Barnabas File

“Becoming a force of nature doesn’t mean that all of our aspirations must be ‘grand.’ First steps are often small, and initial visions that focus energy effectively often address immediate problems. What matters is engagement in the service of a larger purpose rather than lofty aspirations that paralyze action. Indeed, it’s a dangerous trap to believe that we can pursue only ‘great visions.’”--Peter Senge, et al.,  Presence: Human Purpose and the Field of the Future [1] Small steps can lead to great strides. Several years ago, Jessica Jackley, co-founder of   KIVA.org , a micro-investment program, spoke at Willow Creek Association’s Leadership Summit. In her interview with Jim Mellado, President of the WCA, she said, “Don’t be afraid to start small.” KIVA’s founders didn’t apologize for starting with just seven entrepreneurs. Jackley pointed out that you can talk all you want about an idea, but once you begin and actually do something—even if it’s small—people...

Leaders in every field either fear, anticipate, or attempt to create the future.  Change is inevitable and those with the right skills will be able to thrive within a changing reality.  In The New Leadership Literacies , Bob Johansen identifies the literacies--combinations of disciplines, practices, and worldviews--that will be needed to lead in a VUCA world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. Johansen is a futurist with both a Master of Divinity degree and a PhD in sociology.  He writes, “While I don’t claim to be an expert in the present I have been pretty good at listening for and foreseeing the future.” Johansen’s goal is that by “looking out ten years [one] can look backward from the future and provoke, not predict.”  He sees a future where everything is distributed with the potential for both positive and negative results. The author’s approach suggests five leadership literacies:  Looking Back from the Future, Vo...

In The Fifth Discipline , Peter Senge explains the value of alignment: “[W]hen a team becomes more aligned, a commonality of direction emerges, and individuals’ energies harmonize.” He goes on to write, “Individuals do not sacrifice their personal interests to the larger team vision; rather, the shared vision becomes an extension of their personal visions. In fact, alignment is the necessary condition before empowering the individual will empower the whole team.” (pp 234-235).   Alignment precedes empowerment. Senge’s idea is that everyone is going somewhere but is there some way to get everyone to either put alter their goals so that everyone can move in the same direction?   Very often an individual’s goal can even be seen as an important part of attaining the larger organizational goal, becoming a win-win situation for all concerned. One of the biggest challenges of leading a church is achieving some level of alignment, at least in vital functions such as doing...