Do you depend more on your head or your heart? Most leaders would probably say that, although the heart is important, the engine that drives their leadership is their mind. At the same time, this thinking may be limiting you in what you can accomplish and the fruit you can bear in your leadership tasks. We have both areas of life and decision-making inside us: "Examine me, O LORD, and try me. Test my mind and my heart (Psa. 26:2)." So it's a good idea to understand the roles of the head and the heart, and how they interact in good leadership.

The world of the mind is the world of thoughts, objective information, knowledge, judgment and values. You think about the future, brainstorm about opportunities, judge the best decisions to make, read books and journals on leadership and your area of work, and consider how to solve problems and overcome obstacles. You are using your mind to understand reality, digest the information, and create the best path for your organization and your people: "The thoughts of the righteous are just, but the counsels of the wicked are deceitful (Prov. 12:5, NAS95)."

Matters of the heart are different in their nature. The heart is the seat of all emotions, subjective information processing, perceptions and passions: "Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord (Psa. 31:24)." You like a situation; you are excited about a project; you are frustrated with impediments in your path; you have a hunch that something is a good idea. It is common for leaders to be somewhat skeptical, or at least reserved, about trusting what the heart says. And this is often wise. Many poor leadership decisions have been made in the heat of the moment, when emotions cloud judgment, or when an intuition doesn't make sense with the facts.

However, this is not the entire story. Your heart can also be your friend and ally in your leadership. It can further your vision and your results. Not only that, but dismissing the value of the heart can be a mistake for you, causing you to go backwards in some areas. Here are some reasons.

Emotions are a signal. God designed us with feelings for a purpose in the first place, and that is that they tell us something. Emotions don't exist in a vacuum. Rather, they alert us to realities. For example, anger may mean there is a problem to be solved, or a right to be wronged. Perhaps you experience getting mad about a certain recurring administrative snarl that doesn't go away. The anger says, yes, it's there and it's real and let's deal with it. Anxiety may signal danger and caution. It can tell you, proceed with care in this decision or issue, there may be a land mine to watch out for. Sadness may be telling you that there is a loss in your life or your organization. You may be dealing with a key player who has left, and who you needed and depended on, and must now let go of. Value feelings and listen to them. They can certainly be a distraction as well, especially if they are about your personal or relational life. They may also be overreactions and distortions, so bear that in mind. Even then, however, you need to pay attention to the life situations your feelings are pointing to, and deal with them. Missing the emotional information can cause you to have gaps in what you need to know.

Intuitions and reactions often have a solid base in reality and history. We all know that our hunches and intuitions can be unhelpful. You can have a bad feeling about a decision, and it may simply be that you don't like the color of someone's suit, or you had a bad pizza the night before. However, there is a reason to pay attention to these sorts of perceptions. Often, they are a summary, a condensation of many life experiences that you have accumulated over time. Like a microprocessor runs through countless calculations in less than a second, your heart may do the same thing, coming up with a reaction that actually is a good short cut that makes sense for you. For example, have you ever hired a person who had all the right demographics in his resume, interview and references, but at the same time, you had a bad sense of them? And over time, you may have found out that that sense was correct, it was the wrong person or they had the wrong character qualities. Again, listen to these intuitions. Don't bet the farm on them, but realize that you may be synthesizing and evaluating at a deeper and quicker level that can help you out. That is the basis of most mature judgment: being able to quickly reach the right answer because you've been down a similar road many times more than the next guy has.

Reality is not divided. Ultimately, it is important for you the leader to know that the nature of reality itself is that it is not split up, but is unified and makes sense. Mathematics, statistics, science, personnel research, emotions and relationships are all aspects of the big picture, which is that God designed the universe to make sense. There is only one reality, and that is the one that God designed, and it is all within His scope and grasp: "In Him we live and move and exist (Acts 17:28)." Your mind and your heart were meant to approach the puzzles and challenges of life and work from different directions, but in ways that point to the same goal of wisdom and success. So if you tend to dismiss subjective data, give it more credence. Or if you see the research areas as being too sterile and irrelevant, think again. You need both to make your way.

Further, this is a point where the leader does well to become involved in the personal growth process. When you enter God's program of change, growth and transformation, you bring your heart and mind together in submission and humility to him and his resources. Growth takes both head and emotions, and makes them friend, allies and servants to the tasks you have before you. Be a leader who has access to, and values both of them: "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength (Mark 12:30)."

God bless you.

Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.

(Daniel 2:20-22, NIV)

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My Ultimate Leadership experience spans two years, a time of deep personal challenge and growth. I first attended in 2005. Facing my leadership and relationship vulnerabilities wasn't easy or comfortable, yet the process gave me key insights into my growth edges.

My return to Ultimate in 2006 revealed how I had grown, as well as new areas of change to embrace. I left my second workshop committed to joining an ongoing small group, and to finding new ways to overcome residual inner obstacles to leadership and relationship success. I fulfilled both commitments, and continue to seek learning that helps me 'meet the demands of reality'.

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Mountain View, CA

 

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