{"id":39628,"date":"2024-11-21T21:43:36","date_gmt":"2024-11-22T05:43:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=39628"},"modified":"2024-11-22T01:38:19","modified_gmt":"2024-11-22T09:38:19","slug":"the-vital-role-of-community-in-finding-balance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/the-vital-role-of-community-in-finding-balance\/","title":{"rendered":"The vital role of community in finding balance"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have been reflecting deeply on authentic, relational community lately, especially its significance for Christian leaders. The further I journey in leadership, the more I recognize community’s essential role in sustaining leaders. A healthy community provides diverse perspectives, constructive feedback, and shared reflection\u2014offering mutual encouragement and growth. However, this kind of community can look different for everyone: it might be a group of close friends, trusted colleagues, a faith-based group, or family members. Regardless of its form, authentic community is vital for leaders seeking balance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Eve Poole insightfully states, \u201cOne way of defining \u2018sustainability\u2019 is about the health of each relationship we have.\u201d[1]<\/a> This perspective underscores how relationships serve as a foundation of support, helping leaders navigate the challenges of an imbalanced, dopaminergic world that constantly demands more.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lieberman and Long\u2019s insights in The Molecule of More<\/em> shed light on dopamine\u2019s role in driving relentless ambition and future-oriented thinking. They write, \u201cDopamine can only say, \u2018More.\u2019\u201d[2]<\/a> The authors further explain, \u201cIn many instances\u2026dopamine and H&N [Here-and-Now] get thrown out of balance, especially on the dopaminergic side<\/em>[3]<\/a>. The modern world drives us to be all dopamine, all the time.\u201d[4]<\/a> While dopamine is critical for setting goals and spurring progress, it often leaves individuals, especially leaders, restless and dissatisfied. For instance, Lieberman and Long describe a \u201cbusiness executive working in financial services [who] spent his days brooding over stock options, asset derivatives, foreign exchange rates, and other imaginary beasts. He was wealthy and miserable.\u201d[5]<\/a> This executive\u2019s experience exemplifies how unchecked dopamine-driven focus can trap leaders in cycles of imbalance and discontent.<\/span><\/p>\n

Similarly, leaders today are often pressured to stay in a perpetual state of forward motion, fixated on the future. Without intentional safeguards, this tendency can lead to burnout and frustration. As Lieberman and Long note, \u201cOnly H&N circuits can bring about feelings of satisfaction, feelings that the end has been reached and it\u2019s time to stop.\u201d[6]<\/a> H&N neurotransmitters like serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins enable leaders to pause, savor their accomplishments, and experience connection and fulfillment. However, these feelings are often suppressed by dopamine\u2019s unrelenting drive.<\/span><\/p>\n

Authentic, relational community offers a remedy to this imbalance by fostering spaces where leaders can experience the grounding effects of H&N neurotransmitters. Through meaningful relationships, leaders can find connection, trust, and emotional well-being\u2014creating an environment where they can truly be present. Singer-songwriter Andrew Peterson illustrates this when he speaks of \u201cthe humility of being in community with people who you\u2019ll truly listen to, who will help you to see when you need to change and when you need to stick to your guns.\u201d[7]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Now more than ever, leaders are being called to navigate uncharted waters, and attempting to do so alone will almost certainly lead to disaster. Peterson writes, \u201c…the point is that none of us can do it alone. There\u2019s no doubt in my mind that what\u2019s shaped me and my work more than any particular talent on my part has been living out a calling in the midst of a Christ-centered community. \u201d[8]<\/a> This reminder emphasizes the vital importance of community in leadership. In a world where isolation and individualism are often celebrated, strength is found in collaboration and shared wisdom. Lieberman and Long speak to the importance of relationships. They explain that most relationships serve both agentic and affiliative purposes, with agentic relationships focused on achieving goals and affiliative ones centered on social connection and enjoyment.[9]<\/a> However, I believe we are in desperate need of affiliative relationships. This affiliative type of relationship \u201c[is] for the purpose of enjoying social interactions. The simple pleasure of being with another person, experienced in the here and now.\u201d[10]<\/a> The authors continue, \u201c…if we neglect affiliative relationships, we will most likely lose the ability to be happy ourselves\u2026our brain needs affiliative relationships just to stay alive.\u201d[11]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Living overseas has deepened my appreciation for community’s vital role in our well-being, especially through its influence on dopamine and H&N neurotransmitters. A thriving community should foster connection, encourage collaboration, and strengthen resilience, enabling individuals to stay true to their values. In my experience overseas, I’ve often felt a gap. Life in a different country, with its unique pressures, can leave missionaries grappling with unchecked dopamine-driven goals and the challenges of isolation. Unsurprisingly, many struggle with longevity, spiritual vitality, or emotional health. I believe this often stems from underestimating the power of community and the affiliative relationships necessary for people to thrive. While we are eager to mobilize people for the Great Commission, there is often a lack of intentional focus on equipping missionaries with the supportive networks they need when overseas. Instead, many missionaries feel the burden of unrealistic expectations\u2014to produce more, to please churches and supporters while navigating the journey alone. A shift toward fostering a deeper, life-giving community could transform their personal health and their long-term impact. Ultimately, there is a need to shift from reactiveness to proactiveness when ensuring missionaries, pastors, etc., have affiliative relationships to help them “stay alive” and thrive.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Discovering and nurturing authentic community is not easy. It requires openness and vulnerability and makes us stop and be present. It requires the here and nows. However, this authentic community provides the support needed to balance the constant drive of dopamine with the fulfilling effects of H&Ns. By prioritizing these life-giving connections, leaders can thrive, experience joy, and persevere over the long haul.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What does community look like for you?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

[1]<\/a> Eve Poole, Leadersmithing: Revealing the Trade Secrets of Leadership<\/em> (London: Bloomsbury Business, 2017), 163, Kindle Edition.<\/span><\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Daniel Z. Lieberman and Michael E. Long, The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity\u2014and Will Determine the Fate of the Human Race<\/em> (Dallas: BenBella Books, 2018), 24, Kindle Edition.<\/span><\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Dopaminergic\u2014exhilarating, idealized, curious, future-looking.<\/span><\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Daniel Z. Lieberman and Michael E. Long, The Molecule of More<\/em>, 212, Kindle Edition.<\/span><\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Ibid, 220. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> Ibid, 176.<\/span><\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> Andrew Peterson, Adorning the Dark: Thoughts on Community, Calling, and the Mystery of Making<\/em> (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2019), 100, Kindle Version.<\/span><\/p>\n

[8]<\/a> Ibid, 4.<\/span><\/p>\n

[9]<\/a> Daniel Z. Lieberman and Michael E. Long, The Molecule of More, <\/em>75, Kindle Edition.<\/span><\/p>\n

[10]<\/a> Ibid.<\/span><\/p>\n

[11]<\/a> Daniel Z. Lieberman and Michael E. Long, The Molecule of More, <\/em>201, Kindle Edition.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have been reflecting deeply on authentic, relational community lately, especially its significance for Christian leaders. The further I journey in leadership, the more I recognize community’s essential role in sustaining leaders. A healthy community provides diverse perspectives, constructive feedback, and shared reflection\u2014offering mutual encouragement and growth. However, this kind of community can look different […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":208,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","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":[2967,2156],"class_list":["post-39628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dlgp03","tag-lieberman","cohort-dlgp03"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39628","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\/208"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39628"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39628\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39646,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39628\/revisions\/39646"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39628"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39628"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39628"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}