{"id":20414,"date":"2018-11-16T15:09:51","date_gmt":"2018-11-16T23:09:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=20414"},"modified":"2018-11-16T15:09:51","modified_gmt":"2018-11-16T23:09:51","slug":"born-or-made","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/born-or-made\/","title":{"rendered":"Born or Made?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Having read more books on leadership in the last thirty-seven years of pastoral ministry than I can count, editors Nohria and Khurana\u2019s Handbook of Leadership Theory and Practice<\/u> was a breath of fresh air with its scholarly research rather than popular opinions. Searching the word \u201cleadership\u201d in Amazon results in over 90,000 titles made available. Alberto Silva quotes Stogdill as saying \u201cthere are almost as many different definitions of leadership as there are persons who have attempted to define the concept,\u201d Bennis estimated at the end of the 20th<\/sup> century there were at least 650 definitions, and Kellerman was quoted saying he had heard of some 1,400 different definitions.[1]<\/a> A common question that seems to drive this insatiable need to understand leadership is whether leaders are born or made.<\/p>\n

The question of whether leadership is natural or nurtured is thoroughly addressed in various essays in this text through some twenty-four references. These scholars lean toward leaders being developed though there are \u201cdifferent levels of inherited or innate leadership capabilities.\u201d[2]<\/a> Those who hold to trait theories tend to historically equate leadership with being male and attribute their capabilities to being born with extraordinary genes indicating a type of super hero image.[3]<\/a><\/p>\n

After much reading and years of experience I agree that leadership is developed. There are people who seem to have a natural gift to lead larger organizations than others. They also seem to have the innate understanding and determination to expand their abilities and deliberately pursue such growth. When the Apostle Paul was describing the body of Christ he describes the gifts placed in the church and he lists leadership among them.[4]<\/a> Yet, even those gifted must steward their gifts to fulfill the potential placed within them. \u201cAlthough prodigies are born, it is clear they are then made<\/em> through their social interactions.\u201d[5]<\/a> This is an interesting statement given the God-design of the body of Christ with each intended to fit together and build one another up. Without word space to expound here, could it be that leadership is more of a co-creative culture found in many rather than in one person?<\/p>\n

Many of the essays in Handbook of Leadership Theory and Practice<\/u> describe similar concepts as we have utilized from Bobby Clinton\u2019s Leadership Emergence Theory<\/u>.[6]<\/a> Clinton posits a five-phase generalized timeline which includes Sovereign foundations, inner-life growth, ministry maturing, life maturing and convergence. He includes a sixth called afterglow for the elder years of reflection on a lived well lived. This lifetime development process of leadership is filled with what Clinton calls \u201ctesting patterns\u201d such as integrity, word and obedience checks, isolation and other somewhat unpleasant seasons and experiences.[7]<\/a> These have the potential to bring about some of the most difficult yet rewarding moments of personal transformation and development. They also reveal character and perseverance which are critical to resilience and finishing well.<\/p>\n

I devote much of my time and energy to the topic of leadership development in the church as discipling, training and sending are the central focus of our purpose. The concept of a deliberately developmental organization seems to be on the rise as the world feels the leadership vacuum that exists. \u201cAnyone who has ever suffered under an incompetent leader knows the local toll it takes, and it\u2019s not hard to imagine how it multiplies at the highest levels of organization and society.\u201d[8]<\/a> The incompetent leadership we have encountered in the church has to do with a lack of holistic development, not just skill set. We use the triad of heart (personal transformation), head (ministry formation) and hand (skill formation) to frame our developmental process. This has become my personal focus because<\/em> much of my work is also cleaning up the damage done by poor leadership. Unfortunately, in the church it is not just reputation or financial loss that results, but far weightier matters, the destruction of hearts and often a crisis of faith for many.<\/p>\n

Given the consequences of poor leadership as well as the impact of good leadership it is vital to intentionally develop leaders. As the authors stated,<\/p>\n

Even if some leaders are \u2018born,\u2019 there clearly aren\u2019t enough such gifted people to go around, and we need all the help we can get. It is time to move past the na\u00efve notion that mastery of leadership can be achieved in the classroom or through piecemeal application of human resource programs and tools. Taking leadership development seriously means using experience wisely to help those with sufficient dedication and desire to learn the craft. It will not come easily.<\/em>[9]<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It is no wonder Jesus said \u201cthe workers are few\u201d and to \u201cmake disciples.\u201d[10]<\/a> Are leaders born? Some, but not enough, and even those need intentional development. I am reminded of LGP9\u2019s host at St. Stephen\u2019s Society in Hong Kong. When one of us commented on the number of leaders they have and asked how they identify them, she looked rather puzzled at us and said, \u201cWe grow everybody and see what Jesus does!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [1] Alberto Silva, \u201cWhat is Leadership?\u201d Journal of Business Studies Quarterly
\n2016, Volume 8, Number 1, http:\/\/jbsq.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/September_2016_1.pdf<\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [2] Nitin Nohria and Rakesh Khurana eds., Handbook of Leadership Theory and Practice <\/em>(Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing, 2010), 21.<\/a><\/p>\n

[3] Ibid, 122, 287.<\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [4] I Corinthians 12:27-29, Romans 12:8 NET<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

[5] Nohria and Khurana, 614.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

[6] J. Robert Clinton, The Making of a Leader, Second Edition: Recognizing the Lessons and Stages of Leadership Development <\/em>(Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2012), ii.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

[7] Ibid., ix.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

[8] Nohria and Khurana, 705.<\/a><\/p>\n

[9] Ibid.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

[10] Matthew 28:18, 9:37 NET<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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