LeadershipConneXtions

The Redeeming of Leadership

 

We have all been hurt by bad leaders. Chances are most of us have hurt others with our bad leadership. We all need forgiveness for our leadership failures.

But even more, our way of leadership needs redeemed, restored, renewed.

The good news of the Bible is this: God is actively working to redeem the world in all ways. God intends to use leaders as a central part of this redeeming activity. Therefore, God must FIRST, redeem this very thing called leadership.
 

I can't begin to give you even an overview of this. This what we spent most of our time studying, reflecting, praying, imagining, and desiring.

Here I just want to point out a few "sweeping" thoughts on God's work of redeeming what is broken and corrupt in our leadership. All of this is one section of Exercises in Volume Five: They Had Been With Jesus. Here is the overview.

 

ONE:
Deuteronomy 17:14-20 where God sets forth a counter-cultural NORM for what the future kings of Israel must be like. (Check it out.)

 
TWO:
King David who had a heart after God's heart (Psalm 78:70-72). In this short Psalm we see David described as shepherd, servant and steward... the model for good leadership. (The image below is one of my favorites of King David - the Psalmist-King of Israel.)
 

THREE:
The servant of the Lord passages in Isaiah. Most of the kings of Israel utterly failed and so there is a future servant of the Lord who will be the kind of leader God intended. Who is this future servant of the Lord? This servant (suffering servant) will be Jesus Christ.

FOUR:
We then spend the rest of the time looking at ten different passages (and there are many others we must skip over) where Christ models the truly counter-cultural way of leadership that God intended.

Jesus surrenders his will to the will of God. Jesus becomes shepherd, servant and steward. More than that, Jesus so gives up his rights for the sake of others that he uses the word "slave." And more than that! A slave who suffers and finally sacrifices himself for the sake of others! Unbelievable! Preposterous! Outrageous! Beautifully scandalous!

Each passage we look at seems more radical, more beautiful and more impossible than the previous ones! Together, they provide an overwhelming image of the kind of leader God wants to raise up.
 

We work through these themes in a reflective, conversational manner, creating space for God to speak to us, to meet with us, to begin his redeeming work. So much of it begins with the reforming of our desires.

The questions come down to this:

(1)  Do I desire to be the kind of leader God wants me to be?

(2)  If I don't desire that - am I willing to begin to desire that?

(3)  If I don't desire this and I am not willing to desire this - what are the implications of my refusal to become the kind of leader God desires?  

 

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

 

LCI and Counter-Cultural Leadership

I had a pretty significant reflection about Leadership ConneXtions and our vision/dream when I was in Thailand, speaking at a UWM conference.

The reflection was launched by the interaction of two different things.

First, I was talking about a counter-cultural way of doing spiritual formation and leadership development. This is just some of the "main stuff" of LCI. It is core to who we are and what we believe and what we do. It is the guiding ethos for how we do leadership development.

Second, I was reading Seth Godin's book, All Marketers are Liars / All Marketers Tell Stories and while so many things i this book stimulated my thinking, here is one that was especially powerful.

Godin says that for a "story" to be successful, it must "fulfill the wishes of a consumer's worldview." Here is a paraphrase of that. For you to buy in to something, it must meet your needs/wants according to your core understanding of what life is all about (what your life is all about).

And that is what created incredible tension for me on that trip.

For LCI, at its core, is counter cultural in our thinking. We live in a "worldview tension."

On the one hand, we believe that Christianity has accommodated itself, far too much, to the dominant worldview of modern culture (forgive me for NOT going any further in explaining this, in this post). Therefore, our core message is not going to fulfill the wishes/wants/needs of the leaders we want to impact.

On the other hand, we believe that at a deep level, most Christian leaders who are trying to lead according to their culture's worldview and methodologies, know that it isn't working, that it isn't right and that it won't satisfy. Therefore, when we talk about a new way of leadership and a different way of spiritual formation, it does resonate deep inside. It does make sense. It does stir up a grander vision of life and leadership.  

But only to a degree, for most leaders experience the "worldview tension" within.

So I started jotting down some phrases that resonate with me and what I believe LCI is all about.  Pardon any narcissism.

Edgy, deep, different, really good but very hard.

Marching to the tune of a different drumbeat, or a different heartbeat.

It's not for everyone, just those who want to walk the narrow leadership road.

A new kind of leader.

An ancient-future kind of leader.

A company of friends surrendering our "selves" for the sake of Christ.

The best processes there are, but it is going to cost you something.

Hanging out with God and His Mission.

We're very good at what most people aren't, but which they need.

Make the investment in your growth, you are the only one who will.

The cost of discipleship . . . for leaders.


Brian K. Rice  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
Brian K. Rice  

Musings on Power and Powerlessness (John Hillard)

Over the past year I have been pondering the journey of  ‘grace’ that my friend Mike Johnson has been on.  His experiences walking and being with the homeless of inner city Baltimore, Maryland has been both enlightening and convicting.  Taking time to be with those who are more ‘resource challenged’ than you.  It sure sounded like being ‘Jesus with skin on’ in a real and practical sense.

Later reading the beatitudes in Matthew I come across similar concepts like ‘blessed are the poor in spirit, they that mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, or persecuted for righteousness sake’.  All of these teachings started to take on new meaning when I was all of a sudden confronted with the concept of power.  There is social power, economic power, emotional power, political power, and physical power.  Jesus was confronting all of these types of power throughout his life and most of it was contrary to his way of life and ministry. 

I am a white, late middle aged (not quite a senior yet but close), male, protestant, North American, who has a higher income and resources than many of the people I know and billions of people I don’t know.   I have a good education, secure job, burgeoning ministry, a great family, close friends and a nice house.  In other words I have economic capital, social capital, emotional capital, physical capital, and political capital.  Lots of resources that I can use to ‘MY’ benefit whenever or however I choose.  

Challenge Day is a high school program that is conducted throughout the United States to help breakdown prejudice, discrimination and contempt for others. 

Last month I participated in Challenge Day in a local high school as a community supporter.  During the program they have a ‘cross the line’ exercise where all 130 participants stand on a line and then cross it if the explanation applies.  The topics relate to having a single parent, being abused, being a female, being under age 18, living in a place where you hear gunshots on the street, having a relative in jail, etc. etc. 

There were 35-40 of these situations and many of the individuals crossed multiple times.  Some individuals crossed the line as many as 25 or more time showing the depths of their pain and powerlessness.

Personally I only crossed 4 times.  That was a powerful and sobering message to me.

While others are living lives of great discrimination, pain, abuse, and powerlessness, I am living a life of power, privilege and protection.  

I have to ask myself what am I doing with that power?  Am I using it for me, for my wants, my security, my protection?  Am I desperately trying to control my life so that I am comfortable, insulated, and not vulnerable? Am I abusing my power lording over others in a variety of ways and times? Or am I “poor in spirit for they are blessed and theirs is the kingdom of heaven...?” 

I’m afraid not.

John Hilliard  
Leadership ConneXtions International  
www.lci.typepad.com

Your Center

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). With these words Jesus clues us in to one of the core realities of life.

Jesus is talking about your center... the center of your life. Whatever is at your center is what fills, guides and forms you. 

• What is that you love most of all?  That is your treasure.
• What is that you desire above all?  That is your treasure.
• What do you think about over and over?  That is what you treasure.
• What do you most want to have and most want to do?  That, again, is what you treasure.

And your treasure is your center. Your treasure is what fills and defines your core, your essence, your soul, your heart.

In one sense, The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis is all about the center of our lives, about what we treasure. An assorted group of people make a "field trip" from Purgatory to the outskirts of heaven to see if they want to relocate to heaven. There is just one problem. The reason they are in Purgatory is because each one has the wrong treasure. Each one has the wrong center. Each one has a malformed heart.

All they need do, to leave Purgatory forever and begin the Journey in to High and Deep Heaven, is to let go of that deadly treasure and desire God instead.

Their treasures are both commonplace and indicative of our own lives. For one it is a child. For another a great project. For another it is fame and status and legacy. For others it is lust... greed... a grievance that will not be released... unforgiveness... art and beauty for its own sake and not God's... the list goes on.

In most cases, they gripped so strongly to these things, these treasures, that they would not, could not let them go. They rejected the offer of Heaven, holding on to their substitute treasures.

Our center is supremely important. It will shape everything else about us. Our treasure is close to being all-determining of the rest of our life. Whatever is in our center - that becomes the idol we worship, the deity we serve, and the (g)od that remakes us into its own image.

My center has been filled with so many different treasures over the years. Even as a follower of Christ, other treasures have taken up that central place and sent me down wrong roads of pursuit. Some illicit treasures have never been a problem. Others seem more like a constant bane and plague on my life. Greed is not an issue. Status is. Material possessions are not a strong allure to me. Reputation is. 

Real self-awareness and constant vigilance about our center/treasures is crucial.

So, the question is not, "what's in your wallet" but "what's in your center."

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Servant Leadership (Core Value)

Servant Leadership!

It is one of the six core values of Leadership ConneXtions International.

It is one of the main themes that I teach on the grad course on Spiritual Leadership.

It is at the heart of everything we say and do within LCI.

It was the topic of my Tuesday morning leadership study.

No matter how many times I think about servant leadership, no matter how many times I discuss it with friends who are seeking to be faithful leaders, no matter how often I enter in the tug and pull of teaching this in a graduate course - I never get tired of reflecting on this matter.

What's even more important - I must never grow tired of seeking to be a servant leader.

In Psalm 78:70, we read that God was looking for a leader. But God didn't go looking for a leader. God went looking for a servant whom He could morph into a servant-leader. It hit me again.  God is not looking for leaders. God is looking for servants who He can raise up to be Servant Leaders.

By definition, servant leaders exist for the sake of and on behalf of those they lead.  The followers do not exist for the leader, it is the othe way around.

In Matthew 20:26-28 Jesus upps the ante even more. Servants even become slaves and slaves are those who go the distance and, if and when needed, become a sacrifice - all for the well being of others!

Pretty radical, counter-cultural stuff.

This may seem a little corny, but I wonder if the angels in heaven (along with the great cloud of witnesses) are cheering for us with these words, "Go Servants!"

I do know Jesus wants to say to us, Well done, good and faithful servant."

Brian Rice

Washing Feet

John 13 is the  Gospel account of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. It is just one of the many displays of servant leadership by Jesus.

Do you understand what I have done for you, he asked them . . . Now that I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you . . . Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. John 13:12-17

About a week ago, we had our bi-weekly All-Staff meeting. Our focus in February is on spirituality. We opened our time together with a reflection on the meaning of Lent.  Then we had about 40 minutes to do lectio divina on two passages from the Psalms. We finished our morning together with the "washing of feet."

It has been many years since I participated in a foot washing ceremony. It was quite moving, humbling and I felt a real sense of connectedness with the team.

Jesus has showed us the way of servant leadership. Now - if we lead like that - we will be blessed.

Brian Rice

Leadership from the "least and the last"

The youth ministry at Lookout Mountain Church launched a new effort today called, "GO Time." It is a ministry of giving food to homeless people in downtown Denver and seeking to befriend them in some way.

Last Sunday I helped out and drove a van full of teens downtown to help out. I struck up a conversation with two homeless guys, one a crack dealer and the other a pothead who kept asking if I wanting to smoke with him. (I said NO!)

I realized these folks represent the "least and the last" in our society. Sure, partially it is their choice. And partially it is due to how our culture functions. But more than that, I learned something important about leadership from these two guys. It is this:
Someone who is the "least or the last" is without the usual types of power and authority. We who are fortunate to NOT be the least and the last are called to give away power and authority to the under-privileged.

These days I am challenged most by what it means to help the least privileged leaders, those who traditionally are oppressed by authorities and powers.

I cannot wait to go downtown again next week to learn some more from the homeless.

- Brian Newman

The Jesus Way

Here is a real challenging and well written word from Eugene Peterson on the way of Jesus with note to how that way pertains to our leadership way.

It is from his new book The Jesus Way.

I have used it to lectio divina and found it a rich source of reflection.

If you are reading this on Monday morning, pray for me as I begin teaching the course today. We are going to spend most of Monday working through a biblical theology of leadership with special attention given to the Way of Christ and the biblical metaphors of servant, shepherd, steward, sufferer, saint - that flesh out that way.

Download the_jesus_way.pdf

Brian Rice

John Stott on Misuse of Power

Here are some words from a truly wise leader/teacher/pastor.

It is my firm conviction that there is too much autocracy in the leaders of the Christian community, in defiance of the teaching of Jesus, and not enough love and gentleness. Too many behave as if they believed, not in the priesthood of all believers, but in the papacy of all pastors. Our model of leadership is often shaped more by culture than by Christ."   John Stott in Christian Leadership

I got a chuckle out of the "papacy of all pastors!"  Been there, done that, and will unfortunately, probably go there again.

Brian Rice

Talking With CBMC Leaders

Yesterday I had the opportunity and privilege to speak at the local chapter of a CBMC Int. (Christian Businessmen) meeting. An old friend, Chuck Blouse, invited me to talk at a luncheon. There were about 30 men there, and we had a good time talking about A New Kind of Leader. We walked through Psalm 78:70-72 and talked about:

• the Leader as Servant
• the Leader as Shepherd
• the Leader as Steward

Every time I process this theme with leaders, I come away with the same perspective - leaders are hungry to hear about a new kind of leadership as it is developed and demonstrated by the Scriptures and epitomized by Christ.

Plus I had the chance to meet some new leaders as well as connect with a few friends.

Brian Rice

Servant Leadership: Part Five

Many years ago, I read a leadership book that has become one of those "definitive" shapers of my leadership theory and praxis. It was by C. Michael Thompson and the book is The Congruent Life.

There is a very thoughtful and lengthy quote that Thompson has where he talks about the quality of "gift-love" and how leaders are summoned to offer this kind of love to those who work with and for them. This is a kind of love that is characteristic of those who are truly servant leaders.

It is pretty radical stuff. I have attached the quote as a PDF file if you are interested in reading and reflecting on it. 

Download servant_leader_and_gift_love.pdf

Brian Rice

Max De Pree on Leadership

I just finished a book by Max De Pree, Leading Without Power. I picked it up at the booktable that Hearts and Minds Bookstore had at the LWCC Leadership Summit a few weeks ago.

Max De Pree is the chairman emeritus of Herman Miller, Inc. (a furniture company) which he led for many years.

When I initially became interested in leadership in the early 1990's, two of the first books I read on leadership were Leadership is an Art and Leadership Jazz. 

Max is a down to earth writer. He is simple and yet insightful. His books are easy to read and every page has nuggets of gold. I had forgotten Max for a long time until our recent Summit when one of our presenters, Steven Musser, spoke quite positively of Max. I went back to my library and pulled out his books and browsed through them again.

If you have not read Leadership is an Art and Leadership Jazz, I highly recommend them to you.

Brian Rice

Servant Leadership - Part Four

When I returned to the United States after my trip, I immediately picked up a book that I had received from my friend Byron Borger, prior to going to India. At the last minute, I had decided not to take it with me.

The book was an advance copy, uncorrected proof, titled -  The Jesus Way: A Conversation on the Ways That Jesus is the Way, by Eugene Peterson.  Peterson is one of the most profound and provocative writers on spirituality in North America. Most of you know him as the author and translator of The Message.

This book is not exactly on servant leadership, but it dovetails nicely with the theme. The last part of the book is about the "other ways" that were options for the Jewish people in the time of Jesus. Peterson is at his masterful best as he describes the ways of Herod, the Pharisees, Caiaphas the High Priest, the Essenes, Josephus, and finally, the Zealots. Six other ways that were alternatives during the time of Jesus.

And Jesus said no to each of those other ways. Jesus charted out a NEW WAY that was distinguishly different from each of the prevailing cultural options.

These short chapters are worth the price of the book. Considering the other ways of power, prestige, fame, wealth, religious influence, comfort, or radical revolution - it makes it the Servant Leadership Way of Jesus even more striking . . . and appealing.

Here is just one quote from the book as Peterson describes his calling:

"My working assignment in this meaning-hungry, spirit-thirsty, God-curious world is to teach and preach the Holy Scriptures as the revelation of Life, the life defined and created by Jesus. But I don't find it easy. I live in a culture that is largely either indifferent to or ignorant of Jesus. I would like to recover clarity and urgency in the way of Jesus for my generation."

May we each be about our calling of bring clarity and urgency to the servant-leadership Way of Jesus.

Brian Rice

Servant Leadership - Part Three

It was Thursday evening, after supper. I was walking from the library back to my apartment which was quite nicely set up for my week's stay at ACCS.

Operation Mobilization runs a very nice facility in Hyderabad. It is used by many other groups then just OM for conferences and workshops. The week I was there, a variety of other groups were using the grounds.

As I walked back to my room, my path intersected with another Westerner who was doing workshops on inner healing. This man had many long decades of service in India and his heart was given to serving the Lord there. He was training Indians in the ministry of healing. We talked for a time about India and its needs. He talked about the ministry he was involved in.

He inquired as to my reason for being in India. I talked to him about Leadership ConneXtions and my teaching on building and leading teams for the grad students. Since the topic of servant leadership was a constant theme of reflection and discussion for me, I mentioned to him that we (the students and I) had an invigorating discussion of the topic of Servant-Leadership.

He smiled at me and said that I was half right on that topic.

"Half right about what?" I asked.

"Half right in that Jesus commanded us to be servants!"

He smiled again, said good-bye and walked away.

Brian Rice

Servant Leadership - Part Two

On Tuesday afternoon when I was teaching at ACCS, we were having an intense interaction about servant leadership. The students (most of them pastors, missionaries, or educators) were really into the discussion.

Now, if you have been in India for any travels and have been around Indian Christians, you know they have a wonderful gift of service. I am sometimes embarrassed at how ready they are to serve me in any way they can when I visit India!

One student was emphatic when he said that followers of Christ serve wonderfully and sacrificially. But leaders do not serve their followers. Leaders are to be served by their followers! Well, I have to give him an A+ for honesty. He said very boldly what most of us probably think quietly.

I asked him - "So you are saying that in India leaders would not do menial, lowly tasks that the servants do?"

He answered - "No." "Leaders are too busy and important to do that. It would be a waste of time for leaders to do things like that which can and should be done by those lower in the organization." (Note - this is somewhat paraphrased but accurately expresses his thoughts.)

I asked another question, "So leaders would not do things like sweep floors, clean toilets, or wash dirty feet?"

"No" came the quick reply!

Silence in the room as the students realized what had been said. Uncomfortable silence lingered.

In the back of the room another hand shot up. "Yes," I asked.

"Ghandi cleaned toilets. Mother Teresa washed feet. They were true servant leaders who gained great love and respect of millions. We should be like them. That is the true Gospel."

I turned to John 13 and read these words from Jesus:

Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you . . . Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Brian Rice

Servant Leadership - Part One

One of the major themes that has gripped me lately has been the theme of Servant-Leadership. I've been teaching about it at the LWCC Leading Edge Monday Night training. I also talked about it extensively when I was at ACCS. I want to reflect a little about Servant-Leadership in light of some conversations and experiences from India.

I visited the OM Bookstore in Hyderabad which is billed as the largest Christian bookstore in India! They had a nice facility with many resources. Prominently displayed when you walk in the front door are the "must read books." There were about a dozen books on leadership. They were mainly Western in their orientation. They were titles that if I mentioned them, you would know them right away. Popular books written by popular authors on a popular topic - leadership.

Most of them I had already read. I picked each one up, one after the other and skimmed through the Table of Contents, looking for material on Servant Leadership that I could recommend to the students.

THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE CHAPTER IN ANY OF THOSE BOOKS THAT LOOKED AT SERVANT LEADERSHIP!!!  Amazing!!!

Later a friend recommended a book simply titled - Servant. It was by P.T. Chandapilla, an Indian author. It was tucked out of the way, in another section of the book store. Hidden, obscure, unnoticed.

In the forward by C.V. Matthew, I read these words about the book:

"We know that a disturbing book hardly stands a chance to be popular. We also know that popularity or wide acceptance can scarcely be a legitimate yardstick to gauge the truth. In fact, Servant unravels the very heart of Christian life and vocation . . . Reading this will disturb us, but if we respond positively to its challenges, we will tread in the footsteps of the Master-Servant whom we are called to follow."

Almost prophetic words by the author of the forward.

Servant leadership isn't exactly a hot topic that sells a lot of books or attracts a lot of followers.

(By the way, the book pictured in this post is not the book I am referring to. Both the author and his book are too obscure to be found on the Internet through a Google search!)

Brian Rice