Choosing the Right Team

Note: This is an excerpt from Sergeant Greg Doyle's new book, The Stinging Salve, due for release on June 20, 2009. Greg Doyle is a 28-year veteran of the Upland Police Department, Upland, California.

Thoughts on Status Quo Leadership

When I was a kid, the Hans Christian Andersen classic "The Emperor’s New Clothes" became a favorite of mine not only because someone important was walking around naked (a very funny notion to a ten-year-old boy), but also because the emperor in the story was oblivious to the fact he was being duped by people he trusted. Though the story was written for children, on closer inspection it is clear Mr. Andersen was really addressing serious issues in life, which we all would be wiser to heed.

As the story goes, the emperor was very concerned about outward appearances, so much so that he insisted on wearing very elegant clothing, which he changed every hour. The word of this strange behavior spread all over the Kingdom, until two scoundrels heard about it. They devised a scheme to approach the emperor and pose as two expert tailors, who would craft an outfit unparalleled by any clothing of that day. In fact, the material used would be “invisible” to anyone too stupid to see its beauty and quality.

The emperor was hooked in by the scam. Soon he was paying great sums of money for visits by the two scoundrels, who displayed the invisible cloth for the emperor’s approval. Not wishing to be thought stupid, the emperor began to believe the invisible material was really there. Soon all of his advisors and counselors followed suit (excuse the pun.) With the emperor’s money in hand, the scoundrels fled town. Meanwhile the emperor paraded himself around publicly in his newly acquired suit. Oddly enough, it took a little boy to point out that the emperor was indeed naked.

Status quo leadership tends to be static. Most often, chief executives surround themselves with subordinate leaders who generally agree with them. Unfortunately, choosing subordinate leaders like oneself creates an enormous (and often incestuous) blind spot, which usually translates into miscommunications, misunderstandings, mistakes, and missteps all along the chain of command. Rather than doing what is in the best interests of the organization, status quo leadership becomes more interested in protecting its own power by suppressing subordinates who do not agree with them. Communist and fascist regimes of the last century are stark examples of status quo leadership models at their worst.

Generally speaking, status quo leadership becomes most vulnerable (naked) when it fails to acknowledge the dissenting voice within the organization. Most often, the dissenting voice is the person or group closest to the problem at hand, with the least amount of power to affect change within the organization. Some organizations spend inordinate amounts of time trying to suppress dissent. Usually, suppression creates resentful martyrs, grudging grumblers, and chronic complainers.

Other organizations choose to simply ignore dissenters, most often to their inevitable embarrassment. One can only wonder if the famed vessel Titanic would have survived her maiden voyage had the interest in crossing the Atlantic safely in warmer waters been the real objective, rather than crossing the ocean in record-breaking time.

It may be helpful at this juncture to point out what dissent should look like within any organization. Dissent should never have as its objective the confiscation of power, the overthrow of leadership, or any adverse undertaking that could dismantle or destroy the integrity of the organization. Sinking the organization creates casualties, invites interference from outside influences, and undermines confidence in the organization from its clientele and the general public. One need only remember the losses suffered in the Titanic disaster to appreciate keeping the organization afloat no matter who is at the helm.

Ideally dissent should be the ability to respectfully voice constructive disagreement and be heard. Such dissent should be welcomed within the organization without reprisal and with an
attentive ear by leadership to revisit or address any perceived disparity. For example, if your organization was planning a huge outdoor company picnic and spent thousands of dollars in
preparation, wouldn’t it be a good idea to listen to the voice of dissent who pointed out all weather reports predicted a massive thunderstorm for the day of the event? Has anybody ever eaten soggy potato salad?

Does this mean all constructive dissent should be received by leadership without prejudice? YES! Does it mean every constructive dissent will result in an immediate change in marching orders? No. Positive change within any organization requires a well-communicated and shared vision, thoughtful planning, re-tooling and training, feedback, and a timetable for future implementation. What it could translate into over time is a greater participation in the organization by subordinates and less micro-management from the top of the organization down. It could also mitigate much of the “Us versus Them” mentality which plagues organizational effectiveness.

To whom did Jesus pass the reins of power in his organization? Would you believe Christ initially promoted uneducated fishermen? No one had credentials. No one had experience. One could hardly call Jesus’ selection of subordinates status quo leadership. Jesus selected followers not on the basis of appearance, but on their respective aptitudes and attitudes. Jesus looked to the heart and character of the person, not their ability to pay lip service. The record of the gospels indicated the Apostles were hardly corporate “yes men” by any standard. They were chosen to become servants.

With nearly two thousand years of recorded history on the books, it is clear that Jesus knew how to select the right people for his organization. Jesus had a vision, a message, a mission, and a purpose just like most organizations on the planet, past and present. He effectively selected his executive team, shared his vision with them, and gave them simple instructions for success, while leaving them in charge of His Father’s business. All that was required was to trust in their founder (Jesus) and follow those instructions in faith and obedience.

While there have been more than a few setbacks in two thousand years, the organization still thrives in spite of all the attempts of Christ’s competitor to put Him out of business. I cannot think of any other organization that has survived for so long, except perhaps the organization Jesus was ejected from (rather harshly) for voicing his dissent publicly.

If you believe the message of the gospels, don’t settle for the trifling, stifling static from the status quo; listen to the Word of God and allow Jesus to help your faith grow.


(excerpt from The Stinging Salve, by The Gadfly, (2009) Publish America. Baltimore, Mayrland, pp.79-83, reprinted by permission)