“Faith Matters” features pieces written by local religious figures.
“You are indispensable!”
On the one hand, these words point to a truth. No one should be treated like they are dispensable or disposable. For individuals, “You are indispensable” reminds us of the value of each and every child of God.
But I have come to believe that, for leaders, “You are indispensable” is a badge of failure.
Working at Yale Divinity School, I have the honor of journeying alongside current and future spiritual leaders, and I frequently find myself reflecting on what healthy and sustainable leadership looks like. When we think of our heroes, we so often think of individuals who have singularly risen to some kind of renown due to their unique charisma, skill, hard work, or courage. That is admirable. But when someone dares to call themselves a leader of people, being singular becomes a liability.
I am thinking about Jensen Huang this week, the celebrated and extremely powerful CEO of Nvidia. Now that his credibility has been compromised by his affair with a spy, all I hear is how Huang heroically built this company and is indispensable to it. How stunning that he built such an enterprise, but how irresponsible that he has left the company so very vulnerable and dependent on him.
How many organizations or movements have we seen weakened when a charismatic leader falls to illness or scandal? When I asked this question to a group of seminarians, I heard stories of churches that were thriving under one leader, but when that leader died or left, the community crumbled. As a Christian, we often look up to celebrity pastors and Christian influencers. But to me, instead of notoriety, the key marks of good leadership are spiritual groundedness, integrity, and the strength of the community and organization one helps to build.
A few years ago, I spoke with a clergy consultant who asked me a lot of questions about my church. Finally, they asked, “And what would happen to the church if you got hit by a bus tomorrow?” At first, I thought, “Rude!” But I have since come to realize that the answer to this question is one of the most important markers of the quality of a leader.
Instead of celebrity pastors, as a Christian, I look to leaders in the model of Jesus of Nazareth, who would have been just one of many messianic martyrs in the Greco-Roman world if not for the incredible movement he nurtured and empowered to take his work forward. I look to Ella Baker who rejected charismatic leadership and helped to grow the civil rights movement by investing in and mentoring young people. I look to the Asian American mothers I worked with in PFLAG, who organized small groups of Asian American parents to create culturally appropriate communities to support their LGBTQ children. I look to the apostle Paul, who “according to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it” (I Corinthians 3:10).
As we admire and become leaders, may we dispense with indispensability. May we know our strength by the strength and power of the people around us. May our legacy be not our celebrity but the endurance of our purposes.
Rev. Vicki Flippin, who is ordained in the United Methodist Church, serves as associate dean for student affairs at Yale Divinity School.