Great leaders know that no one has all the information, can see a situation from all perspectives, nor has all the answers. Acknowledging this is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength.

Mass Readings Audio

http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/18_11_25.mp3

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe – November 25, 2018

Welcome to the thirty-fifth episode of By Your Life. Thank you for joining me. If you haven’t already, please subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, or on the right side of the page so I can send you notifications when each new episode is posted. And please forward to a friend you think would benefit from By Your Life.

My goal is to inspire, empower, support, challenge, and encourage you to connect Sunday, with Monday-Friday, in a secular, business world. It is my desire to help you live our Catholic faith in the marketplace and to trust that it is good for business. I hope to offer you practical ways to go forth and glorify the Lord by your life.

In this edition, we will reflect on the readings for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. This is the last Sunday in our liturgical year. The end is also a beginning as we start over with the first Sunday of Advent next week. Another year begins.

But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves like the stores that are stocked with Christmas decorations before Halloween and our neighbors who put up their Christmas lights before Thanksgiving. Let’s stop and savor this feast, for it is Jesus Christ, King of the Universe whom we anxiously welcome at Christmas. Yet He is here now!  Let us celebrate.

I love this time of year. I love the cooling of the weather, the holidays, and of course, football! I’m a diehard Michigan fan and every September I am hopeful this is the year we will reclaim our rightful place at the top of the rankings. Anyone who follows college football knows that it has been quite humbling to be a Michigan fan for the last 20 years. So, when my daughter enrolled at Florida State the year they won the national championship, I quickly put on my garnet and gold and cheered for a new favorite. But this year, it is Florida State who is struggling and Michigan who is having a good year, so I’ve pulled out the maize and blue and wear it proudly again.

It is fun to be part of the winning team. Beating a rival and winning a championship earns you bragging rights for the rest of the year. Add to that the excitement of picking the winner in your office fantasy football pool, and you’ve really got something to cheer about. But what if you knew in advance who was going to be the winner at the end of the season, wouldn’t you put all your money on that team?

We do know who wins in the end. In the first reading from the Book of the Prophet Daniel, we are told, “His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed.” (Dn 7:14) The psalm proclaims “the Lord is king, robed with majesty,” (Ps 93:1) and the second reading from the Book of Revelation adds, “Jesus Christ is the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth.” (Rev 1:5) His is the winning team and I don’t know about you, but I want to be part of it!

So, what do we do? In school, you had to wait until the captains picked all the other more athletic kids before they got to you, and then, you didn’t have a choice of what team you were on. Or, as it got more competitive, you had to try out and demonstrate that you were worthy. Not so with God. He takes everyone who chooses him. He has room on his team for anyone who wants to join. He doesn’t exclude anyone, for “all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.” (Dn 7:14)

So, what is the implication for our work life? When Jesus stood before Pilate, he said, “For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” (Jn 18:37) If we are to glorify the Lord by our lives, we must live a life of truth. And, what does that look like? In a world where fake news spreads like a wildfire and causes just as much damage, are we complicit by not stopping it? Are we guilty of spreading it because we are too quick to accept information on face value because it supports our preconceived notions? Do we take the time to validate the source and facts before “liking” or “sharing”?

I’m working with a client whose gift is being driven and he’s great at delivering results for his organization. The downside is that he can cause disruption because he doesn’t take the time to understand everything that is going on and sometimes, he duplicates effort or throws a wrench into progress that is being made elsewhere. He works from his version of the truth and not the whole truth. He’s acknowledged this shortcoming and is working on slowing down long enough to hear the other side of the story before taking action.

I think we all need to work on this a little. After all, if we are right, we’ll only be more successful by understanding what opposing thoughts are. If we are wrong, we can save a lot of trouble undoing a bad decision. Seeking the truth—a more complete understanding of the available facts—can only help. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Truth never damages a cause that is just.”

Unfortunately, we live in a world where truth isn’t what people seek. There is an acceptance of “your truth” and “my truth.” Sometimes this can be harmless. Your truth is that lima beans are delicious, and my truth is that they are awful, but I’m not talking about matters of taste. We have become selective in the information we seek so that we validate our well-formed opinions. You don’t have to look further than social media and traditional media to experience this cultural norm. I challenge you to challenge yourself to overcome this tendency in yourself, because as successful 20th-century businessman and philanthropist W. Clement Stone said, “Truth will always be truth, regardless of lack of understanding, disbelief or ignorance.”

This is especially important at work. No one person has all the information. No one employee can see a situation from all perspectives. No one leader has all the answers. Acknowledging this is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength. Warren Bennis, leadership guru and Founding Chairman of The Leadership Institute at the University of Southern California said, “Leaders know the importance of having someone in their lives who will unfailingly and fearlessly tell them the truth.”

Somehow, people get the false notion that because they are the manager of a department, they need to have all the answers. This is not only not true, it is not possible. When a leader fails to consult those closest to the situation, they not only miss out on valuable information, they come across as dismissing the value that person brings. It undermines teamwork and breaks trust. Perhaps Patrick Lencioni said it best when he said, “When truth takes a back seat to ego and politics, trust is lost.”

As Catholic Christians, we are not just seeking a truth, but The Truth. When making decisions at work we should not only include those who can contribute to an effective outcome, we ought to seek God’s guidance. Scripture, prayer, a priest’s homily, all give us guidance when we face tough problems. Pope Francis said, “Truth, according to the Christian faith, is God’s love for us in Jesus Christ. Therefore, truth is a relationship.” It is amazing how the more you develop that relationship, how clearer you see the truth.

When my daughters were in middle school, the Twilight books and movies were popular. She had a t-shirt that said, “Team Edward.” There was also a shirt for those who cheered for the other guy to win the girl’s heart. It said “Team Jacob”. She’s outgrown Team Edward and doesn’t wear that t-shirt anymore. But when we choose “Team Truth,” we don’t outgrow it. In fact, we are always growing into it because choosing to be part of Team Truth, is a lifelong journey.

We can’t abandon Team Truth, like I do for my favorite sports teams when things get difficult. Being a part of Team Truth is an everlasting commitment. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, ” says the Lord God, “the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty.” (Rev 1:8)

I’ll be posting this episode before rivalry weekend begins. I hope my teams win. But in the scheme of eternity, it is just football. I place my hopes on Team Truth.

Next week will begin a new liturgical year. Next fall will begin another football season. The Truth, however, was, is, and is to come. It is forever constant.

Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in the way of Truth so that we may be a witness to the joy that comes from knowing Christ.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth.

May God bless you abundantly and may you glorify the Lord by your life.  Amen

Remember to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher or the right side of this page and help us spread the word by forwarding to a friend, sharing on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Just click the icons at the top of this post. Also, check out the Resources page on our website where you can find links to the books and videos mentioned in this and other episodes of By Your Life. And let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.