LeadershipConneXtions

Getting Some Perspective . . .

Here is a short PDF that has some moving images of how hard life can be for many around the world. It may help us gain some perspective.

By the way, some of the images are pretty graphic.

Thanks to my friend Rick Donahoue for sending these images to me.

Download PerspectiveOnSuffering.pdf

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Leading With an Open Heart

Ronald Heifetz of Harvard University is a top notch researcher on leadership as well as an outstanding teacher on the subject. He has written two books that are wonderful books. But you will have to do some hard work to engage with them. This is not at all "pop leadership ideas in five easy steps."

A friend sent me this pdf which is a brief article by Heifetz and his colleague and co-author Marty Linsky. I thought you might enjoy it.

Download LeadingWithAnOpenHeart.pdf

If you find yourself really benefitting from the article and up for a more engaging leadership book, check out either:

Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of Leading

Leadership Without Easy Answers

Neither book is an easy read. Both are good reads.

By the way, Heifetz is not only a premier leadership expert, he is also a physician and a world class but only hobbyist, cellist (cello player)!  He is a very fascinating guy.

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Learning from the Past

Here are three quotes:

What has been will be again.

What has been done will be done again.

There is nothing new under the sun.

Is there anything of which one can say,

“Look! This is something new?”

It was here already, long ago.

It was here before our time.

There is no remembrance of men of old,

and even those who are yet to come,

will not be remembered,

by those who follow.

Ecclesiastes 1:9-11

 

 

Those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.

George Santayana

 

 

We are like dwarfs on the shoulders of giants, so that we can see more than they, and things at a greater distance, not by virtue of any sharpness of sight on our part, or any physical distinction, but because we are carried high and raised up by their giant size.    Bernard of  Chartres

 

 

To continue reading my reflection on learning from the past, just click on the file.

 

Download learning_from_the_past.pdf

 

Brian K. Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

 

The Six "C's" of Finding the Right Person

I have attached a pdf that is a brief explanation of the importance of:

character

chemistry

competency

creed (belief)

core values

calling . . .

These six qualities enter into the decision making process of hiring the right person to be a part of the team.

Download getting_the_right_people_on_the_bus.pdf

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Emerging Paradigms Page

I have started a New Page which I am showing on this day.

For some of you who are not quite as blog savvy, a post is a daily thing that is here and then begins its march toward the archives. I have the blogsite set up to show the latest 20 posts. After that, if you want to find something older, you have to visit the archives, either by category or by month. You can do that by scrolling down and looking in the righthand column.

A page is a more permanent feature. Pages are always available. I have eight pages listed under Important Information. I have added a new page and to introduce that page, I also made it a daily post.

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

This "page" is going to be a place where I post some resources I have found useful in thinking about the emerging paradigms of leadership, mission, church and spirituality. I am not the author of any of these resources (unless I indicate I am). For the most part, they are going to be resources that require more engagement on the part of the reader. In some cases they will be scholarly in nature Check back from time to time for new resources. Some of them are quite lengthy. I'll always post new resources at the top of the page.

NEW RESOURCES

Added on September 17, 2008.

Download ChurchAfterChristendom.pdf

Download ContrastingMissionalandChurchGrowthPersepctives.pdf

Download CultureTheologyHope.pdf

Download EvolutionOfChurchGrowthHealthMissional.pdf

Download recoveringthemissionalchurch1.pdf

Download ReleasingGospelFromWesternBondage.pdf

 

ARCHIVED RESOURCES

Currently Nothing

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Some "Image" Problems Leaders Must Deal With

Here is a pdf of a brief list of "image problems" that affect leaders.

Download LeadershipImage.pdf

In my opinion, it is not an exhaustive list, but a nice representative start.

Perhaps the more important questions for you to process are:

• How are others perceiving me?
• If I am going to have an "image problem" what is it likely to be?
• Who can I get some feedback from about my image?

Brian Rice

Transforming Leaders and Poverty

I am reading Transforming Leadership by James MacGregor Burns. Burns is passioante about leadership that engages with followers in empowering ways and llifts them to new levels of leadership.

Burns is also passionate about leaders leading to eradicate poverty and all the attendant social ills that arise out of and sustain poverty.

Here are some pretty powerful thoughts by Burns on this kind of leadership.

Download TransformingLeadershipByBurns.pdf

Burns is launching all kinds of stimulating thoughts that I am running down and I'll do some blogs about these thoughts in the days ahead.

Brian Rice

Tony Snow and His Thoughts on Dying From Cancer

My good friend Winston W. sent me an article that was Tony Snow's reflections on his cancer.  His reflection is titled:

Cancer's Unexpected Blessings:  When You Enter the Valley of the Shadow of Death, Things Change.

I have added it for you as a pdf.

I think you'll find it worth reflecting on.

Download TonySnowCancer.pdf

Brian Rice

Epaphroditus (weird name, obscure leader, honored collaborator with Paul)

Something that I picked up years ago from Bobby Clinton was that the study of biblical leaders is well worth doing. Over the years, I have done major studies on the "big leaders" in the Bible. I have spent months studying these leaders - Moses, Joshua, Saul (as a bad example), David, Nehemiah, Daniel, Esther, TImothy (to name a few).

But every now and then I turn to more obscure leaders. Epaphroditus is one of those little remembered leaders in the Bible. I've attached a pdf for you with some verses about Epaphroditus.

Download Epaphroditus.pdf

Print it out and do a little leadership bible study on Epaphroditus. It will be an encouraging study for you.

Brian Rice

Sic transit gloria mundi (memorize this and walk around muttering the phrase from time to time)

Sic transit gloria mundi.

Thus passes the glory of the world.

It is what the poem "Ozymandius" by Shelley is all about.  (Click here for the pdf  Download Ozymandias.pdf )

It talks about the nature of human life. We are all forgotten. No matter how great our achievements, they pass into history and so do we. We live in a season of life where history is very passe and most of us are functional amnesiacs when it comes to anything before 1950 (or 1990).

It is the "bane" of human existence. We labor long and hard and then we die. We long for immortality, to be eternal, to be remembered . . .

And in a few fortunate cases, a few of us remember a few of the greats of the past...for a time.

But for the VAST majority of humanity...   99.99999999% of us, "thus passes the glory of the world."

We are like morning mist, like the fading flower of the field, like dust in the wind (one of my old, favorite songs by Kansas).

James (in 4:13-14) says, "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow? What is your life? You are a mist that  appears for a little while and then vanishes."

Leaders, (at least the best of them), are highly disposed to action, to doing important things, deeds that matter and accomplishments that last. Our egos are deeply involved with these things. We tend to think highly about our own importance and how vital our work is, how necessary our decisions are, yada, yada, yada . . . blah, blah, blah.

It is good for our souls to remember that, "this too will be forgotten and we will be forgotten as well."

Thus, we can live with humility, with gratitude and with trust in the God who will not forget us and who will not fail to honor us for all of our faithfulness done in His Name.

Be sure to read Psalm 8 sometime very soon.

Sic transit gloria mundi.

Brian Rice

Women in the Labyrinth of Leadership (Plus I need a favor)

Here is a summary review of a very good article on the challenges women face moving into positions of senior leadership in the workplace.  (The picture to the right is one of the issues talked about in the article...)

It was in HBR, September 2007.

Download women_in_the_labyrinth_of_leadership.pdf

For some just released brief articles on women in leadership go to The Center for Creative Leadership site and check them out.

Also, I need a favor. I have some feedback that there are some pdfs that some of you are having trouble accessing.  Could I hear from some of you as to whether you can or cannot access the pdf linked above?

Also, try the pdf file from yesterday's post.

Email me at lcibrice@gmail.com and just let me know if you can or cannot access these files.

Brian Rice

Tim Keller, The Reason for God, and a Few Thoughts on Being Missional

I have a much longer review/essay of Tim Keller's book - The Reason for God on the pdf file listed below.

In that review, I interact with some emergent authors and a few big ideas of the emergent crowd.  I am a bit critical on some things about their thoughts. I do this to set the stage and the contrast for Keller.

I am very positive about Keller's book as a different way to be missional in a post-modern culture.

It is just one more voice (mine) that is added to the conversation that is taking place on blogs everywhere.

Let me know if you have some thoughts.

Download TheReasonForGod.pdf

Tomorrow - thoughts on Narcissistic Leaders.

Brian Rice

The Legacy of Wilberforce

Here is a great statement of the legacy of William Wilberforce. This legacy is etched on to his tombstone that is in Westminster Abbey.

Download WilliamWilberforceTombstone.pdf

It is all about leaders leading strong, being faithful for the long haul and ultimately finishing well.

Brian Rice

The Road Less Traveled (A Little Further Along It)

I asked this question about the Road Less Traveled?

What did you sign up for? What did you sign up for when you became a Christian?

I think many of us (perhaps most of us) sign up for the wrong thing. We sign up for success. We sign up for happiness. We sign up for the Jesus advantage that helps us get ahead in life. We sign up to have problems fixed, hurts healed, needs met . . .

We sign up for Jesus to help us and bless us as we walk, not in the Way of Jesus, but in the Way of ___________ (fill in your name).  And then we wonder why our Christianity is not working.

Gary Thomas is EXTREMELY HELPFUL on this issue. He has written two books - one is Sacred Marriage and the other is Sacred Parenting. Here is a key premise he has for both books. Marriage and parenting are two contexts that Jesus uses to make us holy. They are the contexts that create the ongoing situations for us to make decisions that build our character, change us from the inside out through repentance and prayer, teach us faith and surrender and make us like Christ.

Especially when marriage and parenting is not going well, when it is tough, that is when Christ can work the greatest.  The hard times are the times for most fruitful change.

So - if the reason you signed up for marriage was for the other person to make you happy, meet your needs, "fulfill you," etc. - what are you going to do when that isn't happening? You'll bail because it is not what you signed up for.

What happens if the reason you signed up for a particular job was to be fulfilled, successful, get ahead, etc. - what are you going to do when that isn't happening? You'll bail, because it's not what you signed up for.

What happens if you sign up for leadership to get your way, to get recognition, to get results, to get satisfaction, etc. - and that isn't happening?  You'll bail, because that is not what you signed up for!

What happens if you signed up for Jesus to make you happy, bless you, to give you the easy life - and that isn't happening? You'll bail!

All of life - marriage, parenting, being single, working, being unemployed, and every other thing you can think of - is for the purpose of being a Sacred Context where the formation of your soul and the remaking of your life can occur. That is what you should sign up for.

And the delightfully paradoxical result is that when this happens, you discover, not mere happiness, but deep joy!

The Way of Jesus is the narrow way, the good way, and the less traveled way. Nevertheless, it is the way we must learn to walk.

I have attached a PDF that is a prayer of an unknown Confederate Soldier who discovered the Way of Christ.

Download ConfederateSoldierPrayer.pdf

May we who are called to lead, learn how to walk that same way with integrity.

So - what did you sign up for?

And do you need to re-sign up for the right thing?

Brian Rice 

The Story We Are In (Well Told By Dick Staub)

Several years ago, when I read Dallas Willard’s Renovation of the Heart, I was deeply moved by his description of radical evil in the ruined soul, and then, his words about radical goodness restored to the human soul. There have been few authors (Kierkegaard is one of them and Rolheiser is another, okay I’ll add Manning also) who have moved me as much as Willard has when it comes to describing human evil and our restoration from that evil.

Now I have to add another author to that small group -Dick Staub! In his book, The Culturally Savvy Christian, in chapter three, he describes what it means to be created in God’s image (to be human is to be creative, spiritual, intellectual, relational and moral). He then goes on to describe our corruption and fall (the debasement of that image), and then our redemption and restoration back into the image of God.  Here are some of his words from pages 64-66. I found that very moving, I hope you will also.

Download TheStoryWeAreIn.pdf

Brian Rice

Leaders: Those Who Act

Here is a great quote by Teddy Rosevelt.  It is about leadership action. Leaders who get it done and ignore the critics who stand around criticizing those who are getting it done.

I hope you'll enjoy it.

Just click on the pdf link.

Download ActionByRoosevelt.pdf

Brian Rice

A Culture of Boredom (and Leading In It!)

BOREDOM!

It is everywhere.

It has been called the "pan-epidemic" of our age.

I have attached a PDF resource that has some thoughts about this issue of boredom.

Download interpreting_a_bored_culture.pdf

Let me know what you think?

Brian Rice

p.s.  If you are bored, I recommend you don't follow the advice of the cartoon.

p.p.s. I noticed there is a spelling mistake in the pdf file. The word endemic should be epidemic.

Stages of Faith

Attached is a pdf resource that has the six stages of faith on it. This is a model I found in the book - The Critical Journey by Hagberg and Guelich. There is a second edition of the book out that has expanded the concept.

I know it seems to be a bit "linear" in its layout, but is is still useful for leaders to understand why their involvement in the busyness of ministry and leadership is not the same thing as intimacy with God.

The WALL concept in the book is also very useful.

I have walked a lot of leaders through this model and it makes  a lot of sense to most people.

To learn more about this model and find out about more resources by Hagberg, go to: Janet Hagberg's Website.

Here is the pdf resource:  Download StagesOfFaith.pdf

Brian Rice

Food Consumption Comparisons Around the World

ere is a very interesting (and somewhat disturbing) look at how people around the world eat.

It is not the typical kind of post we do here, but I was intriguted by it (thank-you to my colleague and friend John Hilliard who was the source) and wanted to put it on for you to see.

Download Foodcomparisons.pdf

Brian Rice

Confronting the Brute Facts (Jim Collins)

The leadership team of LWCC is working our way through Good to Great and the Social Sectors and using some of the principles to guide a strategic planning, challenge the process, create a pocket of greatness season.

Here is a summary from Collins about how to "confront the brute facts" within an organization. It is very good.

Download ConfrontBrutalFacts.pdf

Brian Rice

p.s.  The picture is not a picture of Collins speaking to the leadership team of LWCC.  We would look much more interested and receptive then the people sitting in this picture!

Remember Your Calling

One of my favorite scenes in the Lion King was when the departed Mufasa tells the now grown Simba "to remember . . . remember who you are."

From time to time, we need to "remember our calling to leadership."

The issue of calling into ministry is vital. The senior leadership team for LWCC is on a retreat. In one of our sessions, we are spending time reflecting on our calling - both into the ministry in general and then to our current specific location.

I put together this short devotional reflection to be used as a launching pad for reflection.

It comes out of:  Here Am I: Reflections on the Ordained Life by Giles.

I hope it will be useful for you to reconnect with the callling that is on your life.

And for those of you who are mentoring leaders, you may find it useful in a mentoring context.

Download reflecting_on_your_calling.pdf

Brian Rice

DEMANDING leaders

Here is a devotional reflection I did when I was pretty moved by some words of Charles Ringma about expectations and demands we have for others. I was led to consider this topic in light of leadership.

Here is the PDF resource.

Download DemandingLeaders.pdf

Brian Rice

A Commitment to Excellence for a Deeply Held Ideal

My friend Rick D. who is part of the LWCC Leading Edge Team sent me an attachment that I found fascinating.

I have attached it as a pdf resource.

It is about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (or Tomb of the Unknowns) and specifically, about those guards who are selected for the duty.  It is FASCINATING.  By the way, this is not a post about the military, but rather a military illustration about outstanding excellence.

Words like passion, commitment, duty, outstanding, excellence, superlative, cream of the crop, rigorous and others come to my mind.

All this arising out of a heart that deeply believes in an ideal.

Those of us who are leaders in the church and mission could learn a lesson or two in terms of high intentionality in the pursuit of excellence.

Download UnknownSoldeirTomb.pdf

Brian Rice

O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

This past Sunday I spoke on the deep, deep love of Jesus. LWCC is beginning a new series on relationships. Foundational to our ability to enjoy healthy, whole, relationships, is to be grounded in the love of God. God's love for us and our love for God are the context out of which we can have meaningful love of others. (See 1 John 4:7-21)

When leaders are grounded in and secure in the love of God for them, they become healthy, non-anxious leaders who are able to engage in the complex and, at times, painful matrix of leadership relationships.

We are able to keep our hearts soft while our skin is thick. Tender hearted and thick skinned!

One of the components of the message was a special music number. It is an old hymn and the words are very powerful. It is attached as a PDF resource. You may want to print it out and use it as a text for lectio divina (spiritual reading). I would encourage you to reflect significantly on the deep, deep love of Jesus for you.

Download DeepDeepLoveOfJesus.pdf

The second resource is a list of follow through-suggstions I gave to the congregation for them to go deeper on this theme.

Download godslove.pdf

Brian Rice

On Building a Cathedral and a Life (Seen by God)

A friend of mine, Randy R., sent me this moving two page article.

I hope you will like it as much as I did.

It is The Invisible Woman by Nicole Johnson.

Download the_invisible_woman.pdf

By the way, notice the little link at the bottom of this post where it says PDF Resources. If you click on that link, it will bring up previous PDF resources even if they were put on this blog months ago.

Brian Rice