumbledore, who, weak from a fruitless mission, chooses not to go down in a blaze of glory, and is simply pushed out a window.

Dumbledore’s death is reminiscent of Obi-Wan’s final salute and parting words to Darth Vader, “You can’t win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.”

Neither Dumbledore and Obi-Wan make it through the end of the series, but both leave a legacy, and inspire others to carry on their own work. It’s not to different from my favorite non-fictional superhero, Jesus. In giving up his life, he brought the exile of Israel and mankind from God to an end, and opened up the door for the Holy Spirit and the Church to carry out his mission.

This is a tough lesson to learn. I want to fight for what I believe is true, no matter what the cost. If you betray the principles you are fighting for, it doesn’t matter if you are right, and a well aimed defeat can be as strategic as a hard won victory.

Lead Like Moses?

Chris — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 14:00:47 +0000

I’ve never seen a leadership book on Moses, which is odd, considering his place in history and the formation of Judaism and Christianity. Perhaps it’s because Moses leadership was often so lethal.

It started with the Egyptian he murdered and buried in the desert. Then there was the whole ten plagues thing. But Moses really hits his leadership stride while wandering the desert in the book of Numbers. First Moses is called about by his own brother and sister. God sends leprosy on Miriam to show that Moses is his man. Then there’s the rebellion that ends with the ground swallowing up thousands of dissidents. It seems like almost every other paragraph there is a plague against those who disagree with Moses.

Moses leadership is marked by the failure and death of all those who disagree with him. But Moses himself, with the exception of the mistake he made in his youth, has no desire to see these people suffer and die. It is simply a consequence of going up against God’s chosen leader.

Leadership is a sacred responsibility, and we should not take lightly those who God places there. It could end bad.

Who’s Watching?

Chris — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:00:41 +0000

You never know who’s watching. The people that you mean the most to are seldom the ones you’ve poured the most into, or the ones you wish liked you. Often, they are the ones in the back of the room keeping track of everything you say and do.

During my last high school choir concert two gorgeous girls came up to me, almost in tears, asking me to sign their yearbook. They told me how much they’d miss me, how much they respected me and had learned from me. I was shocked that they even knew who I was, and that I hadn’t asked at least one of them out years ago.

Yesterday, I had someone introduce themselves to me, and explain to me how much they’d miss me. Others, who I barely know, feel the need to express their hopes and prayers for me.

This brings a lot of mixed feelings, but perhaps the greatest is a sense of weight and responsibility. People are watching, people who you wouldn’t even imagine are watching. They are learning from you, leaning on you from a distance. They will remember things you don’t even remember doing. Give them your best.