Illustration by Jenny Campbel

After more than a year of trauma to body, soul, wallet, and community, all of us are entering rehabilitation. For many, the injuries are still occurring – as in the continuing violence against African Americans. Fear remains, and this rehabilitation will be long-term work.

Rehabilitation requires a well-informed assessment of the conditions that created the injuries and the careful retraining that teaches us how to recover and how not to re-injure. Everyone and all organizations have work to do.

Thirty years ago, Robert D. Dale synthesized late 20th century leadership theories, and articulated three basic foci of leadership: integrity, mission, and morale. Our full rehabilitation involves tending to all three. Yet leadership theorist Robert Kaplan notes that leaders are almost never good at both clarifying mission and raising morale. The talents and perspective of all are needed for this rehabilitation.

To whom are you listening? How are you being challenged to understand different perspectives and consider options? Who is being continually traumatized and what special care is needed? What does a solid rehab plan look like in your organization, and how does it tend to both mission impact and the people’s morale?