MAKING INSPIRED LEADERS New Approaches to Jewish Leadership Development

BY ERICA BROWN Scholar-in-Residence and Deputy Managing Director for Education and Leadership, The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington

eadership courses so often fail short of practical leadership skills, it is time to take Ltheir goal. Although critics blame this on them further and deeper, into the psyche of a failure to communicate leadership skills the Jewish leader. It is time to examine texts adequately, I suggest it has more to do with from the Hebrew Bible and Talmud and ex­ a failure both to tap into a leader's source of plore the issue of inspiration: what inspired inspiration and translate it into a powerful biblical leaders to take on a mission or act on leadership tool. a calling. Then we have to look inward, and Today, the issue of inspiration is being every person in the room is invited to tap into taken seriously in general leadership litera­ his or her own sources of inspiration, to tell ture: We want to know what leaders deem the moving stories of his or her personal purposeful work, who they are, and what journey to leadership. makes their careers meaningful; what en­ The stories vary greatly. A veteran leader hances their personal interactions; and how might say that he became a synagogue pres­ they inspire others. From interviews with the ident because he heard his grandfather's conductor of the Paris Opera to the co- voice moving quietly within him, asking him founder of a civil rights organization, Harris to take care of the Jewish community after he Collingwood concluded in a recent Harvard dies. A young, first-time board member Business Review article that "leadership is might say that she felt moved by the power autobiographical. If I don't know your life of Jewish camping from her own adolescent story, I don't know a thing about you as a experiences and wanted to give her time and leader" (2001, p. 23). money to support a camp. A breast cancer During the Jewish Leadership Institute victim might share the empowerment that seminar sponsored by the Greater Washing­ running a marathon gave her, which inspired ton federation, we give leaders a chance to her to create a support group for Jewish tell their stories in a session on inspiration, women who have suffered cancer and sur­ vision, and mentoring. This class follows vived. Day school parents often share mov­ sessions on leadership models and board de­ ing movements in a child's education that velopment focusing on board responsibih­ created a sense of enhanced belonging to the ties, the ideal board composition, lay/profes­ school "family." sional relations, and fundraising. Later in the Every time 1 do this exercise with a class, course, we work on conflict and change man­ I feel deeply touched by the stories that peo­ agement, effective agenda setting for meet­ ple share and am sometimes moved to tears. ings, and succession planning. As in other I understand the power of these personal courses, participants read cutting-edge lead­ narratives and the importance of saying them ership books and articles from the worlds of and hearing them. Each time, I feel that business and education. But unlike many participants have given themselves a gift; courses on leadership, we do not stop there. they have reenergized their non-profit work Only after skill building does the art of lead­ by coming into touch with what brought ership training really begin. them there in the first place. For a few mo­ Once members of a class have gotten to ments, they transcend their organization's know each other better and covered some politics and conflicts and realize that they

63 Journal of Jewish Communal Service I 64 need to do this more often — and need to evaluation. Lewis' insights and recommen­ help others do this. dations are well articulated and will, no These leaders then have to take some doubt, stimulate important future discussions piece of this narrative and sculpt it into the about what leadership training should be in story of their organization. Inspiration is im­ the Jewish community. However, Lewis did portant not only in recharging our own bat­ not adequately discuss the issue of inspira­ teries but it is also critical in expanding the tion, and in discrediting Jewish literacy as membership of our organizations, retaining part of the training, he may have cut off one those who are burning out, and keeping ac­ of the few sources of inspiration that many tive members joined to an institution's core leadership programs currently utilize. values. The leadership expert, John Kotter, About 25 years ago, a professor of Jewish claims that leaders who fail to inspire will history, Melvin Urofsky (cited by Lewis), have difficulty creating and sustaining a vi­ did an evaluation of American Jewish lead­ sion for their institutions: "Achieving a vi­ ership and also neglected the subject of in­ sion requires motivating and inspiring — spiration. He profiled then-contemporary keeping people moving in the right direction, Jewish leaders and challenged them with this despite major obstacles to change by appeal­ perennial question: Why do we not have ing to basic but often untapped human needs, people leading the Jewish community today values and emotions" (1999, p. 54). who resemble the Jewish titans of the past? This is despite the fact that many Jewish Although much attention has been fo­ leaders were serving on multiple boards and cused on the development of Jewish leader­ in national capacities at younger ages than ship programs recently, very little research ever before. Broad experience and extended has been done on the importance of inspira­ time as leaders did not necessarily create tion as part of leadership training. In a recent better, more qualified leadership. issue of this journal, Hal Lewis (2004) chal­ Given this conundrum, Urofsky con­ lenged the creators of leadership programs cluded that problems with American Jewish on several important grounds, but barely leadership have more to do with Jewish or­ mentioned inspiration. He claimed that we ganizational structures than with individual use the term "leader" very loosely, often leaders. Our organizations that are hierarchi­ erroneously referring to someone who is ei­ cal and heavily bureaucratic have often sty­ ther a volunteer or has deep philanthropic mied individuals from making important and pockets but may have poor leadership skills. noticeable changes. In such a culture, leaders Leadership courses (often organized at sig­ need to be more effective managers: nificant expense) have sometimes been vehi­ cles for the teaching of Jewish literacy and The maturation of American Jewry has pro­ may not broach the subject of leadership at duced a situation which requires management all. Lewis contends that despite the impor­ and the talented men and women who head the tance of being Jewishly knowledgeable, lit­ agencies to perform their jobs well. Neverthe­ eracy alone is not "sufficient to guarantee less, there remains a gnawing feeling that this effective leadership." is not enough. American Jewry, if it is to After examining a host of leadership pro­ survive in a creative and dynamic fashion, grams and exploring their methods, Lewis must be more than a conglomerate of organi­ came to some painful but all-too-evident zational structures, loosely tied together by the conclusions: We need to be more selective, campaigns and a commitment to Israel.. .it we should not confuse leadership with liter­ needs to be led as well as managed to sur­ acy or volunteers with leaders, and we need mount the many problems besetting it (Urof­ to make participants in such programs more sky, 1981, pp. 416-417). reflective about their own leadership styles through protracted study, mentoring, and Urofsky's conclusions, though written de-

FALL/WINTER 2005 Making Inspired Leaders I 65 cades ago, are still relevant, but neither Urof- membership (Cohen & Eisen, 2000),' inter­ sky's statistical analysis nor Lewis' study of marriage (Eishman, 2004), and a strong methods deals with the enduring questions of sense of personahsm (Liebman, 1999), why anyone chooses to be a leader today and which diminishes institutional affiliations how to produce inspired leaders. Leaders (Farber & Waxman, 1999). Current leader­ who are effective managers have to motivate ship training does not address these factors. others. How do they do it? Good leadership Strategic planning, succession planning, and relies on having solid answers to this ques­ conflict management may make current Jew­ ish institutions function better operationally, tion. but better leadership skill sets or knowing the history of Jewish leadership will not alone WHO ARE WE LEADING? fill our halls with new Jewish faces. No text­ book on board development, fundraising, or Today's Jewish community is experienc­ agenda setting contains a magic formula for ing a crisis of inspiration. While profession­ solving this generic malaise. It can only truly als and lay leaders are busy greasing the be solved by addressing issues of motivation wheels of organizational structures, hun­ and inspiration. In other words, why join? dreds of thousands of Jews are further re­ Leaders do not only manage followers; moved from institutional Judaism than ever they create followers. A crisis of inspiration before. Standing on the outside, such mar­ requires a different kind of leadership think­ ginally affiliated Jews see Jewish organiza­ ing; we need leaders who are warm and tions as largely interested in their wallets, not embracing, who know how to extend an in­ their hearts. They see Jewish leaders as the vitation, and who are in touch with the emo­ top of a hierarchy that is out of touch with tions of leadership. Although most leader­ their need for meaning. They find Jews ship manuals do not account for nor can they locked in organizational "clubs" that require teach the emotional aspects of leadership that insider language, whose members often self- contribute to inspired leaders, they regularly affirm an exclusive set of values. Jews on the use such words as charisma, passion, com­ margins feel uninspired by Jewish life, and passion, dynamic, aggressive, and demand­ their few ghmpses inside do not convince ing to describe leaders. These words refer to them to join. Steven Cohen and Arnold Eis­ emotional characteristics that determine en" s (2000, p. 9) seminal study of marginally leadership styles and personalities. Indeed, affiliated Jews in America concluded that John Kotter begins one of his latest books on knowingly or unknowingly, the subjects they leadership with the following observation: studied "betrayed enduring ambivalence to­ "People change what they do less because wards the organizations, institutions, com­ they are given analysis that shifts their think­ mitments and norms which constitute Jewish ing than because they are shown a truth that life: families of origin, synagogues and fed­ influences their feelings" (itahcs in original; erations, God." Any leader of the Jewish Kotter & Cohen, 2002, p. 1). community has to understand the roots of As a community, we sponsor numerous this ambivalence and seek atypical ways to statistical analyses and demographic studies. reach the marginally affiliated because — We pore over the findings and write articles depending on local and national statistics — about them and make predictions and action they represent nearly half of today's Jewish plans based on their information. What we community. have not been able to do more successfully

Sociologists of the Jewish community have attributed the distance that many Jews 'For a fascinating study of texts on member­ ship and changing notions of membership, see feel toward institutionalized Judaism to sev­ Tl\e Jewisii Political Tradition: Membership eral factors, including overlapping notions of (2003).

FALL/WINTER 2005 Joumal of Jewish Communal Service / 66 lies at the heart of change: using leaders to Leaders typically talked more than anyone show our community a truth that influences else, and what they said was listened to more our feehngs about Jewishness. To do this, carefully. Leaders were also usually first to leaders must be keenly aware of the role that speak on a subject, and when others made feelings and emotions play in leadership. comments, their remarks most often referred to A recent book written in collaboration what the leader had said than to anyone else's with the pioneer of emotional intelligence comments. Because the leader's way of seeing studies, Daniel Goleman, discusses this key things has special weight, leaders "manage aspect of leadership: meaning" for a group, offering a way to inter­ pret, and so react emotionally to, a given sit­ Great leaders move us. They ignite our passion uation. But the impact on emotions goes be­ and inspire the best in us. When we try to yond what a leader says. In these studies, even explain why they are so effective, we speak of when leaders were not talking, they were strategy, vision, or powerful ideas. But the watched more carefully than anyone else in the reality is much more primal: Great leadership group. . . . Indeed, group members generally works through the emotions (Goleman et al., see the leader's emodonal reaction as the most 2004, p. 3). valid response, and some model their own on it - particularly in an ambiguous situation, This proposition is initially frightening. where various members react differentiy. In a All of us can conjure up leadership images in sense, the leader sets the emotional standard which the use of emotions has had negative, (Goleman et al., 2004, pp. 8-9). if not tragic, outcomes. Subsequendy, Gole­ man asks that leaders become more reflective Whether or not leaders are conscious of and deliberative in their use of emotion, han­ their emotional responses, their followers dling their own emotions and understanding may be acutely aware of them. Goleman's and improving the way they handle the emo­ observations force us to ask two critical tions of their constituents. questions: What kind of emotions does a Barbara Kellerman's (2004) recent work. Jewish leader need to exhibit to tackle a Bad Leadership, is a character study of many crisis of inspiration, and if we identify these living leaders today who use negative and emotions, can we teach them as a tool in often destructive emotions to lead others, leadership development? including callousness, insularity, and intem­ perate behaviors. Kellerman challenges her readers to consider bad leadership and its THE LIMITS OF TEXT, RITUAL, emotional undercurrents because the influ­ AND ISRAEL ence of such leaders is pervasive in our so­ ciety, and we make the mistake when we For centuries, the three sources of inspi­ think that a leader automatically implies ration typically used by Jewish leaders have "good" rather than bad traits and behaviors. been text, ritual, and Israel. In our past, they If it is true that emotionally toxic leadership have served as powerful historical and emo­ creates followship, then the reverse must tional glue, but they are not sufficient today, also be the case; good leadership harnesses in and of themselves, to combat alienation. emotions for positive outcomes (Lipman- Instead, an emerging Jewish identity must be Blumen, 2004). rooted in a more fluid sense of community Even were we to minimize the role that and commitment. Text, ritual, and Israel as emotions play in leadership and followship, core ideas help form contemporary Jewish we cannot deny that followers are always identity, but are not in and of themselves reading the emotional actions and reactions sufficient for Jewish leaders to use to inspire of their leaders, as Goleman illustrates others. We need to look at each of these core through research on group dynamics: emotional wellsprings separately.

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Text modem universe, the Talmud can be down­ loaded on an iPod, and in a recent work of For millennia, Jewish text served as the non-fiction, the Talmud is compared to the ground for ideas and debate. From biblical Internet as "a place where everything exists exegesis to the mystical letters of Kabbalah if only one knows how and where to look" flying heavenward from a page, Jews across (Rosen, 2000, p. 6). The problem with this the globe and across time have held on to the intriguing comparison is that the majority of honorific, "the people of the book," with an Jews today regard this statement as true for almost ferocious pride. Interpreters of classic the Internet, the great icon of our time, but primary texts, such as the Bible, Talmud, and would not know what a Talmud is nor why it post-Talmudic legal writings, have deter­ should be regarded as a source of knowledge mined meaning and identity for Jews through and information. The Internet is a quick and the centuries. Modern texts—the Hebrew convenient service, whereas studying the poem, the Yiddish play, and the Jewish Talmud is an arduous and complicated pro­ novel—have been sources of meaning and cess, one that demands precision and time. In idendty as well. We have been bound legally a battle for attention, the instant gratification and conceptually to the written word for of the Intemet is far more appealing than the centuries. elusive rewards of Talmudic mastery. Text However, times are changing. Even study, although a source of deep inspiration though a person can study every volume of for many, is not a source of inspiration for the Talmud on a seven-year cycle completely all. in English today, the increased accessibility of Jewish texts has only marginally increased the scope of readers. The language and Ritual shared assumptions of these texts are not a Ritual is another avenue for emotional given. As one modern scholar has noted, Jewish identity, wrapping symbols and be­ "Loyalty to a shared text no longer marks the haviors in a common language of action and boundaries of the modern-day Jewish com­ meaning shared by a community of observ­ munity, for the assumption that the values ers. Rituals and public celebrations serve as a and norms of the community should be jus­ "rope bridge of knotted symbols strung tified in reference to a shared text has lost its across an abyss" (Grimes, 1982, p. 29). vahdity" (Habertal, 1997, p. 130). Lighting Shabbat candles, reciting Kiddush For every Jew who finds a source of au­ on Friday nights, or sharing a Passover Seder thority in and connection to texts, there are are our rope bridge across an abyss. Al­ hundreds who are completely disconnected though basic observance still joins together and indifferent to their meaning. There have large segments of the Jewish community, been several successful communal move­ there are many for whom ritual acts are left­ ments to strengthen adult education" and lit­ overs from previous generations, continued eracy worldwide (Cohen, 2000; Grant & out of a false hope that they will invigorate a Schuster, 2003; Sarna, 1998). These attempts sense of spirit that fails to emerge—like a are praiseworthy, but they not only assume mezuzah with no parchment inside, rituals that Jews will uhimately return to this book­ can be empty of meaning. ish metaphor of peoplehood but also fail to Rituals often develop at hminal times, at acknowledge that we have changed and so moments of insecurity and ambiguity that too have our nodon s of text. In our post- call for famihar objects or the comfort and presence of others. Rites of passage and tran­ "This trend is well-captured in Isa Aron's book, sitions of seasons or months are hminal Becoming a Congregation of Learners (2002) periods marked by rituals in Jewish life which describes the Synagogue 2000 project and its strong emphasis on adult education as (Myerhoff 1982). Yet, what happens when foundational for the success of congregations. Jewish life itself seems hminal, amorphous.

FALL/WINTER 2005 Journal of Jewish Communal Service I 68 and permeable? How can we cross the abyss operation. Multiple generations are search­ together when the rope bridge has unrav­ ing for meaning and community, but have eled? found it in different and often contradictory Sylvia Barack Fishman (2000, p. 64) or competing ways (Cohen & Eisen, 2000). has argued that adults lacking the ability to "do Jewish" in their homes retreat from A VISUAL SYMBOL OF INCLUSION ritual behaviors, "thus, unwittingly, creat­ ing an environment subversive to Jewish Looking for modern sources of inspira­ education." tion does not mean only finding a method of inspiration like text study or an object of inspiration like love of Israel. It can be iden­ Israel tifying an emotion that transcends any objec- For many Jews today, Israel has become tification and linking it with a physical image the center of their Jewish identity. Zionism that can help leaders visualize their task. For has eclipsed religion for those who find example, the visual image of a biblical tent greater meaning in political autonomy than has been used to capture the narrative imag­ inner spiritual growth. Yet, pohtics can com­ ination of disparate Jewish joumeys. On the plicate emotional identity, and as Israel one hand, the image of a biblical tent seems struggles with its own deep political and most appropriate. It feels authentically Jew­ religious schisms, it has become a less stable ish, and for a nomadic generation, the idea of force for Jewish identity in the Diaspora. For Judaism as an open tent feeds into the need American Jews—many of whom have never for a home base that has enough permeability been to Israel—this instability is com­ for those who just want to drop in. On the pounded by the geographic abyss; for those other hand, the image of a tent is not stable not profoundly committed to a Jewish state, enough to appeal to the builders of Jewish the sheer physical distance can obstruct a institutions, who find rootedness in the meaningful dialogue on identity from taking bricks and mortar of synagogues, day place. schools, federations, and social service agen­ Although text, ritual, and Israel are pow­ cies. Not everyone is on an eclectic journey erful pieces of today's emotional Jewish nar­ of identity, and tents are also not designed to rative, they are not exhaustive. All three be enduring stmctures. Why create a tempo­ speak to convention and tradition, but strug­ rary home if we are planning on a permanent gle when speaking to informal ways of affil­ stay? A Jewish visual image that can capture iating. Text, ritual, and Israel are anchors of a contemporary Jewish narrative has to ap­ the familial and the familiar, but cannot work peal broadly, especially to those who have effectively when stability is less valued than invested the most in their Jewish identities. change. In a recent study of religion in the We cannot lose our committed members in "Y" generation, a sociologist concluded, an attempt to draw in nomads. "This generation could be - and has been - If the most prominent emotions Jewish described as directionless, lacking in com­ leaders have to understand today are indif­ munity ties and meaningful participation in ference and alienation, then they are obli­ communal life.... Generation Y does seek gated to find an image that communicates community and meaningful involvements, inclusivity, warmth, caring, and encourage­ though often in informal and non-traditional ment. Chaim Nachman Bialik, one of our ways" (Greenberg, 2005, p. 5). This informal greatest Jewish poets, offers a hint in an and non-traditional search for meaning has observation he made as a lonely child, long­ stymied leaders of the Jewish establishment ing to reconnect to family and community: for whom the creation of boards, Jewish buildings, and hierarchical management The misery at home, the bitter orphanhood, structures has been an understood mode of weighed heavily on me. I was invited by rel-

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atives to a wedding party. The Hght and music choices to trickle down to affect the major­ filled my heart, which thirsted so badly to feel ity. If we use the image of concentric circles, joy again. Like a madman 1 danced barefoot to we tend to regard membership as "radiating feel joy to the music. I forgot myself, but my outward from a hard core of committed Jews heart longed to join the circle, to cleave to toward areas of vague Jewishness on the something, to belong (quoted in Auerbach, fringes" (Blazer, 1995, p. 91). A contempo­ 1998). rary Jewish thinker has encouraged us, in­ stead, to rethink this organizing image in Even tho.se of us who did not suffer an favor of networking structures, which are impoverished youth all long, as he did, to loosely connected overlapping clusters of ac­ join a circle, to cleave to something, to be­ tivity and identity (Herring, 2001). However, long. The image of the dance circle as a this image, although most completely captur­ metaphor for community is very powerful. A ing the way our community currently func­ circle is a space defined by an uninterrupted tions, is also lacking in a unifying vision. line; every point that radiates from its center Creating and sustaining clusters does not is equal and equidistant. The circle as a promote the overarching embrace of belong­ dance allows entry to each person and ex­ ing. pands the circle while retaining this inherent Moving from pyramids to clusters back to sense of equality. Everyone in a circle dance the circle, we find that this visual image can see one another, no matter how far apart. bends the view of Judaism as a time-line of Indeed, sometimes the person at the greatest events, persecutions, and historical markers distance in a circle is the one most visible. back on itself. It also provokes the most Where our "Jewish circles" used to re­ committed to make room for others by cre­ volve around institutions and commonly held ating an equal space that ensures visibility. values, today's Jewish circle dance is not the In a pyramid, the person at the top cannot see same. Some people refuse to hold hands, and the person at the base and may not realize his others stand far away, looking with suspicion or her value. In a network, two Jewish people at the circle. And then there are those, per­ may never cross paths. The circle is an image haps the majority, whose backs are turned that can stimulate a different way of regard­ and do not even know that a circle exists that ing peoplehood and a contemporary Jewish welcomes their participation. Unpacking the narrative that embodies the core values of the metaphor, we look at today's Jewish com­ past while making room for the nascent jour­ munity and struggle to find the connective neys of a new generation. The circle as a embrace of that circle for which Bialik dance is a place of joy and belonging, not a pined. The circle seems broken in too many place of hierarchy, with its sharp corners and places. supporting scaffolding. The circle as a dance Rabbi Judah Lowe of Prague, the Maharal is a place of equahty, intense acdvity, and of 16"'-century fame, wrote a brief discourse membership, regardless of stature and on the circle dance and its ability to expand means. to accommodate more people without losing We cannot create, in a few pages, a com­ its essential shape. The circle, like the Jewish pelling new narradve to bridge the many people, is unbroken, no matter how large or schisms of our Jewish community. What we small it gets. It is expansive, and, at the same can do is hold up and promote a new visual time, promotes and sustains equality. image that can inform the way leaders con­ As a Jewish community, we tend to view nect with others and make room for mem­ people within a pyramid structure or within bership. The circle - a Jewish circle - main­ concentric circles. As a pyramid, we place tains a consistent center as it invites the most committed, wealthy, or powerful at expansiveness. the top and expect their decisions and If we use the circle as a physical image of

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inclusiveness that creates emotional bonds Such leaders have a knack for attuning to their that are engaging and also connect fellow sense of what matters and articulating a mis­ Jews to each other, then what emotions does sion that resonates with the values of those the leader need to engender to bring others they lead. These leaders naturally nurture re­ into the circle? Primarily, the leader has to lationships, surface simmering issues and cre­ create the circle and inspire people to join it ate the human synergies of a group in har­ while allowing the impact of that "member­ mony. They build a fierce loyalty by caring ship" to do its own work. Leaders have to about the careers of those who work for them, identify institutions, places, and vehicles and inspire people to give their best for a through which such circles can be created mission that speaks to shared values (Goleman and sustained, and then they must invite oth­ et al. 2004, p. 248). ers to form the initial bonds that generate the shape. Those individuals are responsible for Using this "emotional map," what kind of expanding the circle through outreach. Lead­ leadership is required to reach out and in­ ers have to understand the powerful emotion spire marginalized Jews? Teaching emotions of alienation and get in touch with their own may not be possible, but creating an aware­ wellsprings of compassion. They need to be ness of emotions is very possible. Three comfortable with more fluid ideas of mem­ steps must be taken to help leaders harness bership and understand the power of the per­ emotions positively: sonal invitation. This calls for emotions of friendliness and warmth and an ability to be persuasive without being overbearing. 1. Leadership classes need to incorpo­ rate demographic and evaluative In­ Leaders have to welcome people into the formation about their communities or circle, make room, spread the circle out institutions. Leaders who are not aware wider, be more inclusive, and maintain the of how many people are currently affil­ stability of the shape. They must be friendly, iated, where they live, and from where open-minded, inviting, welcoming, nurtur­ they get their Jewish information will ing, and warm. These are all emotions that not have the same motivation to inspire inspire others to join the circle of commu­ others to join. They will also lack basic nity, but are rarely emphasized in leadership knowledge that can help in forming stra­ development programs. Looking up from tegic outreach plans. Helping leaders textbook pages, we do not always find Jew­ learn more about evaluation techniques ish institutions being run by lay and profes­ and how to analyze hard data and statis­ sional leaders of warmth. These impressions tics may inspire leaders to confront prob­ bring us to our second question: Can we lems more honestly and transparently. teach leaders to inspire others and harness Leaders armed with more information their emotions positively to bring more peo­ may also be more comfortable facing ple into the community and nurture those their own leadership weaknesses who are already there? 2. Leaders need to create avenues for self-awareness. Leadership develop­ TEACHING EMOTIONS ment courses must place an educational Goleman and his colleagues (2004) use premium on self-awareness through case the term "resonant leader" to describe a studies, reflective questions, and exer­ leader with emotional intelligence. Such cises. People need to know their leader­ leaders are distinguished by their knowledge ship styles and to be able to look within of at how they manage or handle difficult leadership moments. This may also in­ when to be collaborative and when to be vi­ volve reflecting on the emotional ways sionary, when to listen and when to command. that leaders have been led - both good

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and bad - to understand how they should some cases life-altering, changes in their lead. There are many standard tests to styles that ripple into their teams and trigger measure and evaluate leadership styles important chances throughout the entire or­ today. However, too many re-packaged ganization." leadership curricula fail to help leaders Jewish organizations do not always have hold up mirrors to themselves so that mechanisms in place through which their they can ask if their emodonal barome­ most senior professional gets regular and ters are adjusted properly. constructive feedback in a disciplined way. 3. Leaders need feedback. Goleman and Senior lay leaders often get less such feed­ colleagues (2004, p. 92) point out that back because of a fear that negative feedback "leaders have more trouble than anybody about their leadership will translate into lost else when it comes to receiving candid philanthropic support, a loss of pride, or loss feedback, particularly about how they're of interest in the institution. We need, how­ doing as leaders." This is particularly ever, to reconsider the price we pay for not true the more that leaders rise in their helping leaders become more emotionally organizations. We are afraid to tell our self-aware, more encouraging, and more leaders that they are out of touch with open to feedback. Today, with more coach­ their constituents or lack the courage to ing and mentoring opdons available, we no confront someone with power and au­ thority over us. We may feel intimidated longer have the same excuses for keeping by our lack of knowledge and regard the our leaders in the dark about their effective­ leader as an expert. Goleman et al. ness. If leaders can be better at what they do, (2004, p. 94) contend that top executives then we are morally remiss if we do not get the least reliable information about provide the support they need to become how they are doing: more inspiring and more emotionally mind­ ful of their constituents. The American Jewish community has to An analysis of 177 separate studies that as­ look around — both locally and nationally — sessed more than 28,000 managers found that and ask whether its leaders are inspiring. feedback on performance became less consis­ Before we become critical of them, we have tent the higher the manager's position or the to ask ourselves if we expect our leaders to more complex the manager's role. . .. While inspire others. If we have only asked them to most people tend to overestimate their own manage teams, handle funds, or come up abilities to some extent, it's the very poor with strategic plans, then we have not asked performers who exaggerate their abilities the enough of them. Leadership development most. programs today need to think of creative ways to help people get in touch with their Goleman and his colleagues believe that sources of inspiration and think of ways to leaders do not ask for this feedback — not inspire those on the margins to join. because they are infallible or vain — but because they believe that they are unable to The conversation about the emotional in­ change. People who work with those leaders telligence of Jewish leaders, however diffi­ often hold the same belief and will not give cult to articulate, must begin in earnest. We leaders feedback if they are not encouraged need resonant leaders who have a deep sense to do so and if they do not believe that their of mission and vision and enough insight to feedback will make a difference. Problems share it expansively. We need leaders who like this seem intractable, but Goleman and can create circles of participation around colleagues (2004, p. 96) ask that we suspend core ideas and values. We need leaders who judgment: "Old leaders can learn new tricks. can extend a personal invitation for others to Leaders can and do make significant, in join the circle and expand it exponentially.

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