Group items tagged

Management Consulting News interviews Marcus Buckingham on the ideas and defining characteristics of leadership.

I've highlighted some aspects to the interview I think are most relevant to defining leadership.

(Amanda Udis-Kessler) Alban Institute theorist Gilbert Rendle has written a thought-provoking book on how congregational leaders (ministers and lay leaders) can facilitate change in one of those settings we all know must deal, inevitably and irrevocably, with change. The book covers the spiritual assumption of leaders, systems theory, congregational change as a spiritual journey, and other topics; each chapter ends with exercises for leaders. The book is full of interesting ideas and I recommend it highly.

I found this article to be an interesting capsulization of a modern business leader or any leader for that matter, but mostly pertaining to business leaders. Dr Jim Taylor summarizes the top 10 qualities that he finds "without exception, woven into the fabric of a successful leader". They are identity, vision, passion, ownership, determination, the grind, inspiried by failure, respond with challenge, crisis mastery and process focus. Dr. Taylor's 10 Qualities of a Primal Leader describes leadership in action, not the nature or personality of a leader. Taylor's only slightly taps into the nature of a leader when he talks about passion, but quickly goes on to explain that having passion is what inspires the people a Primal Leader works with every day. I liked the "feel" of this article as being action oriented with a lot of energy. It's interesting with a little salesmanship thrown in for good measure.

This is an unlikely choice, but I picked it because it represents Judas' opinion about how well Jesus is doing as a leader. (And I happened to hear it yesterday.) And having just read the Drucker, I can't help but think about the haunting complexity of what it means that organizational success is about the leader prioritizing the task, not the leader. What does that mean in this context? I have an easy, possibly snarky UU answer to that question, which is almost certainly wrong.

Judas is shown in Superstar as also making the classic mistake for mistaking the leader for the cause--you know, it's about the church, not about the pastor.

In Leadership for Vital Congregations, Anthony Robinson offers us leadership strategies that will benefit a church. "Functional strategies" to lead and information to develop as a leader, especially a spiritual leader. Robinson's work draws upon the expertise of other leaders as he develops "seven strategies for pastoral leadership". As I have read more about Leadership and Northouse (as well as Blanchard and Hodges in Servant Leadership) and reflected on my own experiences as a leader, in my opinion, Robinson doesn't go into depth enough on the qualities of a good leader and his transition from leader to pastoral or chuch leader is a bit choppy. All in all, Robinson gives us a few basics and, as I previously mentioned, his Seven Strategies for Pastoral Leadership. If this book was presented at a conference (and I believe it was) it would be okay as we would hear Robinson speak about the book and hopefully, go into more depth about it.

The Servant Leader shows how to put "Jesus at the heart of The One Minute Manager". (Both books written by Ken Blanchard.) How is business and our faith compatible? This book talks about Christ as the ultimate leader (business leader as well) and presents guiding principles to follow as we bring our faith into our work.

Anthony Robinson offers us leadership strategies to benefit a church. "Functional strategies" to lead and information to develop as a leader, especially a spiritual leader. Robinson's work draws upon the expertise of other leaders as he develops "seven strategies for pastoral leadership".

One can learn and appreciate leadership by reading the actual writings of a leader. "The Collected Writings of Samson Occom, Mohegan: Literature and Leadership in Eighteenth-Century Native America" is a compilation of twenty sermons and diary entries of transactions written by Occum, a Native American leader and Presbyterian minister in the late 1700s. Such writings provide readers with insights into the actual life of a leader instead of and in contrast to the accounts written by others who purport to know what such a leader's burdens, struggles, and motives are.

A link to an article where Cronin describes leaders as "inventors, risk-takers and entrepreneurs. Leaders are individuals who can help create options and opportunities, who can help clarify problems and choices, who can build moral and coalitions, who can inspire others and provide a vision of the possibilities." These leaders possess a "contagious self-confidence, optimism and idealism that allow them to attract and mobilize others to undertake tasks these people never dreamed they could undertake."

Cronin uses a Thoreau quote to describe perception of self. "What a man thinks about himself," wrote Thoreau, "that is what determines, or rather indicates his fate."

OK, this is a stretch - but it shows poor leadership, a leader who is not merely "laissez-faire" but who misses the point entirely. And since Amy Erickson originally posted it to FB, I think it's fair game here. Current and future church leaders, don't be like this fake prof - speak your truth (even if you pay the price)! Be a leader!

A cartoon illustrating a reality of Utah leadership. This makes me think about how our (as a culture) perception of leadership has changed over the years. Makes me wonder about how a leader is being portrayed and how our perceptions of what visions (or lack of visions) a leader has can reinforce contemporary feelings of nostalgia, complacency, and helplessness.

Shawn, interesting contrast. Cartoonists have lampooned leaders since Thomas Nast (1840-1902). But, as you point out, cartoonists are also people who are watching trends and pointing toward changes and shifts in popular opinion.

Election Day is Tuesday in Wisconsin. We will be electing a lot of local offices that day. This election is big because of the recent tactics of our new republican governer. This is also big for me because I help run elections in Wisconsin. Tuesday is a day that people get to choose their leaders. The ads will be done, the door stuffers all in the trash, but come Wednesday those with the most votes will need to show us what they got. Choosing leaders is a very important thing!! Get out and Vote!

Credo by William Sloan Coffin, a collection of thoughts over topics ranging from faith and hope to war and the end of life.  He urges ministers to be leaders-to "be as pastoral as possible but never surrender ethical initiative" (153).  He argues leadership doesn't mean being friends with everyone or that everyone will like you-"Jesus knew that 'love your enemies' didn't mean 'don't make any'" (152).  He says good leaders take risks, evaluate potential outcomes and then move forward-"If you choose, you're sometimes wrong; but if you never choose, you're always wrong" (72).

A great piece on how leaders can do better at hearing the "whole truth" and how they can get good feedback on how they are doing

As someone with a day job in higher ed (and who has been a college professor) I am always very interested in how gender intersects with higher ed leadership issues - and I do think these include the professorate as well as college administrators. An overlap I note here with the Northouse chapter on gender is the article's observation that some believe that the attempt to hire women necessarily means that standards are being compromised - reminiscent (to me anyway) of the textbook's observation that male raters tend to rate male leaders as more effective than female leaders. Both the article and this aspect (and some others) of the chapter point to the continued dilemmas of sexist structures and culture, where women (and other traditionally powerless groups) are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

I found this book an interesting find because I have worked a lot with youth. I found this to me useful particuarly if you were trying to form a student leadership team and training your student leaders. This book boasts that it uses fun and interactive ways to promote leadership and teach students not only the importance of leadership but how to become leaders themselves.

This book was an interesting find because while it's about leadership it is also about membership. How we act as leaders will potentially either grow or reduce membership in a congregational setting. While this may be completely apparent, it's something to look at when you're thinking of how you present yourself as a leader to a congregation.

A leadership book from the business world, focusing on the ways of leading to greatness, based on sociological research on top performing companies from the last third of the twentieth century. Collins insists that great leaders start by getting other great leaders to work with them, then they attack the task. This is the greatest value of the book, I think. Important for anyone who wants to lead an organization that will transcend the barriers of goodness and more fully accomplish its mission.

This is a site with many quotes. The first one is: "To lead people, walk beside them ... As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence. The next best, the people honor and praise. The next, the people fear; and the next, the people hate ... When the best leader's work is done the people say, 'We did it ourselves!'" --Lao-tsu

I love that..."we did it ourselves!" What a great example of leading and encouraing others to be the best they can be without making it about the leader. A truly gracious leader will beam with pride from behind the scenes knowing that their job was done well and no "recognition" is needed.