Colin the Crow

An assortment of birds come to our garden each day… purposeful, busy woodpeckers… families of blackbirds look after each other… stupid, waddling pigeons; a cheerful robin always comes to say ‘hello’… various smaller birds collect their food and leave…

Recently they’ve been joined by a big, black crow. I’ve called him Colin. He sits on our trellis, overseeing the garden, pompous and proud. He thinks, because he’s the biggest and the loudest, he’s in charge, he’s the leader…  he’s Colin, King of his garden.

Recent news has talked a lot about leaders… Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson, Keir Starmer, Nicola Sturgeon… Donald Trump, Joe Biden… Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky… Which of these is like Colin?

This week I’ve chatted about other leaders… mangers of football clubs… school headteachers… church ministers and pastors… families and parents… some leaders certainly have had Colinesque characteristics and aspirations.

Musing…

Colin… leaders I’ve loved… leaders I’ve learned from… What are the characteristics of a good leader? Here’s three:

A good leader…

…brings unity not division. Politics and religion are often confrontational – if you agree with me you’re on my side; if you don’t, you’re wrong – go somewhere else. A good leader’s inclusive… encouraging those with ‘special needs’, understanding those who find change difficult, accepting those who are different…

…displays an honest vulnerability, saying: ‘I don’t know; I’ll try to find out…’ ‘I’m sorry; I got that wrong…’ ‘I hadn’t considered that before; I should have done…’ ‘I can’t manage without you; I need your help’… ‘thanks for all you’ve done; I couldn’t have done that…’

…leads by example not power. Children learn most from their parents’ example, not their words… In school I wanted to appoint staff who would be good role models to the children… Ministers teach most not through their sermons, but the way they live out their faith… And national leaders…?

Musing… on Jesus’s leadership style… whose ‘manifesto’ prioritised the poor, broken-hearted, captives, blind and oppressed… that doesn’t sound like Colin at all!