26 Mar #269 – Integrity Idea 075: Whisper, Just Don’t Hide
Integrity Ideas are specific actions a leader can consider during the Re-Align step of Integriosity®–actions that will begin to Re-Align the organization with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities. You can find more Integrity Ideas at Integrous | Integrity Ideas (integriosity.com)
INTEGRITY IDEA: Whisper, Just Don’t Hide
“Whisper, Just Don’t Hide” is about a faithful leader being willing to share and explain the faith that informs their leadership and inspires the bigger WHY of the organization, even if the leader has discerned that the organization’s pursuit of faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing is best done at the covert end of the Covert/Overt Continuums.
Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization. We believe some are critical (and necessary) steps in the RENEW/RE-ALIGN/RE-IMAGINE/RESTORE process. Others are just ideas to be considered if they feel like a good fit based on what leaders prayerfully discern is best for stewarding the organization toward its WHY.
We believe “Whisper, Just Don’t Hide” falls into the “necessary” category. A prayerful decision to lead covertly should never be an excuse for a faithful leader to “hide” their faith or the heart of the organization if asked.
Whispering
Mary Anne Radmacher is credited with the quote “Courage doesn’t always roar.” She even used it in the title of her book Courage Doesn’t Always Roar: And Sometimes It Does.
We know that sometimes God chooses to “roar”, but other times He “whispers”:
And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:11-13)
As we emphasized in post #141 (Covert or Overt?), leading an organization faithfully through business a better way in alignment with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities, requires a continual prayerful balancing of the call to be courageous and the need to be wise. Both the idolization of overtness and the fear of being overt may lead to poor stewardship.
Here are two verse to anchor those guideposts:
Courageous: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)
Wise: Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16)
But it may be Ecclesiastes 11:9 that best reflects the necessary balance of courageous and wise:
Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes.
A faithful leader is called to steward the organization they have been given to lead by God. Being overt may be absolutely the wrong execution–poor stewardship–for a particular organization, given factors such as the industry, geographic location, customer base, employee base, and regulatory environment. For example, being overt may alienate key stakeholders or create an “us-them” culture.
We believe it is better thought of as courage tempered by wisdom rather than wisdom tempered by courage. After all, Ecclesiastes 11:9 mentioned “heart” first and then “eyes”.
A faithful leader displays courage by committing to the counter-cultural act of leading with faithful integrity through business a better way in a world that pushes business as usual. Wisdom tempers the courageous act of leading with faithful integrity by helping the faithful leader discern whether that courage should roar or whisper–whether it should be implemented toward the overt or covert end of the Covert/Overt Continuums.
Hiding
While “whispering” may be the wisest implementation of the courageous act of leading with faithful integrity through business a better way, hiding one’s faith out of fear is neither courageous nor wise. The Bible is quite clear about the need for faithful leaders to be willing to explain the faith that informs their leadership and inspires the bigger WHY of the organization. Here are just a few familiar passages:
I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation. (Psalm 40:10)
Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. (1 Peter 3:15)
Indeed, we devoted post #229 (Integrity Idea 053: Climb a Hill) to the importance of living out the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:14-16:
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Scripture also provides warnings about the consequences of “hiding”:
Whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:33)
For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. (Luke 9:26)
For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. (Mark 8:38)
And how can we forget Peter denying three times that he knew Jesus, a “hiding” recorded in all four Gospels.
While a faithful leader “hiding” the faith that informs their leadership of an organization and inspires the organization’s bigger WHY is clearly not “wise” from a Biblical perspective, we particularly like two quotes from Brene Brown that express why “hiding” is the antithesis of courage:
Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.
Courage is a heart word. The root of the word courage is cor—the Latin word for heart. In one of its earliest forms, the word courage meant “To speak one’s mind by telling all one’s heart.”
Not “hiding” is the beginning of courage. A faithful leader leading with faithful integrity in alignment with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities must have the courage to be that light on a hill–to share the “heart” behind their leadership and the “heart” of the organization–even if only when asked.
Not only does it glorify God, it sets an important example for other faithful leaders. In the words of Billy Graham:
Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.
CONTINUUM: Proclamation
The Integriosity model organizes “heart change” along six Covert-Overt Continuums. There is nothing magic about these categories, but we believe they are helpful in thinking about practical execution of a Re-Imagined Purpose, Re-Imagined Values and a Re-Imagined Culture. The Continuums are Prayer, Proclamation, Policies, Practices, Products, People.
Each Continuum represents an area in which leaders can begin to think about, plan and institute Re-Alignment changes to the heart of the organization.
“Whisper, Just Don’t Hide” is on the Proclamation Continuum. Is about a faithful leader be willing and ready to share and explain the faith that informs their leadership and inspires the bigger WHY of the organization they lead.
COVERT-OVERT RATING: Highly Overt
The Integriosity model breaks the Covert-Overt Continuums into six gradations–from Highly Covert to Highly Overt–that we believe are helpful in beginning to pray and think about what is most appropriate for an organization at a particular moment in time.
Most Integrity Ideas will have one place on the scale. Some can vary depending on how they are implemented. “Whisper, Just Don’t Hide” is unique because it is responsive in nature. Questions about the leaders inspiration or the organization’s WHY could come from any stakeholder–employees, customers/clients, owners, suppliers/vendors or the community. For that reason, we consider it Highly Overt (an overtly faith-based action involving community, website, sales/marketing materials).
STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees, Customers/Clients, Owners, Suppliers/Vendors, Community
When we categorize faith-based actions, we also consider the stakeholders principally impacted by the action: Employees, Customers/Clients, Owners, Suppliers/Vendors, Community and Kingdom.
“Whisper, Just Don’t Hide” can impact any stakeholder, because any stakeholder could ask about the faithful leader’s inspiration or the organization’s WHY.
Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. (1 Peter 3:15)
IMPLEMENTATION
Implementing “Whisper, Just Don’t Hide” could be the easiest of our Integrity Ideas to implement, or one of the hardest.
At its simplest, not “hiding” is about a faithful leader, when asked, sharing the faith that informs their pursuit of faithful integrity through business a better way and that inspires a bigger WHY for the organization they lead.
Even if a faithful leader has discerned that “whispering” at the covert end of the Covert/Overt Continuum is the best way to pursue faithful integrity in their organization, “Whisper, Just Don’t Hide” could also involve a faithful leader more boldly seeking ways to share not only how and why they are pursuing faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing, but also fruit. It is not about implementing overt practices but being overt about the practices being implemented and the bigger WHY behind them, wherever they are on the Covert/Overt Continuums.
Post #229 (Integrity Idea 053: Climb a Hill) is devoted to exploring ways to live out the call in Matthew 5:16 to “let your light shine before others“. “Climb a Hill” recognizes that faithful leaders are operating in an increasingly secular culture and sharing “best practices” and stories of transformation can serve to encourage and equip other faithful leaders in their efforts to lead with faithful integrity.
Whether simply responding honestly when asked or being more proactive, not “hiding” requires courage because resistance is certain when challenging “the given structures of the social order” in a fallen world.
A faithful leader preparing to “Whisper, Just Don’t Hide” needs to turn to what we described as two of the five key ingredients for executing a Re-Imagined Purpose, Re-Imagined Values and a Re-Imagined Culture in an organization: Prayer and Trust in God.
Pray. A reminder to Pray is necessary because unfortunately many faithful leaders do not associate God with organizational decisions. Oswald Chambers observed:
In spiritual issues it is customary for us to put God first, but we tend to think that it is inappropriate and unnecessary to put Him first in the practical, everyday issues of our lives.
If Chambers is not convincing enough, the Bible is full of guidance on the topic of leaders seeking (or failing to seek) God’s guidance. Here are just a few:
But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. (Jeremiah 7:24)
For the shepherds are stupid and do not inquire of the Lord; therefore they have not prospered, and all their flock is scattered. (Jeremiah 10:21)
Prayer in the context of “Whisper, Just Don’t Hide” is asking God for wisdom about how to respond to inquiries and whether and how to be more proactive in not “hiding”.
Trust. In one of our most used quotes, James Hunter warns: “To enact a vision of human flourishing based in the qualities of life that Jesus modeled will invariably challenge the given structures of the social order. In this light, there is no true leadership without putting at risk one’s time, wealth, reputation, and position.”
The Bible warns that those following God’s commands will have trouble (John 16:33), be persecuted (Romans 12:14), suffer affliction (Romans 12:12), be accused of wrongdoing (1 Peter 2:12) and suffer unjustly (1 Peter 2:19). Resistance may come from employees, customers, vendors, owners, regulators and communities.
While it may be possible to minimize the risk of worldly resistance by staying quiet and keeping a low profile about efforts to Glorify God through business, that is not the call of Matthew 5:16. Not “hiding” requires trust in God. It is about crossing the Safety/Surrender Gap.
PERSONAL NOTE (from PM): When my faith was renewed in 2003 and I began to think about what my new-found faith meant for my practice of law. In general, I “whispered”. I was quite secretive of my new-found faith because my impression was that “born-agains Christians” were viewed on Wall Street as strange unintellectual creatures from somewhere in that vast gap of America across the Hudson River (as depicted in the famous 1976 New Yorker cover). People knew they existed, but no one had ever actually met one (except perhaps on a deal in Texas). However, there were some times when I was called out of hiding. I placed a Bible on my bookshelf. I looked for opportunities to pray for people, and a few opportunities presented themselves. Because I was less fearful and worried knowing God was in control, a young colleague called me out of “hiding” by asking me how I had remained so calm on a conference call where people were in a panic. I shared the reason.
ESSENCE: Integrity Ideas are specific practical actions a faithful leader can consider in leading faithfully through business a better way.
INTEGRITY IDEA: Whisper, Just Don’t Hide
“Whisper, Just Don’t Hide” is about a faithful leader being willing to share and explain the faith that informs their leadership and inspires the bigger WHY of the organization, even if the leader has discerned that the organization’s pursuit of faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing is best done at the covert end of the Covert/Overt Continuums. Leading an organization faithfully through business a better way in the midst of a business as usual culture requires courage as well as a continual prayerful balancing of the call to be courageous and the need to be wise. Both the idolization of overtness and the fear of being overt may lead to poor stewardship. Wisdom tempers the courageous act of leading with faithful integrity by helping a faithful leader discern whether that courage should “roar” overtly or “whisper” covertly. However, a prayerful decision to “whisper” in aligning the organization with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities should not be an excuse for a faithful leader to “hide” their faith or the heart of the organization if asked. Hiding one’s faith out of fear is neither courageous nor wise.
COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Proclamation
COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Overt
STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees, Customers/Clients, Owners, Suppliers/Vendors, Community
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