By: Sam Stephens on October 25, 2013
The present post modern age presents many new challenges for leaders and leadership. Old paradigms and definitions that were generally accepted are not as readily and willingly embraced as they used to be. In a world that is increasingly interrelated and rapidly moving forward, there is the pressure on leadership to adapt and change more…
By: Carol McLaughlin on October 25, 2013
In explaining to the student on “How to Use This Book,” Alister McGrath asserts, “Christian theology is one of the most fascinating subjects it is possible to study.”[1] After three weeks of reading about theology from different entry points each presenting compelling perspectives, I agree. The last of the three[2], Christian Theology: An Introduction is…
By: Sandy Bils on October 25, 2013
In the last books I read for my DMin program, I came across concepts of leadership and parameters to measure and interpret responses of members to certain leadership actions or problematical situations. It is interesting, that in Jim Collins book „Good to great. Why some companies make the leap and others don’t“ aswell as in…
By: Mark Steele on October 25, 2013
Businesses must change to thrive in this global world we live in. Kets de Vries in his book The Leadership Mystique talks about global leadership from a Psychoanalytical viewpoint. He talks about the “Mussel Syndrome”. The mussel is mollusk that makes one existential decision in its life, where to settle down (Kets de Vries 2001).…
By: Richard Rhoads on October 25, 2013
During my seminary years I worked as a trauma MRI tech at a University Hospital here in the States. On one of my first days at work, my mentor which was assigned to me shared with me that one of the greatest assets in saving patients lives was our human imagination. She was so right! …
By: David Toth on October 24, 2013
The Leadership Mystique by Manfred Kets De Vries is one of the best practical books on leadership that I have read. In the book he covers the full range of leadership aspects, from the ‘inner life’ of a leader, to dealing with change, understanding failure, characteristics of effective leadership, to global leadership profile, and leadership…
By: Garrick Roegner on October 24, 2013
Two questions: Where was tempura invented? Where was the Caesar salad invented? If you answered Japan and Italy, you are of course wrong. The correct answers are Portugal and Tijuana, Mexico. Portugese missionaries brought tempura to Japan in the 16th century. Meanwhile, the Caesar salad was birthed by American-Italians who opened a restaurant in Mexico during…
By: Phil Smart on October 24, 2013
The Leadership Mystique and Play-doh – Manfred Kets De Vries I’m sitting in an “Inspire Justice” advocacy conference put on by a partnership between World Vision and our church. The attendance isn’t what we had planned and hoped for, but key leaders are here and for that I’m grateful. But as I listen to the…
By: Chris Ellis on October 24, 2013
The Leadership Mystique by de Vries is a thorough psychoanalysis of leaders, followers and organizations and reads like a companion guide to the DSMV IV. Though this kind of leadership book is probably not read by many (it’s the first of its kind for me), I think many would find it interesting. It gives an…
By: Sharenda Roam on October 23, 2013
In his writing “The Leadership Mystique” Manfred Kets de Vries explains, “My main objective in studying leadership is to bring the person back into the organization.”… He continues and states that too many organizations leave the human element out and focus more on structures and systems. Instead, he suggests that focusing on the individual brings…
By: Fred Fay on October 23, 2013
Imagine with me the following scenario. You are part of a large organization. The organization has transitioned from an iconic longtime leader to a young, take-the-bull-by-the-horns leader who is working to revitalize it. There is a huge pressure to bring about health change to an organization that was stagnated and dying. Signs were hopeful, change…
By: Carol McLaughlin on October 18, 2013
Reading David F. Ford’s Theology: A Very Short Introduction is at the same time compelling, in the sense of wanting to read more deeply and daunting, if ever so slightly, because he does not back away from asking the challenging questions one must ask in the study of theology. It is these questions in every…
By: Cedrick Valrie on October 18, 2013
Chocolate – sweet, savory, delicious, enjoyable, and it comes with an untold story. Often times those who take delight in eating chocolate are unaware of its journey before making it into their hands and stomachs. The chocolate industry is great at marketing, selling, and profiting tens of billions of dollars each year from the cocoa…
By: Phil Smart on October 17, 2013
Exit and Voice are expressions of two ways to affect change within an organization. However, I tend to disagree with Hirschman in his book Exit, Voice, and Loyalty. He states that within many organizations including churches, voice is almost the only way to be heard when dissatisfied with a situation (p. 76). Perhaps this highlights…
By: Garrick Roegner on October 17, 2013
Recently a good friend of mine embroiled in a denominational split said, “theology is everything.” My mother’s maiden name was Mullins, recently I traced the ancestry of that name back to its entry point into the colonies in the late 1600s. The name had originally been des Moulines (French) and belonged to a family of…
By: Sharenda Roam on October 17, 2013
“With the country (America) having been founded on exit and having thrived on it, the belief in exit as a fundamental and beneficial social mechanism has been unquestioning.” (Hirschman, 274) After listening to my students’ presentations today in my “World Religions” class I thought about the book by Albert O. Hirschman, “Exit, Voice and Loyalty:…
By: David Toth on October 17, 2013
Hirschman’s book addresses the topic of organizational realignment in the light of market share loss. He writes that there are three basic responses and some conflagrations of the three that could result in organizational success. The basic options are for the customer to “exit” which means the customer goes somewhere else for the goods or…
By: Richard Rhoads on October 17, 2013
All of us have had amazing co-workers leave our respective ministries. In these moments, have you ever heard a fellow leader who’s about to leave say, “God’s leading me onto a new ministry?” Now, I know this can often be true but what happens when you and all the other employees know the back story,…
By: Sandy Bils on October 17, 2013
These days the Catholic Church in Germany has a hard time. The public focus is on German Catholic Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst. After weeks of accusations and extended aswell as merciless media coverage the Bishop of Limburg now traveled to Rome to ask for consultations with Pope Francis. The Bishop is under fire for allowing…
By: Chris Ellis on October 17, 2013
One of things I love about my D.Min program is the wide variety of books I get to read. Many of the books assigned to us I wouldn’t naturally choose. This week’s book, Exit, Voice and Loyalty by Albert O. Hirschman is one of those books. Fortunately, my inclination to read or not read a…
