Radical Leadership

Leadership Traits

2007-03-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

You create and maintain trust by making sure your people know that you understand their opinions and concerns;

You view truthfulness as more than just honesty, genuinely longing to digest information and adjust to the realities around you;

You make a genuine effort to be results-oriented, and not just grace-oriented;

You embrace bad news. You get it and get moving;

You don’t maintain your leadership abilities. You grow them.

You accept the question of transcendence—you say you’re not God and act like it.

Adapted from Dr. Henry Cloud's address at Willow Creek's Children's Ministry Conference

Power

2007-02-24T09:28:00.000-08:00

“Power” is such a loaded word these days, and much of our rhetoric is antithetical to the idea that anyone has power over another’s life. Instead we promote the notion of self-empowerment and the belief that no one but me has legitimate power over my life.

There is also the reality that God, who is omnipotent, has the power to do whatever He chooses - including anything to do with my life. Yet, he has chosen to give me free will, and has chosen to not exercise His power over what I choose and what I do. I think that is a key concept to grasp and it begs the question, if God does not enforce his power on humans, should any of us enforce our power on another human?

Power is not the same as influence, nor is the same as authority. I can be influenced by a TV ad, by an author, by an ideology, but in the end (at least in Canada) I am not forced to make any decision I do not want to. If I have a job, I will have a ‘boss’ who will give me direction and expect me to follow that direction. If I want to keep that job, I will likely have to follow that direction and accept their authority over me, but I also have the option of quitting. Or, in many job settings I can go talk to the boss and let her know I don’t want to do something, or I can go to an advocate and seek help.

Where this rubric changes, is when I have chosen by my own free will to submit to something or someone, e.g., I choose to give power over my life to God. Admittedly, I sometimes wilfully pull that power back, but to give it to Him is my intent none the less.

Often we hear the phrase, ‘the power of love’, and I think there is something to that. I love my wife, and because of that there are certain things that I do not do, e.g., throw my dirty socks on the floor, but there are also things that do, e.g., make her coffee in the morning. This is not because of her authority over me, or her ability to influence me, but it is because of the power inherent in the love we share.

There are certainly some instances where within the confines of the rubric under which I have chosen to submit, the person in power impacts me in ways that I did not anticipate or imagine, and if I had imagined them, I would never have submitted to their power in the first place. To use a fictitious example, if I had known before hand that when I went to my pastor and shared with him some deeply confidential information expecting confidentiality, and then he shared that with the congregation on a Sunday morning as a sermon illustration, I probably would have not spoken to him in the first place.

At the end of the day the issue of power is real, and those of us in power bear a significant burden of responsibility for how that power is wielded. When used for good and goodness, it can change lives. When used irresponsibly or with impure motive, it can destroy.

"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missles and misguided men. - Martin Luther King Jr.

“You see what power is - holding someone else’s fear in your hand and showing it to them!”
- Amy Tan

“Most powerful is he who has himself in his own power.” - Seneca

“For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” - Matthew 6:13

Identifying Leaders

2007-02-15T09:52:00.000-08:00

"If you are looking for leaders, how can you identify people who are motivated by the drive to achieve rather than by external rewards? The first sign is a passion for the work itself - such people seek out creative challenges, love to learn, and take great pride in a job well done. They also display an unflagging energy to do things better. People with such energy often seem restless with the status quo. They are persistent with their questions about why things are done one way rather than another; they are eager to explore new approaches to their work."

- by Daniel Goleman from the Harvard Business Review, November-December 1988

Christian leaders have an additional advantage - we are motivated by love for God and love for each other.

Character and Calling

2007-02-08T09:17:00.000-08:00

Reflections on Character & Calling, by William Willimon

I recently read Character and Calling for an Ethics Course I'm taking, and jotted down some ideas that resonated with me that may be helpful discussion points as we look at the challenges we face leading Christian organizations and churches. These notes are not in anyway intended to be judgements or pronouncements, rather they are meant as starting points for reflection.

Christians learn what is good, right, and just by knowing the church and by experiencing life in that community.

How does sin in a church or Christian organization affect the character, nature, and ethics of that church or organization? Removing someone from leadership will affect operations, but will allowing them to stay affect ministry? Which is more important?

It is not the task of the pastor/leader to protect congregants/staff from the rigorous demands of discipleship. The vocation of the pastor/leader is to speak and enact the Word of God among God’s people.

Evidence that the Word is dwelling among us richly is the witness, rebuke, correction, and encouragement of the saints.

“Truth telling is a community matter in the church.”
“Discipline and law are means of grace, not its antithesis.”
- William Willimon

Can the church be a community without and boundaries for appropriate behaviour that define our community?

Are we more willing to tolerate a fractured community, rather than risk a test of our Christian ability to be agents of reconciliation?

Is the welfare of one individual as important as the welfare of the church/organization as a whole? Who should accept responsibility and suffer any consequences of an individual Christian's sin - the individual, or the church/organization?

Are we distorting the notion of community if we choose to ignore sin in the community, under the belief that exposing sin will harm the community?

Is good character contagious? Is bad character contagious?

Passion

2007-01-25T11:55:00.000-08:00

What are you passionate about?
Webster’s dictionary defines Passion as: any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling. I’m passionate about a lot of things – chocolate cream pie, Monday night football, good service in restaurants, and the need to declare boom boxes and portables stereos illegal in all provincial campsites. But one passion that stands out for me, is a desire for things to be just and fair.

It seems to me that as a society we have become obsessed with my rights instead of what is right, with justice for me instead of justice for all, with “I” instead of “we”. These are not new thoughts by any stretch – but I wonder what the long term impact of this ‘self-centered’ view will be?

We have come to a point where one seriously considers the risks of discussion or debate on any of these issues for fear of being labeled activist or passivist, pro-labor or pro-management, pro-life or pro-choice, a right wing capitalistic pig or a left wing tree hugger. Is it possible to have an opinion without being labeled? When did the world become so black and white? Most of my world is gray. If I find an issue that is truly black and white, that is, it is ‘truth,’ I hold it tightly because in this world truth is a rare commodity.

In our quest for our ‘rights’ we seem to have lost a sense of who we are as a society. There was a time when the common good was an important factor in deciding what we do. Are we setting ourselves up for failure as a society if we only look out for number one? We say "our children are our future," but are we teaching them to work together, to think of the other person, to be self-less rather than selfish? Are we teaching them to listen to other people’s points of view and respect each other and to accept that its okay to be different? Or are we teaching them that my rights are always more important that anyone else’s, that the one who talks the loudest, threatens the most, and pushes the hardest is the winner and winning is more important than being right?

There used to be an expression, “keep the faith”. One definition of faith goes like this, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” I’ve seen the substance of things hoped for – that things can be different. When the tragedy of Sept. 11th hit New York, it literally and figuratively shook that city to its very foundation. New York, previously known as the most unfriendly city in the world became a city of brotherly love. Neighbors, who had lived across the street from each other for years and had never met, spoke to each other for the first time. Race and color didn’t matter. The police went from being ‘the enemy’ to being ‘heroes’. People opened their homes to strangers, and for a time we cared more for each other than we did on September 10th. We all saw the worst in humanity bring out the best in humanity.

Bringing out that best in others. Now that’s something to be passionate about.

Are You a 21C Leader?

2006-11-06T08:09:00.000-08:00

There are still a lot of pastors and church leaders (and marketplace leaders) who are trying to lead from a 20th Century leadership paradigm. This approach is typically a top-down, great white man, semi-autocratic mindset that is fast approaching extinction in terms of effectiveness. There are several reasons for the demise of the model but here are a few:

Women in leadership and the marketplace: Women are wired differently than men. They process information and often come to decisions through social input, which means that leadership is becoming more relational and team oriented.
Education: In general, the better the educated the people, the less likely they will take orders and commands and the more they want to participate and giver their opinions. You offend educated people when you are controlling.
Information dispersion: Media, the internet, and the overwhelming amount of info has made it impossible for leaders to have a corner on the market. Info is power, so now we must share with others and never assume we have all the answers.
Democratization: When the Berlin Wall fell, communism and dictatorial rule were set back and democracy as a philosophy advanced. People in democracies believe they have a right to be heard and vote and participate.
Post-modern mindset: The lack of perceived Truth in life requires leaders to be more relational, interactive, and participative in how they lead because fewer people believe in a single right answer for organizational problems.

The cumulative effect of these and related changes in 21C culture means that leaders, to be effective, must lead differently than they did, even 10 or 20 years ago. They must be more savvy, team oriented, and less lone wolf, dictatorial, or top-down. This requires more time invested in leadership discussions and planning and also means that many of us will need to change the way we do things. While we can still accomplish some things via old school leadership tactics, we'll have growing conflict, ineffectiveness, and frustration in general.

- Alan Nelson, Pastoral Ministry Champion and Executive Editor of Rev! Magazine

Character and Holiness

2006-10-28T07:14:00.000-07:00

I've been doing some reading lately about sanctification and have been giving thought to how this action of God should affect us, particularly those of us in leadership.

"Character is to be positively changed, and all my nature 'refined'". I wonder what that says about us as Christian leaders? So many of us seem unchanged - we still get angry and impatient. We still speak badly of our subordinates, colleagues, and leaders. We put process before people. We misuse and abuse power. We are wasteful. Either sanctification does not effect change, or we are not changed because we are not sanctified. I'm going with the latter.

I rarely if ever feel 'holy.' Perhaps I'm a product of my generation, brought up with Puritanical notions that prevent one from fully grasping this gift - one should never think highly of oneself, and certainly not think of oneself as holy! Much of my experience with holiness in the church has been to see its application as law rather than grace. Holiness has been wielded by hard taskmasters who use it as a tool to point out what you are not, where you've failed, and the sorry state of your sinful condition. We even use this blessed experience to define our egotism when we describing someone as 'holier than thou'. It can't be that holiness is about condemnation. Surely this is not the 'good news' that Jesus brought!

I'd like to think that holiness is a close relative of grace - given by God, even though we don't deserve it and accepted by us knowing that there is nothing we could do to earn it. It is not earned once I pray enough, read my Bible enough, 'do' enough. Even if it was ... when is enough, enough?

I'm inclined to think that the God we serve is one who delights in his children, who is pleased with our feeble attempts - not because they are feeble, but because we dare to attempt. And so, as a self-confessed 'Couttsian', for me holiness is not so much a destination as it is a journey, a process. It affects my leadership most profoundly when I understand its primary function as bringing me in closer relationship with God.

"Holiness is the habit of agreeing in God’s judgment, hating what He hates, loving what He loves, and measuring everything in this world by the standard of His Word."
- J. C. Ryle

"The best test of a sanctified man is to ask his family about him."
- C. T. Studd

A People's Army

2006-09-26T04:33:00.000-07:00

A People's Army -
That's what we were intended to be:
Of the people and for the people,
Under God.

Stratigies and structures
Must serve the end.
Of themselves they are not sacrosanct,
Immutable.
Methods may vary,
Principles must remain,
And the Spirit be our guide.

Administration needs a human heart and face
And be able to see beyond paper to people -
Not just programmes or statistics
But human beings, flesh and blood,
Sensitivce spirits.

To God, people matter most.
They must matter most to us
As to greathearts who went before us.

We must be people with passion,
And our passion must be people -
All kinds of people:
Highbrow, lowbrow,
Socially approved,
Drop-out, push-out, misfit -
All should feel accepted by the People's Army,
For what they are and for what they may become
By Grace.
Then truly,
The People's Army will continue to be God's Army too!

- by Wesley Harris
(Reprint from Officer Magazine)

UPR

2006-09-13T05:01:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from a much needed and much enjoyed vacation. During my time away I was able to catch up on some reading and spent time trying to connect things like vision, mission, commission, and submission. Interesting concepts to contemplate, but I'm not sure I made significant progress in my search for integrated understanding.

As I return to my normal daily activities there is one thought that has surfaced again, and that is God's command that we love each other. It is not a mission, not a vision, not an objective or a strategic plan - it is a command. I find it to be a command that is easy to follow with some and difficult to follow with others. It is easy to love those who like me and are like me, but those who are not like me ... well, that's a different story.

Just before the summer I attended a management course presented by Simon Fraser University. One of the instructors introduced to us the idea of "Unconditional Positive Regard". She stated that is was the principle by which we should lead and manage. Knowing that this message was delivered in a secular context by someone who does not share my faith perspective, made it strike home even more. If a secular institution can espouse a management principle which echo's God's command, how much more should I make this a priority of my leadership style and my ethos?

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind'. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Matthew 22:37-40

12 Measures for Building Your Character

2006-08-11T17:58:00.000-07:00

1. I possess the Right Motivation: As a leader, I am called to be an example-setter of high character to the people to whom I am responsible—whether they are my peers, children, employees and/or constituents. No matter if it seems inefficient, inconvenient or ineffective, I will build character because it is the right thing to do.

2. I possess an Accurate Mindset: My character flaws undermine my leadership, but are correctable. Character is who I am; competency is what I do. I will no longer confuse the two. Character is not only attractive to me, but is irresistible.

3. I possess the Freedom to Choose: I am 100% in control of my character and my response to others. I choose to be a leader of character. I regret my past character-poor choices. I will do all within my power and by the grace of God to change. I will become more like Christ and the mentors and models I most admire.

4. I possess a Teachable Spirit: I am designed to be a life-long learner. I am teachable and have a strong bias to apply what I learn, to who I am and what I do.

5. I possess an Optimistic Vision: A few might remember my competence, but virtually all will remember my legacy of character, good or poor. Many will exceed me in various competencies, but I will set my sight on building a reputation of uncommon character.

6. I possess a Clear Target: I know the "bulls-eye" of high character. I know exactly what character-ethics are…and the corresponding behaviors I desire, even though I may struggle to achieve them consistently.

7. I possess the Right Tools: I have taken the time to assess and acquire the correct resources to support my character-building journey, including the power of the Holy Spirit, character-ethics and a support system of like-minded leaders.

8. I possess a Sensitive Spirit: I may not always act on its every conviction, but I have a Spirit-led conscience that consistently generates a sense of great personal peace when I act in high character and appropriate concern when I do not.

9. I possess the Ability to Find a Caring Mentor: My mentor(s) know me personally and we have agreed on a transparent, accountable, encouraging relationship as it relates to building character. My mentor(s) help me to create and maintain the conditions and principles necessary to build my character. Our respective roles and expectations are defined and mutually understood.

10. I possess an Integrating Perspective: My goal is to operate out of one, unifying and aligning character identity - to be Christ-like. I will tirelessly work to reconcile all of my various relationships to conform to this single identity.

11. I possess a High View of Relationships: I value relationships, but I'm not perfect. I want to forgive those who make errors and be forgiven as well when I commit them. While this does not eliminate the consequences of committing wrongs (or omitting rights), it assures others that I earnestly value them.

12. I have Counted the Cost: If I start, there is no going back. I will be painfully exposed for what I am if I attempt to champion a double standard or refuse to confront chronically poor character of those in my charge and/or completely abandon my own pursuit of character.

Adapted from The Ohio Center for Civic Character

Building on Strengths

2006-08-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

"You can’t take a really bad asset and think you’re going to fix it up. It just doesn’t work. Don’t spend your time trying to fix your weakness. Spend your time improving your strengths."

Ian Telfer, CEO Goldcorp Inc.

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen."
1 Peter 4:10-11 (NIV)

Pecking Order

2006-07-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

Norwegian psychologist T. Schjelderup-Ebbe found that in any flock one hen usually dominates all the others. She can peck any others without being pecked in return. Second comes a hen that pecks all others but the top hen and the rest are arranged in a descending hierarchy, ending with one poor hen that is pecked by all and can peck no one.

Within all organizations there is a pecking order - sometimes its systematized, but most often it is informal. Everyone knows about it, and if they were honest they'd say they don't like it when they are being pecked upon but it ain't so bad when you are in a position to do the pecking. In these environments promotions are often given by length of service or by assignment from the top. It is usually well established organizations that use this system. Newer, more nimble companies base promotion on who can get the job done, who can get results, who can lead - regardless of age, length or service or connections. Leaders who get their position by assignment rather than merit base their security on their title rather than their talent. Those who follow this type of leader do things because they have to, not because they want to. Juxtaposed against this model is the model where leaders are great not because of their power, but instead because of their ability to empower others. Which kind of leader do you want to follow?

Leaders must be willing to make personal sacrifices. Far too many folk want to bear the title, but not bear the cost. The captain of the hockey team is not always the most skilled player, but he is the most respected. He's often the first on the ice to practice, the last off the ice, represents the team, goes the extra mile, and makes sacrifices for the good of the team.

Leaders need followers. How can our leaders lead us if we are unwilling to follow? We seem to have entered a phase where all directives from our leaders are open for discussion and are options for followers to consider. There should be no expectation that we follow our leaders blindly, yet at the same time we can not always be guided by a compass that says "I'll follow as long as it makes me feel good", or, "I'll see what fits for me, take that, and leave the rest."

Vince Lombardi, former coach of the Green Bay Packers is credited with a number of quotes crafted to bring out the best in his players. Known as a man driven to the goal of victory on the gridiron, he coined the phrase, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing". As we move toward the middle of the first decade of the 21st century, we face challenges that arrive at a pace which has not been seen at any other time in our history. Now more than ever we need leaders who not only have the authority to lead, but are competent to lead. As we chart our course for the future, should we borrow a page from Mr. Lombardi's book and say, "Leadership isn't everything, it's the only thing."

Emerging Leaders

2006-07-25T17:30:00.000-07:00

I've had opportunity recently to dialogue with some young, passionate, on-fire individuals. I'm inspired by their energy and conviction and a little disquieted by their fervor. As they express their desire to see things change, they use descriptives like radical, unyielding, totally sold-out, and revolutionary. Great concepts ... might be a bit tough to be on the receiving end. In a recent discussion with my young friend I shared my sense that in biblical narratives as well as most non-western cultures, there is a prominent place for elders. There is a recognition that there is great benefit and necessity for input from those who have experience, wisdom, and knowledge. So I asked, "In your context, is there a place for the elders of our faith, our church, our denomination?" He had to think about that, and frankly, so do I.

It seems that much of the blame for the current state of the church is being rightly laid at the feet of the elders, and as a result their input is not only unwanted, it viewed as counter-productive. I see great similarities between the current revolution and the revolution of the 1960's. The view then was that the establishment was bad - it was what brought us to the place where we were - a bad place. The revolution called for something new, fresh, and alive that wasn't constrained by old forms and 'tradition.' And so the conflict began: old vs new, traditional vs contemporary, young vs old, my way vs your way. Sound familiar?

In some circles, this cyclical turmoil is seen as normal, but in our Christian context, can we or should we say the same thing? Is there room in the church for all parts of the body? How can we be inclusive rather than exclusive? How can we take the best that each one of us has to offer and use it for the Glory of God?

When we look at the leadership style of Jesus, we see a man who enlisted and used a very diverse group of people in His cause. What is it that prevents us from understanding this lesson? Are we any different than the people Jesus led? Perhaps its less about the followers, and more about the leader(s).

Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way!

2006-07-21T17:30:00.000-07:00

It has been said that some are born to greatness, others have greatness thrust upon them. I think that is true of leadership as well. Some folk you meet seem to have leadership in their genes - whether its organizing a sleepover, president of the youth group, or the natural, unelected 'leader of the pack'. In our ego-centric culture there is a prevailing notion that everyone should strive to be a leader, because, well ... everyone is a leader. It seems this hypothesis comes from an interesting application of logic that says leaders are people who influence others, and since everyone influences someone, then all are leaders. Baloney.

Leadership comes down to a few key issues. Leaders are responsible for vision and culture. They deal with the questions of 'where are we going?', 'what's our purpose?', 'what are our values?', 'how will we behave?' Leaders propose, rather than impose. Leaders give hope no matter how desperate the situation. Leaders understand the Afghan proverb that says, "If you think you're leading and no one is following you, then you're only taking a walk."

Often discussions on leadership get hijacked by those who drag in Hitler or Mussolinini as examples of leaders. These folk aren't leaders, they are maniacal, dictatorial, psychopaths - I'm pretty sure you won't find any of those adjectives in Webster's Dictionary under "Leadership". For those of us engaged in activities that do not include world domination, leadership is a word with positive connotations. Leaders have values, integrity, vision, and honesty. They inspire, are hard working, take risks, take the long view, put their goals ahead of personal needs, are not afraid to go against the status quo, are willing to stand up for what is right regardless of the cost, and are able to balance confidence with humility. It is with this concept of leadership that this blog has been launched, and by which leaders and their leadership will be discussed.

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader."
- John Quincy Adams (6th President of the United States)