This book by far has been my favorite leadership book. It speaks to the heart of what so many leaders struggle to navigate – gained ground in a changing world. It puts in hand tools to use when exploring new terrane in this post Jesus culture; an invitation to know what you know well, fight for it, in ways that both God and man is valued. To engage in the transformation of self while neck deep in the front lines – being assured that the arrival of a destination was never the intention of the master creator – but rather the transformation into the likeness of the one true Christ along the way.
The parts of
leadership I thrive toward have been forging new paths, building trust,
adaptation, and personal / organizational transformation. If the world in front
of me is nothing like the world behind me, the opportunity to understand and
learn from voices from outside of my area of influence must grow. I cannot
default at my last best move to lead forward, there must be other places to
pull from – other people to speak into the next moves. The people I learn from
will come from a variety of backgrounds, live different lifestyles, and poses a
diversity of world views. This is the adventure of learning a culture and being
part of gospel infused into culture. The mystery of watching the Spirit settle
on a people group and breath the words of life into their being. On the other side of a new world comes those
that will choose to stay the same. I must resist the desire to keep status quo
happy, assess losses and allow trust to build as currency to endure each crisis
of change together.
Building
trust does not come easy. It takes integrity and confidence in the mission being
consistent as the leader in every relationship and circumstance to move
forward. What is most important to us; essential to the mission, who are we?
Are we learning as we move? Are we changing as we move? These questions are central
to a living, breathing, learning organization and her people. Clinging to the identity
of mission, not allowing the strong cultural currents to push or pull the group,
but invite forward into being and doing with strong foundations to stand on.
My deepest struggle has been in the sabotage. The internal resistance to change was not something my softening soul was ready for; and yet in God’s sovereignty transformation is being found through the sabotage. In the newness of building trust, and adapting as God transforms somewhere along the line I had lost my personal responsibility of being and becoming; So busy “doing” that my life line was slowly but consistently being choked out. Believing the voices of this worlds success, trudging the paths of those before to find myself lost in a new and terrifying place; regretting the lack of confidence to search the sacred path forged by a simple few before me. Seasons of walking alone to find my lifeless body being carried to and left at the mouth of an empty tomb – radiant with the lifeblood of the worlds Saviour. Carried by a chosen few who knew that my sessions at the cross had long expired to usher in a new era of looking ahead.
Isolation
and independence contribute to enduring sabotage alone. One cannot lead alone. One
should not endure sabotage alone. Sabotage is normal, sabotage will come, and
when it does having equal partners to trudge through the mess together is life
giving; its transformational. Knowing the facts, feeling the feels, and hovering
above it all to recognise that shifting emotions inevitably will upset the balance
of a relationship system, not completely obliterating the institutions core
identity. Knowing the difference between relational systems and institutional
systems will help navigation into unchartered territory when sabotage is
peeking just over the horizon.
I have
learned to be counterintuitive in my natural responses to sabotage. When I am struggling
with trusting others, I force my being to lean in a little closer, ask the
difficult questions, allow my opinions to settle and not always be heard. When
I want to go alone, I reach out to find others waiting for an invitation,
longing for a connection, seeking a listening ear. It startles me that I have
found people that enjoy my company as much as I do – with no need to hide or be
someone else to or for them. I am seeing questions for what they are, not my
perception of what they mean to me. Getting out of my own mind to see another
view of the world – watching Jesus play hide and seek with me in others life
story as they share openly about their hopes, fears, dreams. I have begun to
look back to see my place of origin teaming with the life of redemption and
purpose – every piece being brought to a place of continual completion.
Each page of
this book points to transformational change in unchartered territory.
Everything has changed, everybody will be changed; especially the leader. In my
time leading Upper Canada Youth for Christ I have found that some people are eager
to step out of the boat, and others are terrified to. I am learning how to
invite others, one foot at a time to step out, step in and if need be get wet –
or as I often see it, go for a swim because it is all about the extended hand
that rescues us from the undercurrent.
I have been
so encouraged reading this book as it has affirmed my asking of new questions
and forging new ground. I can continue to be told no and ask over and over again
with confidence and bring the “no sayers” in close to help me see the problems
in the plan before me. I am most encouraged that I can step past taking things
personally when it comes to sabotage. It is not always about what I did or how
I did it, but often about a groups resistance to change; and that is ultimately God's problem, not mine
