LeadershipConneXtions

Self-Awareness is not the Destination (as seen in Andrew Carnegie)

 Here is another story Tim Keller tells, this time, about Andrew Carnegie. It is found on page 68-69 of his book, Counterfeit Gods.

Carnegie was one of the wealthiest men in the world due to his steel company. At only age 33, he was already aware of the dangers of wealth and he had insight into his own heart about wealth. Here are Carnegie's words Keller quoted that were amazing.

Man must have an idol - The amassing of wealth is one of the worst species of idolatry. No idol more debasing than the worship of money. . . . To continue much longer overwhelmed by business cares and with most of my thoughts wholly upon the way to make more money in the shortest time, must degrade me beyond hope of permanent recover. I will resign business at Thirty-five, but during the ensuing two years, I wish to spend the afternoons in securing instruction, and in reading systematically.

 Keller goes on to say, 

Andrew Carnegie knew that money was an idol in his heart, but he didn't know how to root it out….

Self-awareness is never the destination, it is only a step on the way to transformation. How tragic to know what needs changed and have no idea how to change or WHO can change what needs changed.

Brian K. Rice
Leadership ConneXtions International 
www.lci.typepad.com

Why Do People Fail on the Job?

Jeffrey Gitomer refers to several national tests (he does provide sources) that reveal pretty interesting statistics about why people fail on the job.

20% Fail due to improper training and therefore poor job skills.

15% Fail due to poor verbal and written communication sills.

15% Fail due to a poor or problematic boss or management.

50% Fail due to their attitude.

Daniel Goleman might simply describe it as low emotional intelligence on their part.

How accurate is this?
How were these tests conducted?
Are there other tests that give other answers to the question of failure? (For example, Bobby Clinton would have some very different answers to this question from his leadership work over the decades.)

But I think we can say this. There is a lot of failure going on that is rooted internally in bad attitudes and then the actions that manifest those attitudes.

• So - how is your attitude?  
• Do you have any attitude issues with anyone these days?  
• How is your attitude at work?  
• And at home? 
• What are the top five words that best describe your most frequent attitude?

The old quote used by John Maxwell is a bit trite, but with a core of truth.

Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude.

Brian K. Rice
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

Take Any Risks Lately?

Hmmm?

Good question.

I'm not inclined toward risk taking. That also means I am not inclined toward faith or courage.

I am inclined to safe... stable... doable... achievable... 

Yes the fruit is out on the end of the limb and so is a broken neck.

Like I said, I'm not exactly the most famous risk taker there is.

And that is a real weakness. 

  

For life itself is risky.
Love is risky.
Relationships of any kind are risky.
Leadership is risky.
Change is very risky.
Believing passionately in a vision - that's risky too.
BHAGs are risky, by definition.
Trying something new - you guessed it, risky.
Taking up a cross...
Confronting injustice...
Going against the crowd with its conventional wisdom...
Following Jesus...

The list could go on and on and on...  RISKY!!!

Risk means that the possibility of failure is real. Danger is real too. Loss is hovering around as an option. 

Not every one or every leader will be as willing or able to live on the edge, live adventurously, live courageously, live with faith and hope . . . but occasionally you are going to have to go to those places. And when you do, vaya con Dios.

Tu Amigo  
Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

 

Lead With Stability

One of the core human needs is for stability and security. 

One of the core dynamics of leadership is change.

Those two things are not like chocolate and peanut butter (which go very well together), or chocolate and mint, or chocolate and ice-cream, or chocolate . . . opps, I got distracted due to my diet.

Stability and change are opposite ends of the spectrum. Change means stability is going, going, gone. Change means the old is up for grabs (say bye-bye security and who knows what brave new world will emerge. Change means we live with heightened uncertainty and "not knowing" is a painful place to be.

Leaders who are especially Agents of Change are constantly messing with stability... and that means rough waters are ahead.

When I was a senior pastor, I don't think I was as clued in to this issue as I should have been. I was a visionary leader, committed to radical organizational change, ready to implement a sweeping spectrum of new ideas into what I thought was a dated church. Oh, did I tell you that I just assumed that everyone saw things like I did!

I was messing around with core human needs and longings and being rather insensitive to it as well.
 

Just because people want stability and security and that they avoid uncertainty and instability (which change always brings) does not mean that we stop being visionaries and agents of change. It just means that we are a lot more sensitive and compassionate (see yesterday's post) as we lead the change process.

Gallup says that transparency is crucial for this process.
Put the cards on the table.
Give as much information as you can.
Do not hide or "spin" on the "brutal facts." (They always come out anyway.)

 Here are a few more practical suggestions.

1. Be an outstanding listener to those who are disappointed with the changes you are leading.
2. Acknowledge how hard the change is.
3. Seek to shore up stability wherever you can.
4. Be very smart and savvy with the change process. It is like an art, knowing how much change can be tolerated.
5. Work hard to get the early adopters on board and then the early majority as well.
6. Pray a lot... I mean a lot.

Do not minimize the stress people will feel as their stability disappears. Leaders who are true innovators just don't understand the "late majority" and how they will react when their stable foundations and secure ways are disappearing before their eyes.

So, pay attention to the confidence levels those around you have. In our current economic and social economy, there is a lot of instability. This is not a time for timidity, but nor is it a time for rashness. 

Brian "I could use a chocolate chip cookie" Rice
Leadership ConneXtions International
www.lci.typepad.com

Lead With Compassion

I talked about this issue in another recent post, The Leadership Way of Love. Still, it is well worth mentioning again because this one is pretty "counter-intuitive."

Instead of the word love, the Gallup people use the term compassion, and that is a good word.

Compassion is the deep awareness of the misfortunes and needs of others and the will to do something about their suffering or neediness.

We are now, deep in the realm of emotional intelligence and resonant leadership.  You have heard the old saying, but it bears repeating:

People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

This one is especially true for those leaders who are more task oriented than people oriented. This is an area that I must pay attention to, for I am a task oriented leader. And on the MBTI, I fall just slightly over the mid line in extroversion. There are times when I am stressed or tired, that I fall into a significant introversion mode and am not sensitive to the needs of others.

When people feel they are cared for, they feel secure.
When people feel cared for, they are happier.
When people feel a leader is truly interested in their well-being, they are more engaged in their work.
When people feel connected to a caring leader, their commitment level increases substantially.

The leaders we remember the most, in terms of their positive impact on us, are those who have cared for us. This is part of the reason for why mentors are so important and so transformative in their impact on us. Good mentors, by definition, care for those they mentor. Good mentors show they care by the depth of personal investment they make in the mentoree.

One note that the Gallup people made is that in large organizations, while it is not possible for a senior leader to personally care for even most of the individuals, still, the bearing and demeanor of the leader and the acts of the leader, either exude caring or uncaring.

So, just like yesterday's encouragement - do some personal inventory on how you are doing on this dimension of Leading With Compassion.

If you would like to read a very nice eulogy for Ted Engstrom, whose last book before he died was Compassionate Leadership, read this post by Dan Kimball.

Brian Rice
Leadership ConneXtions International
www.lci.typepad.com

p.s.  I have not read this book, so I don't know how good it is. I do know that Ted Engstrom was a Level 5 leader, full of resonant energy and compassion for the world.

Lead With Trust

The Gallup research interviewed ten thousand followers and asked them a very specific question.

Please list three words that best describe what this person (i.e. a leader who had the most positive influence in their daily life) contributes to your life?

A good question!
Very intentional and highly strategic in its search to find out the nature of positive influence.

Four items emerged: 

Trust
Compassions
Stability
Hope

Today I'll have a few thoughts about TRUST and in the next three days look at the other qualities.
 

**************************

We've known for some time how important trust is for the leader-follower relationship.  To say it simply, followers will not follow for very long, a leader they do not deeply trust. 

I know a leader who lost the trust of many of his followers due to incompetency. He just couldn't get the job done.

I know a leader who lost the trust of most of his followers due to character issues. He had lots of charisma, but not much character. Eventually, the charisma couldn't cover up the glaring character issues.

I know a leader who lost the trust of her team because of  her authoritarian way of leading. She led this way out of insecurity and the need to be in control. 

It very easy to lose trust and it is very hard to regain it, once it has been lost.

Leaders gain the trust of followers when we are consistently honest, when we act with constant integrity and we act in ways that are respectful of our role and of others...and when we show we have the ability to do the job and get the results that benefit everyone.

For all this, authenticity is the key. 
When people look at you, what they see is what they get.
Your personal behaviors are congruent with your public actions.
Words and deeds are in alignment.
You walk the talk, day after day, after day, after day . . .

If you act without integrity, if you are dishonest, if you are not respectful of others, then trust is lost. Depending on how big the "breach" it may be lost quickly, or just dribble away.

If you realize you are losing trust, then you MUST come clean on the very things that are causing suspicion and doubt. Forthcoming acknowledgement of your failures and inadequacies, and the appropriate addressing of those things (if you actually mean it) will help. But then you are going to have to "prove" you mean it by sustained change.

Listen - don't assume those who follow you trust you. If they are still with you, maybe they do or maybe they don't. Maybe they just don't have any other good option at the moment, so you are the lesser of evils. 

How would you like to have that as your eulogy. 

She/he was the lesser of evils.  

It will be worthwhile for you to do some inner processing about the issue of trust and then to have some good conversations with people about this issue.

In those conversations, approach it like this:  What can I do that would "enhance" your ability to trust me? The question, asked like this, doesn't force the other person to say whether they do or don't trust you. It does give them the chance to give a meaningful answer about what is important to them in the area of trust, without criticizing your lack of it.

Brian "hey you can trust me" Rice
Leadership ConneXtions International
 www.lci.typepad.com

Trust: Gordon MacDonald on The Root of Leadership

From time to time I refer to Gordon MacDonald on this blogsite. I think Gordon is an amazing kind of leader. I've had classes with him. He has been to Living Word Community Church several times for leadership conferences. I've read most of his books and many of the articles he has written.

He is one of those wise, senior leaders who has so much to say for any who will take the time to listen and learn.

Here are some words about trust that come from an article in Leadership, Winter 2003, "The Root of Leadership."

MacDonald says,

I learned quickly in my youngest pastoral years that people would follow only so far if I traded exclusively on my natural gifts; words that came easily, personal charm, new ideas and dreams . . .

The pastor learns the hard way that good ideas and promising strategies are not enough. They can't make it without trust . . .

I once forfeited the trust of people I cared for very much. I lost some very precious friendships. And I lost my honor. To regain any of what was lost took a long time.

These words hit me. Unlike Gordon, I haven't lost trust like he did for large numbers of people in such a short time. But like Gordon, I have lost the trust of individuals. And I have also made the mistake of thinking I had trust when I didn't.

I, like many leaders, think our gifts and abilities, our good vision and strategies, our position or title are sufficient to keep followers. Yes, we can "wow" some of the people some of the time. Yes we can impress some of them some of the time. But people will only follow so long on a "wow" factor.

Trust takes time. It is why leadership longevity is crucial.

Trust requires a substance of character that consistently does the right thing.

Trust happens in relational contexts of healthy, loving interaction.

Trust is hard to gain and easy to lose.

Keep it on the front burner of your life and leadership.

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Confronting Our Failures

Failure happens. That's a given. Some failures are more significant than others.  A failed lesson (not presented well enough), a failed program (not the right program for the right time), a failed solution for a challenging problem (if it wasn't challenging it would be easy to fix) . . . there all kinds of failures that happen that we take in stride. We don't have to spend a whole lot of time on them. We do an assessment, come to some decent conclusions and move on.

But other failures... failures that have a deep and strong moral component to them -- well that's another matter for leaders.

I have had failed relationships due to anger and unforgiveness.

I have had failed projects due to lack of effort and perseverance.

I have had failed communication events due to sloppy thinking and lazy preparation.

I have had all kinds of failure that was rooted in less than stellar character.

The failure of leaders may come from greed, pride, lust, jealousy, fear, insecurity, arrogance, pettiness, suspiciousness, competition, ignorance, mistrust, self-sufficiency, independency, impatience, insecurity and more. When failure occurs for reasons like these, leaders need to be much more responsible in dealing with the failure.

ONE:  The failures must be acknowledged and owned up to. As public as is the failure, so must the acknowledgement be. In Christian circles this is known as confession and repentance.

TWO:  Leaders must also reflect on their first reactions to failure. What do I feel and think? What tendencies do I have in light of the failure and its obviousness to others? Is there blameshifting, rationalizing, denial or spin-doctoring? It is always both amazing and saddening how some truly gifted leaders can be so lacking in awareness of their reactions to failures.

THREE:  Leaders must also look for explanations for the character defect that generates the failure. Why do I get angy when...? Why is my pride so injured when...?  Why do I treat people like...?  We use the language of "below the water line" to talk about the deep matters of character. Answers are not discovered in a few minutes of reflection. In many cases, the leader may not be capable of even finding out the answers unless she or he gets some help. If lack of awareness concerning reactions to failure is a problem, it is a double problem when we are unaware of the inner reasons for our failure.

FINALLY:  Leaders must understand the way forward. Since these failures originate from forces deep within, the way forward includes spiritual formation and possibly psychological assistance. The way forward may involve spiritual friendship and accountability to other spiritual authorities.

Failure to confront our character-originated failure will virtually ensure a leader NOT FINISHING WELL.

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

On Your Reputation

A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep their eyes on the spot where the crack was.  Joseph Hall

This thought from Joseph Hall hit me the other day.

Reputation is crucial. Especially for the leader. This hit me as I watching some of the recent interviews with Ted Haggard. Those interviews are worthy of many posts, (generally I was moved by the apparent sincerity and humility displayed) but for now, the concern is on reputation.

It is so much easier to keep it than it is to regain it. And if it is broken, while it MAY be repaired, people are always going to be more cautious, a little more cynical, a tad more suspicious about that reputation.

And in our age when the Internet is omni-present, brutal in its content and unforgiving with its memory . . . reputation, once tarnished will be almost impossible to shine. Google Ted Haggard Images and you'll see what I mean.

This is an area where we want to be HIGHLY PROACTIVE. Avoiding even the appearance of evil . . . practicing meaningful accountability . . . having pre-emptive honesty when we are in trouble instead of covering it up . . . learning the ways of self-awareness and integrity ahead of the time when they are to be tested.

It is not impossible for a fallen leader to be restored. It is not beyond the pale of redemption for a shattered mirror of one's reputation to be repaired. I think of Gordon MacDonald for an example of this.

A man, a leader, a Christian for whom I have the highest respect and admiration. But I'll also say, Gordon is probably the unusual exception and not the inevitable rule when it comes to a restored reputation.

Here are a few Questions for you: 

What do the people closest to you think of you?

What is your current reputation?

What's your name like to them?

What are people saying about you when you are not around?

A good name is more desirable than great riches, to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.  Proverbs 22:1

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Catherine de Hueck Doherty: Where Do You Go to Find Courage?

Courage is a theme I return to from time to time. I think leaders need a great deal of courage. I know I need courage. I also believe that courage is not something you "get" once and for all. Even though our courage level can grow, we still to to gain courage, gather courage, be "en" couraged or "re" couraged from time to time. And when those times are risky and failure is real and opposition is hard and there is a personal cost to be paid - then I need courage.

I read about a woman named Catherine de Hueck Doherty recently in the book Leadership From Unlikely Voices by Dave Fleming.

Catherine de Hueck Doherty was born in 1900 in to a wealthy Russian family. At 15 she married a baron and moved to Canada. Catherine was deeply moved by Jesus' words to sell all, give to the poor and come follow Him. After her husband died, she did that. Catherine dedicated her life to working in the slums with the urban poor. She did this in Ontario, in Harlem and then back in Ontario again.

As you can imagine, this was a difficult and demanding calling. To sustain her, Catherine borrowed an idea (or better, a way) from Russian Orthodoxy. In that spiritual tradition, monks were common and the way of a monk was a religious way of devotion, solitude and prayer. The Russian monk usually lived together with others and each monk had their "cell". The Russian word is Poustinia. the Poustinia was the place of prayer, repentance, self-denial, death to self, solitude, silence, love, devotion and intimacy with God. It was through these things that Catherine would find courage to sustain her in her work with the urban poor.

Catherine said: Poustiniais the place where we can go in order to gather the courage to speak the words of truth, remembering that truth is God, and we proclaim the Word of God. The Poustinia will cleanse us and prepare us . . .

Courage is gained when we engage with God in a transformative way. To engage with God in this way, we need uninterrupted time.  During that time we pray, we listen, we discern, we argue, we wrestle, we repent, we ask, we receive, we draw near, we are filled, we are loved and we come forth from those times "en"couraged.

Catherine's statement raises some questions for me.

Where is my Poustinia?

Where do I go to find courage?

Am I going there often enough?

Do i need to go there once again?

How about you?

For more on Catherine who was a leader, author, contemplative, activist, here is a link for some biography. For woman leaders, you may want to take a deeper look at the life of this pretty amazing woman. She has a number of books on the spiritual life.

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

A Description of the Quakers

The Quakers, the group founded by George Fox (to the right) and who found a safe home for their faith in the land of Penn's Woods (i.e. William Penn founder of Pennsylvania) and who have as their most famous modern "son" Parker Palmer (pictured below) were powerfully described with these words:

Under all circumstances (including severe persecution and death) they maintained a spirit of "friendliness," an eagerness for dialog, an openness to the promptings of the Spirit and a respect for "that of God" in each person which eventually won them toleration and even widespread respect. (All Saints, Ellsberg)

1. A spirit of friendliness

2. An eagerness for dialog

3. An openness to the promptings of the Spirit

4. A respect for "that of God" in every person.

Like the short list of qualities of Ignatius I posted a few weeks ago, this is another one of those intriguing lists.

It is a good way for leaders to live and lead. How do you measure up to this particular list?

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International 

What Kind of Leader Would You Follow?

I came across this short, impressive, and inspiring description of Ignatius of Loyola. He was:

Intelligent

Available

Prayerful!

This post is not about Ignatius, nor even about these three qualities... although I am having to resist the urge to describe how Ignatius fleshed these things out in his life!

From time to time I have conversations with leaders where I just ask a simple question. What kind of a leader do you want to be? Most times when I ask this, I immediately realize that person has not thought about the issue, because they don't answer right away. They have to think and consider options and come to some conclusions on the spot.

If you want to do a little self-awareness work today, keep a piece of paer and pen handy and throughout the day start to make your list that describes the kind of leader you want to be. (Note: Or if you are a teacher - what kind of teacher you want to be, or what kind of nurse you want to be, or what kind of electician you want to be... You get the idea.)

If you come up with a few thoughts, send them in a comment.

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Courage: Luther and the German Princes Show the Way

I recently re-watched a great movie, Luther, starring Joseph Fiennes as Luther. I was a huge fan of Luther and read quite a few books on Luther and on the German Reformation.

So naturally, when this movie came out I had to watch it. My recent "view" was my fourth or fifth and it never gets old. While I am not a Luther scholar, since I've read a fair amount on Luther, it is my sense that the movie is quite accurate. I think Luther was such a dynamic character that the screen writers didn't have to invent too much stuff to make his story interesting!

There are two scenes especially, where courage is exemplified. First, when Luther stood before the Assembly of Roman authorities at the Diet of Worms (not a menu option, just referring to a meeting at the town of Worms, Germany). And when faced with excommunication and death, he uttered his famous words, "Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me." Luther knew he was signing his own death warrant with these courageous words.

Then, right at the end of the movie, the German Princes take their stand at Augsburg and refuse to give into the demands of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, for them to give allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church. These men, young and old, said they would not and that they would rather die first. One by one they knelt bowed their head in submission to death by beheading.

Of course Charles V caved in to their courage and the Augsburg Confession was produced. Read here for more on the Augsburg Confession.

These stories of courage are astonishing. For in the West, we live in a time when spiritual and moral courage like that is waning. The steel of courge is no longer so strong in the metal of our character.

Can you imagine yourself being that devoted to the cause of Christ that you are willing to die, to offer your very life as a stance?

Wow!

It has launched some reflections and searching on my own level of courage.

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Take the High Road

Remember the old Scottish song, "You take the high road and I'll take the low road . . ."?

Well, we are not talking about "bonnie banks or bonnie braes or Loch Lommond." But we are talking about destinations and the journey toward those ends.

(Contrary to popular opinion) not all roads will get you to where you want to go.

Short cuts can hurt you in the long run.

The easy way out is not necessarily the good way forward.

The convenient broad road that most are walking turns out to be full of unwanted surprises.

And the low road may feel good for a moment, but payback comes . . . eventually.

The path of least resistance is often the path of least progress.

What do you think of when you hear the idea - "leaders need to take the high road?" Here is what runs through my mind.

• Integrity above all.

• Doing what is right even if it isn't popular.

• Treating others with respect even if they don't deserve it.

• Avoiding attacks, especially publicly. Civil conversation at all times. (Os Guinness)

• Willing to non-retaliate.

• Patient in adversity.

• What you see is what you get.

• Suffering for doing what is right and good is always worthwhile.

The High Road is often the Less Travelled Road. I can think of a few shortcuts I'd like to take... I can see a few easier, more convenient roads to walk than I am walking...

Are there any situations or any relationships where you HAVE NOT been taking the High Road lately? Is there anything coming your way where the temptation is not to take the High Road?  These are the things for prayer and trust.

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Procrastination

I am a Recovering Procrastinator and I'm not always in recovery.

For those who know me pretty well, you may be surprised to hear that. (On the other hand, maybe I am simply fooling myself that you are surprised!) Becky is not at all surprised. The only part she would gently challenge is the "in recovery" part.

There are some times when I really procrastinate. First, on stuff that I really can't do. Like fix things around the house. I'm just bad at this. Muy malo. No estoy un hombre fix-it-up and fix it good. This one is not even an ounce of strength for me. So, I put off these projects for as long as possible. (Most things pertaining to finances is another.)

Second, on stuff that I can do, but it is uncomfortable doing it. Therefore, I don't like to do it.  What is interesting is that some of this stuff I actually do pretty well, I just don't like doing it. Conflict resolution is one thing. Supervision is another. Can I - yes? Do I want to - not necessarily.

Third, on things that are new and, therefore, uncertain as to the outcome. Maybe I can and maybe I can't. Maybe it will turn out ok or maybe it will flop. So I'll procrastinate on this.

Psychologically, procrastination acts like a drug. When I decide to procrastinate, I have an immediate high. It is the high of relief. The dreaded task is postponed. Does that ever feel good. For a time. But like a drug, eventually the postponement is over and the task is still there. And I know when my postponement time is winding down and I start to feel anxious all over again and start thinking about how to avoid the task again.

I've found that the longer I delay doing something, the more painful it is when I get around to actually doing it. The perfect example is putting off Income Tax Day of Reckoning!  Ugggh.  Double uggghhh!! And by the time I get around to doing it, I not only have the pain of doing what I hate doing, but now I have a deadline I am working under!

So, my game plan is to try to do some of those difficult, even dreaded tasks early. Do not postpone them. If it is stuff that has to be done every week, do the hard stuff early in the week. I still won't like to do it, but at least I won't have the added psychological pain of avoid, postpone, face it again, etc.

It is a leadership weakness to work on in 2009.

Brian  Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

by the way, check out the procrastination poster for sale at this site.

Curious Leaders

Curiosity.

I have two negative images of this word.

Curiosity killed the cat.  (Sorry I had to include this image.)

And Curious George, the nicely naughty, overly-curious monkey who was always getting into trouble because of his curiosity.

Curious.  CURIOUS.  Curious.  CURIOUS!

I think curiosity is a value worth holding and a mindset worth having.

Curiosity is an open door into a world of tomorrows.

Curiosity is a risky thing and it will take you far outside comfortable places.

Some of the very best leaders ask questions that begin . . .

Why . . . ?

What if . . . ?

Why not . . . ?

Go ahead. Ask these questions. Today! Challenge the conventional wisdom. Confront the prevailing norms. Disturb the status quo. Rouse the rabble. Knock over the apple cart. Write some provocative theses on a door. Start a revolution. Launch an exploration. This is the stuff of curious leadership.

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing . . . Never lose a holy curiosity."  (Einstein, quoted in Future in-Formation by Carucci and Epperson)

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

p.s.  Sometimes the curious are reprimanded, other times they are fired, they are threatened with excommunication and must hide out for a time and occasionally they are crucified. I guess curiosity might kill the cat. But at least the cat won't be bored to death.

 

Character and Leadership in an Age of Image (General Dannatt)

Here is an article that was sent to me from my friend Lanny Kilgore, pastor of New Covenent Community Church. Lanny thinks a lot about leadership and has instituted quarterly leadership training seminars for his leadership team at NCCC.  Check out Lanny and NCCC here.

Download Character and Leadership in an Age of Image

The article is on the theme of character and leadership in an age of image. It is written by General Sir Richard Dannatt who is the chief of the General Staff and head of the British Army.

It is quite good. It is an eight page printed version of a speech he gave to the Rhodes and Marshall Scholars at a gathering hosted by the Trinity Forum Europe in Oxford, on Saturday, 8 November 2008.

You can also find the article at this site along with many other good articles. It is the Trinity  Forum site.

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

What Kind of Teacher Are You Looking For? (The Exemplary Chesterton )

I had a very interesting "juxtaposition" of ideas a few days ago. I am doing quite a bit of study and reflection on/about the Bible. Part of this is in preparation for some of the sessions I'll be teaching when the Ancient-Future Faith community starts back up in January. And I am doing this reflection launched out of 2 Timothy 3:10-17.

Something intriguing in that passage is the connection between the "teacher" and the Scriptures that are taught. Not only does Paul speak very highly about the Bible, but he makes it clear that the one who "teaches the Bible" is part of the "package."

So in verses 10-11 Paul describes himself, the teacher of the Scripture, and basically reminds Timothy why Paul is trustworthy as a teacher of the Scriptures. If you have your Bible close by, take a minute to read those two verses. Pretty powerful words.

In verse 13 he goes on to remind  Timothy that there is such a thing as bad teaching and bad teachers. And the essence of bad teaching is that it is deceptive and the ones giving it are deceivers. (You can find a lot more by Paul on false teachers throughout First and Second Timothy.)

Okay, I won't say anything else about that, but I began to think about the one who teaches Scripture. And I was doing some self-assessment in this.

Here is a question for you.  It's a little exercise that you can take a few minutes to do right now.

What do you look for in a teacher of the Scriptures? If you are going to listen to a teacher of the Bible, what do you expect, need, require in that teacher?  What "profile" of a Scripture teacher do you have?

Now, here is the juxtaposition. I am working through a little devotional on Advent and it uses thoughts of G.K. Chesterton every day. The introduction had this delightful description of Chesterton. I read it several times. Chesterton was described as:

• energetic,

• a contagious laughter

• full of wit and repartee

• possessing a childlike innocence,

• having a wonderful love of life,

• humility,

• joyous humor,

• a towering intellect,

• a Christian cultural critic,

• a "man of letters" (in other words, widely learned, a  Renaissance kind of individual),

• a genius with an open mind (I love that description),

• a grateful person with a deep devotion to God,

• and a gracious person who contended for Christian truth but never arrogantly.

Then it hit me. That is a pretty accurate description of what I am looking for in a teacher of Scripture. And if I could become "ballpark" close to that kind of person, then I might turn out to be a teacher of Scripture worth listening to.

For those of you who have responsibilities that involve teaching the Scriptures, take some time and come up with a profile that describes the kind of teacher you would like to be.

Blessings,

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Generous Leadership

Generosity!

Generativity!

I am intrigued by the connection between these two words.

If something is generative, it means it is producing of something new.

Generosity is the quality of giving to others what you possess.

It has recently hit me that Generosity is the way to Generativity.

If I want to produce newness, then I am going to have to give away.

Jesus is the essence and the ultimate in generativity. Jesus creates newness, produces life, establishes, builds, launches, starts, provides, initiates and add all the words you can think of.

Jesus Generates.

And he does so because he is generous.

Generous with everything he had. Generous with his life. The ultimate act of selfless giving was on the cross and therefore, the cross became the ultimate means of generativity.

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds (John 12:23-24).

Unless a seed falls into the ground and dies (the act of generosity) it will not be able to produce more life (generativity). 

So our challenge today as leaders is to generate life and to do so by generosity. I know I need to be a lot more generous, much more of a giver.

Figure out how to do that today and you'll have a pretty good day (not just an okay one!).

Figure out how to motivate and empower others to a life of generosity and you'll have a really good day.

Enjoy these images.

 

   

 

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Depression: The Stats

Depression is a very real issue.

Leaders are not immune to this problem . . . and in fact, may be more likely to fall into it by virtue of the demands and challenges of the leadership task.

I came across these statistics on depression in Summer 2008 edition of Contact, which is published by Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. They are from the article by Wendy Murray, "Is Depression Normal?"

Depression disorders annually affect approximately 18.8 million American adults or about 9.5% of the population age 18 and older. 

Everyone will at some time in his or her life be affected by depression - their own or someone else's - according to Australian Government statistics. (Depression stats in Australia are comparable to those of the U.S.A. and the U.K.)

Pre-schoolers are the fastest growing market for antidepressants. At least four percent of preschoolers - over a million - are clinically depressed.

The rate of increase of depression among children is an astounding 23 percent per year.

15% of the population of most developed countries suffers severe depression.

30% of women are depressed. Men's figures were previously thought to be half that of women, but new estimates are higher.

54% of people believe depression is a personal weakness.

41% of depressed women are too embarrassed to seek help.

80% of depressed people are not currently receiving any treatment.

92% of depressed African-American males do not seek treatment.

15% of depressed people will commit suicide.

Depression will be the second largest killer after heart disease by 2020. Studies show depression is a contributory factor to fatal coronary disease.

Depression results in more absenteeism than almost any other physical disorder and costs U.S. employers more than $51 billion per year in absenteeism and lost productivity, no including high medical and pharmaceutical bills.

To see the sources for these statistics you can go to this site - UpLift Program.

If you are dealing with depression, you need prayer, you need spiritual guidance, you need counsel and you may also need medication. Don't beat yourself up if you need to get some help to deal with your depression.

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Commitment Levels

I was recently considering how much "I didn't want to do something that I was responsible for doing." It was a commitment I had made and now I didn't want to follow through on it. I was working my way through a whole series of excuses to find the best one to bow out of the commitment. Unfortunately, none of the excuses seemed that impressive.

It then kind of hit me - I was not committed to this particular thing I had agreed to do. What was I to do? Renege. Bail out. Be half-hearted and turn in a sub-par performance. Dump it on someone else (I mean delegate it to someone else).

Hmmm...

Here are some questions I worked through a bit about my own commitment, but I've framed them for you to use.

What's your level of commitment to the work you are called to do?

How much enthusiasm and passion do you possess about the commitments you have made?

How consistently persevering are you about your commitments.

Are you inclined to give up prematurely?

What happens when you become discouraged?

What happens when you encounter obstacles or resistance or setbacks?

Commitment is a problem for our culture today. We are not a deeply committed people (unless it is a commitment to our own personal happiness). And perhaps therein, lies the problem. If we are deeply committed to the wrong thing - our personal happiness, then when other commitments interfere with personal happiness, then we give up on them.

Whether it is a job, a promise, a relationship, a responsibility . . . what we begin, we must see through to the end.

The Scriptures use the language of faithfulness and perseverance to express the idea of commitment.

Make a list of your commitments.

Do a little evaluation on how well you are doing, in consistency, in intensity and in results about each of those commitments.

Finally, here is a great quote about commitment. I hope you can read this. If not, I provide the link for you to go and view it on the web.  Commitment Quote.

 

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Revisiting Courage (and why we have lost it).

"A decline in courage may be one of the more striking features that an outside observer notices in the west today."  (Solzhenitsyn)

Robert Webber, in his book, Who Gets to Narrate the World, comments that many in the world of fundamentalist Islam believe that the west has lost it courage and will to resist and the will to lead.

Solzhenitsyn continues,

"The Western world has lost its civic courage, both as a whole and separately, in each country, in each government, in each political party, and of course, in the United States. Such a decline in courage is particularly noticeable among the ruling and intellectual elites, causing an impression of a loss of courage in the entire society."

Many years ago I found a powerful exhortation for courage. It was in Eugene Peterson's book, Run With the Horses. I have provided that excerpt as a pdf for you.

Download run_with_the_horses.pdf

Just one of the many passages of Scripture that speak to courage is this one:

 

But now, this is what the LORD says-- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…      Isaiah 43:1-3

I wonder if the church has losts its courage to live wisely, humbly, vigorously in our post-modern world.

I wonder if leaders have lost the courage to do what is right, even if to do so comes at great personal cost?

If we have lost our courage - How will we regain it?

What are you feeling the need for courage to do in the upcoming season of life?

And how are you going to get the needed courage?

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Charismatic Leaders

Don't look down. Hopefully, reverse psychology DID NOT KICK IN.

Before you read any further, and without looking down, answer this question. Who are three of the highly charismatic, personally dynamic leaders in the news today?

I'm sure you could identify one such person. How easy was it for you to come up with some more?

Here is a quote from Ira Chaleff in his book, the Courageous Follower that I came across in Leadership Divided.

Dynamic leaders are the spark, the flame that ignites action. With vision, they generate and focus power . . . In their passion, their expansiveness, their drive, dynamic leaders are prone to excess: a deal too large, a bottom line too important, a cause too righteous, an image too pure, a lifestyle too rich, an enemy too hated, a bridge too far.

Charisma has moved to the front burner once again, with Barak Obama's charisma a topic of conversastion in the news. A few days ago, I read a columnist (I forget her name) who was critical both of Obama's charisma and the celebritization of Obama.

One of the uneasy metaphors of leadership we have to deal with is the leader as hero. In the hero/leader, the dynamic and charismatic leader is admired as much for charisma as for accomplishment. The charismatic hero is given leeway and at times blindly followed.

By the way, for those who saw the latest Batman movie, the character - Harvie Dent, Gotham's crime fighting D.A. - was that charismatic hero/leader the people of Gotham were looking for.

If you are a dynammic leader, if you are loaded with charisma, (if you are nodding yes in agreement that you are these things - then you really have a problem) you have a lot of hard work to do on the issues of pride and humility, on the matter of God's glory or yours, and whether you will be surrendered and dependent or self-sufficient and self-reliant.

If you are mentoring someone who is a dynamic, charismatic leader, you must bring these issues to the front burner for discussion.

I had a conversation recently with a pretty charismatic leader. I didn't know whether to be envious of his charisma or to pity him. With charisma, there is a lurking devil in the shadow called pride.

Pride goes before destruction.  Proverbs 16:18

The Lord detests all the proud.  Proverbs 16:5

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled.  Matthew 23:12

God opposed the proud.  James 4:6

James MacGregor Burns is pretty critical of the charismatic leader.

Pure charismatic leadership also distorts constructive and mutually empowering leader-follower relationships. Followers are portrayed as so loyal or obeisant that . . . they can have little impact on the leader beyond gratifying his own psychological hungers . . .

Just as charismatic leadership fails to empower followers, so leaders are not empowered by subservient followers. . . .

At best charisma is a confusing and undemocratic form of leadership. At worst, it is a type of tyranny.

And for the follower, their danger is that they become "charisma hungry" in times of crisis, confusion and fear (Erik Erikson). That's certainly a possibility in the season ahead.

Brian Rice

p.s.  It is certainly possible to be a charismatic individual who is not full of herself or himself. Just difficult to sustain over time.

p.p.s.  And certainly, charismatic leaders have often used their charisma as a tool to get many good things done.

The Value of Gratitude in the Life of a Leader

In the early months of this year I spent time revisting and rewriting my core values. I developed a set of core values in 2002 and they served me well since then, but as I was leading a new group of leaders through the Leading Edge Course and helping them develop their core values, I felt the prodding to redo mine. In that process, I dropped off one or two, reframed several and added some new ones altogether.

GRATITUDE was one of the new core values I added. To be honest with you, gratitude is only "aspirational" for me. It is what or who I aspire to be, but it is not currently a consistently lived out value in my life.

But I believe it is central for a life well lived and I'll keep plodding along and plugging away at developing gratitude in my life.

In Ron Carucci's book, Leadership Divided, chapter six in about gratitude. I am including in this post, a few ideas and quotes that resonated with me. I hope they speak to you in the same way.

ONE:  Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others (Cicero). Some theologians make a case that humility is the parent virtue, and others argue that love is the foundation of all else. I think it is interesting that gratitude is in that small group of "greatest virtues."

TWO:  The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated (William James). It is grateful leaders who go out of their way to truly and authentically appreciate others

THREE:  A compliment is a generic acknowledgement of something tangible done by another. According to Carucci, compliments fall far short of gratitude. Gratitude includes:

why you are thankful for what the other person has done; 

sharing the personal impact the action had on you; 

and your genuine curiosity and interest in what it took for the other person to do what they did (page 176).

As you can tell, it takes much more work and thought on your part to have gratitude than to pay a compliment.

FOUR:  Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got 'til its gone (Joni Mitchell, Big Yellow Taxi). So true. So be proactively grateful now for what you are grateful for. Don't wait until it is to late and what you are grateful for is gone.

FIVE:  Carucci asks "what if gratitude were simply a way of life? What if we approached leadership as a posture of indebtedness instead of a posture of entitlement?"  Wow!

SIX:  If the only prayer you said in your life was "thank-you" that would suffice (Meister Eckhart, German mystic). Eckhart is on to something very profound. Maybe we should all just say "thank-you" to God pretty often.

SEVEN: If you aren't feeling very grateful, do an inventory for what you should be grateful for. If you have trouble doing even this, think about the things you would miss having if you didn't have them. That should start you on making a pretty good list.

Brian Rice

You Raise Me Up: Living in a Diminshing World

Donald Braswell is the man who did an amazing performance on America's Got Talent. I think this is the perfect illustration of how the follower of Christ can live strong with dignity and goodness in a world that seeks to diminish us.

You'll hear Donald's story, so I won't tell it here.

The crowd is brutal. They boo him, they mock him, they are saying - you are worthless. You are a loser. But watch what he does.

Hey, when even Jerry Springer is praying for you on the sidelines, you know you are having an impact!

The Lord upholds all those who fall

and lifts up all who are bowed down.

Psalm 145:14

May you live undiminished through Christ who lifts you up.

Brian Rice