“Suppose the eye could say to the body, “Let’s walk down these train tracks. The way is clear. Not a train is in sight.” So the body starts down the tracks.
Then the ear says, “I hear a whistle coming from behind us.” The eye argues, “But nothing is on the track as far as I can see. Let’s keep on walking.” The body listens only to the eye and keeps on walking. Soon the ear says, “That whistle is getting louder and closer!” Then the feet say, “I feel the vibration of a train coming. We’d better get our body off these tracks!” If this were your body, what would you do?
- Would you try to ignore the conflict between the body parts and hope it passed?
- Would you take a vote of all your body members and let the majority rule?
- Would you trust your eyes and keep on walking since sight is an extremely important sense?”
Experiencing God
by Henry and Richard Blackaby
If we answered “yes” to any of those questions, bad things are about to happen. I take this parable from the perspective of leadership. Imagine those body parts are people. As a leader, would you ignore conflict, hoping it passes? Would you do whatever the majority of your assistants or team want? Or do you trust what you think is right and ignore the wisdom of others?
Obviously, any dilemma is situation-specific. Sometimes we must follow what we believe is the right decision, even if it runs counter to the opinions of those around us, including those we trust. Conversely, sometimes we must have the humility to recognize that our perspective might be narrow, and we must listen to the advice of those around us, particularly those whom we trust.
“Wolves don't lose sleep over the opinions of sheep” is a quote I recently heard, and it applies here. Why? Because the opinions of others should be filtered by who they come from. In the parable, the advice was coming from valuable assets. The body trusted only the eye (wolf), but opinions from other body parts integral to the situation (other wolves) should have also been considered.
As a leader, our responsibility is to listen to all perspectives, weigh their value, and make what we believe is the right decision. Oftentimes, that means seeking the opinions of others whom we trust.
Ask Yourself:
Which three people could I trust to give me impartial advice?
Is there a situation right now that requires me to seek advice from others?
Is there a situation right now that requires me to push on, even though the sheep are bleating?
Excerpt taken from Reflections on the Coaching Life Volume 2.