A member of my diocese works with leaders in organizations to help them serve better together. He recently led us through an exercise that he has done many times with new CEOs so they can get a good grasp of their organizations’ history.
His background is brain neuroscience. He pointed out four parts of the brain moving from the back of the neck to the forehead: reptilian, limbic, cerebral cortex, and prefrontal lobes. The reptilian part functions for self-protection and asks: “Am I safe?” The limbic part focuses on tribal belonging and asks: “Am I accepted and included?” The cerebral cortex is the center of rational function where we deal with objective and subjective issues. The prefrontal lobes are our center of creativity.
Now what does this have to do with us as leaders in the church? It connects with what I call trust development. There are four layers of trust development in any group. The first is acceptance and inclusion. Group members need to experience this in order for them to function well together. The second is the experience of the free flow of truthful information. If followers sense this is being withheld, then trust cannot be developed. The third are the tasks or goals the group has at hand. And the fourth is the group’s envisioning of the future. These layers are cumulative. One can’t get to the fourth layer without dealing faithfully with the first three. So, for example, the when a group is stuck trying to accomplish a task it is often because there are trust issues around acceptance and inclusion and/or the free flow of truthful information.
Leaders in the church often want to jump in and accomplish tasks, set goals, and lay out a vision. But we neglect the necessary work of inclusion and acceptance and then the free flow of truthful information. If you wonder why board or staff meetings sometimes don’t accomplish what you hoped, or why you are having trouble getting followers to stay focused on goals, it might be that you should work the reptilian and limbic layers first. Work on mutual inclusion and acceptance and the sharing of truthful information first and then you will have better success in getting folk to focus on goals and vision.
That is what Jesus did consistently. Remember the woman caught in adultery? She and her accusers were unable to envision and experience God’s grace. Jesus first stopped the stoning so she was safe. He then reached out to her so she would experience acceptance and inclusion. Then he made sure truthful information was shared (“Boys, if any of ya'll are without sin, then you’re welcome to cast the first stone”). It was only then that there was a possibility that those gathered could experience God’s grace, which was Jesus’ goal. When Jesus tells the woman that no one was left to condemn her and that she should go and sin no more, she was then able to envision a new future for herself through the loving grace of God.
Find yourself stuck in your leadership? Work the reptilian and limbic.
Scott Benhase is the Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Georgia.
