Archive for category leadership
Leadership | Service
Posted by Todd Engstrom in leadership on July 6, 2009
As I’ve been thinking on discipleship for the last few weeks, it naturally has been provoking thoughts of leadership. I’m going to start a new series with my philosophy and practice of leadership and leadership development, especially within the church.
Service
The foundation on leadership is very simply service. Godly leadership is very simply a selfless act, and a desire not for positional leadership, but of sacrificial living.
These Scriptures are abundantly clear that first and foremost, leadership is about loving and serving Christ and His people.
Vision is useless unless it is done in service to others to the glory of God. Strategy is worthless if you are failing to love and serve people. Leadership is hollow if you are not leading toward Christ and his calling to sacrificial, Spirit-led obedience.
I find I am more prone to desiring the position of leadership, rather than being a leader. What about you?
Discipleship | The Austin Stone Summer Conference
Posted by Todd Engstrom in austin stone, discipleship, leadership on June 13, 2009
I’m on a panel called “Making Disciples in the Church” for The Austin Stone’s Summer Conference.
Below are the questions I’m being asked (phrased from the point of a facilitator).
Section 1
- How did you start making disciples?
- How did you find the person you are discipling?
- What prompted you to be intentional with that person?
- How did you do it?
- What did you say?
- What were the requirements on that person? Expectations?
- How did you ‘disciple’ them?
- What did the actual day in and day out with that person look like? How long?
- What was the result?
- How do you judge the success of that?
Section 2
- How do you identify people to be intentional with?
- Where should I look to find these people?
- Do I need to be in a discipleship relationship myself?
- What’s the balance between building relationship and speaking truth?
- What if it doesn’t seem to be working out?
- What if they are totally different from me?
- Where’s the line between grace and discipline?
- What do you actually ‘do’ with them?
- How intentional do I have to be?
- How do you make a disciple if someone doesn’t want to be a disciple?
- When and how do I utilize off-ramps?
What would your responses be? I’ll post mine soon…
Tribes Thoughts | Leadership is Influence
Posted by Todd Engstrom in leadership on May 29, 2009
One good insight from Tribes has been thinking through how leadership is influence, which is practically exercised through commonality of an idea and communication.
Godin’s most basic argument is that marketing has changed the rules for markets, and more concretely, the internet has changed the face of marketing to provide greater influence to individuals disconnected from institutional power structures.
Smart leadership is found in understanding the ever-changing communication landscape, and how you can continue to connect with your “tribe”.
For me, I think I’m going to make a more concerted effort to share the ideas I’ve been chewing on here, and see if some of them are actually worth pursuing.
So one simple question for you as a reader: will you help me filter some ideas I have for the future?
Picture from Badger.20
Tribes Thoughts | Assimilation is Connectivity
Posted by Todd Engstrom in assimilation, leadership on May 25, 2009
In Tribes, Seth Godin talks about Senator Bill Bradley’s elements of movement:
- A narrative that tells the story of who the tribe is and the alternate future they are building
- Connection between the movement leader and the tribe
- Something to do, or actionable items
In my context, number two is the hardest to accomplish, and I’m thinking through how my ministry and our church can do a better job of connecting leaders and the tribe. Assimilation ministry is essentially fostering the second point, connecting individuals to the leader.
Adapting the model for church, here’s what I come up with:
- Narrative and alternate future = preaching and visionary leadership
- Connection between leader and tribe = assimilation and “community”
- Actionable items = mobilization
Preaching and visionary leadership can engender actionable items, but sustainability in mission comes from the second point.
I realize this is pretty simple, but it seems to make sense to me…any challenges/thoughts?
Ministry Idolatry from Tim Keller
Posted by Todd Engstrom in christianity, leadership on May 19, 2009
The following is from 3 questions with Tim Keller at Towers Online.
Q: What safeguards should 20-something pastors have in place to avoid the idolatry of ministry fame and the attitude of big numbers equals success?
TK: If you know it is a danger, that is a very important start. Additionally, when you find yourself unusually discouraged because things aren’t growing or people aren’t listening to you — you have to catch yourself. You have to realize “This is an inordinate amount of discouragement, which reveals the idolatry of justification by ministry.” Meaning, you say you believe in justification by grace, but you feel like and are acting like you believe in justification by ministry. You have to recognize you are making something of an idol out of ministry. When you do experience inordinate discouragement because things aren’t going well, you need to say, “It’s okay to be discouraged but not to be this discouraged. This is discouragement that leads to idolatry,” and you repent.
Additionally, idols create a fantasy world. You may think that you are just thinking about ministry strategy, but it could be you’re fantasizing about success. So be careful about doing too much daydreaming about success, what you would like to see happen. Because it’s really a kind of pornography. You’re actually thinking about a beautiful church and people acclaiming you: be careful about fantasizing too much about ministry success and dreaming about it and thinking about what it’s going to look like.
I think the equation with fantasizing about the future is a good correction and reminder that I need. It’s hard to maintain a healthy dose of vision for your future, while remaining a minister in the present.
For you who are reading, how do you maintain a vision for the future without living in an alternate, fantasized reality?
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