1. Leadership qualities are apparent in 12 Step recovery programs

By Tom O'Connell

As the new year opens it seems to me to be an appropriate time to reflect on the God-given concept of addiction recovery as it is found in the 12 Step programs which have been steadily growing since their foundation in 1935. What a gift this expanding recovering population has been to America and other parts of our addicted world at a time when addiction has reached epidemic proportions!

The word "normal" no longer means "healthy" because addiction is the norm. So being normal is not a worthwhile goal. Being part of a healthy minority is a better goal. And one way to move toward health is to join a 12 Step recovery group.

It is believed that for every person in Alcoholics Anonymous there are 34 others who have never found recovery. So the 1 in 35 who do find recovery are a kind of elite. They are kindred spirits bonded by their common problem and connected in a fellowship based on mutual help and unconditional love They are spiritual warriors dedicated to personal growth. They are gifted leaders in an addictive society.

At the Cape Cod Institute, sponsored by Albert Einstein College of Medicine, one of the presenters was Warren Bennis, Ph.D., a world renowned Distinguished Professor of Business Administration at the University of Southern California. An advisor to US presidents, the United Nations, and many leading corporations, he is an expert on "creative leadership" whose insights on leaders reminded me of the creativity that underlies the success of leaders in 12 Step programs.

Do you think a 12 Step fellowship of equals without a hierarchy has no leaders? Equality doesn't necessarily mean anarchy. Whether it's AA, Al-Anon, Narcotics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, or a relationship addiction recovery group, each gathering of equals in the recovery lifeboat is operating in much the same way that Dr. Warren Bennis observes among the great leaders of our world. Using humility and cooperation as a basis, the 12 Steppers have one basic source of power: A Higher Power. And each recovering individual in this small minority of the world's population provides leadership by being a power of example for others.

A leader, says Bennis, must abandon his or her ego to the talents of others and allow them to do their best. Members of 12 Step programs must deflate their egos too, if they are to become examples of humility.

"The leader has to give up the need to be in control," observes Bennis. He or she must be "abandoned to the strengths of others." In the 12 Step movement, giving up control is reflected in slogans such as "Let go and let God" and "Live and let live." And those who organize meetings are simply trusted servants of the group.

"Every follower is a potential leader," says Bennis. And these leaders grow in an environment based on a "culture of respect and caring that will listen to the group." Listening is one of the lessons of character development in 12 Step programs. Listening with tolerance. Identifying instead of criticizing. Relating instead of competing.

"In exemplary leadership, character is the key," says Bennis, and notes that it is "hard to teach character and judgment." Truly great leaders need these qualities. And the basic purpose of 12 Step groups is to serve as spiritually based character development programs devoted to building sound character and reliable judgment.

Leaders must also be vulnerable. And who is more vulnerable than a person who has thrown away the emotional crutch of alcohol, other drugs, gambling, overeating, or sexual selfishness? 12 Steppers are vulnerable leaders...powers of example.

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