By:Dennis McClellan
The concept of leadership will NOT be tackled in his this brief commentary. Besides, there are way too many books on the topic, and I’m not an expert by any stretch of the term. That doesn’t mean that I don’t know one, when I see one…or work with one.
The idea behind taking someone with talent, skills, understanding, or “the right chemistry,” who isn’t involved in a leadership position…or…doesn’t want to be involved or take on a project…and turning them into a reluctant success story, is something that I find interesting. It isn’t unfamiliar to us. We’ve been raised on such stories. Remember Moses? Boy, he sure didn’t want the job he was given by God – and, as I recall, he fought long and hard not to take on the leadership of the ancient Hebrews. As the Biblical story goes, he lost that battle with God.
It was Joseph Campbell, who described persons, such as Moses, as “Heroes with a Thousand Faces.” In a book that was written when I was a small boy, and reprinted many times, and reissued in 2008, Campbell (the former Catholic priest and expert on myths and the importance of mythology) wrote:
A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region
of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and
a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious
adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.
Well, that very well may have been a fair description of Moses, or some of the others that he wrote about – including Osiris, Prometheus, the Buddha, and Christ.
So…here’s my question: “What does the face of a St. Stephen Lutheran leader (our local heroes) look like?” And, once we identify those faces among us, how do we get them to put their natural and learned skills and talents to work for the betterment of our congregation and the community at large?” Here’s my answer: “The next time you’re in the sanctuary or parish hall or church office, look to your left and right. There’s a leader sitting or standing (even if they aren’t aware of that fact).”
This isn’t a myth. It’s a fact. What fact?
St. Stephen is ripe with people who are leaders. They come in all shapes, sizes, colors, backgrounds, and interests. Some are younger than might be typically expected. And, they are both male and female. Some already serve on the church council. Others head up quad groups. A few are charged with ministry roles. And the real fact is that we are blessed with members who volunteer to feed the homeless, those who mentor teens in Solid Rock, assist with communion, sing in choirs, take charge of audio-visual projects – all without being called “leaders.” They just “are.”
What is, is! There is no standard face of leadership. There is no standard level of education, work experience, or parental background that renders someone more appropriate to be a leader at St. Stephen.
The primary ingredient is making one a leader is “desire to serve.” If anyone has the attitude of a disciple and servant, they have the basic DNA. Around our campus, you’ll see a endless flow of bodies doing the work needed to help us grow, spreading the DNA to others, and keeping the flame burning.
The first weekend in June saw some 60+ people gather for a leadership retreat here on campus. It was an honor to be included. It was quite a gathering – and we didn’t stop until the clock ran out. I observed first hand the high level of desire to serve that permeated the group, and came to appreciate more than ever that leadership isn’t about the leader. It isn’t about me. It’s about others – the people served, the people led, the people encouraged to “join” in, and about helping others to grow, take over and become leaders.
The face of leadership might be compared to looking into a bowl of M & M’s. When you pick a handful out of that bowl, the grouping is always different. It never looks the same. You can’t expect the appearance of that selection to always appear the same. The same is true with how leaders appear. They don’t look alike, think alike or sound alike. And when mixed with others, the groupings will always take on a different look. That diversity can make for some interesting “flavors.” And, it can make for some outstanding examples of leadership.
Why not give yourself the opportunity to experience personal growth and work toward becoming a leader at St. Stephen? Your skills, talents, interests, desire to serve, and willingness to set ego aside and become a servant leader might be the best move of your life – and add to the life at St. Stephen.
How do you become a leader? Just show up. The best leaders around our campus are those who you might not immediately suspect are leaders. They are involved; they don’t always wear a nametag; they might be the ones sweating or with the dirty hands. They’re the ones that lead by example.
Aren’t we fortunate?!
The concept of leadership will NOT be tackled in his this brief commentary. Besides, there are way too many books on the topic, and I’m not an expert by any stretch of the term. That doesn’t mean that I don’t know one, when I see one…or work with one.
The idea behind taking someone with talent, skills, understanding, or “the right chemistry,” who isn’t involved in a leadership position…or…doesn’t want to be involved or take on a project…and turning them into a reluctant success story, is something that I find interesting. It isn’t unfamiliar to us. We’ve been raised on such stories. Remember Moses? Boy, he sure didn’t want the job he was given by God – and, as I recall, he fought long and hard not to take on the leadership of the ancient Hebrews. As the Biblical story goes, he lost that battle with God.
It was Joseph Campbell, who described persons, such as Moses, as “Heroes with a Thousand Faces.” In a book that was written when I was a small boy, and reprinted many times, and reissued in 2008, Campbell (the former Catholic priest and expert on myths and the importance of mythology) wrote:
A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region
of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and
a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious
adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.
Well, that very well may have been a fair description of Moses, or some of the others that he wrote about – including Osiris, Prometheus, the Buddha, and Christ.
So…here’s my question: “What does the face of a St. Stephen Lutheran leader (our local heroes) look like?” And, once we identify those faces among us, how do we get them to put their natural and learned skills and talents to work for the betterment of our congregation and the community at large?” Here’s my answer: “The next time you’re in the sanctuary or parish hall or church office, look to your left and right. There’s a leader sitting or standing (even if they aren’t aware of that fact).”
This isn’t a myth. It’s a fact. What fact?
St. Stephen is ripe with people who are leaders. They come in all shapes, sizes, colors, backgrounds, and interests. Some are younger than might be typically expected. And, they are both male and female. Some already serve on the church council. Others head up quad groups. A few are charged with ministry roles. And the real fact is that we are blessed with members who volunteer to feed the homeless, those who mentor teens in Solid Rock, assist with communion, sing in choirs, take charge of audio-visual projects – all without being called “leaders.” They just “are.”
What is, is! There is no standard face of leadership. There is no standard level of education, work experience, or parental background that renders someone more appropriate to be a leader at St. Stephen.
The primary ingredient is making one a leader is “desire to serve.” If anyone has the attitude of a disciple and servant, they have the basic DNA. Around our campus, you’ll see a endless flow of bodies doing the work needed to help us grow, spreading the DNA to others, and keeping the flame burning.
The first weekend in June saw some 60+ people gather for a leadership retreat here on campus. It was an honor to be included. It was quite a gathering – and we didn’t stop until the clock ran out. I observed first hand the high level of desire to serve that permeated the group, and came to appreciate more than ever that leadership isn’t about the leader. It isn’t about me. It’s about others – the people served, the people led, the people encouraged to “join” in, and about helping others to grow, take over and become leaders.
The face of leadership might be compared to looking into a bowl of M & M’s. When you pick a handful out of that bowl, the grouping is always different. It never looks the same. You can’t expect the appearance of that selection to always appear the same. The same is true with how leaders appear. They don’t look alike, think alike or sound alike. And when mixed with others, the groupings will always take on a different look. That diversity can make for some interesting “flavors.” And, it can make for some outstanding examples of leadership.
Why not give yourself the opportunity to experience personal growth and work toward becoming a leader at St. Stephen? Your skills, talents, interests, desire to serve, and willingness to set ego aside and become a servant leader might be the best move of your life – and add to the life at St. Stephen.
How do you become a leader? Just show up. The best leaders around our campus are those who you might not immediately suspect are leaders. They are involved; they don’t always wear a nametag; they might be the ones sweating or with the dirty hands. They’re the ones that lead by example.
Aren’t we fortunate?!
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