I attended a Leadership seminar this week at the iPlace in Grapevine. The iPlace is the physical location of Leaders Summit. Leaders Summit trains people from the non-profit and the for-profit world on the issues of Leadership. I highly recommend the experience for ministers. The value I received was well worth the time and financial commitment made by both the church and me.
Something that really impacted me was how they described vision. So often, having a vision means having some grand view of the horizon (which is true, that's long-range vision), but there is also something called mid-range and short-range vision. One of my spiritual gifts is the long range vision. I believe God has gifted me with the ability to communicate vision through teaching and preaching. However, it is my spiritual discipline to execute the vision. Most ministers can see the kingdom but we aren't sure what to do to bring about the kingdom (execution). One of the strength of Leaders Summit is that participants are pushed to examine and deepen and strengthen execution. A good vision, poorly executed, is not fun for anyone.
This workshop came at a great time for me. I've had a hard and challenging past 13 weeks physically and I feel like I'm beginning to hit my stride again. I feel like I have been refocused for the challenge that is before me...building ministry in the Uptown/Downtown area. Simply put, it is crazy that the church has abandoned people between the ages of 22-36 when they are making the biggest decisions of their life--it's past time for the church to be relevant and connected to those who are choosing things that matter to God.
Welcome to the UrbanLife blog kept by Rev. Kathryn Ransdell. UrbanLife is a ministry of First Church Methodist Church, Downtown Dallas. The goal of the ministry is to connect 20- and 30-year-olds with each other, their faith, and the church.
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2 comments:
I completely agree with that last statement. It's a shame so many people feel disconnect from church family at the time in life they truly need the support and connectedness the most. I'm so glad God has put this ministry in your heart and in your life, so someone can start reaching out to this group, my group.
To me, Vision seems the most important aspect of leadership. (It's no coincidence that Bill Clinton kept played the song 'Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow' at his nomination convention.) The further one can see, the stronger the vision, the stronger the leader.
Using Vision as a characteristic of leadership I thought back through history:
1. Who had a vision of what our country could be? Maybe Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR & JFK (who was killed because of it)
2. Who had a vision of civil rights for minorities? Maybe Martin Luther King, Susan B Anthony, Oprah
3. Who had a vision of world morality and peace? Maybe Jesus, Paul, Gandhi
Of course vision alone will not make great leaders. Other traits are necessary,e.g., inspiring, persistent and self-sacrificing. To be inspiring calls for charisma and the ability to communicate the path forward. Persistence requires confidence -- intellectual certainty and courage to face the opposition. Self-sacrificing requires putting the community ahead of personal desires. It also demands a willingness to listen and grow.
But without long-term vision, you have 'managers' at best, not leaders. Managers are different than leaders. They tend to follow the conventional way. They are not creators of new ideas -- not poets nor artists. Their job is to build systems, administer and keep their eye on the bottom line.
Thinking from a Myers-Briggs personality classification, I tried to decide what characteristics would best serve a leader. I came up with 'E' for better interpersonal skills and communication, 'N' for intuitiveness and vision, & 'J' for organization and control. I could not decide between 'F' & 'T', so I came up with ENFJ & ENTJ as my candidates. Looking up people consider either ENFJ or ENTJ, I got the list: David, Abraham Lincoln, Peyton Manning, Diane Sawyer, Elizabeth Dole, Mikhail Gorbachev, Martin Luther King Jr, Francois Mitterand, Margaret Mead, Abraham Maslov, Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Phil McGraw, Tony Blair, Andy Griffith, Michael Jordan, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tommy Lee Jones, Sean Connery, William Cullen Bryant, Bette Midler, James Garner, Ross Perot, Franklin Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, Norman Schwarzkopf, Douglas Mcarthur, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Jim Carrey, Steve Martin, Margaret Thatcher, Elizabeth I, Al Gore, John Kerry, Bill Clinton, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Julius Caesar, Frank Lloyd Wright,Whoopi Goldberg, Lucille Ball, Candace Bergen, Sigourney Weaver, William H. Macy, Peter Sellers, Howard Cosell, Garrison Keillor, Alan Alda, Beatrice Arthur, Marg Helgenberger & John Lennon ... and others. There does seem to be lots of 'leaders' on the list.
One last thought. It seems that democracy can prevent us from gaining those leaders with the greatest vision. Since our leaders are chosen by the mass majority, the voters with highest (and lowest) vision become insignificant in the decision. I guess that is why we voted down Gore & Kerry. We got what we asked for.
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