Lifestyle Mentoring

1 Timothy Chapter 3 is a leadership manual. While in Ephesus, Timothy receives a letter from his mentor. Paul has chosen his closest spiritual child (1 Tim. 1:2) to set forth the organizational principles and leadership expectations that would guide the church of Christ. Timothy was no doubt chosen because of Paul’s confidence in him as a leader (Phil. 2:19-22). In verse 15 we see the purpose of the passage. Paul wants to draw a picture of what a leader in this “church of the living God” is supposed to look like. Paul had already modeled this and now formalizes it with this letter. Smith and Goetz describe this type of mentoring as “Lifestyle Mentoring”. This has a focus on the lifestyle of the leader (modeling) and defines the principles of living (the letter). Paul let Timothy observe him at work then he promoted him to the churches. In this letter he gives the qualifications for the organizational structure previously set up. In the broad sense, we could call Paul a lifestyle mentor to Timothy. Again, Smith and Goetz speak to this by asserting: “This type of mentoring is a kind of parenting without the typical parental responsibilities. The real responsibility falls on the younger to absorb and to observe correctly.” Paul trusts Timothy to insure quality in leadership.

References:
Smith, F., & Goetz, D. L. 1999. Vol. 5: Leading with integrity : Competence with Christian character. The pastor's soul series . Bethany House Publishers: Minneapolis, Minn.

Learning in Discipleship

When Jesus gave His great commission just before He ascended to heaven, He placed an emphasis on learning in discipleship. Notice Matthew 28:19-20 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, … teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (NIV) Here Jesus identifies “teaching” as a key component in making disciples. In his book (Managers as Mentors), Chip Bell speaks of learning when he declares: ”The best mentors recognize they are first and foremost, facilitators and catalysts in a process of discovery and insight. This is supported by Lois Zachary, in her book (Creating a Mentoring Culture), who asserts: “Learning is the fundamental process and primary purpose of mentoring.” She further states: “One of the principle reasons that mentoring relationships fail is that the learning process is not tended to and the focus of learning is not maintained.” When seeking to understand both discipling and mentoring the common denominator of learning cannot be ignored. This begs the question: Can you have discipleship or mentoring without the basic component of learning? If this question is answered in the negative, then it is incumbent upon us as disciplers and mentors to build a safe environment where real learning can take place.

Give Me Passion!

Building transformative organizations has more to do with who than what. In his book The Human Equation, Jeffrey Pfiffer used Wal-Mart and Southwest Airlines as examples that there is no connection between organizational success and industry characteristics such as conventional strategies. He goes on to note seven practices for successful organizations. (pg. 64-65) When I read these, it occurred to me that these are only effective if you have the right personnel in place. It’s all about the people. It is incumbent upon the leader to ensure that the organization is staffed with the right kind of employee. Proper training can improve capacity only if the “raw material” is willing to expand. When looking for the right “who” there are many components to consider. In my opinion, passion would be among the most important. Proper mentoring can improve skills, but passion comes from the inside. In his book Managers as Mentors, Chip Bell credits passion for giving followers and leaders a feeling of being inspired, incensed, and ennobled which ultimately leads to a sense of being renewed and revitalized. Passion unbridled can certainly be counterproductive but all rudder and no oar can cause an organization to grow stagnate. Passionate leadership keeps the fires of passion burning in the organization. As Bell puts it: “Passionate connections invite passionate responses.”

Leadership as a Process

In Matthew 9:14-22 Jesus shows leadership as a process in His continuing efforts to develop His followers. This episode in the life of our Lord has great insight especially in the arena of leadership. The passage is presented in the form of a narration with threads of healing, teaching, and transformation. Here, actions and faith are interwoven to demonstrate deity and a clear command to follow Christ at all cost. This sounds like a great illustration of leadership for all to see. When I look further into this passage I see several key components of leadership. John Maxwell, in his book, (Becoming a Person of Influence), points out that leadership is a process which grows by stages. He says it looks like this: Modeling, Mentoring, and Motivating. Notice in the text:

1) Modeling: He heals Peters Mother-in-law. (vs. 14)
2) Mentoring: He speaks of sacrifice. (vs. 20)
3) Motivating: He challenges them to action. (vs. 22)

Jesus mentioned sacrifice in leadership in verse 20. Briscoe, Larson, and Osborne spoke of this in terms of risk taking in their book (Measuring up: The need to succeed and the fear of failure) as they assert: “Highly successful leaders ignore conventional wisdom and take chances. Their stories inevitably include a defining moment or key decision when they took a significant risk and thereby experienced a breakthrough.” Jesus certainly was not afraid to take a risk. Our challenge is to be the leader that Christ demonstrates in this wonderful passage.

A Collaborative Approach to Leadership

It takes more than one person to transform an organization. Kouzes and Possner in their book (The Leadership Challenge) assert that leadership is the key to building transformative organizations through the development of a shared vision. The leader must work together with followers within the organization to execute the vision. This mandates a collaborative effort. A leader would be foolish to think he could transform an organization alone. All the vision in the world is useless unless there is someone to buy into it and build on it. Timothy Stagich in his book (Collaborative Leadership and Global Transformation) supports this idea by stating: “Leaders who understand how to facilitate collaboration are better able to improve performance and motivate people to learn, develop, share and adapt to changes at home, at work, and throughout the global community. The transformations which occur through this process help each individual and group to reach their highest potential and in the process generate benefits…” He goes on to emphasis the importance of a collaborative approach by defining successful leadership as: “The ability to influence people to a course of action though a collaborative or facilitative approach to organization or motivation often enabling them to achieve their highest potential and maximum performance.” If we are to be transformational leaders, we must adopt a collaborative approach to fulfilling the vision of the organization.

Jesus, The Transformational Leader

Jesus shows His transformational style of leadership as He gathers His disciples together in an intimate setting. In response to their question, concerning the future Jesus prepares them for what they would face as followers. He attempts to equip them by showing a path to overcoming. This path points out the problems to be solved and encourages endurance, which leads to triumph. Terry Anderson in his book Transforming Leadership states: “Each leader needs to develop the skills to encourage others…personal applications include self examination and problem solving and assists family members to gain self understanding to solve problems they encounter.” Jesus does this as he helps His disciples prepare to deal with the problems they are to encounter in the days to come. An inner textual analysis of Matthew 24:3-13 shows this clearly:

A) Together on the Mountain “What Shall These Things Be?” (vs. 3)
B) Beware Deception “Led Astray” (vs. 4)
C) False Christ’s (vs. 5)
D) Tumultuous Times “Nation against Nation” (vs. 7)
E) Persecution (vs. 9)
D) Tumultuous Times “Brother against Brother” (vs. 10)
C) False Prophets (vs. 11)
B) Beware deception “Falling Away” (vs. 12)
A) Together in Heaven “Shall Be Saved” (vs. 13)

Jesus shows transformational leadership as He becomes the equipper and shows His followers what they are to face. Our Lord then gives them the tool to navigate the future. The tool in this case is the challenge to never give up. “He that endures to the end shall be saved.”

Pass It On!

It is impossible to consider the nature of our Lord Jesus’ leadership without the scope of its long lasting effect. Jesus imparted Himself in the lives of His followers in a way that ensured the plan of the Father would be fulfilled. David DeSilva supports this in his book (An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts, Methods, and ministry Formations) with his observation: “After Jesus’ ascension his disciples, whom Luke describes as “eyewitnesses and servants of the word” (Lk 1:2 NRSV) and who were clearly not limited to the twelve (see Acts 1:15,21-23), proclaimed his death and resurrection, and sought to make disciples through passing on Jesus’ teachings and example. Sayings of Jesus, parables, stories of his confrontation with members of various groups all served this catechetical purpose (that is, the task of instructing and shaping disciples and communities of disciples). Stories about Jesus’ acts of healing and miracles both enhanced the community’s appreciation of Jesus’ authority to prescribe a way of life and opened them up to the possibilities of God’s power in their midst to heal and deliver.” This progression prioritizes impartation as a major factor in understanding Jesus’ leadership and its support of the over-arching purpose of God. The nature of our Lord’s leadership style was to duplicate Himself in respect to plan and purpose.

It's all about "LOVE"

The nature of our Lord’s leadership can be summed up in one word. That word is “Love”. We see this in Mark 12:30-31. In response to the scribe’s question of priority, Jesus places the emphasis on love. He also prioritizes our application of love in the order He presents the commandment.
Notice:
“Love” God with all your heart
“Love” God with all your soul
“Love” God with all your mind
“Love” God with all your strength
“Love” your neighbor
“Love” yourself
The repetition of the word “Love” shows the importance while the progression of the application shows the priority: God first…others second…me last.
Love as a leadership style is supported by Bruce Winston in his book (Be a Leader for God’s Sake) who declares that “Leadership is first of all love”. It is further supported by John Hoyle in his book (Leadership and the Force of Love) who goes as far as to assert: “If you can’t love, you can’t lead.” Jesus used many leadership styles during His earthly ministry; however, in identifying one that can qualify as the “Nature” of our Lord’s leadership, it would have to be love. Love embodies the very essence of God’s plan and purpose. This is personified through Christ as He imparted this into His followers.

How We Treat People is Key

Leadership is all about how we treat people. Paul emphasizes this point in his letter to Timothy. Using Socio-Rhetorical analysis we see a progression in respect to the leaders (The Bishop’s) dealing with people. The progression is in how the leader deals with:
A) One Person – “Self Controlled; Not Violent; Not Quarrelsome” (1 Timothy 3:2-3)
B) Family – “Manage his own family well” (1 Timothy 3:4)
C) All People – “Good Reputation with Outsiders” (1 Timothy 3:7)
This is, as Paul makes clear, important in the church, but it is also key in successful leadership and organizational development. This is supported by Jeffrey Pfeffer in his book (The Human Equation) as he declares: “the most important source for organizational success is how companies treat their people! This confirms what all good leaders know: people are an organization’s most important asset! Organizations need to place a premium of their people by putting them first.” Paul has a desire for his “spiritual son” (Timothy) to be successful in his leadership role as a Bishop. If we are to be successful in our organizational development we, like Timothy of old, must be mindful of how we treat people. 1 Timothy 3:2-7 is a model that can be used by leaders in any organizational construct.

Christian Leadership in Action

Matthew 9:1-7 shows the leadership skills of Jesus as he places a priority on the reason for His ministry. While He is in the process of gathering His disciples, Jesus takes advantage of a situation to place an emphasis on what He wanted His followers to prioritize. On the surface, it looks as though this is a story about healing but a deeper look reveals an emphasis on forgiveness. The inner textual approach to socio-rhetorical interpretation concerns itself with features like the repetition of words. Three times in these seven verses, Jesus refers to forgiveness of sins. They brought Jesus a man sick with the palsy in order to get him healed, yet Jesus looks beyond the temporal and prioritizes the eternal by forgiving his sins. This is real Christian leadership in action. Aubrey Malpurs, in his book Being Leaders: The Nature of Authentic Christian Leadership, states: “A Christian leader is a servant with the credibility and capabilities to influence people in a particular context to pursue their God-given direction.” Jesus establishes His credibility by healing the man, but the repetition indicates that He was most interested in the mans eternal soul as well as influencing His followers to pursue their “God given direction” which was to preach the forgiveness of sins through Christ.

Which one is the most important?

When I began to consider the difference between exegesis and exposition I asked my self: “Which one is the most important?” Both of these are components of the over arching discipline of hermeneutics. Hermeneutics by definition is the “science of biblical interpretation”. (Henry A. Virker. 1981. Hermeneutics. Baker Books. Grand Rapids, MI ) It is considered a science because it has rules and these rules can be classified into an orderly system. This “system” can be defined by observing the difference between these two components. Exegesis is the process of interpretation designed to find the original meaning of the verse whereas exposition address the application of the passage to modern times. The first asks: “What was the message heard by the original recipiet?” and the other asks: What is the relevence of the passage to us today?”. Can you see the system? First there is the premise which is interpretation. (Hermeneutics). Then comes the foundation which is true meaning. (Exegesis). Lastly we have the value which is application. (Exposition) First I grow (Exegesis) so that I can make others grow (Exposition). Exegesis deepens my resevior so that others can drink from the fresh waters of application. Which is the most important? They both are!

Misunderstanding the Bible

When I consider the vast world of misunderstanding that invades Christian circles, I often wonder: “Are all these people reading the same Bible?” One problem is too much eisegesis and not enough exegeses. Eisegesis is a form of construal that causes someone to read his own interpretation into a given text. This approach to Biblical hermeneutics implies a subjectivity that can narrow ones view to the arena of personal experience. How shallow our understanding and narrow our world view if we were limited to our own familiarity. Contrast this to the approach using exegesis and you have a much more objective view.

Exegesis, as a term, means to “draw the meaning out of”. Exegesis is the discipline of reading out from the text what is in it, whereas eisegesis is the practice of reading into a text what the person wishes to see there. With this understanding it is easy to see how this subjective approach can be so dangerous.

The universe of hermeneutics is much larger than just this one distinction; however in light of these two I would have to conclude that (Spirit inspired) exegesis is indeed the preferred approach.

Joseph as a Leader

Recently I re-read the story of Joseph and Pharaoh found in Genesis 37-41. This time, I looked at the account in the light of Leadership theories. No doubt the Pharaoh of Egypt was a top down leader that would embrace the (Great Man Theory). This theory says, in essence, that leaders are born and not made. Contrast this with Joseph as a leader and you see something that might more closely resemble the (Behavioral Theory) which includes the idea that leaders are made and not born. We see this in the development of Joseph and in how he manages the supernatural. Early on, God gives him a dream and he parlays it into disaster. Later he handles the interpretation God gives him with humility and is elevated through promotion to productivity. It could be argued that Joseph was born with inherited traits that made him an excellent candidate for leadership. (Trait Theory) In his book “Handbook of Leadership” R.M. Stogdill gives a list of such traits. Here, I have compared them to Joseph’s leadership progression:
Assertiveness – He shared his dream
Self Control – He resists Potiphars wife
Dependable – He is promoted in prison
Responsible – He is elevated to Prime Minister

Leadership is First of All Love

Leadership, for too long, has been characterized by arrogance and self-righteousness that often led to hypocrisy as leaders developed a self centered agenda then strived to conceal who they really were. If leadership is tied to influence then it stands to reason that a key to effective leadership is relationship. The key to successful relationship is love. This idea of a leader being qualified through influence; influence being dependent on relationship; and relationship being enhanced by love is supported by Bruce Winston in his book Be a Leader for God’s Sake when he asserts that “leadership is first of all love!” If we want to get a clear picture of what this kind of leadership looks like, all we have to do is look at Jesus. If leadership is first of all love, then God help me to be a leader like Jesus!

The Rich Young Ruler

One of the great leadership examples in all the scripture is the story of the rich young ruler. Jesus shows leadership in Matthew 19:16-22 by modeling the path to eternal life for His disciples. We see this by using the inner textural approach of Socio-Rhetorical Analysis which asks: What are the repetitions, patterns, structures, devices used? In this passage we see the will (vs 17 & 21) surrounding the question of obedience when it revolves around the commandments (vs17-20). This sets the stage for Jesus to differentiate works from grace by pushing past fleshly obedience and emphasizing the heart (vs 20-21). Notice also that the young man came to Christ on the terms of works (vs 16) but went away from Him when heart surrender was the requisite (vs 22).
Notice the pattern:
He comes (vs 16)
If you will (vs 17)
Keep commandments (vs 17)
Commandments (vs 18-19)
Kept commandments (vs 20)…….Works vs Grace (Eph. 2:8-9)
If you will (vs 21)………………..Heart (Matthew 6:21)
He goes (vs 22)

Latter on Jesus contrasts this pattern with the calling of His followers by allowing them to see that their heart surrender was evident by their willingness (unlike the rich young ruler) to “forsake all and follow you”. (Matt. 19:27) This leadership example serves as a model of commitment with an emphasis on grace. God help us to follow!

Is a Consultant a Leader?

Is a consultant a leader? In many respects, I think that the attributes of leaders and consultants are paralleled. However, I would like to point out one major difference. A consultant is temporary whereas the leader must be there for the long haul. I agree that relationship is important in both arenas but more so for the leader. When it comes down to it, the buck stops with the leader not the consultant. The challenge of the consultant is to influence but there is no real necessity to have any one follow. Years ago I read a book on leadership in the ministry that points this out: “Leadership begins with one person — the leader. A thousand people may be led or a dozen management skills exercised, but ultimately the leadership equation may be reduced to a lone person, one individual whom people follow.” The leader must do the hard work of developing deep-rooted lasting relationships that a consultant can never do simply because of his temporary state. Many of the attributes necessary to be successful at one will insure success in the other, but having done both, it is my opinion that being a leader demands unique attributes.

Reference:

Briscoe, D. S., Larson, K., & Osborne, W. L. 1993. Measuring up : The need to succeed and the fear of failure. Mastering ministry's pressure points . Multnomah Books: Sisters, Oregon

Mentoring in Leadership

The idea of mentoring cannot be divorced from the concepts of leadership. Chip Bell points this out in his book Managing as Mentors as he compares the two: “The way of the mentor is the way of the leader, particularly in today’s brain based economy.” Mentoring is at its core influence. Bell again points to the parallel as he defines a leader as any one in a role (short or long tern) whose primary goal is to influence another to important efforts of outcome. This is supported by Jeffrey Pfeffer who, although recognizing that there are many definitions, defines leadership in his book The Human Equation by stating: “:Leadership is influencing others to achieve a goal.” This sounds a lot like Bell’s definition of mentoring and looks a lot like what Jesus did in discipling. A consideration of the importance of influence in both mentoring and leadership leads us to the question: How can this be done? This “influence” can be accomplished by understanding the qualities of a mentor-protégé relationship and then striving to model each one in the relationship. Bell identifies six such qualities. They are Balance, Truth, Trust. Abundance (which is generosity), Passion, and Courage. These qualities will help us to be the kind of mentor that is productive in making disciples.

Relationship is the Key

Our challenge to define leadership and followership has proven one thing. It is a complex issue with almost unending layers of insight. One constant that can be applied on any level is the interdependence of the two. Bass and Stogdill point this out in their book Handbook of Leadership as they observe: “leaders cannot exist without followers, nor can followers exist without leaders.” This places an importance upon relationship that cannot be ignored. Kouzes and Posner, in their book The Leadership Challenge, literally define leadership as a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow. This being said, it makes sense that the success of both the leader and the follower hinges on the relationship that is developed between them. May God help us invest the time and hard work necessary in developing the kind of relationships that will insure productive leadership.

Watch Out for Flying Elbows

A leader can only be as affective as his ability to develop influence with followers. Influence must be developed and cannot be demanded. Successful leaders are the ones who are willing to put in the hard work necessary to develop the kind of influence that will motivate people to accomplish there goals. John Maxwell develops this idea with his stages of influence from his book: Becoming a Person of Influence. He states: “Influence … doesn’t come to us instantaneously. Instead it grows by stages.” The progression looks like this: Modeling, Motivating, Mentoring, Multiplying. Maxwell further supports this idea that influence must be developed and not demanded by asserting: “Leadership (which is a specific application of influence) is at its lowest level when it is based on position only. It grows and goes to a higher level as you develop relationships with others.” Demanding as opposed to developing influence is not only non-productive, it can also be hazardous to your health as is humorously noted by Marshall Shelley in his book: Empowering Your Church”: “I quickly found that the more a leader pressures followers to adopt an innovation, the more resistant and resentful many become. If you twist the arm of someone unmotivated to support an idea, you get an elbow in the chops.”

Peeling the Eternal Onion

I originally thought that by this point in my life I would have a clear definition of leadership. I did not adequately fathom the depth of this discipline. Through my reading and, I have come to realize that defining leadership, and followership for that matter, is much like attempting to peel an eternal onion. Every time you peel back a layer, you expose twice as much to be uncovered. R.M. Stogdill in his book “Handbook of Leadership” points out this complexity by asserting that there are almost as many different definitions of leadership as there are people who have tried to define it. Peter Northhouse in his book “Leadership Theory and Practice” tries to peel the onion by identifying four components that are central to, what he calls, this “phenomenon of leadership”.
Leadership:
1) is a process
2) involves influence
3) occurs within a group context
4) involves goal attainment

Thus, he concludes: “Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal.” Even this broad definition seems shallow when compared to the vast amount of scholarly insight that is out there on this almost unending subject. So, how do you peel an eternal onion? Spend a lifetime peeling!

Defining Leadership the Hard Way

Recently I started my Doctoral program at Regent University in Virginia. We were required to do a two week residency to start things off. There were over 100 Doctoral students there studying leadership. All of them are leaders in their respective fields. When I saw the instructions for our first assignment at residency, I thought to myself, “This will be trouble”. Casting eight or nine doctoral leadership students who have never met into the crucible of expected productivity is a recipe for chaos…and chaos we had. Personalities clashed as these leaders rattled around the project. The real issue: who would lead and who would follow. As time moved on, we became a productive team and achieved our goals with excellence. I see this as a portrait that can help us define what characterizes both a follower and a leader. One component is key to success in both the leader and the follower. It is servanthood. Calvin Miller in his book “The Empowered Leader” pointed out the value of servanthood by pointing to the teaching of Christ in Matt. 20:27. Here Jesus inserts servanthood as a prerequisite to leadership. There was conflict yet we became productive as a group as each one began to serve others in order to achieve our goal. By the tenth day, the conflict had evolved into laughter and friendship. Bruce Winston, in his book” Be a Leader for God’s Sake”, points out that “peace is not the absence of conflict but it is the manner in which conflict is addressed”.