Хвиля, A hullám, Vlna (The wave, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Slovak)
Хвиля, A hullám, Vlna (The wave, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Slovak)
Part 1 What my DLGP 01/DLG 02 cohort peers are saying.
Part 2 From Glanzer’s Lips
Part 3 What I learned
Part 1. For the most part, I have not only enjoyed reading the posts of my peers, but in times when I have difficulty understanding the writing of various authors, I have threshold moments within my peer groups insights. While Jules Glanzer is a great read, I stilled peered into the minds of our amazing class.
From DLGP01, Jean De Dieu Ndahiriwe, I discovered something
new about Rwanda (closure of churches!) He starts, “All music is a series of sound waves filling the air from these tones. God-honoring, kingdom-seeking, biblically rooted leadership has a scale too.” When confronted with the closure of churches Jean ends his blogpost with…” We need Christian Waves. Simply put, a sound wave is movement. Leaders are doers. They challenge the status quo, creating a new and preferred future. They create disruption that leads to a new way. They are not satisfied with things as they are and work to make them what they should or could be. Leaders make waves.”
From DLGP02, John Fehlen writes…” Leadership, which is often
equated with bravado, self-centeredness, and pride, must, I repeat, must flow from humility. The art of asking good questions and NOT always having the answers, is a mark of humility.” In his discussion of voices in harmony, John writes…” I am very interested in hearing more from Glanzer (perhaps on our Zoom call) about decisions he made that garnered criticism, and how he handled those questions, comments, concerns, and, perhaps even, hostility towards his leadership. Wow. Sidenote: on the plane back from Oxford I sat next to one of the sound “artists/techies” who worked on the sound system of the “sphere.” John of course was IN the sphere.
Part 2 – From Glanzer’s lips
Glanzer (In 2001 he became dean of the seminary at George Fox
Evangelical Seminary in Portland, Oregon) provides an interview about his book while sitting in front of an oak tree in Texas watching one of his Granddaughters participate in sports. Clearly, he has priorities straight.
Do you desire to be a Kingdom-seeking LEADER?
4:54 The whole idea is to live an authentic lifestyle of leadership. You see there’s such a crisis of leadership it seems. I don’t deal with the crisis, I just simply provide an alternative way of living and dealing with leadership around the whole theme that leadership is resulting in doing who you are determines how you lead.
He repeats, 6:05, What you do comes out of who you are. At 7:44, Glanzer states, “I want people to take rabbit trails in their mind while they read this book.” He mentioned this when one of his own mentors told him that his book caused him to reflect upon his own leadership style and experiences.
12:15 I would hope that the people who read it would have evaluated their own leadership and would be leading in more authentic way, a more biblical way. My hope is that they would also be leading groups and mentoring others to lead in a way that brings honor to God.
Listen, See. Learn. Do. Love — In his book, Glanzer quotes General Eric Shinseki (from Hawaii), “You must love those you lead before you can be an effective leader. You can certainly command without that sense of commitment, but you cannot lead without it. And without leadership, command is a hallow experience, a vacuum often filled with mistrust and arrogance”, p. 29)
At the end of each chapter, Glanzer has a takeaway. Mostly questions that cause leadership reflection. Coming out of a bad leadership situation this year, I found the takeaways…alarmingly poignant.
p. 29 Kingdom Takeaway – What words describe the framework of your leadership? In your own life and leadership, what do you want to preserve? What do you want to avoid? What do you want to achieve?
My last Leadership review pegged me as a benevolent dictator. Sigh. This was not a surprise because of my 23 years in the U.S. Army. Still the dictator portion, no matter how benevolent, is disconcerting. The self recriminations continue with p. 81 How would you describe your leadership style? What is the voice, tone, and mood of your leadership? Identify ways you practice the “Golden Rule” in your leadership. In my latest dialogue with the Director of GSI Hungary I was called “toxic.” Sigh. The director has since quit and we scrambled this summer to find a replacement. Double sigh.
p.96 How do you want to be remembered? What situations determine how you will be remembered? How is your leadership lifestyle influencing what others are experiencing and remembering?
I have never really thought about my legacy. I am attached to the now and the future. Looking back, I only see my mistakes.
p. 112 What is your theology of leadership? Which Biblical text (s) or story (ies) are the foundation of your theology of leadership?
This will bear some reflection. I gravitate to the Centurion. Blind faith in the power of Christ.
p. 139 Where in your life and leadership do you need to take responsibility? What seeds have you sown and what kind of harvest are you reaping?
Husband and Father are the two primary leadership roles I have had for the last 23 years. Have I succeeded? Hmmm…I see my failures certainly, but I have three children who carry God’s light. I might have to be content with that.
p. 151 Who are the people you have equipped and inspired to influence others? Who would have you on their list as someone who has significantly influenced their life and leadership?
GoodSports Hungary has a new director, an advisory board, a lawyer, an accountant and support that will take them into the next 20 years. Time to let go and let God continue his mission for Hungary.
Part 3 What I learned.
I will have to go back and read Glanzer at a more leisurely pace. Lots to unpack there. Still, I hearken back to Jean’s focus on the wave. Hawaii is located 2,500 miles from the California coast in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I know a lot about waves.
Glanzer has many comments on waves. He writes, “Leaders make waves. When a person desires to provide leadership service as an influencer in the kingdom, wave making comes from an internal motivation, a sense of destiny, to see the world as God intended it to be” (p.125).
Enter Ukraine.
As I have mentioned before, I feel that God is launching GoodSports International (GSI) (www.goodsportsinternational.org) into Ukraine. GSI has been in Slovakia for 27 years and Hungary for 25 years. Both nations border Ukraine and sadly our staff in both countries have turned pro Putin and Anti Ukraine.
Fukuyama speaks on how elites can shape an identity of their people and that clever elites do it without knowing. Fukuyama in a YouTube video speaks to the power of information autocrats, April 17, 2023 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPlcES4eH5A. He mentions at the 35:35 minute mark that his dissertation was on Soviet Policy in the Middle East and that he has spent a great deal of time in Kyiv.
Fukuyama states that identities can be “Socially constructed” are not
biological, and encompass narratives, stories custom, language which can be manipulated. He states that political elites can shape identity and that clever elites do it without the public noticing.
That needs to change in our Slovak and Hungarian staff. Along with Tom Johnson (the Slovak Director) and I we are striving to serve as leaders in the wave towards ministering in Ukraine. Working with three ongoing ministries, 1) Kharkiv Church serving elderly along the Ukraine/Russian Border, 2) Wounded/disabled soldiers south of Kyiv and 3) 300 children in the Penuel Christian soccer club, our approval to operate in Ukraine came this week. Developing U.S. funding pathways to Ukrainian Ministries will be our first step.
Bringing teams from the U.S. and perhaps Slovakia and Hungary may hopefully this change the minds of our pro-Putin staff…maybe not, but there needs to be a wave of change.
About the Author
Russell Chun
interlinkt.org is now ready for your Refugee Resettlement needs. 15 tasks, languages ESL plans coming6 responses to “Хвиля, A hullám, Vlna (The wave, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Slovak)”
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We are often our worst critics, aren’t we? You say, “GoodSports Hungary has a new director, an advisory board, a lawyer, an accountant and support that will take them into the next 20 years. Time to let go and let God continue his mission for Hungary.” That’s a beautiful legacy that you’ve left to a people and a nation that you love.
Kim your words are a balm on my leadership wounds.
Perhaps the danger of reflection is that we are too close to the trees to see the forest. I see the knurly bark of my leadership style and find myself wanting. But in my 25 years in Hungary, there those diamonds in the rough that now sparkle God’s light. Amen.
Shalom…
Russell,
You are leaving a legacy! I see the joy you have found in serving youth by creating GSI and your passion for moving forward in Ukraine. You mentioned that you know a lot about waves which reminds me of Satell’s cascades. Both are powerful images for understanding and creating positive change. You are creating very big changes and it is all very inspiring. Thank you for sharing your insights from so many sources!
Hi Jenney,
YES, cascades, waves…etc. Movements, desire for and executing change. This is all coming together.
Thanks for the kind comments about my legacy. One of the things I hope will be worth using and remembering is the Interlinkt app. Prayerfully, refugees will be able to navigate, supports build relationship and PEOPLE will find new homes in a new land. Now that would be a good legacy.
Shalom…
Hey Dr. Russell. Thank you for your well thought out post. I do have one question. I your post you wrote, “I have never really thought about my legacy. I am attached to the now and the future. Looking back, I only see my mistakes.” Is there something I am missing because are you saying you do not see how you have impacted people for the glory of God? Help me to understand your thoughts a little more.
Hi Todd,
Thanks for your question. I am wrestling with the concept of legacy. The old question, “what would you have written on your tombstone?” I think that “Husband and Father” is the best legacy that I could have.
This year my GoodSports Hungary interactions have been soured by the pro-Putin anti U.S. rhetoric. I have come to a new place, where our GSI Hungary staff can have these political opinions, so long as they continue to share the gospel with the children at the orphanage we service.
Your question reminds me of the hundreds of children who have come to know Christ through our GoodSports camps.
Thanks for the reminder.
Shalom…