Good Leaders: What role can you play in the healing community?

Last Friday at the Good Leadership Breakfast, our speaker Liwanag Ojala, borrowed from classical music as a metaphor for leadership and community building. “Most people know the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky as that orchestra piece we hear during 4th of July celebrations because of the crashing symbols and cannon fire,” she taught us. “I find that one piece to be a guiding thought as we expand the reach and impact of Caring Bridge.”

American culture typically calls upon sports or military themes to create energy around leadership. Taping into classical music as a metaphor for leadership is refreshing – opening up new possibilities. This morning I sat in my favorite chair, and listened to The 1812 Overture with my eyes closed, recalling her wisdom for my own benefit. You can listen to it here.

Movement of compassion

CaringBridge is the most prolific online healing community on the planet. Even before Amazon or Facebook, CaringBridge was using interactive technology to create a compassionate dialogue for patients, caregivers, friends and families to channel love, support, and healing energy into the lives of people who are ailing.

“The 1812 Overture begins as a sweet, tender melody that grows into a loud and powerful symphony that’s impossible to ignore,” Liwanag shared. “Like the journey of each CaringBridge site, our intention is to create a groundswell of love and support that’s impossible to ignore.”  Watch Liwanag weave the artful metaphor, via video.

She also reminds us that each and every person in the lives of the people who are sick have an important role to play – just like the orchestra. “It’s the care-givers who need our love and encouragement as much as patients. They are the percussionists in the orchestra – never seen, but always heard. Keeping the beat. Keeping everyone on track and moving forward,” she reminded. “Even when the conductor asks the whole orchestra to stand at the end of the performance, the players in the front row cover up the percussionists. They are still unseen.”

How we can help

CaringBridge is a miracle of both society and technological science. But it’s even more impressive to know it’s mostly supported by the personal contributions of people like you and me. “Our largest funding source is the 80,000 online visitors who contribute an average of $63 each to our mission,” Liwanag explained. “Our challenge is to help people understand that creating a CaringBridge site is not about dying – the majority of our sites are about people who live. That’s a powerful message that you can all help us share.”

Good leaders create a vivid metaphor about their leadership that keeps their goodness alive and growing in the hearts and minds of the people important to their success. And they keep a steady beat to ensure the mission moves forward, no matter what ails them.

Please share with me: What role can you play in a healing community?