By: Phillip Struckmeyer on October 29, 2014
In theory, being a student and teacher of Christian theology ought to be one of the most dynamic and exciting fields of study. However in the words of Alister McGrath in his text, Christian Theology: An Introduction, “In practice, both student and teacher often find the teaching of the subject to be difficult , and…
By: Stefania Tarasut on October 29, 2014
When picking a leader God says to Samuel, “you know what Samuel, people look at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart.” I wonder if at the end of the day, the heart matters more than we would realize. It’s the heart that gives birth to motives, ideas, understanding, and ultimately, it’s the…
By: Travis Biglow on October 25, 2014
Theology and Jesus Thinking October 25, 2014 For this to be an introduction it covered a broad range of theological topics. And since we are faced with so many world religions and dogmas, exploring other religions is not bad just to understand ours. I like how David F. Ford explained the concepts surrounding why we…
By: Richard Volzke on October 25, 2014
Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries is a world known expert in the area of leadership development and organizational change. He has worked with organizations in many countries, so brings great wisdom when looking at leadership from a global perspective. In his book, The Leadership Mystique: Leading Behavior in the Human Enterprise, he looks at a…
By: Carol McLaughlin on October 25, 2014
If there is one thing (and there is more than just one) to take away from reading Manfred Kets De Vries, The Leadership Mystique: Leading Behavior in the Human Enterprise it is that the path to the end game should have a different road. I am not a business person; yet I recognize that as…
By: Telile Fikru Badecha on October 25, 2014
Manfred Kets de Veries‘ book The Leadership Mystique: Leading Behavior in the Human Enterprise is full of insights from a real life leadership experiences helpful for leaders seek to be effective in leadership positions. In the preface, de Veries highlights the conspicuous neglect in the research for human factors, instead specialists in this field give…
By: Stefania Tarasut on October 24, 2014
I have to be honest and say that ministry is hard! Working with people is hard! There are times when I daydream about the perfect exit from ministry. I imagine what that would look like and sometimes, I play the scenario in my head, but if I want to have a voice in the immigrant…
By: Mitch Arbelaez on October 24, 2014
This is my first read of any of Manfred Kets De Vries 20 some books. I braced myself for another economic or psychological intense reading on the same level as Taylor or Polyani, but I was pleasantly surprised as I began The Leadership Mystique: Leading Behavior in the Human Enterprise. My interest was aroused at…
By: Bill Dobrenen on October 24, 2014
Bob Dylan was cranked up to the max as I drove the streets of Orange County, California that night in 1980. I knew all the lyrics. After all, I was a Dylan fan. You might be an ambassador to England or France You might like to gamble, you might like to dance You might be…
By: rhbaker275 on October 24, 2014
We recently experienced a mission conference that was a great success. I am analyzing this event in retrospect; in fact, I have been asked to write a news release recounting for what happened, the back story, and the membership’s reaction to the event. Our outcomes were more than double our set goals. What happened? Did we…
By: Miriam Mendez on October 24, 2014
Throughout my years of study and ministry I have read many books and articles on the topic of leadership. After a while one notices a common theme running through the pages of these leadership books. Interestingly enough, Manfred Kets de Vries is quick to let his readers know that in The Leadership Mystique some of…
By: Michael Badriaki on October 24, 2014
Manfred Kets De Vries’s book The Leadership Mystique; leading behavior in the human enterprise was a refreshing read. Leadership is such a board subject and it is sometimes difficult to find practical material that delivers on everyday strategies on leadership. I am particularly drawn to leadership strategies that seek to encourage the development of leadership skills…
By: Julie Dodge on October 24, 2014
A long time ago, I picked up a mantra that has guided much of my work: If you understand how a person thinks, their behavior makes sense. I’ve fine-tuned this thought over the years to include feelings (if you understand why a person feels the way that they do, their behaviors also make sense) and…
By: Clint Baldwin on October 24, 2014
The Leadership Mystique: Leading Behavior in the Human Enterprise by Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries is very simply a wonderfully insightful and useful book. Read it. Then, read it again. The text offers a multiplicity of insights into the personal and organizational dynamics of leadership. It includes questionnaires that allow one to relatively quickly…
By: Michael Badriaki on October 24, 2014
In modernity there is a prevailing quest for the taste of free and successful societies. People are eager to find purposeful careers and meaningful ways to express their rights or lack thereof. The use of freedom of speech can allow for the voicing of certain issues through contestations. Religious freedom at its core aims to…
By: Jon Spellman on October 24, 2014
Theology, allow me to RE-introduce myself. It feels like I’m being introduced to theology all over again. I knew her once really well but life happened and we grew apart. I am reflecting on the timeline leading up to and immediately following my completion of the MA in theology (remember, it’s practical!). My program concluded…
By: John Woodward on October 23, 2014
One of the hardest lessons I learned in ministry was a truth echoed throughout the book The Leadership Mystique: Leading Behavior in the Human Enterprise by Manfred Kets De Vries: “All human behavior, no matter how irrational it appears, has a rationale.”[i] As a campus minister for 23 years, I had privilege of working with…
By: Dave Young on October 23, 2014
In my last post I mentioned that “My American evangelical bubble is deflating; maybe that’s good.” Jason Clark asked me to comment further on what I meant and why I thought it was ‘good.’ I’d like to answer that in this post. My reality has been deflating generally since I started this GFES graduate study,…
By: Liz Linssen on October 23, 2014
On our very first date with my husband, Willy brought with him an emotional intelligence test (yes, it’s true. He tested my EQ on our first date). Within the first hour of our first-ever meeting, he explained to me the Five Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman, and then promptly asked me to guess his…
By: Nick Martineau on October 23, 2014
I have lived my entire life in the Bible belt. Not just the Bible belt, but white Christian suburbia. No doubt this plays deeply into my theology of God, even in ways I don’t understand. I can remember when I first realized God is bigger then the box I have put him in. When I…