God knows my heart.
It's not that I disagree. I was actually sharing a similar concept with the children in our Sunday School just this past weekend.
If your Samsung television goes on the fritz while you're watching your favorite show, you don't call your Ford dealer to get assistance. The manufacturer is always the best source of information and wisdom since they are the actual makers of the product. Who knows your heart better than the heart's maker? He does know your heart. He knows every thought, intent, and machination inside of it. Let that sink in for a bit.
I know there are plenty of folks that get their advice from Dear Abby, the local fortune teller, or their best friend who just seems to know a little something about everything. But at some point, we all come to realize during our investigation of life's little mysteries, we could find it necessary to go directly to the source. You won't have to go anywhere else once that happens. You won't be placed on hold and transferred to another department that doesn't understand or is not experienced with your kind of issue. You may not like or enjoy the answer but you will get the correct diagnosis of the issue.
Ask your friends if they ever heard the phrase "The heart wants what the heart wants". This is not a sentiment that I agree with for a lot of reasons. I know of a lady that really wanted a man to be her husband and she did everything within her power and means to have that man. She was successful. It just so happened that this same man was already married for more than two decades with multiple children. The heart wants what it wants, right? We don't need to look too hard to validate what we want and justify why we should have it. We can be as mean and cold and devious as the situation may require. As long as we get what we want, I suppose? This is just a worst case scenario that is practically a staple in our world. But how does this look within organization?
Raise your hands if you're part of an organization. Everyone's hands should be up. We are all part of some kind of organization whether it be a school, a Fortune 500 company, a college or university, a biker club, or some sort of community based committee. We belong to something. Actually, it is important to many of us that we are involved in some kind of organization. It is good to be around like minded individuals who believe in something worthwhile and who think they can help make the world a better place. (I don't advocate extreme versions of any organization in that description. Just inching towards a larger overall point)
I am a part of several organizations and you know what I noticed? If the heart of the leader is not towards the people, it doesn't matter how many committee meetings you have, or how many events you plan, or how many teleconferences you have sit in on, you will not be able to convince the people who work hard and give their service diligently that the organization is going in the right direction. Many a great man have tried but you honestly can't delegate heart. You can give out tasks, duties, and assignment. Any good administrator can do that but you simply can't give somebody else something you don't have. You can't reproduce heart unless you actually possess some yourself.
But that's exactly what many leaders of organization do. They say "get out there and show your stuff" but they cannot teach you. They say "I can't promote you until you meet criteria A, B, and C but your work duties and, largely, the work culture make meeting A, B, and C impossible. D and E might be available but they simply don't help you meet your goals. They tell you what you can do but, as leaders, they are ill equipped to help you get there. Still they retain the expectation that you should do so, just without their assistance and without infringing on their personal schedule.
Do the cries of the people make you look up from your cell phone and acknowledge there's a problem? Do the outpouring of organizational voices compel you to adjust your rigid plan after years of failure have become your trademark? Does the needs of the community outweigh the personal aspirations and one dimensional views of one selfish man?
Have you ever had a leader that you have worked for or around for over a decade and he/she still doesn't know your name or find it profitable to look you into the eye and hold a 3 minute conversation with you? I have. Have you ever tried to connect with a leader in your organization and they won't look up from their Facebook page long enough to say hello? I have. How about a leader that believes their shack is a mansion and you are the hired help? I most definitely have. Working is not something that offends me. Having to use outdated, rusted tools to work when others are available offends me. This is symbolic of leaders without heart for the organization, the mission, and the people needed to carry it out.
The sad part is that the people are not as blind as these kind of leaders think they are. Just because they don't publicly voice their displeasure or speak through company surveys, they recognize that there is an empty space in the chest of the leaders where their hearts are supposed to be. It's only a matter of time before they decide to stop following. Anybody can give directives. Anyone can say what you need to do to be successful in only 5 easy steps. Anybody can step back and blame the organization's lack of progress on your efforts and your failure to do more. In modern times, that's called a pyramid. What's really impressive is a leader willing to put his or her hands to the tough situations and grind until the situation is resolved. Those kind of leaders are obviously harder to find than ever. If you ever find yourself looking for competent and effective leadership in organization, don't look for the sound of a leader telling you what they are going to do or what you should do. Look for the leader that is actually putting their hands to the work and find their effort valuable and worthwhile enough that they will do it themselves if no one else will. That could be an example worth learning from. If you are a leader of people in any capacity, what does your heart want? Now ask if that answer is best for you or for others.
"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9 NIV)
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