Coffee, Redi-Whip, Macbeth, and Leadership

"Come, you spirits, that tend on mortal thoughts ..." (Shakespeare).

COFFEE AND MATURITY

I can trace my military career with coffee! When I first joined, I couldn't stand the stuff. As I began a career of early morning exercises, intense afternoon counseling, and evening Religious Education programs, I came to the conclusion that I should, in fact, begin drinking coffee, especially if I wished to fit into the culture. It is rare to find a military member without an IV port for coffee!!! Naturally, my first coffees were Folgers, Maxwell House, and the like. I could stomach them, so long as there was a lot of sugar and milk. Over the course of my next few assignments, my siblings introduced me to cappuccinos and such, and I left those basic American brands behind for Starbucks and other coffeehouses. While stationed in Europe, I upgraded my coffeemaker to an espresso machine and haven't looked back! Now, much closer to the end of my career, I buy fresh beans, have a grinder, and joyfully make my own latte every morning.

WELL-MADE COFFEE

Sometimes, though, especially when traveling, I don't have the luxury of making my own coffee in the morning, and must rely upon the services of Starbucks, Dutch Brothers, etc.  When I first started at these fine establishments, the lattes were just what I liked. The milk had been frothed perfectly and poured in gently, always ending with a bit of airy foam on the top, providing the right amount of body and balance to the espresso. These were always a joy to drink as my mouth experienced first the cloud-like texture of the foam, then the naturally-sweet body of the steamed milk, and finally the little KICK of espresso in … every … sip. But then, the quality started slipping.

REDI-WHIP?!

The baristas at these nationwide chains rarely seem to take the time to froth the milk properly (lovingly?), and what one ends up with is a water-thin addition of milk to the espresso. It's like drinking coffee and milk from a water fountain … and it's gross in comparison. Adding insult to injury, many of these chains have taken to adding something like Redi-Whip to the top, and they advertise it proudly as if it were not merely a corn syrup and diglyceride-laden substitute (and a poor one!) for  the frothed milk (which is an actual labor of love!).  As C.S. Lewis wrote, "We are far too easily pleased."

QUICK AND EASY DOES IT? HMMMM ...

Likewise, we are far too easily pleased with how leaders are made. Shakespeare's famous play, Macbeth, explores this very topic. Admittedly, Macbeth (the fictional version, not the historical king) was already a leader, having risen to the rank of General of King Duncan's armies. Happening upon three "Weird Sisters" in the moors of Scotland, Macbeth hears a prophesy that he is to be king of Scotland, and upon his return home, he naturally shares this wondrous news with his loving wife, Lady MacBeth. Being the meek and mild creature that she is, Lady MacBeth encourages her husband to follow the path towards the throne by continuing to work hard, lead with integrity, and let the throne come to him in the natural order of things …. Spoiler alert--NO! The fictional Lady MacBeth is a scheming, ambitious figure in the play, and she encourages her husband to take the Redi-Whip approach to leadership by killing the king and seizing the throne, rather than await the prophecy's eventual fulfillment.

REDI-WHIP LEADERSHIP

In the same manner--minus the dark nights and steely knives--contemporary leaders are far too often created with the Redi-Whip model of leadership:

• Sound bites are used to determine merit. Nor is this focused solely towards American political gamesmanship. My officer evaluation in the Air Force is riddled with great-sounding words of magnificent feats, financial genius, and leadership acumen. If I win awards based on those "sound bites," my star surely rises higher than all others. And it's not that I haven't accomplished what is described; too often, however, we go for the sound and not the bite! To quote Macbeth again, sound bites without substance are merely "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing".

• Superficial changes are touted as life-altering, history-making moments sure to shape coming generations! "Department of War," perhaps? The Porter in Macbeth says this about the effects of alcohol--"It provokes the desire, but takes away the performance." The same can be said for any kind of surface-level changes.

• The immediacy of snap judgements and gut feelings replaces a more mature, studied observance of character and integrity. I have observed time after time military leaders who were vectored early in their careers only to flame out and crash when given more responsibility because they simply didn't have the right character and integrity. This aerosolized approach to understanding a person's character allows what Macbeth described while plotting the King's demise--"False face must hide what false heart doth know."

IN CONCLUSION

Great leadership, like great coffees, is built through substance, intentionality, and carefulness. To try otherwise is to create a "tale told by an idiot" (Macbeth).

REFLECTION

1. How are leaders built in your organization?

2. In what ways do you create leaders with substance, intentionality, and carefulness?

3. Is your organization guilty of being too easily pleased with leadership development?

4. Describe your favorite coffee drink.

5. Do you prefer the ultraprocessed and easy route or the more organic and therefore more difficult route?

6. Is whole milk or Redi-Whip more your style?