Barnabas File

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have talked and written a lot about what characteristics are needed to lead in a crisis.    Our present situation has called forth the best in leaders but also has identified gaps that might not have been apparent or crucial before.   As I listened to one of the speakers at the 2020 Global Leadership Conference, I realized that the characteristics for successful leadership in a crisis are the same that are needed for leadership at any time.     Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic teaches at University College London and Columbia University and is also the Chief Talent Scientist at ManPowerGroup.  He and his team have done extensive research on resilience during the pandemic, but their findings are applicable at any time.  Here are the characteristics or traits they identified of a successful leader.   Intelligence--the ability to learn quickly. Curiosity--knowing what you don’t know. Humility--willing to listen,...

Although we have heard the quote, attributed to Gene Kranz, “Failure is not an option,” in some contexts we should encourage failure.     Amy Edmondson, in her presentation at the 2020 Global Leadership Summit, suggested that this might be our best approach to innovation and change. Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School.   She first identified three types of failure: Preventative failure--We should know better and make sure it does not happen. Complex failure--We did not know better, and the failure is the consequence of unforeseen circumstances. Intelligence failure--We intentionally launch out into novel territory, acknowledging the potential to fail. Intelligent failure offers opportunities for learning and growth.  Edmondson argued that we should promote intelligent failures if the following is true: The opportunity explored is significant.     This is a chance to do something that is new or...

As we engage in these volatile times, leaders of organizations--including churches--have struggled to understand their roles.     Most job descriptions were not written for crisis situations.     Leaders have been asking themselves questions like, “What am I supposed to do now?”     “Am I providing what my church/company/team needs?”     “How will I know that I am doing the right thing?”   If one has a clear understanding of their individual purpose as well as that of their organization, then he or she has guidance for action.  This does not guarantee success, but it does provide a sense of momentum.   As Peter Hawkins discusses Purpose Led Organizations, he identifies five disciplines of a purpose led organization.  These apply in times of relative calm as well as times of crisis.  They apply both to the organization and to those who lead it.  Let’s look at each briefly.   First, commissionin...

A coaching client was not only a pastor, but a military chaplain.     He had served a period of time on active duty and had taken the opportunity to pursue the training that would complement his experience so that he could advance in rank but also in impact.    What he learned about the difference in tactics and strategy helped me to understand what leaders must do to expand their capacity to lead.   The chaplain who thinks tactically asks questions like, “What am going to do for chapel services next Sunday?” or “Who can I get to lead this group?”  On the other hand, the chaplain who thinks strategically asks, “How can I staff to meet the spiritual needs of the airmen in my squadron?” or “What are the added responsibilities I face if we are deployed?”  One is thinking short term and one is thinking long term.  Short term thinking gets the job done; long term thinking prepares for the next challenge.     Strategic thin...

When times get difficult, culture can both affirm our strengths or magnify our weaknesses.       Unfortunately, we often don’t know what we have to work with until crisis comes.     This should encourage us to try to better understand and assess our cultural norms.     In writing about the Purpose Led Organizations, Peter Hawkins identifies three outcomes of purpose related to culture.   First, it attracts and energizes employees.   In Good to Great , Jim Collins wrote:    The executives who ignited the transformations from good to great did not first figure out where to drive the bus and then get people to take it there. No, they  first  got the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off the bus) and  then  figured out where to drive it. They said, in essence, “Look, I don’t really know where we should take this bus. But I know this much: If we get the right people on the bus, the right people in the...

I will be very transparent that I attend these meetings more for information than inspiration, but I came away wi th b oth.     Craig Groeschel, pastor of Life.Church, and Albert Tate, pastor of Fellowship Church, were the bookend preachers.     Both were inspiring and competent. Like most large events, the Global Leadership Summit went virtual this year. Although there were still some large group viewings across the country, the event was produced as an online event that could also be viewed by small groups and individuals across the country.     The production was well done, and I only experienced one brief service outage during the conference.  This is unusual for an event this large.  Of course, viewing from home is convenient and it is nice to be able to go back or pause as you wish, but there are a lot more distractions. Groeschel is an effective communicator who is informative and encouraging, but he goes more for the head than th...

In defining purpose, the Gallup Organization explained, “A company’s purpose is a bold affirmation of its reason for being in business.     It conveys what the organization stands for in historical, ethical, emotional and practical terms.     No matter how it’s communicated to employees and customers, a company’s purpose is the driving force that enables a company to define its true brand and create its desired culture.”   As water is to fish, culture is to any organization--including the church.   We are immersed in culture with all of its artifacts, values, and assumptions.  Unless something happens to challenge those givens, we rarely think about the culture we find ourselves in.     For the most part, a church creates culture without thought or intention.  Stephen Blandino writes,    Every organization has a unique culture, but not every organization created their culture on purpose.  Most drif...

What drives your organization or church--mission, vision, or purpose?     In the 20 th   century, most companies sought to have a clear mission statement and a clear vision for the future.      Peter Hawkins stated, “A mission captures the company’s ambition, a vision shows what it will be like when success is achieved.”     Hawkins argues, however, that in the 21 st   century, an organization’s purpose is more important.     He defines purpose as “who the company serves and what is of value to them.”    Having a purpose is much more service-oriented and altruistic.   Take, for example, two sporting goods companies.  Adidas states that it “strives to be the global leader in the sporting goods industry with brands built on a passion for sports and a sporting lifestyle.”  On the other hand, Nike proposes to “bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world (If you have a body, you’re an...

(Minor spoilers here.) The Mandalorian is the first live-action Star Wars story created for a series format and is a great success for the Disney streaming service.  Borrowing from the Western and Samurai genres, creator Jon Favreau ( Iron Man films) sets the series five years after the fall of the Empire (Episode six-- Return of the Jedi) and prior to the emergence of the First Order (Episode seven-- The Force Awakens ). As I have noted in previous blogs, creator George Lucas intended the Star Wars universe to provide a mythology for our times. The themes he embedded in his films were primal ideas--the hero’s journey, for example.  In like manner, many observers have identified various theological concepts in these movies as well. Such ideas emerge in this new series as well. The title character (Pedro Pascal) is a loner, a bounty hunter with a heart. The breakout character, however, is the Child.  A member of the same species as Jedi Knig...

In a recent blog , pastor Carey Nieuwhof cited this quote from Douglas Adams book  The Salmon of Doubt: “1. Anything that is in the world when you’re born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works. 2. Anything that’s invented between when you’re fifteen and thirty-five is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it. 3. Anything invented after you’re thirty-five is against the natural order of things.” Some adult development researchers state that we tend to define “the world as we know it” based on what we experienced between the ages of 13 and 15.  This is when we are becoming proto-adults and everything that happens in our lives makes an indelible impression on us.  There is certainly some truth to this, but we must remember that we are free to accept these concepts or reject them.  They are informative but they are not deterministic.  If I was raised with a...

In a recent blog , a noted Baptist ethicist indicated that he feels that it is time to “reopen for worship services.”     He provides some significant arguments and closes with this comment: “Big picture, we are a society crippled by a mismanaged pandemic and filled with hurting souls. I think it is time for our congregations to reopen, to meet the needs of those souls as best we can.” Although I appreciate many of his observations, I strongly disagree with his conclusion. I know that every worshipping community will make its own decision about when to return to onsite worship, but I affirm the statements articulated by the Coronavirus Task Force at First Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee (where I am a member): We care for the FBC community. We care for our neighbors and the broader community. We want to protect the vulnerable. The task force--made up of church leaders, staff, and several health care professionals--summarize what is important in ou...

“He said to them,  ‘Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.’” (Luke 20:25, NIV) When I did supply preaching on a regular basis, I was often called on to preach the Sunday closest to the Fourth of July holiday.  It was a popular vacation time for many pastors.  My default sermon was built on this text (found in the three Synoptic gospels).  The role of faith (church) and state (empire) was as much an issue then as now. My usual approach was to point out that Christians are actually citizens of two kingdoms.  One is the Kingdom (or Reign) of God which is emerging among us--almost but not yet. The other kingdom is the secular state in which we live. I always argued that both are important to believers, but we should never confuse the two and our Christian citizenship always takes priority.   I write this, first of all, from the perspective of being a citizen of the United States of Ameri...

I have lost count of how many Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly meetings I have attended.     In the early days, I was working for another Baptist organization, so I took vacation days to attend (as did many of my colleagues).     There was a certain feeling of adventure of attending then, something like Luke Skywalker joining the Rebel Alliance.     Not only were we upset about the direction of the Southern Baptist Convention, but we sought the fellowship of others with the same convictions--people who were our friends and mentors--those we loved, admired, and enjoyed being with.     Of course, when I was coordinator of Tennessee CBF, I attended every year and found myself involved in plenary sessions, workshops, ancillary meetings, and hallway conversations. Even then, the personal conversations were what gave me energy and satisfaction.  After that season, I struggled a bit with my role in the gathering, although ...