How do we know what God wants?

I recently read two articles in the Summer 2008 issue of Leadership which offer help here. Gordon Macdonald tackled the issue of a leader’s intuition and Ruth Haley Barton wrote about discernment. Barton said that “our most important leadership role is hearing and obeying God’s voice – together”. She broke it down into three concepts:

1. Recognize God’s presence
2. Respond to God’s presence by following
3. Both are done in the context of spiritual community

The whole process succeeds in a climate of God directed discernment/intuition. Unlike Moses, we don’t get to talk with God face to face or listen to his voice thundering on the mountain. We must listen deeply and rely on the often subtle affirmations of the Holy Spirit. It’s not automatic and rarely easy. This leads us to the importance of #3, the involvement of trusted Christians in the process, and, to what MacDonald writes about: recognition that some leaders are more inclined to intuition than others by virtue of their temperament. Yet he believes even non-intuitives can hone these leadership instincts. Both would value spiritual disciplines/practices to make this climate/culture happen: reading scripture, reflection, silence, self-examination, prayer.

Leadership’s Most Difficult Word

Kenneth Gangel wrote his book So You Want to Be A Leader! 35 years ago, but his title of chapter 12 will always remain relevant: “How to Change Things (and live to tell about it).”

He says “it is without a doubt the responsibility of the leader to initiate improvement, and that necessitates innovation.” Of course the challenge, the difficulty, the repercussions, the casualties – they all come because of
• Poor vision communication
• Unwillingness to pay the cost of change
• Choosing the comfort of the familiar instead of the challenge of uncertainty

Here are some things to focus on when we are asked to participate in change:
• Faith – God will not abandon us; God leads us;
• Jesus challenged for change in the spheres of religious practice, views on social relationships, entrenched theology
• Most of us have successfully embraced electricity, automobiles, air travel, large flat screen TV’s, cell phones, computers, internet and texting … so why does the church continue to live in a different century and yet expect to influence people living in this century?
• The Bible places a lot of emphasis on “new”

The Ambiguity of the Church

John Stott, the great 20th century Anglican preacher and writer from England, wrote the 2002 Inter Varsity Press book Basic Christian Leadership. He points out that the Corinthian Church had leadership limitations, doctrinal difficulties, communal contradictions and practical problems. Yet Paul still gave thanks for the church and emphasized its giftedness (1 Corinthians 1:4-9). He also emphasized the unity of the church (1 Corinthians 1:10-17). A good leader will acknowledge and address imperfections while at the same time affirm strengths. Motivating an organization and its people to higher levels requires a balance of praise and ‘push’, a combination of commendation and correction. In fact the risen Jesus does this so well in his messages to the seven Asian churches in Revelation chapters 2 & 3.

Think about it:
• As a leader, do you dwell on the positive or the negative? What are the dangers of weighing in on one side to the exclusion of the other?
• Do you lead into defeatism (“we are not perfect, never will be, so let’s not even worry about imperfections!”) or do you lead as a perfectionist (“you are not getting it right, so shape up now!”)
• Does one aim too low? … too high?
• What has been your experience? Is there a best way to lead?

Is Christian leadership distinct?

According to John Stott in his 2002 Inter Varsity Press book Basic Christian Leadership, the answer is an obvious ‘yes’. Leadership is a word shared by Christians and non-Christians alike, but this does not mean that their concept of it is the same. Jesus noted this in Mark 10:42-44 where he introduced the surprising & distinctive element of “servant hood” as opposed to the arrogant, ‘bossy’ authority of the world.

Paul calls himself a servant in 1 Corinthians 3:5 & 4:1. He uses two different Greek words though.
• 1st = diakonos = servants used as instruments by God to bring the Corinthians to Christian faith = used by a higher power to accomplish a noble task through the servant’s willingness to surrender his/her will
• 2nd = huperetes = underlings, subordinates (original root meaning = the lowest rowing platform of a three-tiered warship)

The Lesson? The Apostle accomplished much for God’s Kingdom. We can too. It will require regarding (see 4:1) ourselves, our church, our office and calling in terms of submission and humility. Are you willing to stoop low and give up your claim to fame?

A leadership Vacuum?

This is a question Leighton Ford raises early in his 1991 book Transforming Leadership. A gap that is about to create a leadership catastrophe in many organizations and institutions could have been avoided if …

1. vision and energy had been transferred effectively. The leaders who emerged post World War II were movers and shakers, people of large dreams, who confidently built to success. A reluctance to ‘trust the treasure’ to new emerging leaders ended up creating a team of professional managers, who, by nature and position, are unable to see in the distance and alter the course as needed. When the leader dies, so does the vision. It may also be that those at the helm saw their crew as competitors instead of companions.

2. a climate of fear and reluctance had not infiltrated the ranks. Somehow everyone in the organization must buy into the call to courage and mission. This latter kind of culture nurtures and welcomes those who sense a call and embrace a passion to improve, expand, and excel. Emerging leaders are cultivated and affirmed. Grand causes that regularly remember the reasons for aiming at a high target birth courageous leaders who will also be remembered – remembered as leaders who build movements not monuments.

So the Questions are: What kind of leader will you be? How will you be remembered? How would you describe the ‘Emerging Leadership Culture’ in your church or organization?

STAYING ON MISSION

It happens in most organizations and institutions. It is a cycle that must be broken. Missions become movements, movements evolve into machines, and machines become monuments. Leaders must provide not only a legacy but lessons on maintaining momentum. Momentum is sustained by keeping the mission in front, highly visible. So quickly the purpose is lost in the everyday demands and mazes of management bureaucracy. It is the vision and mission that amazes people and compels them to commit.

Leighton Ford quotes an unknown source: “the last act of a dying organization is to produce a new edition of the rule book.” He goes on to suggest that “no doubt Jesus’ followers wished he had given them a detailed road map instead of Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” Direction was more important than detail. This was brilliant strategy that turned the world upside down. What direction are we going? What direction are you going?

CHASING CHIPMUNKS

Leighton Ford understands how important it is for effective leaders to offset or ‘intercept entropy’ (see LF #21). When an organization is ‘new’, it’s like eight small boys chasing a chipmunk: lots of noise and confusion, lots of wasted energy, but great flexibility and motivation. As the organization matures, the challenge of the leader is to keep the youthful zest without youthful disorder, to grow into maturity without taking on an aging rigidity.

Have you ever seen this struggle played out in your church or institution? So what can be done to prevent the implosion? I will offer some suggestions next week. Until then, observe and assess your present location on the ‘entropy spectrum’.

I think the Church of Ephesus in Revelation 2 reflects what we are talking about here. In their zeal to remain doctrinally pure (a good thing) they became so narrowly rigid that what they were known for (love of God and love of others) disappeared (a not so good thing). They had lost their first love.

The challenge: how to keep youthful passion alive while embracing the wisdom of maturity.

Intercepting Entropy

This is a profound leadership principle. Leighton Ford’s 1991 IVP book Transforming Leadership: Jesus’ Way of Creating Vision, shaping Values & Empowering Change, captures the concept wonderfully. Everything has a tendency to deteriorate, and a leader must learn the signals of impending deterioration. Some of these are:
- A tendency toward superficiality
- A “dark tension” among key people
- No time for celebration
- Problem-makers outnumber problem-solvers
- Day-to-day pressures push aside vision and risk
Have you ever seen this in a church? One of the most important jobs of a leader is to SUSTAIN. Spiritual leaders need to learn this before it’s too late.
(In coming weeks: what remains unchanged for the church? How to sustain, what to sustain; the ‘chasing chipmunks’ leadership style ;)

The Leadership Strategy of Jesus

According to Leighton Ford, who wrote Transforming Leadership in1991 (Inter Varsity Press), here are the leadership strategies of Jesus:
• HE SHOWED HIS WAY: Early followers were called people belonging “to the Way” (Acts 9:2). Jesus said “I am the way” (John 14:6). He set the direction, not so much by a detailed road map, but by His very person.
• HE SHAPED HIS PEOPLE: Jesus had succession in mind. Future leaders must be fostered. Jesus carefully picked and developed his inner core of followers and let them share the centre of His life. When the time came for him to leave, he did not need to put together a crash program of leadership development. No election was needed. The curriculum had been taught, lived out for three years among the next group of leaders who would carry his mission.
So what does this mean for the church? Certainly Jesus understood leadership to be much more than just filling vacant positions! He ‘groomed’ future leaders, not just by classroom instruction, but by the popular term of our day – mentoring. Effective leadership strategy is a long term process that involves so much more than memorizing information content.

At the Centre

Christian leaders interested in excellence must constantly keep before them core beliefs that will guide decision making and keep the organization on course. Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Church stays out of the chaos that sometimes traps church leaders by remaining convinced of, and committed to, these three bedrock beliefs:
1. Honour God in everything
2. People matter to God
3. The local church is the hope of the world

What core convictions guide your life? your ministry? your work?

BEYOND EXCELLENCE

The Ottawa Sun recently ran a review of a new book authored by elite motivational speaker Mike Lipkin. His emphasis: push beyond excellence to pre-eminence in business and service. What does it take to be outstanding? According to Lipkin it is the ability to consistently go above and beyond what people expect; it is the ability to anticipate needs before they are expressed; the desire to demonstrate care; and it is a commitment to show more depth and speed in response to others.
Above & Beyond: Christians should know something about this:
• Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God – 1 Corinthians 10:31
• Go the extra mile – Matthew 5:41
• The Good Samaritan – Luke 10:25-37
There is no shortcut on this journey. It is a high calling requiring focus and discipline. Are you up to the challenge?

Questions Leaders Ask - of themselves

More insight from Bill Hybels, Courageous Leadership, Zondervan 2002

Questions a leader asks of self:

1. Is my calling sure?
2. Is my vision clear?
3. Is my passion hot?
4. Am I developing my gifts?
5. Is my pride subdued?
6. Am I overcoming fear?
7. Is my pace sustainable?

WHAT KIND OF LEADER ARE YOU?

Not all leaders are alike. We have different styles and different skills. Without a ‘good fit’, a leadership position can quickly turn to frustration and failure. In his book, Courageous Leadership, Bill Hybels identifies ten leadership styles, each of which, in the right context, can qualify as “HIGH IMPACT LEADING. “

1. Visionary
2. Directional
3. Strategic
4. Managing
5. Motivational
6. Shepherding
7. Team-building
8. Entrepreneurial
9. Reengineering
10. Bridge building
The natural question is this: Do we have all these styles represented in our church and are they in the right places?

DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP

It never happens accidentally. The church could learn some lessons from the sports world. Scouts for the team are always looking for potential players. Then there is an investment in a prospect, an invitation to a training camp and ultimately an opportunity offer. Intentional leadership development done now secures the future. It accepts that the leadership team will change over time. It presupposes an understanding that leadership is not “holding onto power”. Leaders are groomed. Invite – Invest – Inspire – Impact. Did Jesus know anything about this?

SLOGANS FOR CHURCH LEADERS

These radical sayings sure have a ‘kick’ to them! They come from inspirational spiritual leaders via Carey Nieuwhof of Connexus Community Church in Barrie. Are you willing to embrace the radical? – because that is what it will take to do church successfully in the 21st century!

· If you are going to reach people no one else is reaching, you are going to have to do things no one else is doing.

· When your memories exceed your dreams, the end is near. Church life sometimes feels like its 90% nostalgia, not 90% vision.

The next generation’s visionary accomplishments almost never come from the previous generation. You can fight the next generation of leaders, or you can fund them. You can stifle them or you can inspire them.

· Focus on the people you want to reach, not the people you want to keep. This requires a heart for the prodigal generation. It also requires those who are ‘here’ to work not watch.

A CONUNDRUM

Leaders are to be bold and persevere (see the last leadership post). Leaders are also to be sensitive to God’s leading, and sometimes that means change. Romans 8:14,15 confirms that we dump fear (first point) and are led by the Spirit (second point). How do we do the right thing at the right time? I write this at Pentecost. Acts 2 is all about the Holy Spirit indwelling, strengthening and building joy and confidence into the lives of disciples. Wait for the promise. The breakthrough will come. And then what sweet success! But in Acts 16:1-10 I see Paul, Silas and Timothy being redirected by the Spirit. They wanted to go to Asia and Bithynia but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow it. Then God’s call comes through the ‘Macedonian Vision’ where significant conversions take place (Acts 16:11-40). Perhaps we can express it differently: “you gotta know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em”. I guess wisdom and experience fit into discerning the Spirit’s leading too?

What Shapes a Leader?

Calling … personality … strengths, talents, gifts … tasks/job descriptions … mentors – I think these are some of the more obvious answers. But what about the less obvious? Perhaps we can call this the “darker side of leadership” or the “hard side of leadership”. Leaders develop by experiencing the challenges of temptation, criticism and discouragement. Perhaps this why we say leaders must be courageous. Perhaps this is why the “duck and cover” syndrome sets in when the call for leaders goes out. Leadership brings visibility with responsibility. Wide open to the arrows and grenades of criticism, the discouragement of defeat, the lure of temptation, the leader is refined. This kind of shaping is sometimes rough, but never without reward: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)

Leadership Ripples

Good leaders keep the organization moving. And this requires a strong leadership team that will enthusiastically assist, support and sell the vision. All this comes with repercussions or ripples So what are the ripples? – the requirement of renewed energy, the necessity of revision, requests for funds and flexibility, recommitment … Watch the ripples closely, as they can beautifully awaken and revitalize a pond gone stagnant. But these ripples can also be a source of irritation to those living comfortably on lily pads and logs, soaking up the sun and staring at their reflections in the calm water. Jesus did provide rest for the weary (Matthew 11:28) and he did calm stormy waters (Matthew 8:23-27), but he also stirred calm waters with his often agitating teaching and actions John 7 – 10). In fact his leadership team turned the whole world upside down (Acts 17:6). Leaders: don’t be afraid of the ripples!

ambition?

A few weeks ago we considered the servant ‘aspect’ of leadership: a willingness to wash feet and a desire to see others succeed. While it is true that effective leaders have ambition, this ambition must never be driven by a desire for worldly acclaim. Nor should leadership destroy others while pushing towards the goal of accomplishment. Consider John the Baptizer: he did not allow his ego to be in competition with Jesus. John’s role was to be the set-up man for Jesus. He didn’t allow his temporary popularity to create a false sense of self-importance. Lesson: when Jesus wishes to make an appearance, never let your high self-opinion get in the way.

facing resistance

Leaders understand that their character and capacities are both revealed and refined by how they respond to criticism, conflict and resistance. Antagonism can obviously be most aggravating but it can also be a potential ally in a leader’s quest for more maturity in Christ, as well as increased wisdom and influence. Jesus faced so much resistance yet handled it in a way that actually increased his stature and influence. The resilience and potency of his leadership is due to intimate communion with his Father – the source of love, wisdom and power. Good leaders know how important it is to live in the Father’s presence.

Discover Your Design

Self-awareness is definitely a key to leadership. Strong leaders know where their strengths and limitations lie. You are a unique being, and even if you have an identical twin, there will never be another person exactly like you. God has shaped your personality and temperament in a particular way and this design is intentional. Just look at the stunning variety of characters Jesus first selected for his service: from doubting Thomas to aggressive Peter to sensitive John to compulsive Martha and outgoing Mary. We almost get the impression that Christ was purposefully assembling a mosaic of personalities, each offering something that could advance the purposes of God. Rick Warren suggests that people of God are like different pieces of stained glass through which the light of the Lord pours in brilliant array. The “glass” that is you may need polishing. It may be cracked or chipped in places. But your design matters. Understand these truths and your leadership will be stronger.

THE SURPRISING SIDE OF LEADERSHIP

Servants of Jesus are not to be motivated by the lure of control or power, or by the need to fill a personality self-worth deficit-disorder. Beware of those dark sides of leadership. Surprisingly, a true leader finds joy and fulfillment in empowering and equipping others so they can contribute in service – you can read about it in Ephesians 4:11-13, Mark 10:35-45, and John 13:1-17. The freedom/courage to be a servant-leader like Jesus, who stooped to wash feet, comes from being secure in your mission, and in your identity as a child of God.

TO SEE OR NOT TO SEE

Helping Others See – Visionary leadership is the art of picturing God’s preferred future for people in terms that inspire their souls and invigorate their wills. It also helps people discern and discipline themselves to the principles and practices God uses to transform that dream into reality

“The Reluctant Leader”

Maybe you’ve shied away from leadership roles because you feel unsure about your abilities. Or perhaps you are reluctant due to the common fear that you will be criticized and underappreciated. Please know that your leadership is needed! In every sector of society (family, business, church) leadership roles remain empty, waiting for people like you to take the bold step. Sure there are reasons to be fearful, but the satisfaction of knowing you helped just one person makes the risk worthwhile. Those willing to be led and shaped by Christ will lead with passion, strength and wisdom. Remember this: many Biblical leaders were reluctant when first called.

rules or results?

I think Jesus got himself in trouble with the 'religious managers' of his day because he continually pushed their 'bureaucratic buttons'! The Pharisaical position is "here is what we do, here's why, and here's how - because tradition tells us". They shake therir fist at Jesus and mumble to their neighbor over coffee at Tim's. Yet Jesus, being neither a bureaucrat nor a manager, does the 'leadership thing'. He places the focus on results, not rules. If someone needs to be healed on the Sabbath, then get it done! Forget the stupid policy. Leaders get it done. If it offends those tied up in tradition, so be it. Good leaders will accomplish the mission/purpose/mandate and you would think that should be enough to speak for itself. The 'proof is in the pudding thing'. Yet even then, after so many miracles and so many inspirational sermons, and after so many of those living on the fringes experience grace, the best leader the world has known is still given the death penalty. Politicians learn to placate the opposition. Usually this means compromising the results. Leaders like Jesus go for the results and sometimes face an unjust lynching. I'd vote for courageous leaders any day. At least it makes life more interesting. Here's to the adventure of leading.

position or charachter?

Some foolishly think that leadership is defined by office rather than character. Actually, it is more about the person than the position. The Bible tells us that Jesus did not insist on His rightful place but humbled Himself to the point of death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-8). This kind of leadership has inspired followers for over 2000 years!

What will set the church straight?

The. Rev. Cheol Soon Park, a candidate for Moderator of the PCC 2008 General Assembly, says that the church's future depends on the church's leadership. He says "the local church should be a place that makes a joyful noise and wakes up people's hearts and minds. In order to achieve it, renewal of leadership is a pre-requisite."

Let out the leader in you!

You have insights, passion and life experience! all of these can inspire, help and motivate others. And don't forget that God has built spiritual gifts into each person in His Church, so that by pulling together, so much can be accomplished!