Be a Captain, not the Crew
May 16, 2009 by ajquinley
Filed under LeadOthers
A lesson from the shipping industry by Chuck Quinley, shot on location in Greece.
How Leaders Take Us to the Future
May 16, 2009 by ajquinley
Filed under LeadOthers
Using the case study of a small town in a changing economy Dr. Chuck Quinley shows how a leader makes a difference in taking a community to a better future.
Are You Credible?
May 16, 2009 by craig.gray
Filed under LeadOthers
So we asked the question: what is leadership really?
Think about two powerful, yet paradoxical historical persons: Mother Theresa, humble nurse to the dying and destitute of Calcutta, and Adolf Hitler, tyrannical dictator, master of the blitzkrieg and angel of death to the Jewish people. What do they have in common? At first blush it would seem that they have nothing in common right? But let’s look a little closer: Both of them, whether intentionally or not, influenced their followers, cast a vision for change and got the attention of the entire globe. In the classic sense both led their followers; one did so for evil and one for good. Upon their death the world celebrated one and villified the other. The essence of how they created influence helps answer the important question we have been asking.
When a leader (whether titled or not) casts a vision, or promotes and idea there are two key elements that create followership. The first is whether or not the leader is credible, the second is whether or not the follower can own a little piece of the vision for themselves.
Credibility has to come from somewhere, and there are many sources a leader might use to establish it: perhaps it is positional or what is called institutional authority, they may be an expert in a certain area, it be established by appealing to a higher power, maybe they have enough charsima to overcome doubts about expertise . What is fascinating is that having an official position doesn’t gaurantee credibility, it simply provides a platform to establish or lose credibility. The downside, of course, is that credibility is always judged by the potential follower, and must be demonstrated by the leader.
So when you walk in on day one as the pastor of a new church or start a new organization how will you establish credibility? Perhaps you are a great communicator. Can your ability, your connection with truth show that your vision is the right one, for the right time? Will your followership embrace the ideas you propose, and believe in what you believe in? Will they believe that you can take them to a new level, and that they experience a better place?
So let’s ask a new question. How do I become credible? The answer is a little surprising. See you next blog.
The State of the Church
May 11, 2009 by chuckquinley
Filed under LeadOthers, Walk
What is the state of the church? I can accurately tell you that it is vibrant and budding with new life—and that it is stuck in tradition and dying moment by moment with no hope of resuscitation. It is generous and sacrificial to the point of actual martyrdom and it is corrupt and full of nepotism and hidden dealings in money. The church is holy and careful about bringing the name of the Lord into any disrepute among the unbelievers and it is also a place of great sexual immorality among its single adults and even its married members.
You see, the church is as healthy as its leaders are. I have been in churches where the leaders committed themselves to a daily ministry of prayer on behalf of their sheep and where pastors and their wives sacrificed gladly to see God’s children cared for. I have also seen churches where the leadership was incredibly self-indulgent, controlling finances with relatives and trusted confidants, seeming to care very little for the church. Whatever the state of the leadership, it filters down to the flock. As the Leader, so the people. Leaders who stand up for Christ in spite of beatings, imprisonment and even death raise up a church of champions where even the children are faithful unto death.
But leadership is not only vested in the clergy. We all have influence. We are all the church and have the ability to speak up against unbiblical patterns of action. Our obedient and sacrificial actions can send waves of change throughout our circle of believers. We can’t control the state of the church in other fellowships and nations, but we can do all we can to become part of a functioning community of disciples that lives according to the teachings and lifestyle of Jesus Christ. I want to make a personal contribution to the health of the church. I know that you do too.
What is leadership anyway?
April 29, 2009 by craig.gray
Filed under LeadOthers
If you were to be asked about the idea of leadership you probably think you have a pretty good general idea if not completely detailed notion of ”what” it is. But when asked to define it could could you really describe what leadership truly is? Have you ever asked yourself what does it really take to get someone to follow you? A wise person once observed that a leader with no followers is simply out for a walk.
We are a people that tends to worship heroes; solo performers who by the strength of will and power of their own intellect overcome impossible odds. However truly powerful movements; transformations, whether in business or the church are actually accomplished by people working together. Leaders and followers alike are galvanized around a single or set of ideas that lift the corporate entity beyond individual capacity.
So how does leadership happen? In what setting does it occur? Where does leadership authority come from?
John Maxwell (2007), noted author, speaker and leadership consultant declares that leadership is influence; nothing more, nothing less. Stephen Covey (1989) observed in his groundbreaking book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, that leaders are not just those with the right map, but are able to indicate the correct direction. One thing is clear, leadership involves some sort of transaction between leader and follower that inspires both to accomplish a shared goal. The leader demonstrates some sort of authority, and the follower believes in the source of that authority enough to supply energy and effort.
Think about this for yourself: What does it take to get someone to follow you? The corrollary question is, of course, what makes them stop following? There is no single answer to the first question, but the answer to the second lies in the way leaders draw authority, and thus exercise leadership. Uncovering the the many facets of leadership illicits a mosaic of ideas and principles that rise to nearly an art form. Yet it is an art that can be learned, imitated and developed. In the next blog, we will discuss the sources of leadership power and the ways each are used or misused.
Until then ponder the question: What is leadership anyway?