New Leaders with new hearts and new spirits know the meaning of fealty. (579 words, read time 3 minutes 30 seconds)

My wife and I have been spending a good bit of time watching BBC miniseries. Many of them are set between the 14-18^th century’s and the plots most often have some sort of relationship among kings, and queens, those at court, nobles, warrior knights, and commoners. Although its usage is uncommon in our day, the word “fealty” is frequently used.

Fealty is defined as loyalty, allegiance, dedication, and fidelity.

Without doubt new leaders with new hearts and new spirits will be wise when exercising large doses of fealty to employees and those they seek to lead as we work our way through the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest and begin to see what a better future, a better nation, a society and a better “us” looks like.

There has always been an expectation that followers should show fealty towards their supervisors, managers and the company that provides their jobs. This type of fealty does not concern me, but the fealty that supervisors, managers, and companies must show toward employees and those that are supervised does.

Fealty will need to be shown in abundance by all who would lead in the post COVID-19, post social-unrest workplace, as we move toward a better normal.  I still prefer a “better” normal than a “new” normal.  New leaders will need to show a level of loyalty and commitment to employees that they never expected to. No doubt adjustments to all relationships, whether internal or external, will be required and fealty/loyalty must be at the center of them. Customer relationship management will also require greater care, as will fealty to individuals, teams and organizational mission.

New leaders with new hearts and new spirits will be better shepherds.

I never paid much attention to shepherds or sheep except when singing Christmas carols or hiking through areas of the intermountain west where Basque shepherds tend their flocks in the summertime.

Moreover, I never heard or read any example where sheep, shepherding and leadership were not linked in some negative way.

People are not sheep nor are sheep, people. People are not to be treated or led as though they were sheep nor sheep led as though they were people.

To think that people need to be led like sheep is a huge error and an unproductive strategy…especially now!

There must not be any value or role-confusion between people and sheep. The safety and care of the flock is the prime role and #1 concern of the shepherd. The economic well-being of the shepherd is dependent upon the physical well-being of the sheep. The health of the flock is dependent upon the care of the individual sheep within the flock. Also, the health and well-being of each citizen impacts the health and well-being of the entire nation.

New leaders with new hearts and new spirits will not treat people as sheep but our post-COVID-19, post-social unrest recovery will require our spiritual and governmental leaders and our social influencers to be better shepherds. They must be more mindful and attentive to the individuals that comprise the flock, as well as the flock itself.  So, do not be unwilling to show some fealty and be a better shepherd to those within your purview. A better normal will be produced through the efforts of a well-led flock of people.