Comments on: Some Miscellaneous Thoughts on Leading http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2006/09/21/some-miscellaneous-thoughts-on-leading/ Sam Metcalf's blog about a new generation of leaders for the global church. Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:42:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Sam http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2006/09/21/some-miscellaneous-thoughts-on-leading/#comment-778 Sam Mon, 02 Oct 2006 10:55:46 +0000 http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2006/09/21/some-miscellaneous-thoughts-on-leading/#comment-778 Greg: Thanks for the "thanks." Nice to hear from you. Would enjoy connecting more personally with you and hearing more about your current situation. Cup of coffee sometime? Greg:

Thanks for the “thanks.” Nice to hear from you. Would enjoy connecting more personally with you and hearing more about your current situation. Cup of coffee sometime?

]]> By: Greg Russinger http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2006/09/21/some-miscellaneous-thoughts-on-leading/#comment-767 Greg Russinger Thu, 28 Sep 2006 14:23:33 +0000 http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2006/09/21/some-miscellaneous-thoughts-on-leading/#comment-767 Hey sam, not much feed back, but a quick 'thanks', this relates to my current experiences. Hey sam,
not much feed back, but a quick ‘thanks’, this relates to my current experiences.

]]> By: Patrick Oden http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2006/09/21/some-miscellaneous-thoughts-on-leading/#comment-751 Patrick Oden Tue, 26 Sep 2006 16:14:44 +0000 http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2006/09/21/some-miscellaneous-thoughts-on-leading/#comment-751 Sam, I very much appreciate your consideration. It's something that I've wrestled with for years now, and find that going through that was amazing in helping me discover patterns in churches, in leadership, and definitely in myself which lead (or will lead) to sharpened senses in regards to thes things. I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts on all of this. Sam, I very much appreciate your consideration. It’s something that I’ve wrestled with for years now, and find that going through that was amazing in helping me discover patterns in churches, in leadership, and definitely in myself which lead (or will lead) to sharpened senses in regards to thes things.

I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts on all of this.

]]> By: Sam http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2006/09/21/some-miscellaneous-thoughts-on-leading/#comment-742 Sam Mon, 25 Sep 2006 05:20:30 +0000 http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2006/09/21/some-miscellaneous-thoughts-on-leading/#comment-742 Patrick: I'm sitting in a cafe in the interior of Ukraine reading your comment. I would like to respond with something thoughtful but I'm on the run from here to Romania and then Moldova. Some a more lengthly conversation may have to wait. The situation you describe is very real. I've seen it and experienced it myself. It has all the markings of what Clinton in his leadership stuides calls "leadership backlash." I'll see if I can get more info posted on that issue in the future. It's helpful to make sense out of such tough experiences and figure out what God was doing in the midst of the pain such circumstances invariably cause. Patrick:

I’m sitting in a cafe in the interior of Ukraine reading your comment. I would like to respond with something thoughtful but I’m on the run from here to Romania and then Moldova. Some a more lengthly conversation may have to wait.

The situation you describe is very real. I’ve seen it and experienced it myself. It has all the markings of what Clinton in his leadership stuides calls “leadership backlash.” I’ll see if I can get more info posted on that issue in the future. It’s helpful to make sense out of such tough experiences and figure out what God was doing in the midst of the pain such circumstances invariably cause.

]]> By: Patrick http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2006/09/21/some-miscellaneous-thoughts-on-leading/#comment-730 Patrick Fri, 22 Sep 2006 23:50:41 +0000 http://www.undertheiceberg.com/2006/09/21/some-miscellaneous-thoughts-on-leading/#comment-730 Sam, your point about followers expoiting a leader's weakness hits home. Not because I was exploited or the exploitee (I don't think) but because a very shaping part of my own leadership development came in the context where this was happening, leading to that impotence and indecisiveness you mention. This experience, and trying to press forward despite of it, got me so burned I had to temporarily step back. It ruined my view of leadership. I found myself becoming cynical and suspect. Not good traits for spiritual leadership in myself. Fortunately, I've had times of experiencing great leadership so know the possibilities. And my stepping back has provided both profound learning and healing I wouldn't have gotten otherwise. But the mystery of that time remains. During that time I reacted in different ways. I tried to do my own thing, working in my area of responsibility and leadership. I tried to confront it. I tried different reactions to no avail, and it thrashed me in the attempt. Given that such followers are exploiting a real weakness, it seems that pressing the point only serves to bring more alienation, as the leader likes having his ego massaged, and the followers like the power they get for doing it. What would be the best way to respond to such a situation so as to bring change if one is in a secondary level of leadership and not able to directly implement change? What do we do if we notice <em>our</em> leader falling into this, and <em>our</em> followers being radically affected by such a situation? Sam, your point about followers expoiting a leader’s weakness hits home. Not because I was exploited or the exploitee (I don’t think) but because a very shaping part of my own leadership development came in the context where this was happening, leading to that impotence and indecisiveness you mention.

This experience, and trying to press forward despite of it, got me so burned I had to temporarily step back. It ruined my view of leadership. I found myself becoming cynical and suspect. Not good traits for spiritual leadership in myself. Fortunately, I’ve had times of experiencing great leadership so know the possibilities. And my stepping back has provided both profound learning and healing I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.

But the mystery of that time remains.

During that time I reacted in different ways. I tried to do my own thing, working in my area of responsibility and leadership. I tried to confront it. I tried different reactions to no avail, and it thrashed me in the attempt.

Given that such followers are exploiting a real weakness, it seems that pressing the point only serves to bring more alienation, as the leader likes having his ego massaged, and the followers like the power they get for doing it. What would be the best way to respond to such a situation so as to bring change if one is in a secondary level of leadership and not able to directly implement change? What do we do if we notice our leader falling into this, and our followers being radically affected by such a situation?

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