{"id":24530,"date":"2019-10-23T09:26:01","date_gmt":"2019-10-23T16:26:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=24530"},"modified":"2019-10-23T09:26:01","modified_gmt":"2019-10-23T16:26:01","slug":"kets-de-vries-fables","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/kets-de-vries-fables\/","title":{"rendered":"Kets de Vries Fables"},"content":{"rendered":"

Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries happens to be one of the worlds \u201cleading thinkers on leadership, coaching, and the application of clinical psychology to individual and organizational change\u201d[1]<\/a> and his recent collection Down the Rabbit Hole of Leadership<\/em> is both highly readable and easily applicable.\u00a0 In fact, most of the chapters were \u201coriginally written as mini-articles (blogs) for the Harvard Business Review<\/em> and INSEAD Knowledge<\/em>,\u201d[2]<\/a> whose initial audience read them with the intent of putting the wisdom shortly into practice.\u00a0 Each chapter includes nuggets of practical advice, written in an impressive blend of academic, yet conversational prose.\u00a0 Additionally, each chapter concludes with a brief anecdote providing additional color and the opportunity for further reflection regarding the theme that was discussed throughout the chapter.\u00a0 These anecdotes reminded me of the wisdom found in Aesop\u2019s Fables<\/em>, as Kets de Vries proves he is both an educator and a storyteller.<\/p>\n

Speaking of storytelling, Kets\u2019 de Vries many chapters on power, narcissism, dictators and \u201cTrumpmania\u201d[3]<\/a> were quote enlightening, however, the chapter that most struck me was chapter 11 \u201cA Tale of Two Organizations: Creating Best Places to Work.\u201d[4]<\/a>\u00a0 Kets de Vries names these best place organizations, \u201cauthentizotic,\u201d a name he created by combining Greek terms that refer to the organizations vitality to the life of the worker, as well as how true the work is to the workers value system.[5]<\/a>\u00a0 Yet before an organization can reach this \u201cauthentizotic\u201d point, many things must first be done, the first is to develop trust, and one of the ways Kets de Vries suggests doing this is through the act of testimony.[6]<\/a><\/p>\n

Now, he does not use the term testimony, instead he uses the term narration, however the definition has more than a hint of liturgical application. \u201cBeing able to tell our personal story to a group of people who listen in a respectful manner has a strong emotional impact . . . provides the opportunity to experience and transform deeply troubling or repetitive life themes, helping us to better understand why . . . issues keep holding us back.\u201d[7]<\/a>\u00a0 The opportunity to intimately share with colleagues in a trusting and supportive space forms a bond and unifies the work force.\u00a0 \u201cFurthermore, while listening to other people\u2019s life stories, we may realize that we are not alone . . . we may come to understand that others, too struggle. . . in the process of giving each other mutual support, all the participants become part of a real, supportive community.\u201d[8]<\/a><\/p>\n

Kets de Vries here beautifully describes the power in sharing our stories.\u00a0 As a Presbyterian, far too often we do not share our faith stories.\u00a0 For better or worse, our tradition has encouraged a majority of us to worship more with our mind than our heart, and certainly more with our mind than our mouths.\u00a0 The moniker \u201cfrozen chosen\u201d is both poignant and pathetic.\u00a0 However, many church leaders are encouraging congregations to challenge that history and invite public testimony into the worship space.\u00a0 Diana Butler Bass[9]<\/a>, Lillian Daniel[10]<\/a>, and Jim Antal[11]<\/a> all write poetically about the beauty and power of experiencing another individual\u2019s faith story during worship; how they were moved, how they were challenged, and how that emotional touchpoint, inspired them to deeper faith and more passionate prayer.<\/p>\n

I was recently reminded that the reformed liturgy is not about the clergy or space, but is really the work of the people, coming together to share, imagine, inspire and praise.\u00a0 Can we create \u201cauthentizotic\u201d worship spaces?\u00a0 What would need to change? What would they look like?\u00a0 And if that was somehow created, how would our worship experience be different?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries, Down the Rabbit Hole of Leadership: Leadership Pathology in Everyday Life<\/em>, (Cham, Switzerland: Palmgrave Macmillan, 2019), vii.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Kets de Vries, Down the Rabbit Hole,<\/em> 14.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Kets de Vries, Down the Rabbit Hole<\/em>, 25.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Kets de Vries, Down the Rabbit Hole<\/em>, 81.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Kets de Vries, Down the Rabbit Hole<\/em>, 83.<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> Kets de Vries, Down the Rabbit Hole<\/em>, 83-85.<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> Kets de Vries, Down the Rabbit Hole, 85.<\/p>\n

[8]<\/a> Kets de Vries, Down the Rabbit Hole, 85.<\/p>\n

[9]<\/a> Diana Butler Bass, Christianity for the Rest of Us<\/em>, (New York: Harper One, 2007), 129.<\/p>\n

[10]<\/a> \u201cTestimony Worship Guidelines,\u201d Lillian Daniel, accessed October 23, 2019, http:\/\/www.lilliandaniel.com\/books.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[11]<\/a> Jim Antal, Climate Church, Climate World: How People of Faith Must Work for Change<\/em>, (Lanham: Rowan & Littlefield, 2018), 105.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries happens to be one of the worlds \u201cleading thinkers on leadership, coaching, and the application of clinical psychology to individual and organizational change\u201d[1] and his recent collection Down the Rabbit Hole of Leadership is both highly readable and easily applicable.\u00a0 In fact, most of the chapters were \u201coriginally written as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":108,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1665,536,704,1068],"class_list":["post-24530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-down-the-rabbit-hole-of-leadership","tag-kets-de-vries","tag-kets-devries","tag-manfred-kets-de-vries","cohort-lgp9"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24530"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24530\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24531,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24530\/revisions\/24531"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}