My all time favourite TV series is M*A*S*H, a comedy/drama centred around the doctors and nurses of the 4077th M*A*S*H unit during the Korean War. The series was so popular that it outlasted the duration of the 3 year war, spanning 11 seasons and 251 episodes.
The strong characterisation and story lines presented thought provoking themes that provide an ideal platform for lessons on life and leadership. Whether you are a fan of the show or not, I'm sure you will connect with my leadership insights from M*A*S*H.
LEADING FROM THE TRENCHES features bite-sized, candid insights that speak into the gritty space of leadership through the eyes of a fellow leader seeking to "lead with all diligence" (Romans 12:8).
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Who Deserves The Credit?
Episode
24: Showtime
Father: For some time now, I’ve been
comparing the disparity of our callings.
Doctor versus priest. You fellows
are always able to see the end result of your work. I mean, you know immediately if you’ve been
successful. For me, the results are far
less tangible. Sometimes – most of the
time – I honestly don’t know whether I’m doing any good or not.
Hawkeye: I used to have a professor in med
school who always said: “God cures the
patients but the doctor takes the fee.”
Father: Do you think that’s true?
Hawkeye: I’m able to do a lot of things in
surgery that I’m not really good enough to do.
During the visit of
a troupe to entertain the 4077, we gain insight into a number of significant
moments in the lives of the key personnel, including a moment of vulnerability
where the camp priest is questioning the effectiveness of his work.
Despite my training and experience as a leader I am
acutely aware that there are many things I am called upon to do that I am not
really capable of doing alone. By
myself, I bring a limited set of skills and knowledge to my leadership roles,
but together with a team there is a collaboration of shared wisdom that
increases my leadership capacity. As a
Christian leader the capacity of the team is also given a spiritual dimension through
divine wisdom and strength. It is,
therefore, true to say that any success I experience as a leader is never mine
alone. In this context of leadership there
is no place for ego driven leaders who hog the credit for themselves. Quoting Dino Rizzo, Craig
Groeschel emphasizes this point by stating, “It is amazing what gets
accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.” In saying that from a team point of view, God
always deserves the credit for empowering us to be the leaders He has called
and equipped us to be.
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