3-STRand LEADERSHIP & Your guide to the 6 leadership “styles” and the difference between them and the 3 leadership “traits.”

Commentary by Dr. Whitesel: Most leaders gravitate towards leading in one of three ways: visionary/strategic, administrative/tactical or relational/operational. These are leadership “traits,” the natural way we lead and to which we fall back when under pressure. Most people have one trait that is the strongest. I’ve written much about this and even designed a short questionnaire to help you discover your mix of leadership traits here: https://churchhealthwiki.wordpress.com/2020/11/22/todays-1st-sundaychurchhack-most-churches-talk-too-much-about-new-programs-so-they-implement-them-too-slowly-rx-find-your-tacticians-organizers-rom-127-8-with-this-self-scoring/

But in addition to leadership “traits” (which are innate, organic and the way you naturally handle leadership because of your personality and upbringing): there are leadership “styles.” And leadership “styles” are a bit more complex and are learned. Here’s a good overview to the types of learned leadership “styles.”

“Your guide to leadership styles” by the editors of Leaders.com, 9/12/22.

… inthis guide to leadership styles, we’ll take a look at six of the most common styles of leadership.

#1: Autocratic leadership

Autocratic leadership is also sometimes referred to as authoritarian. In this leadership style, one person makes decisions and passes those decisions along to the rest of the team. These leaders tend to be decisive and do not require input from others to make difficult judgments.

Pros:

… little time is wasted … leaders are extremely skilled at taking the reins, moving a project forward, and communicating the strategy to their team. There is also very little room for confusion in an autocratic style of leadership.

Cons:

… team can feel unheard. For those who enjoy collaboration and discussion, it can be hard to work for an autocratic leader. Additionally, these leaders tend to dislike criticism of their decisions.

Example:

John, head of the marketing department, is told by his boss that the team needs to produce ten new leads each month from their digital marketing channels. Dave takes this information and decides on a strategy to make it happen. He then calls a team meeting and explains to each employee their role in enacting the plan.

#2: Democratic leadership

The democratic leadership style is the mirror opposite of autocratic leadership. Also referred to as participative leadership, this style of leading is all about inviting others to help make decisions. A democratic leader will present problems and ask teams to collaborate on the solution.

Pros:

Democratic leadership allows everyone’s voice to be heard. Employees who enjoy collaboration will feel that their input is valuable and that they have the chance to help steer the direction of the ship. This can lead to higher buy-in as employees begin to own their solutions.

Cons:

While teams often enjoy adding their own input into the decision-making process, democratic leaders can slow down projects with indecision. Too many cooks in the proverbial kitchen can lead to ineffective strategies and confusion about project roles.

Example:

Susan is asked to pitch a new digital product to the C-Suite to solve a current user issue. Susan calls a meeting with her team, presents the problem, and asks for everyone’s input. She weighs the insights every team member brings to the table, and works with everyone to collaborate on their end solution.

#3: Bureaucratic leadership

Bureaucratic leadership is a style in which company policy and procedures take precedence over everything else. These leaders are usually leaders by title and prescribe to a set way of handling things. A bureaucratic leader will check every box and dot every “i,” always following the book. You’ll often see this leadership style in bureaucratic organizations, such as governmental agencies or long-established corporations.

Pros:

There is an immense amount of stability with bureaucratic leadership. Employees can expect things to follow a specific format. This leadership style is also often rewarded in organizations where company policy is strict, and deviation from regulation or rule is prohibited.

Cons:

With no room for thinking outside of the box, this leadership style can feel stifling for creative types. It also lacks room for innovation and can cause employees to feel trapped into doing things the way they have always been done.

Example:

Melissa is told that the new company policy requires every retail location to increase rental rates by 12%. One of Melissa’s store managers explains a set of reasons as to why this will damage the bottom line for their store. Melissa provides the employee with the corporate memo and lets her team member know that she expects them to abide by the policy regardless of how it will affect revenue.

#4: Hands-off leadership

Commonly referred to as laissez-faire leadership, this style of leading focuses on letting employees work independently. A hands-off leader will explain a goal, provide necessary resources, and walk away. They will check back in when the project is due and will otherwise leave their employees unsupervised.

Pros:

For those who thrive working independently, this can be a great leadership fit. Employees who are highly motivated, skilled, and problem solvers will be able to work on their own to tackle projects. This can lead to a high level of satisfaction, as employees see their work come to fruition.

Cons:

A lack of accountability can spell trouble for employees who struggle with self-motivation or have difficulty with time management. Additionally, employees who crave coaching and mentorship will feel abandoned by this leadership style.

Example:

Ben tells his employee that all accounting reports are due at the end of the month. He hands over the data set his employee needs, along with the template for submitting the report. At the end of the month, Ben expects them to hand in the report on time.

#5: Transactional leadership

A transactional leader functions off the methodology of entering into an agreement or contract with their employees. This style of leader will explain what needs to be done and, in return for pay, expects employees to obey. A transactional leader will also often use rewards and punishment to motivate employees.

Pros:

With transactional leaders, everything is extremely cut and dry. For those who enjoy knowing their role and are motivated by rewards, this can be an effective strategy. Often, sales teams operate under a transactional leadership model.

Cons:

For some, transactional leadership can feel heartless. Everything seems as if it boils down to numbers or agreements, and there is a lack of motivation to work beyond the transaction.

Example:

Bobby tells his sales team that if they exceed their monthly sales goal, he will throw an after-work party for the team. He explains, however, that if the team falls short of their goal again, no one will be receiving their quarterly bonus.

#6: Transformational leadership

Also called visionary leadership, transformational leadership is about inspiring employees and motivating teams. Transformational leaders tend to have high emotional intelligence, integrity, and humility. These are the leaders who empower their team members to become their best, constantly working to move roadblocks and continually setting clear goals. Transformational leaders also welcome feedback and innovative ideas, always asking their teams to question the status quo.

Pros:

Transformational leaders tend to be highly effective at building trust with employees and creating strong teams. They are a perfect fit for businesses undergoing change or looking to transform processes.

Cons:

Transformational leaders believe in improving processes and are unafraid of change. Their bold approach can be intimidating and unsettling for those who enjoy the status quo.

Example:

Maria is in charge of leading digital transformation in her company. She motivates her team through a story that showcases the importance of helping lead this transformation. She asks each team member to consider how they can contribute and invites all ideas to the table. Later, she speaks with her team lead one-on-one, asking what roadblocks are in the way of him reaching his current goals and how she can help.

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP & Learn how Steve Jobs was a great leader because he let his subordinates change his mind. #HBR

“Persuading the Unpersuadable” by Adam Grant, Harvard Business Review Magazine (March–April 2021)

…The legend of Steve Jobs is that he transformed our lives with the strength of his convictions. The key to his greatness, the story goes, was his ability to bend the world to his vision. The reality is that much of Apple’s success came from his team’s pushing him to rethink his positions. If Jobs hadn’t surrounded himself with people who knew how to change his mind, he might not have changed the world.

For years Jobs insisted he would never make a phone. After his team finally persuaded him to reconsider, he banned outside apps; it took another year to get him to reverse that stance. Within nine months the App Store had a billion downloads, and a decade later the iPhone had generated more than $1 trillion in revenue.

Almost every leader has studied the genius of Jobs, but surprisingly few have studied the genius of those who managed to influence him. As an organizational psychologist, I’ve spent time with a number of people who succeeded in motivating him to think again, and I’ve analyzed the science behind their techniques. The bad news is that plenty of leaders are so sure of themselves that they reject worthy opinions and ideas from others and refuse to abandon their own bad ones. The good news is that it is possible to get even the most overconfident, stubborn, narcissistic, and disagreeable people to open their minds.

… Here are some approaches that can help you encourage a know-it-all to recognize when there’s something to be learned, a stubborn colleague to make a U-turn, a narcissist to show humility, and a disagreeable boss to agree with you.

Ask a Know-It-All to Explain How Things Work

The first barrier to changing someone’s view is arrogance. We’ve all encountered leaders who are overconfident: They don’t know what they don’t know. If you call out their ignorance directly, they may get defensive. A better approach is to let them recognize the gaps in their own understanding…

Let a Stubborn Person Seize the Reins

A second obstacle to changing people’s opinions is stubbornness. Intractable people see consistency and certainty as virtues. Once made up, their minds seem to be set in stone. But their views become more pliable if you hand them a chisel…

A solution to this problem comes from a study of Hollywood screenwriters. Those who pitched fully formed concepts to executives right out of the gate struggled to get their ideas accepted. Successful screenwriters, by contrast, understood that Hollywood executives like to shape stories. Those writers treated the pitch more like a game of catch, tossing an idea over to the suits, who would build on it and throw it back…

Find the Right Way to Praise a Narcissist

A third hurdle in the way of changing minds is narcissism. Narcissistic leaders believe they’re superior and special, and they don’t take kindly to being told they’re wrong. But with careful framing, you can coax them toward acknowledging that they’re flawed and fallible.

It’s often said that bullies and narcissists have low self-esteem. But research paints a different picture: Narcissists actually have high but unstable self-esteem. They crave status and approval and become hostile when their fragile egos are threatened—when they’re insulted, rejected, or shamed. By appealing to their desire to be admired, you can counteract their knee-jerk tendency to reject a difference of opinion as criticism. Indeed, studies in both the United States and China have shown that narcissistic leaders are capable of demonstrating humility: They can believe they’re gifted while acknowledging their imperfections. To nudge them in that direction, affirm your respect for them.

In 1997, not long after returning to Apple as CEO, Jobs was discussing a new suite of technology at the company’s global developer conference. During the audience Q&A, one man harshly criticized the software and Jobs himself. “It’s sad and clear that on several counts you’ve discussed, you don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. (Ouch.)

You might assume that Jobs went on the attack, got defensive, or maybe even threw the man out of the room. Instead he showed humility: “One of the hardest things when you’re trying to effect change is that people like this gentleman are right in some areas,” he exclaimed, adding: “I readily admit there are many things in life that I don’t have the faintest idea what I’m talking about. So I apologize for that….We’ll find the mistakes; we’ll fix them.” The crowd erupted into applause.

How did the critic elicit such a calm reaction? He kicked his comments off with a compliment: “Mr. Jobs, you’re a bright and influential man.” As the audience laughed, Jobs replied, “Here it comes.”

As this story shows, a dash of acclaim can be a powerful antidote to a narcissist’s insecurity.

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP & Research shows tough macho leaders put their teams and followers at risk. Vulnerable leaders who don’t hide their weaknesses make their teams and followers stronger. #FastCompanyMagazine

by AMY EDMONDSON AND TOMAS CHAMORRO-PREMUZIC, Fast Company Magazine, 10/30/20.

… The big lesson, if you are interested in being a leader, or perhaps in being a better leader, is to move away from the traditional macho behaviors and embrace a more vulnerable leadership style. Paradoxically, tough macho leaders put their teams and followers at risk. Vulnerable leaders who don’t hide their weaknesses make their teams and followers stronger. Ironically, although many refer to the macho-type leader as an “alpha male,” the term is a misnomer. As primatologist Frans de Waal finds, in the wild, “alpha males actually possess leadership traits like generosity, peacekeeping, and empathy.”

A discernible shift from celebrating macho leaders to celebrating vulnerable leaders is underway. In an uncertain, complex, interdependent world where one tiny virus can wreak havoc everywhere, leadership characterized by overconfidence, defensiveness, and rule by fear fails spectacularly. The health results across nations bear this out. We do not claim that these differences are because of female leadership, but rather because of their effectiveness. Any leader, whether of a nation or a corporation, who is more focused on gaining fans and seeking praise than on building others’ capabilities and embracing constructive criticism is at extreme risk when agile responses are needed to cope with novel challenges.

Macho

seeks praise
craves fans and followers
overconfident
defensive
blames others when things go wrong
creates a culture of fear
self-deceived

Vulnerable

embraces criticism
builds others’ capabilities
humble
curious
takes responsibility when things go wrong
creates psychological safety
self-aware

To adopt a more vulnerable style, we recommend starting with a rational sense of humility about what lies ahead. This triggers a productive sense of curiosity that drives interest in others and in learning more about what they know and need. No leader can succeed over the long-term without that interest, precisely because they will then fail to leverage the capabilities of followers.

COMPASSIONATE LEADERSHIP & 4 Reasons Why Compassion Is Better For Humanity Than Empathy

Commentary by Dr. Whitesel: I teach at the doctoral level “transformational leadership.” And transformational leadership is founded upon an understanding that compassionate leadership is needed, in addition to empathetic leadership. Some of the problems facing America today including our propensity toward a cancel culture are because of a confusion between compassion and empathy. Here is an expert on the differences, explaining why it’s important to practice compassionate leadership, not just the empathetic type.

by Rasmus Hougaard, Forbes Magazine, 7/8/20.

…

Empathy is an important, foundational emotion for human connection. It is the spark that can ignite compassion. But on its own, without compassion, empathy is a danger for leaders. As controversial as this may sound, the reasoning is simple: Empathy is the brain’s wired tendency to identify with those who are close to us – close in proximity, close in familiarity, or close in kinship. And when we empathize with those close to us, those who are not close or are different seem threatening. When unchecked, empathy can create more division than unity.

Empathy and compassion are very different. They are represented in different areas of the brain. With empathy, we join the suffering of others who suffer, but stop short of actually helping. With compassion, we take a step away from the emotion of empathy and ask ourselves ‘how can we help?’. For leaders, recognizing the differences between empathy and compassion is critical for inspiring and managing others effectively. Remember these four main points in responding to your people with compassion instead of empathy.

1. Empathy is impulsive. Compassion is deliberate…

2. Empathy is divisive. Compassion is unifying…

3. Empathy is inert. Compassion is active…

4. Empathy is draining. Compassion is regenerative..,

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP & 12 Phrases Transformational Leaders Use To Get Amazing Results.

Commentary by Dr. Whitesel: I designed and launched a doctor of ministry degree in “transformational leadership,” because transformational leadership is becoming the most precise and effective way to describe a Christian leader who believes in sanctification. The transformational leader allows her or himself to be changed, as they change the organization and encourage change in others. Here’s a helpful overview of the mindset of a transformational leader.

By Terina Allen, Forbes Magazine, 1/4/20.

…Here are 12 simple phrases that transformational leaders use to get amazing results by connecting more deeply with employees.

1. I need your help.

Many so-called leaders view asking for help as some sort of weakness. This is flawed thinking, and they couldn’t be more wrong. In fact, asking for help is one of the greatest things you can do to show leadership strength…

2. May I help you? – or – How can I help you?

Be intentional about asking these questions. Leaders and supervisors shouldn’t assume that staff will just up and come to you when and if they need help. You need to make it clear that you really want to help and that you don’t view others as weaker or less competent for seeking out help in the first place…

3. I understand that… – or – I understand you…

When you engage in a conversation with one or more people and follow up with a phrase like “I understand that [fill in the blank with points of the conversation that you understood],” you are demonstrating that you indeed heard and received the message…

4. I respect you for… – or – I respect the way…

Most, if not all of us, want to be respected. And though you can do these very specific things to garner more respect from your colleagues, it’s critically important that you also demonstrate respect for them as well. Transformational leaders understand that showing respect requires more than lip service, but sometimes the words actually help too…

5. I trust that you can… – or – I trust that you will…

If you are a micromanager, force yourself to use this phrase at least once a week…

Employees want to use their talents and make contributions to goal accomplishments, and in order to do so, they need space to be creative, to think of options and to make the plays that will lead to the desired results. Tell your team members what the goals are. Share an outline of what the end should look like and then get out of the way and let them shine! Your staff will come to see that you actually do trust them, and they will become more invested and engaged in the process.

6. You are right. – or – I was wrong.

Leaders don’t always have the answers. Encourage your team to have respectful debate with you and with one another. Teams are formed when members feel comfortable with conflict and safe to disagree with one another and with the boss. Show your strength and courage as a leader by being willing to admit that someone else was right on something or that you were wrong. Allow some of your vulnerability to come through; it builds relationships.

POWER & Tolkien’s guide to contemporary leadership.

by Peter Franklin, Unheard Magazine, 4/12/19.

… Unlike his friend C.S. Lewis, Tolkien was not fond of allegorical fiction. He had no time for the idea that the Ring – extremely dangerous but hard to get rid of – was an allegory of the atomic bomb. Rather, it was exactly what he said it was: an embodiment of power and the corrupting effects of power.

Tolkien shows us that the only people who can be trusted with great power are those who don’t really want it – or who do, but have the moral strength to reject it. Even then, it’s touch-and-go, the burden of responsibility taking a terrible toll on the reluctant bearer.

Numerous commentaries have been written on this aspect of the story – often summed up by the Lord Acton quote: “power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. Which is true enough. But Tolkien was onto a whole lot more than that…

Let’s begin at the beginning. The Ring was made at great cost to Sauron, its creator. He poured much of his own strength into an external object – one from which he could be separated, which in due course he was. So why take the risk? Sauron, though evil, was possessed of great cunning – why did he expose himself to such a vulnerability? Did old JRR just not think it through? Does the Ring actually represent a massive hole in the plot?

Not a bit of it. When you understand what Tolkien understood about the nature of power, it all makes perfect sense.

In a letter, he once wrote that the Ring was a “mythological way of presenting the truth that potency… if it is to be exercised, and produce results, has to be externalised and so as it were passed, to a greater or less degree, out of one’s direct control.” This is a crucial insight into the way Tolkien understood power to work.

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP & An Introduction by Carley Sime: The Secret To Transformational Leadership

Commentary by Dr. Whitesel: Among the many leadership approaches there are a few that rise above the rest. One is transformational leadership. Below is one of the best introductions to this style of leadership. The article also includes one of its major aspects, which Carly Sime calls it’s secret. Read and be introduced.

Carley Sime, Forbes Magazine, 2/5/19.

Of the many styles of leadership transformational is perhaps the most coveted. Transformational leaders enhance morale and motivation among followers, they are able to encourage them towards working for a collective good and beyond working solely out of self-interest. The effects of transformational leadership are highly desirable for the followers and the organization itself. Transformational leadership has a high payout as it positively impacts innovation, the heart of success and growth within an organization. It also increases organizational performance as well as job performance and satisfaction too. This could easily be seen as the holy grail of leadership, especially when compared to the transactional kind we have all probably known. Transactional leaders tend to over-rely on their authority as a means to get followers to perform. They’ll tell you what to do and use reward and punishment as their main leadership tools.

Transformational leaders, on the other hand, tend to lead with inspiration as opposed to authority. Extraversion and agreeableness are two of the big five personality traits that positively predict transformational leadership. Extraversion appears to be linked to transformational leadership because it lends itself to charismatic expressiveness which is highly influential, persuasive and mobilizing. It also leads to individuals being sociable and dominant. Agreeable individuals find ease in showing consideration for others and in the case of transformational leaders, they have idealized influence over their followers. This means they behave in a way that gains the admiration and respect of those around them and sets them apart as trustworthy and a role model.

When we pair agreeableness with extraversion we can see why these traits are positive predictors of transformational leaders. However, there is something else that sits below any traits, actions or behaviors that predict this kind of leadership. That something is self-esteem and it often doesn’t get the airtime it deserves considering it sits underneath the things transformational leadership is built upon.

There is a strong and significant relationship between self-esteem and transformational leadership. In order to adopt transformational leadership behaviors, it appears that an individual first needs to have high levels of self-esteem. Transformational leadership behaviors will be more difficult and less natural to adopt without this. Self-esteem in this context refers to a person believing in themselves as a significant, worthy and also capable member of a team or organization. A person with high self-esteem has self-respect and can accurately assess strengths and weaknesses. A person with low self-esteem is the opposite, they see themselves as inadequate and unworthy and are also unable to accurately assess their strengths and weaknesses. Leaders with high self-esteem may find transmitting enthusiasm and positivity to their followers more natural too.

SYSTEM 4 of 7SYSTEMS.church: REGENERATION & People/Places are supernaturally changed for the better.

This is fourth (4th) in a series of articles by Bob Whitesel, D.Min., Ph.D. (5/17/17) introducing the 7SYSTEMS.CHURCH and which first appeared in Church Revitalizer Magazine.

The “7 systems” of a healthy church (www.7System.church) is based upon an analysis of 35,000 church combined with 25+ years of consulting research and practice. An introduction to the “7 Systems” of a healthy church (www.7System.church) can be found here: www.7systems.church

People & places are changed (regeneration system).

Regeneration most notably happens at conversion (2 Corinthians 5:17). And though spiritual transformation may sometimes be downplayed as it is unfashionable, people still want to be changed (the self-help industry is a testimony to this). Furthermore, the Bible makes clear that spiritual transformation lies at the center of Jesus’ message (John 3:16) and humankind’s destiny (Romans 6:23).

When people are spiritually transformed so too will be their neighborhoods. Not by politics nor coercion, this happens by transformed people daily living out their changed lives (Acts 2:43-47). Healthy churches embrace a system that equally emphasizes spiritual and neighborhood transformation. (The following is excerpted and adapted from Bob Whitesel’s Cure for the Common Church, chapter 7: “Why New is Needed.”)

Newness for Those in Spiritual Need

There is the true newness that will permeate the uncommon church. It is an expectation and invitation for people to be transformed physically and spiritually by a reunification with their loving heavenly Father (and among a community that embraces such newness). Figure 7.1 gives an overview of why and where supernatural newness comes.

Figure 7.1 An Overview of Newness for Those in Need

God cares about those in need.	“I know that the LORD will take up the case of the poor and will do what is right for the needy.” Psalm 140:12 “You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in distress,” Isaiah 25:4
God wants to bestow upon those in need a spiritual and physical newness	Jesus declared, “I came so that they could have life—indeed, so that they could live life to the fullest” (John 10:10) “So then, if anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the new creation. The old things have gone away, and look, new things have arrived!” (2 Cor. 5:17)
Christians are to provide a fellowship that fosters and anticipates this newness	“True devotion, the kind that is pure and faultless before God the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their difficulties and to keep the world from contaminating us.” James 1:27 “Instead, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, crippled, lame, and blind. And you will be blessed because they can’t repay you. Instead, you will be repaid when the just are resurrected.” Luke 14:13-14

In the previous chapters we saw that the term missio Dei describes God’s quest to be reunited with his wayward offspring. Once this reunion is made, a real newness in personal lives emerges, a newness toward which the uncommon church will be orientated. Though growing O.U.T., S.M.A.L.L. and L.E.A.R.N.ers are part of the process, a church will not become uncommonly supernatural unless it welcomes and expects spiritual and physical transformation.

People today (but probably no more than in any other period) are in search of newness. They want to alleviate bad habits, overcome harmful enticements, curb destructive behavior, be more loving, kind and generous. But something deep inside of each one of us seems to pull us back toward bad actions. The cure, the real, long-term cure for uncommonness is a church where supernatural encounter and expectation is woven into the fabric of the congregation. And so, an uncommon church will exhibit many of the characteristics of Figure 7.2.

Figure 7.2 Church Patterns That Welcome Transformation

The uncommon church

Expects miracles to happen
Expects people to be changed in positive ways that no human effort could accomplish
Expects people to show signs of growing in their dependence upon God rather than dependence upon humans
Does not put its trust in programs, pastors, the past or trends; but daily increases in their dependence upon God’s supernatural assistance to meet physical and spiritual needs

Why NEW is Needed

Humans Are in a Pickle.

As we just noted, humans want to do the right thing, but we find ourselves constantly and repeatedly failing to do what we know is right. God knows we are prone to this (after all he’s a long time observer of our behavior). And, God has made a way for us to be changed. The Message Bible is a good translation for putting such principles in modern idiom, and Figure 7.3 explains this fracture.

Figure 7.3 Our Wrong Actions Fracture Our Fellowship With God

We have an inner pull that makes us do the wrong thing, even when we know better	“It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back..” Titus 3:3 (MSG)
These wrong actions separate us from our loving heavenly Father	“There’s nothing wrong with God; the wrong is in you. Your wrongheaded lives caused the split between you and God. Your sins got between you so that he doesn’t hear.” Isaiah 59:2 (MSG)
If we accept God’s plan to have Christ bear our punishment, then God will restore our fellowship with Him, help us change and give us eternal life too!	“But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God’s gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there’s more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this.” Titus 3:4-7 (MSG)

How Did God Create a Route Back?

Once humans see that we are prone to do what is bad for ourselves and that we are incapable of changing by ourselves; we then notice that God has created a route, a bridge so to speak, back to fellowship with God. Figure 7.4 is how the Message Bible explains it.

Figure 7.4 God’s Plan for a Route Back

Jesus took the punishment for our wrong actions (so we could be restored to a close relationship with our loving heavenly Father):	“But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death … Romans 5:8 (MSG). “Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.” Romans 3:23-24 (MSG)
Trusting in Jesus’ actions will acquit us from the punishment due for our wrong doings and give us a “whole and lasting life:”	“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted…” John 3:16-17 (MSG)
This route back is only available through Jesus Christ.	“Jesus said, “I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me.” John 14:6 (MSG)

How Do We Take That “Route” Back to God?

Now that we understand that God has created a route back to fellowship with himself, we begin to grasp that the all-powerful Creator of the universe wants to have personal friendship with each of us who will return. So, what is involved in returning to him? The answer can be summed up in the statement of Figure 7.5. let’s look at this figure and then examine three important words in it.

Figure 7.5 How We Take the Route Back to God

Repentance must be combined with faith in order to bring about spiritual transformation.

Repentance

Repentance is a decision to “break with the past” which also carries the idea of turning and going in a new direction. This is what it means when 1 John 1:8-9 says “…if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing” (MSG).

People come to this stage when they realize they are dissatisfied with the way their life is going and know they need help beyond what humanity can provide. They may be frustrated that their life is full of animosities, pride, biases, deceptions, conflicts and a host of other maladies. And so, they seek inner change.

The good news is that God wants that change for you too! He even promises to give you supernatural power to help you make those changes. It is this trust (or faith) in God’s ability to help you that takes you to the next step.

Faith

“Faith” is a reliance and inner sense of knowing that God has the power to transform you. The author of Hebrews offers a classic statement about faith:

It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him. Heb. 11:6 (MSG, italics mine)

Author and lay theologian C. S. Lewis reminds us that faith also carries the idea of growing in unwavering faith, stating, “Faith… is the art of holding on to things your reason once accepted, despite your changing moods.”

New People (Spiritual Transformation)

Spiritual transformation in biblical terms means divine empowerment to reverse direction and go in an opposite direction with your life. The author of Titus describes it this way:

He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God’s gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there’s more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this.” Titus 3:4-7 (MSG, italics mine)

Therefore …

When repentance (for our wrong doings)
combines with faith (in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on your behalf)
then spiritual transformation (into a new person) occurs.

This spiritual transformation into a new person has been called many things: conversion, salvation, being born-again, etc. And, though these are important terms they also have been mischaracterized. Unfortunately to many people today they do not bring to mind the original meaning of being transformed from our old way of life.

Today spiritual transformation may be the best term to sum up what God is doing. When he creates a new person our old desires for self-satisfaction, preferring oneself over others, etc. will still be there, but spiritual transformation reminds us there is divine power to increasingly overcome these self-serving lures. And, we experience an emerging confidence and power as we see God daily helping us come closer to him and as we participate in his mission. And so, spiritual transformation is a remarkable intersection of human will, Jesus’ sacrifice, God’s forgiveness and a rekindled heavenward relationship. This is not a transformation that we can muster up ourselves. This is a change that goes deeply to the purpose of the One who created us. It goes to the core of our relationship with a heavenly Father who loves us and can help us.

And so, the Church is primarily a community that is collectively and constantly welcoming and experiencing this spiritual transformation where new people emerge. Yet, the gloomy fact is that most commonly today, congregations are not experiencing this. And, it does several things to a church, including robbing a church of its supernatural expectation and making a church more familiar with churchgoers than non-churchgoers.

Thus, the “HOW” of Growing N.E.W. is critical for nurturing an uncommon church, But, before we look at Chapter 8: Grow N.E.W. HOW let us look briefly at why spiritual formation is at the pivot point of the uncommon church.

You can download the rest of the chapter here:

BOOK ©Whitesel EXCERPT – CURE Chpt 7 WHY NEW

Want more good ideas about “how” to get a church sharing their faith? See the many ideas here:

BOOK ©Whitesel EXCERPT – CURE Chpt 8 HOW NEW.

Finally, if you enjoy the insights, please consider supporting the publisher and author by purchasing a copy here.

For an overview of the “7 systems” of a healthy church (www.7System.church) based upon an analysis of 35,000 church combined with 25+ years of consulting research and practice, see www.7systems.church

Speaking hashtags: #CaribbeanGraduateSchoolofTheology

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP & Lead Like A Gardener, Not A Commander

by Steve Denning, Forbes Magazine, 6/17/18.

In Team of Teams, by General Stanley McChrystal and his colleagues (2015, Penguin Publishing Group), McChrystal explains had to unlearn what it means to be a leader. A great deal of what he thought he knew about how the world worked and his role as a commander had to be discarded.

I began to view effective leadership in the new environment as more akin to gardening than chess,” he writes. “The move-by-move control that seemed natural to military operations proved less effective than nurturing the organization— its structure, processes, and culture— to enable the subordinate components to function with ‘smart autonomy.’ It wasn’t total autonomy, because the efforts of every part of the team were tightly linked to a common concept for the fight, but it allowed those forces to be enabled with a constant flow of ‘shared consciousness’ from across the force, and it freed them to execute actions in pursuit of the overall strategy as best they saw fit. Within our Task Force, as in a garden, the outcome was less dependent on the initial planting than on consistent maintenance. Watering, weeding, and protecting plants from rabbits and disease are essential for success. The gardener cannot actually ‘grow’ tomatoes, squash, or beans— she can only foster an environment in which the plants do so.”

Read more at … https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2018/06/17/ten-agile-axioms-that-make-managers-anxious/#51ae8abc4619

#DMin

EVALUATION & Researchers List Top 10 “Bad Boss” Behaviors #TransformationalLeadership

Commentary by Prof. B: I encourage my students to do yearly 360° reviews of their leadership. This includes asking direct reports to anonymously evaluate them on a Likert scale and track changes. But what questions should be asked? The following study yields 10 suitable questions you should include to ascertain if you have “bad boss” behavior.

How Can You Tell Someone Has Horrible Leadership Skills? This New Study Just Revealed the Top 10 ‘Bad Boss’ Behaviors
by Marcel Schwantes, Inc. Magazine, 9/9/17.

So what’s your bad bosshorror story? You know you have one. Bad boss behaviors that lead to horrific employee disengagement and turnover are rampant, and study upon study has confirmed this epidemic. The most recent example is via an employee survey conducted by BambooHR.

They asked more than 1,000 US-based employees to rate 24 ‘typical boss behaviors’ from ‘totally acceptable’ to ‘totally unacceptable. Can you guess the worst behavior a boss can have in the workplace?

…Here’s a summary of the findings from the survey, which you can compare with the boss that currently bullies you or steals your thunder.

Bad Boss Behavior | Percentage who call it unacceptable or a deal breaker

Your boss takes credit for your work	63%
Your boss doesn’t trust or empower you	62
Your boss doesn’t care if you’re overworked	58
Your boss doesn’t advocate for you when it comes to compensation	57
Your boss hires and/or promotes the wrong people	56
Your boss doesn’t back you up when there’s a dispute	55
Your boss doesn’t provide proper direction on assignments/roles	54
Your boss micromanages and doesn’t allow you “freedom to work”	53
Your boss focuses more on your weaknesses than strengths	53
Your boss doesn’t set clear expectations	52

LEAD 545 LEAD 600 DMIN LEAD 716

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP & A Definition that contrasts it w/ Transactional Leadership

Commentary by Dr. Whitesel: If you want to know the definition of transformational leadership, Northouse’s definition is where you must start. In Northouse;s classic text book on leadership theory he concisely, yet fully defines transformational leadership and and differentiates it from the more common (and less effective) transactional leadership method.

Peter G. Northouse, Leadership: Theory and Practice, 7th ed. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2015) p. 162.

BOOK EXCERPT Definition of Transformational Leadership Northouse 7th ed p. 162.jpg

#TransformationalLeadershipConference

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speaking hashtags: #TransformationalLeadershipConference2018

DMIN & A 1 Min. Video Intro to the Wesley Seminary Doctor of Ministry in Transformational Leadership

#DMin animation cartoon Professor Whitesel

TRANSFORMATION & This Chart Reminds Us That People Value an Organization That Helps Change Lives

Commentary by Dr. Whitesel: This pyramidal chart demonstrates that one of the highest needs for people today is to change their life for the better. This is exactly what Christ offers and the Church participates in this better than it entertains. I have argued tirelessly for a need-based church in lieu of an entertainment-based ecclesiology. So read this Harvard Business Review article for additional validation.

The Elements of Value

by Eric Almquist, John Senior, Nicolas Bloch, Harvard Business Review, 9/16.

The amount and nature of value in a particular product or service always lie in the eye of the beholder, of course. Yet universal building blocks of value do exist, creating opportunities for companies to improve their performance in current markets or break into new ones. A rigorous model of consumer value allows a company to come up with new combinations of value that its products and services could deliver. The right combinations, our analysis shows, pay off in stronger customer loyalty, greater consumer willingness to try a particular brand, and sustained revenue growth.

We have identified 30 “elements of value”—fundamental attributes in their most essential and discrete forms. These elements fall into four categories: functional, emotional, life changing, and social impact. Some elements are more inwardly focused, primarily addressing consumers’ personal needs. For example, the life-changing element motivation is at the core of Fitbit’s exercise-tracking products. Others are outwardly focused, helping customers interact in or navigate the external world. The functional element organizes is central to The Container Store and Intuit’s TurboTax, because both help consumers deal with complexities in their world.

R1609C_ALMQUIST_VALUEPYRAMID

DMin ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN for Wesley Seminary’s Innovative Doctorate in Leadership

Ministry is dynamic and world-changing. Your leadership should be too.

A Doctor of Ministry in Transformational Leadership from Wesley Seminary will equip you to tackle today’s most pressing problems.

Each summer for three years, you will study under the mentorship of award-winning author and scholar Dr. Bob Whitesel.

But that’s just the beginning.

For two weeks each year, you’ll travel to locations across the world with a diverse group of students to learn from 24 top leaders, experts, and thinkers in leadership.

FLYER DMIN Flier 15.11

You will learn about urban, suburban, and rural leadership in Atlanta; church multiplication and renewal in London and Oxford; and multicultural leadership in San Diego.

The program leads to a capstone project that brings together 3 years of study and life-changing experiences to transform your ministry, and transform lives — while earning a Doctor of Ministry in Transformational Leadership from Wesley Seminary.

Visit http://www.indwes.edu/seminary now to apply!

CLICK HERE > FLYER DMIN 15.11 < to DOWNLOAD the brochure (pictured above)

CLICK HERE > FLYER DMIN Booklet 15.11 < to DOWNLOAD the Booklet.

DMIN & A Description of Wesley Sem DMin in Transformational Leadership

Ministry is dynamic and world-changing. Your leadership should be too.

A Doctor of Ministry in Transformational Leadership from Wesley Seminary will equip you to tackle today’s most pressing problems.

Each summer for three years, you will study under the mentorship of award-winning author and scholar Dr. Bob Whitesel.

But that’s just the beginning.

FLYER DMIN Flier 15.11

For two weeks each year, you’ll travel to locations across the world with a diverse group of students to learn from 24 top leaders, experts, and thinkers in leadership.

You will learn about urban, suburban, and rural leadership in Atlanta; church multiplication and renewal in London and Oxford; and multicultural leadership in San Diego.

Visit http://www.indwes.edu/seminary now to apply!

CLICK HERE > FLYER DMIN 15.11 < to DOWNLOAD the brochure (pictured above) or CLICK HERE > FLYER DMIN Booklet 15.11 < to DOWNLOAD the Booklet.

LEADERSHIP & Research Shows Bottom Up ‘New Power Change” Works and Leader-driven Change Doesn’t #ForbesMagazine

Commentary by Dr. Whitesel; “Much of the old church growth thinking about leadership was that it is hierarchal driven by a senior pastor (called ‘old power leadership,’ Heimams & Timms, 2014). But research has proven through study after study that top-down leaership to be ineffective (Scott Wilcher, 2001). So how do you bring about change leadership? By using transformational change leadership like Jesus did: where you ’empower’ rather than coerce employees.

Here is a quote: ‘In the past few years we’ve witnessed a major shift from old power, where control was being held by a few individuals (often characterized as inaccessible and leader-driven) to new power, held by many in an open, participatory, and peer-driven way.’

Read this helpful Forbes magazine article for more info:

CEOs and Employees Want Change. So Why Isn’t It Happening?

…A study of more than 36,000 employees by advisory services firm LRN found that 97% experience either autocratic or coercive management or, at the least, hierarchical command-and-control.

So despite a “push for change” from the top, senior leadership’s words fall on deaf ears. Employees just aren’t feeling it (as evident by stagnating engagement scores). This only causes things to get worse. When management feels they are not being heard, they assert even more command and control, forcing change, inciting fear and even the occasional “public execution”. (and there goes that vicious circle again)…

So how do we stop the madness?…

The answer may be rooted in a notion that’s been rapidly spreading around the world and has likely already impacted most of us in one way or another.

Power is shifting in our world in ways that are unimaginable. In the past few years we’ve witnessed a major shift from old power, where control was being held by a few individuals (often characterized as inaccessible and leader-driven) to new power, held by many in an open, participatory, and peer-driven way.

This drastic shift is behind many of the phenomenons that once took tremendous effort and resources to create. They are now cheap and scalable in part due to a tremendously networked society.

We see signs of new power everywhere, including major scale political protests being organized and growing in matters of minutes (Occupy Wall Street, Arab Spring, Ferguson, to name a few), to upstart businesses upending traditional industries and rapidly taking market share in a matter of months. New business models such as the ones behind Facebook, Youtube, Uber, AirBNB and Etsy are built on new power. Everyone can be a creator of content, goods, or services. Barriers to entry have been blown to bits as it is no longer just major corporations with vast resources who can run and scale global businesses.

newpower_640

Organix_final.ai (Adapted from “This is New Power” by Jeremy Heimans & Henry Timms, HBR 2014.)

This shift in power transcends right down to an employee, creating a networked and socially empowered workforce that can operate and execute change outside the borders of traditional organizational silos. More so, it can execute change organically, without seeking permission from senior management or other authorities that we would typically find in old power models.

Employees now have a new-found voice. One that was very difficult to unleash and scale before, as it would take navigating through a maze of organizational charts and gate-keepers to get to a decision-maker. Entire movements are being created from the bottom-up. These movements are not demanding change. They drive change – from the bottom up…

Speaking Hashtags: #BreakForth16

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE & How to Work with People Who Aren’t Good at Working with People

Commentary by Dr. Whitesel; “Emotional intelligence (EQ) indicates an ability to mature in the emotions that affect your leadership and management. Yet, research shows we are better at gauging others’ emotional intelligence than our own. And especially challenging is working with people who have low emotional intelligence. These are often people attracted to Christ and His church for the stability it offers. Learn the basics of emotional intelligence and how to improve yours (and your team’s) in this helpful overview in the Harvard Business Review. Here are the keys: be gentle, be explicit, be rational and don’t be offended.”

CONSULTING & How Great Coaches Ask, Listen, and Empathize #HarvardBusinessReview

by Ed Batista, Harvard Business Review, 2/18/15.

Historically, leaders achieved their position by virtue of experience on the job and in-depth knowledge. They were expected to have answers and to readily provide them when employees were unsure about what to do or how to do it. The leader was the person who knew the most, and that was the basis of their authority.

Leaders today still have to understand their business thoroughly, but it’s unrealistic and ill-advised to expect them to have all the answers. Organizations are simply too complex for leaders to govern on that basis. One way for leaders to adjust to this shift is to adopt a new role: that of coach. By using coaching methods and techniques in the right situations, leaders can still be effective without knowing all the answers and without telling employees what to do.

Coaching is about connecting with people, inspiring them to do their best, and helping them to grow. It’s also about challenging people to come up with the answers they require on their own. Coaching is far from an exact science, and all leaders have to develop their own style, but we can break down the process into practices that any manager will need to explore and understand. Here are the three most important…

EMPLOYEES & They Often View Their Happiness Differently (& 5 Things You Can Do)

By Bob Whitesel

Recent research has shown that leaders often misperceive what their employees want.

Look at these comparisons:

Employees want to succeed in their work – more than their employers think they do
Employees want flexible hours – more than their employers think they do.
Employees want their home time and off hours respected – more than their employers do.
Employees want to discuss their compensation – more than their employers think they do.

The answer for these misperceptions is better communication and team-building. Below are some of my recommendations.

1). Listen to your employees. Even when there is a decision to which they don’t have required input, still go to them and listen for their viewpoint. Listening to others viewpoints has been shown to create unity and team-building. See my book “Staying power” chapters 1-2, 6 as well as my book “Preparing for change reaction,” the chapter titled “Go slow, build consensus and succeed.”

2) Respect your employees’ non-work hours. Don’t text message, email or call them at night or in their off hours. If you want to send something put it on a delay through your email program and send it during office hours. They may be checking for emails from family/friends and see an email from their employer with an intriguing headline that is too tempting not to open. Then it may wind up robbing them of minutes or even hours in the evening as they respond and/or ruminate on it.

3) Take some time out of the workday to just fellowship with your employees. Go out to lunch, etc. but do not count this as time off and require extra work hours. You’re actually working, working on building relationships.

4) Ask them what they feel they should be paid. Often the only time we ask employees what they feel they should be paid, is when we hire them. And then we don’t ever ask it again. As this survey shows, the employer usually thinks their employees are happier with their compensation than the employees usually are. Compensation should be an annual part of your review of the position. If you are asking to review their performance – they should be able to talk to you about reviewing your compensation for that performance.

5) When you see your employees at a social event, go out of your way to connect with them over your peers. Often times I will have the choice of sitting with my colleagues for lunch or joining some of the students I teach. I usually err in favor of the students, because they need time to discuss things with me. And there will be other opportunities to connect with my colleagues. So when you are in a social environment and have an opportunity to connect with colleagues with whom you feel more comfortable or employees who are more disconnected, choose those whose connection needs to be improved. Yet there is a caveat here, don’t stay too long or connect too much in social settings. But let them know you are accessible at such social opportunities (mainly be a listener).

Read more of the 2015 Workplace Trends report at … http://workplacetrends.com/the-2015-workplace-flexibility-study/

EMPLOYEES & New Evidence Why Employees Are Burned Out #Forbes

Commentary by Dr. Whitesel: “Research shows that employers think their employees are less stressed and less burned-out, than they actually are. This is a good reminder for leaders, that people are usually not as happy and as motivated as we assume. Look at the three suggestions in this article leaders can undertake to help employees from burning out.”