Leadership qualities?

Had a long chat with my big Sister tonight, long time coming but worth every minute!  One of the things we where chatting about follows some of the issues of leadership I've been thinking about in other spheres recently... the pressures that culture has loaded on our understanding of leadership, the question of vulnerability and weakness etc.  How have we managed to build a culture where we expect our leaders to be the "best", the most "sorted", to have the firmest faith, the least struggles/problems/doubts etc., to be exemplars of what it means to be a successful Christian... perhaps there is the nub?  What does it mean to be a "successful Christian"? 

Does it mean the above *or* does it mean the most vulnerable, the most honest, the most aware of their own weakness and need for God's strength... Perhaps we *should* therefore expect leaders to be exemplars?  Perhaps it is just our view of a "successful Christian" that needs to change?  I wonder if this is the most counter cultural thing we could do, to challenge, in the most radical way, what we mean by success?  I wonder if we continue to fail to transform Culture because at the heart of our grasp of what it means to be Christian reinforces the culture of power, success and strength rather than challenging it? 

Perhaps we have lost the essence of servant leadership both within and without church?  Perhaps we have lost our grasp on the teaching of the "sermon on the mount"; we look for blessing when it is the persecuted who will be blessed, we look for strength when it is the meek who will inherit the earth, we look for credit when we do good deeds when we should simply serve, we look for strategy and models when we should trust Gods wisdom, we look for power and influence when we should live for peace, we look for material signs (health, wealth, power and growth) when we should first seek the kingdom of God in the world we live in?

I should talk to her more often I think!

Technorati Tags: Church: Community: Emerging Church: Ordination: Leadership: theology

Comments

[Makeesha]

good stuff. you know, I look forward to having your true voice in my head to put with your writing hehe

[Pastor Chad]

Thanks for this post. I have been thinking the same things lately, but know that I am too scared to put them into practice. This is something that can be exemplified only with the proper kind of teaching and attitude. Too often people exhibit their 'frailties' in a way that is only meant to attract attention. It is a list of 'this is what I used to be, but look at me now! Am I not wonderful. O yeah, God had a bit to do with it.'

How can we exhibit true humility without trying to draw attention to ourselves?

[julie]

your post is so true - thanks mark

i am not the kind that is scared by these things, but i do struggle to know how to live in the way of Christ as you suggest and still be able to survive physically in our wrongheaded culture - everything my job/role is about demands that i be the opposite of how i should truthfully be as a Christian - it is difficult to live in this world and intentionnaly 'live down' towards a more Godly otrientation with regards to success/work/reputation - so much depends on that these days - how do we make the choice between surviving (i need the best job i can find to support my family, to eat, to live etc etc, so there is pressure to be the best i can be at the success game) and thriving (on a life of trust and faith in God that doesn't mean i exasperate my children or model stress/worry/discontent)because pastor's kids always have to do without compared to their friends - or have to live on income support or family credit because 'compensation' for ministers is not adequate, especially if you work for missionary organisations - how do we turn around that kind of thinking from Christian organisations and denominations that really just twist the kind of theological perspective celebrated in your post to keep its workers in poverty and uses those that complain about it as examples of people whose faith is not strong enough ?
i agree that part of following in the way of Jesus means we live more simply, more caringly, more responsibly - i just think that the church has some of the worst examples that there are of mistreating and marginalising Christians when they try to do that