Are you as tired as I of the negativity and hyperbole of the election season? Thankfully, we can soon move on to what’s next. Something that amazes me is how those who come in second (a much nicer term than “losers”) congratulate and commit to work with those whom they have spent the past months vilifying. I guess they are hoping that their controversial and accusatory statements will be forgotten and they will still have a place at the table.
I’m not much into making controversial statements. I am, however, into making statements and asking questions that cause people to pause and think. I made a couple of those in last week’s post, “What happens when wisdom meets energy?”
I think there are a couple of near-universal truths here: (1) Most young leaders think they are wiser than they really are. (2) Most older leaders think they have less energy than they really have.
The first truth leads to the development of unhealthy and ineffective habits. The second truth is often a result of those habits and leads to frustration and regret.
I can imagine some young leaders bristling at the idea that I might be suggesting that they really don’t know what they are doing. I can also imagine some older leaders frustrated that I have just called them out, suggesting that they are not doing enough anymore.
Neither of those conclusions is true, but I hope I have sparked some contemplation on what it would be like if the wisdom of experience could meet the energy of youth. So how CAN wisdom meet energy?
Honestly, I can only think of one way for that to happen effectively: an intentional mentoring relationship. In this relationship, two persons are necessary:
1. A young leader who realizes that, no matter how smart he or she is, there are some things that can only be learned through experience. A smart person learns from his or her own experiences. A wise person learns from the experience of others.
2. An older leader who realizes that, no matter what limitations have come about through aging, there is an amazing new energy that comes through generously investing in the next generation. Wisdom that is hoarded is loses its momentum. Wisdom that is shared is infused with new life.
The only way this relationship can work is for both to approach it with humility. Young leaders need humility to allow someone to speak into their lives. Older leaders need humility to value the wisdom that young leaders DO have and to resist the temptation to “talk down” to them.
In the wildly popular Harry Potter book series (500 million copies sold, translated into more than 70 languages), Albus Dumbledore says to Harry, “Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young.” (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 2003)
Probably a pretty good illustration of the importance, not just of mentoring, but of the mentoring relationship.
When I think of an effective mentoring relationship, I think of Paul and Timothy. In 1 & 2 Timothy we see how Paul talked “to” Timothy. In Romans (16:21), 1 Corinthians (4:7; 16:10), 2 Corinthians (1:1;1:19), Philippians (1:1; 2:19; 2:22), Colossians (1:1), 1 Thessalonians (1:1; 3:2; 3:6), 2 Thessalonians (1:1), and Philemon (1), we see how Paul talked “about” Timothy.
Both matter.
No matter where we are on the age spectrum, we have much to learn and much to share and all of it matters to God.
Question: What is the next step for you in the quest to connect wisdom and energy?
Leave a comment below. I’d love to hear your perspective.
