A Little Ray Of Sunshine

Episode 54:  Springtime

Trapper: Do you believe? Someone has actually ordered us a genuine 

         spring day.

Hawkeye: What a dirty rotten trick to put it in the middle of a war.

Trapper: I’m gonna put that sky on hold.

Hawkeye: That’s just a mural painted by the North Koreans to catch 

         us off our guard.

Spring is in the air bringing a ray of sunshine into the routine of the 4077th. Klinger gets married to his fiancé back home over the phone, Radar falls in love with nurse Louise and Hawkeye has an overzealous patient try to repay him for saving his life by being his personal aide and body guard.

Leading from deep within the trenches of life can be a dark and dreary place sometimes, especially when the clouds of uncertainty or opposition hover overhead. Underneath the deadlines, demands and day to day responsibilities it can be easy to lose sight of the clear skies of vision above radiating the opportunities and possibilities that excites us about leadership. However, just like the weather, the clouds do clear and the sun reemerges or like the seasons, winter will give way to spring. There is always a ray of light that penetrates the darkness reminding us of the vision that drives every focused leader to push through the dark times. This is a thought captured by Aristotle Onasis who said, “It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” A focused vision will allow light to shine into the darkest places of leadership.

Hopefulness

Episode 23:  Cease Fire

Trapper:  You should have listened to me, pal.

Hawkeye: If the same thing happened all over again, I’d still  

         make the same bet.

Trapper:  On the level?

Hawkeye: It was a glimpse of daylight at the end of the tunnel, 

         it was worth it.

Trapper:  You paid a pretty heavy price.

Hawkeye: So I blew 1500 bucks in IOU’s…Gave up three nurses for 

         an imaginary wife and family.  Clayton’s got my butt in 

         his gun sight.  My hopefulness remains intact.

The 4077 hears a rumour of a ceasefire, prompting premature celebrations and plans for going home.  Trapper doubts the rumour, while Hawkeye gets a little carried away leaving him in trouble with some nurses and General Clayton when they find out the rumour was false.

Leadership without hope is to abandon a vision for a preferred future and capitulate to the present reality.  Hope dares to believe for what could be, even when what is seems overwhelming.  Hope sees the possibilities, not the barriers.  Hope gives leaders the faith to lead in the tension between the now and not yet now. Pastor and author Erwin McManus says, “A life of expectation is the result of living in the dynamic tension that exists between faith and hope.”  It is this dynamic tension that makes the present reality untenable and drives a leader to step out in faith to pursue even greater things.  In this pursuit, a leaders hopefulness remains intact when their faith exceeds their circumstances.

Commanding Loyalty

Episode 9:  Henry, Please Come Home

Hawkeye:  When were all of us really happy here?

Trapper:  When the nurses were new?

Hawkeye:  We were happy when Henry was in command. He understood 

          us, we understood him.

Colonel Blake is transferred to Tokyo after the 4077 achieved a 90% efficiency rate and Henry received a special citation from General Hammond.  With Frank Burns in command, running the camp like a dictator, Hawkeye and Trapper devise a plan to try and get Henry back.

Leadership in a post-modern world can no longer use position to command loyalty and respect, it has to be earned from a foundation of trust.  I may be appointed as the leader of my church, however, my position and title does not automatically assume that people will follow my lead.  I can only command people’s loyalty by winning their hearts and minds through building authentic relationships.  Loyalty cannot be taken, it is received.  Loyalty cannot be manufactured, it is cultivated.  Loyalty to a leader or an organization is driven by mutual respect and commitment to a shared set of values and a common vision.

Dealing With Crisis

Episode 2:  To Market, To Market

Hawkeye: Don’t confuse me I can only handle one catastrophe at a time

Trying to meet a deadline for secretly delivering Colonel Blake’s antique desk to the black market, in exchange for essential medicine, Hawkeye and Trapper become locked in the Colonel’s office.  Hawkeye is faced with multiple crisis of getting out of the office, delaying the chopper and the risk of getting caught!

Crisis has the ability to bring out the best and worst in leaders.   It is relatively easy to lead in the calm when everything makes sense, but in the midst of a crisis when confusion reigns, that is when the true value of leadership is revealed.  A leader needs to be able to maintain clarity of thought to effectively navigate an individual or organization through crisis.  To have clarity of thought during crisis depends upon having a clear understanding of your vision and values before the crisis occurs. Vision and values provide the foundation upon which a leader can confidently make the right decisions and give appropriate direction, especially when faced with opposition.  Having a clear reference point during periods of crisis in my ministry has empowered me to stay the course and not allow conflicting agendas derail the mission of the church I am leading.