{"id":40693,"date":"2025-02-18T01:48:53","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T09:48:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=40693"},"modified":"2025-02-18T01:53:03","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T09:53:03","slug":"himalayan-adventure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/himalayan-adventure\/","title":{"rendered":"Himalayan Adventure"},"content":{"rendered":"

I was in seminary, and one of the required classes focused on leadership. It was one of the most pointless classes I had ever attended. First, I had a terrible teacher who didn\u2019t seem to care about us (you\u2019d think he would, especially considering it was a seminary). All he cared about was sharing the best quotes on leadership, and that was it. Don\u2019t get me wrong; I appreciate a good quote, particularly those from Poole, Eve in Leadersmithing: Revealing the Trade Secrets of Leadership<\/em>. At that time, seminary was all about knowledge without any practical application. As Poole says, \u201cLeadership is not an innate talent; it is a craft to be learned, honed, and practiced.\u201d[1] I admire how she emphasizes experience over mere knowledge. Poole’s idea about leadersmithing exercises makes much more sense today, especially when everyone online claims to be an expert on how this world should be led. Putting it into practice creates habits, so the more we practice, the better we become.<\/p>\n

I appreciate her emphasis on progressive leadership. Relying on traditional leadership fosters a complacent mindset. It would be nice if I only had to memorize quotes instead of depending on my “muscle memory.” Although I dreaded waking up at 5:45 am for CrossFit and working out every morning, I can confidently say I was in the best physical shape of my life! The ring muscle-ups felt like an unattainable goal on day one, but a few years later, they became a regular part of my daily workout routine. She says, \u201cWe learn best by doing, not just by thinking. True leadership development occurs in the moment, through experience and repetition.\u201d[2] If I want to look good (yes, I do!), I have to push myself out of bed to lift weights, eat healthy, and get plenty of sleep! \u201cIf leadership were easy, everyone would do it.\u201d[3]<\/p>\n

I will never forget my trip to Nepal, where a team of twenty-one trekked for twoo the heart of t solid weeks in the Himalayan mountains. This journey was designed to teach us how to lead a team in challenging situations. Our goal was to reach an elevation of 18,000 feet, covering 100 miles while contending with constantly ascending and descending conditions! I remember the days when it was my turn to lead the group; let me tell you, it was no easy task. I made a few mistakes, but I learned a lot about teamwork and the importance of clear communication, such as ensuring everyone stays hydrated, making the right turns, and knowing how to address people without hurting their understanding of their pride or the mountain. At the end of the day, my group had the opportunity to evaluate my leadership. Poole describes four important questions in chapter three: What happened? What did you do? What was the outcome? What will you do differently next time? These were quite similar to the questions posed to me. For the purpose of personal leadership growth, we should evaluate ourselves and be evaluated by others so that through difficulties and failures, we are shaped into becoming better leaders. James 1:12, \u201cBlessed is the one who perseveres under trial\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

I may not have logged 10,000 hours or mastered everything about \u201cLeadersmithing\u201d during my two-week trek through the Himalayan mountains. Still, I can tell you this: it was a million times better than taking a leadership class at seminary with a teacher who didn\u2019t care about me. In Poole\u2019s fourth chapter, she makes important points about skills that every leader must know: 1. Pausing before reacting; 2. Asking questions instead of giving orders; 3. Practicing active listening; 4. Making quick yet thoughtful decisions.[5]<\/p>\n

As a pastor, I interact with many people each day. Given my numerous responsibilities, I admit that I can become a bit cranky. Experiencing a wide range of emotions, I mustn\u2019t jump to conclusions; instead, I should give myself enough time to cool off and respond. \u201cA leader without emotional intelligence is like a driver without brakes \u2013 fast, but dangerous.\u201d[6] Nothing less than patience and pausing can lead to toxic and unhealthy leadership. We have all encountered those leaders who seem intent on making our lives difficult. The more I get to know them, the more I can discern whether they are in leadership to get things for themselves or because they genuinely want to serve and do what is right. Poole talks about leaders\u2019 values, character, and being a good role model. \u201cA leader who thinks they have all the answers is already on the path to failure.\u201d[7]<\/p>\n

Even though it wasn\u2019t easy to ascend and descend 100 miles in elevation, reaching heights of 18,000 feet (the toughest hike I\u2019ve ever done), it resonated with what Poole discusses in Leadersmithing about the importance of honing that skill\u2014having the right tools, learning techniques, managing my emotions, and most importantly, genuinely caring for others! As challenging as it was, I will never forget the beauty of the Himalayas, seeing numerous domestic yaks and monkeys, meeting some of the nicest people in the world, enjoying plenty of chai, visiting temples, and getting to know the locals! Despite the challenges of leadership, there is a golden reward worth striving for! My advice: get a plane ticket and hike the Himalayas; it\u2019s worth it.<\/p>\n

[1] Poole, page 3<\/p>\n

[2] Poole, page 25<\/p>\n

[3] Poole, page 53<\/p>\n

[4] The Bible \u2013 James 1:12<\/p>\n

[5] Poole, chapter 4<\/p>\n

[6] Poole, page 102<\/p>\n

[7] Poole, page 133<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was in seminary, and one of the required classes focused on leadership. It was one of the most pointless classes I had ever attended. First, I had a terrible teacher who didn\u2019t seem to care about us (you\u2019d think he would, especially considering it was a seminary). All he cared about was sharing the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":226,"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":[],"class_list":["post-40693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","cohort-dlgp04"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40693","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\/226"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40693"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40693\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40696,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40693\/revisions\/40696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40693"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40693"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}