By KimOanh Nguyen-Lam, PhD (LDS

A featured speaker at the FEIAA 2019 Executive Forum is Dr. Antoinette Allen, who is an FEI faculty member currently teaching a unique course on forgiveness and leadership. The title of her talk, “Political Pardons, Prominent Prisoners, and the Power of Strategic Forgiveness,” is both intriguing and relevant in our current politically contentious climate that, at times, spills into the workplace. 

Dr. Allen knows a thing or two about the need to establish forgiveness as a core leadership value in any organization. She has not only researched this newly emerging leadership trend, but she has personally witnessed the power in leveraging it as a leader. She posits that we, as leaders, need knowledge and skills to address and respond to adversity that directly affects our team’s success. Cultivating a forgiving team environment can lead to increased team effectiveness. Below is a brief interview with Dr. Allen on this topic.

FEIAA: Dr. Allen, could you please share how the FEI class on forgiveness came about? It is an interesting topic that wasn’t available when many of us went through the program. How many cohorts have participated in this course?

Dr. Allen: The forgiveness class originated from my doctoral research. One of the major findings that emerged was that forgiveness led to resiliency in leaders when implemented as a leadership strategy. I interviewed senior black women leaders, and each of them identified the use of forgiveness as a leadership strategy. It was modeled for one woman in childhood, provided a foundation for one woman’s faith, and was instrumental for another woman to achieve work–life harmony. In the latter case, she was quoted to say that “[she] was not willing to let what happened in the workplace impact her home life anymore.” This was intriguing to me as all three wormen related forgiveness to their resilience. After further empirical research I confirmed the relationship between forgiveness and resilience. Currently, over 100 executives have participated since September 2018, when this course was first presented. 

FEIAA: What was the overarching goal of the course, and have you been able to achieve it with these executives? Was there a specific outcome—for example, transformation or change in attitude or perspective, acquisition of new knowledge or skills, or something else? 

Dr. Allen: The goal of the course was to provide leaders with the skills to create a forgiving culture in the workplace and to consider the concept as a way to increase their resilience. This has been achieved for several executives who report they are now conceptualizing how they leverage this in the workplace. Several have reported the discovery of personal issues that have been holding them back and a renewed interest in seeking resolution. The class is set up for self-discovery and walks participants through a South African forgiveness model. It encourages them to apply the learning to their teams and serve as a role model.

FEIAA: Which key concepts of the course will be the focus for the Executive Forum’s presentation on May 21?

Dr. Allen: The forum discussion will focus on the importance of forgiveness as a leadership strategy, by exploring a case study of Nelson Mandela’s choice to forgive: how he made it a core value in his presidency and how he modeled it for the people of South Africa and the world. 

FEIAA: That is fascinating! What do you hope the forum attendants will walk away with? 

Dr. Allen: I want the forum participants to walk away with the knowledge that forgiveness is a key leadership trait that is tied to resilience. I hope they will conceptualize it more than religious theology but as an ideology that can improve team cohesiveness and effectiveness. I want them to consider how they are currently using it or how they will be able to incorporate it into their culture. I also want them to understand how to create a personal powerful “why” concerning forgiveness. This will be important when they are faced with a situation or dilemma that requires forgiveness

FEIAA: Thank you, Dr. Allen! I’m glad you will be speaking on this topic at our 2019 FEIAA Forum so that those of us who graduated from FEI prior to 2018 will get the opportunity to learn about this very important concept that could make a huge difference in our leadership journeys.

Quotes from Past Participants

Very powerful and learned ways to forgive others that may be dragging me down and dragging my confidence down. Simple concepts but practical.

This was an extraordinary class with a powerful message that is invaluable to anyone who has suffered hurt or injustice. I found this class helped me personally to navigate things in my life.

This is a very difficult topic—having taken the course with Dr. Allen I could not imagine it being presented differently.

Members, don’t miss the opportunity to hear Dr. Allen speak at our 2019 FEIAA Executive Forum on May 21. She will help us explore the who, what, when, where, why, and how of strategic forgiveness; its role in maintaining resilience; and its value as a coping strategy to overcome adversity. Nelson Mandela’s legacy will serve as inspiration for those of us seeking to determine the validity of this concept as a viable leadership strategy. Mandela successfully averted civil war in South Africa—while simultaneously transforming the heart of his nation. His example continues to inspire world leaders to consider reconciliation. This presentation will challenge us to consider how we currently employ forgiveness in our leadership, and it will encourage us to champion forgiveness in the workplace.