I spoke to a group of Jewish leaders in London last week as part of
the Lead development programme, and I was struck by the depth of value they
derive from being part of such a well-established community.
I worked in Israel on a kibbutz for six months before I went to university and back then I was impressed by how this secular community had come together to live and work in a cooperative and shared way. Speaking to the leaders I met last week I noticed how they had a similar sense of being part of a wider community that was in many ways more important than their own personal wishes. This sense of identity can be a powerful phenomenon in motivating us as human beings to put the wider good ahead of our own personal desires. I appreciate that there are political issues with this sense of community, and that there can be is a divisive nature to this sense of tribalism that leads to mistrust and sometimes to conflict. As leaders we want to achieve a sense of community among our colleagues without it becoming a source of division (and conflict) with other communities. It’s a fine and difficult balance to achieve.
I worked in Israel on a kibbutz for six months before I went to university and back then I was impressed by how this secular community had come together to live and work in a cooperative and shared way. Speaking to the leaders I met last week I noticed how they had a similar sense of being part of a wider community that was in many ways more important than their own personal wishes. This sense of identity can be a powerful phenomenon in motivating us as human beings to put the wider good ahead of our own personal desires. I appreciate that there are political issues with this sense of community, and that there can be is a divisive nature to this sense of tribalism that leads to mistrust and sometimes to conflict. As leaders we want to achieve a sense of community among our colleagues without it becoming a source of division (and conflict) with other communities. It’s a fine and difficult balance to achieve.