“Having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, and honor of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God, and one of another, covenant and combine our selves together…”  William Bradford, Mayflower Compact, 1640.

Today we celebrate the Pilgrims as pioneers who came to America and befriended the Natives and gave us the great Holiday of Thanksgiving where we honor them by eating lots of food and watching football.  But 300 years ago, the Pilgrims were about the last people in earth who would throw a party – they believed in a very strict legalistic and authoritarian way of life that would make the townspeople in Footloose look like drunks at Mardi Gras.  The Pilgrim/Puritan worldview sprung from a combination of Calvinist theology, a distrust of the Royal House of Stuart, & an active opposition to anything in church life that resembled Roman Catholicism.  In short, the Puritans were angry at almost everyone but themselves.  So what’s a King to do?

LET THEM GO.  England in the early 1600’s had the good fortune to have lots of available real estate across the Atlantic in New England.  They also had the good leadership sense to give permission to any other religious dissenters to pack up and move thousands of miles away.  Having a release valve for angry subjects gave England much needed social stability for generations, as well as a way to end up having the gratitude of otherwise very angry people who now had some loyalty to you for the chance to have a new home.  Compare that to France & Spain who would only let subjects in good standing go to the New World – England had larger colonies, more successful colonies, and very little religious trouble at home.

So as a leader, are there folks in your ranks who just need permission to leave?  If they aren’t happy, don’t force them to stay and hope they “come around.”  Find your own leadership New England and offer them a chance to go somewhere new and make their own way.