LeadershipConneXtions

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