What a privilege to hear all these speakers from their different areas of expertise talk about leadership. Please see yesterday’s to see what else I learned all the while thinking about education and human trafficking in Kazakhstan.
V. Dr. Henry Cloud – The Wise, the Foolish, the Evil
Truth, what do they do with it? Reality is different from the assumptions of leaders who think everyone is kind and responsible like them. Diagnose who you are talking to. There are three categories of people:
1) wise
2) fools
3) evil
For the wise, the light comes and they adjust their eyes to it, they actually adjust themselves when they hear truth. They tweak the formula if they have to. When they hear criticism, they say thank you with a smile. When a coach gives feedback they heed it. Resource them and keep them appropriately challenged.
However, the fool instead adjusts the light, adjusts the truth and is angry when they hear criticism. They change the truth and deny reality. They shoot the messenger.
There is hopelessness and they don’t own the problem, they blame someone else
“Do not confront or correct a fool, a mocker will hate you.”
With a fool, stop talking to them. Stop the insanity
They have stopped the plan of your mission because they have an allergy to the reality
Don’t talk about problems with them. Take your talk to the pattern. You have to know how to give feedback and set your LIMITS to exposure of the problem in perception. The leader must protect the vision or the culture of the team
Some fools are living for show or fear reasons
Ask them, “What are we doing if you keep this behavior up?” There are consequences.
Fools do not change
Limit exposure, clear about consequences, give choice, follow through
Finally, evil people, they are bent on destruction
Reject a divisive person, flee after second warning. Have nothing to do with them
You may need lawyers, guns (law enforcement to help intervene) and money to protect yourself from evil.
VI. John Dickson, Sydney, Australia
Numbers 12:3 – Moses wrote that he was the most humble man. The word Humility had a different meaning back when Moses wrote that than it does for us in contemporary society.
Humility means To hold power in service of others. Humility makes the great even greater
Cultivate this in life, five things about humility
1) common sense – none of us is an expert in everything – a true expert must know that what they don’t know far exceeds what they know in their subject. Must use Competency extrapolation.
2) beautiful – Sir Edmund Hillary 1919-2008 was the one who climbed Mt. Everest, he built hospitals in Nepal. He was being photographed by some admirers and some other climbers came along and didn’t know who he was so they straightened out his ice pick he was holding. He said “thank you.” That was a beautiful expression of humility because of COURSE he knew how to hold a pick but didn’t let on.
3) Generative – generates new knowledge. Scientific revolution took off with the idea to test, retest, evaluate with colleagues. Humility encouraged science. Low place is a place of learning
4) Persuasive – “On Rhetoric” by Aristotle, he talked of logos, pathos and ethos. Ethos is the character of a persuader. Most believable because you have others’ best interests at heart if you have good character.
5) Inspiring – Collins “Good to Great” – leaders maximize other peoples’ potential, the others are aloof and unapproachable. Great leaders are approachable, they are humble and other aspire to be like them
Four tools of leadership
1) ability
2) authority
3) character
4) persuasion
We went through the cruciform of a change at Jesus death. From the ancient times it was not cool to be humble but rather to be competent and arrogant. After Jesus death there was a humility revolution. Thus, when Moses said he was the most humble, it was self-effacing back in his time. Now we would never admit that we are humble, it is a quality other’s see in us and want.
VII. Patrick (filled in for Howard Shultz from Starbucks) – he wrote “Getting Naked”
We need to be reminded, more than instructed
Ken Blanchard wrote about the power of vulnerability
Manifest humility by being vulnerable
We in the western world try to avoid suffering at all costs but this is counter-cultural to following Christ
Why is it so hard to be vulnerable? Fear of losing business or fear of rejection
“Enter the danger” Improvisation like in tv show “Whose line is it anyway?”
360 feedback forms
1) speak kind truth – terminal niceness – don’t be afraid of being rejected
2) fear of being embarrassed – ask the dumb question, Celebrate our mistakes, acknowledge our humanity
3) fear of feeling inferior
Do the dirty work, go the second mile service. What did Jesus do? he washed feet
Honoring your clients’ work
Vulnerability which breeds loyalty
Not easy, suffering pain
Answering the call
Don’t get rewarded
Do it anyway when NOT rewarded
VIII. Chasing Daylight – Erwin McManus, film maker, L.A. California
Read from Eccl. 1 – Meaningless…all is meaningless says the teacher (written by King Solomon)
McManus loves Solomon and his transparency when he says “There’s nothing new under the sun.” he doesn’t agree with Solomon though
Is. 43:18-19
There is a creative process. God is an artist. We are part of the creative order if we are Christians. All others who are not Christians along with the animals are the created order.
Creative order vs. created order
Some might say, “Let’s make history” and that you can do to leave your mark
Others might say “Let’s change history” which you can’t do unless you are an avowed revisionist
Let’s create the future, that is God’s arena
Evil men don’t ask permission to change the world
Good people sit back and wait for permission to save the world.
McManus was asked what art would look like after the post-modern world.
He replied, “Whatever we choose.”
Why wait for others to choose our future? Why is Star Wars and Avatar beating out the Christians in art?
Focus on creating future God has in mind
We are to be cultivators of human talent, be a good steward of what we’ve been given
Acts 7
Shakespeare wrote “Others have greatness thrust upon them.”
In schools and life, the extraordinary is beaten out of us. There are hidden talents
We can be the incubator for those who are creative. Sometimes dreams are trapped in people’s souls
Human talent and the glory of God
You, even at your best, will never be intimidating to God.
The Christian world used to have the best poets
There is the false narrative
We need to reclaim truth telling power
Revival of great story telling
Truths lost in a bad story
We need to be cultivators of talent, narrators of humor, story, acknowledge the mosaic and the masterful. Do something NEW!!!
Back in the days pre-9/11, we could take almost anything on board a jet in our carry-ons, within reason of course. Swiss Army knives (mine succumbed to security while traveling in China a month after the tragedy), glass bottles, whatever sharp objects are disallowed now. Airline security rules have changed much in the last ten years post-9/11. So have the labels on bottles, I don’t think they have glass bottles for mineral water in Kazakhstan anymore.
