Perspective

Send us Fan MailI will never forget the time I watched the legendary director, Weston Noble, of Luther College’s Nordic Choir in Decorah Iowa rehearse before a concert in a small church in southern Minnesota. At the end of the rehearsal, he explained how he wanted the choir to process out of the church after each set. He told one row to go this way and another that, etc. Then Crystal, in the back row, said gently, “Mr. Noble, do you think we could have this row go that way and that row go this way, etc. Mr. Noble thought for a minute and then said in his kind way, “Crystal, I like your idea much better.” And he made it happen. He had the art of looking at another’s viewpoint and the willingness to adapt. He changed his perspective on what might work best. As I watched I thought, “Wow! That is leadership!”All of us, especially today it seems, can become rigid in what we think is the right thing to believe or doing something our own way. What a joyful peace when we can bend and think differently. We might not change what we think or do, but the way we listen and consider will broaden our perspectives and deepen the trust others have in us.Thanks for listening.