{"id":41609,"date":"2025-04-10T17:58:51","date_gmt":"2025-04-11T00:58:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=41609"},"modified":"2025-04-10T17:58:51","modified_gmt":"2025-04-11T00:58:51","slug":"the-loving-leader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/the-loving-leader\/","title":{"rendered":"The Loving Leader"},"content":{"rendered":"

Throughout this semester, several recurring themes have emerged in my mind based on the books we read and our discussions as a cohort. One theme is that the world is in a challenging place. Even though the wisest man declared that \u201cthere is nothing new under the sun,\u201d[1]<\/a> we are facing systemic issues, some of which are stubborn and unrelenting. Secondly, there is the reassurance that God is firmly in control of everything happening in and around us. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End[2]<\/a>. Thirdly, a reminder that there is important work for us to do \u201cat such a time as this\u201d within our individual spheres of influence. As Jules Glanzer rightly states, \u201cWhenever God calls someone to a task, it is always larger than any one person can accomplish.\u201d[3]<\/a><\/p>\n

Musical and theatrical connections <\/strong><\/p>\n

This week\u2019s reading, The Sound of Leadership: Kingdom Notes to Fine Tune Your Life and Influence by Jules Glanzer, has been insightful, affirming, and reassuring. It is insightful because I\u2019d never thought of leadership as having a \u201csound\u201d that could vary depending on the notes on the musical scale. It is affirming because Jules continues to reinforce the message of being self-differentiated leaders. Simon P. Walker\u2019s book gave us the same message but with a theatrical illustration. Walker\u2019s case for undefended leadership hinges on the inner work a leader does in the \u201cbackstage\u201d that has implications on what people see and experience in the \u201cfront stage. ” Jules also states that \u201ca leader\u2019s voice, tone, and mood are an expression of his inner being,\u201d and that \u201cleadership is being <\/em>that results in doing.<\/em> Who you are determines how you lead. How you lead flows from who you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

With all the various forms of distractions confronting modern-day leaders, I sense that this is God\u2019s call for us: to engage in inner work. Henri Nouwen illustrates this beautifully by describing spiritual discernment as the ability to hear a deeper sound beneath the noise of ordinary life and to see beyond appearances to the interconnectedness of all things. This perspective allows us to gain insight into how everything fits together (theoria physike) <\/em>in our lives and in the world[4]<\/a>. It is reassuring because if we commit to inner work, leading authentically becomes natural and doesn’t require a rigid set of goals or a personal plan.<\/p>\n

How might we work on the inner tone of our lives? <\/strong><\/p>\n

There are many gems in Jules’ book but the following principles stood out for me from the reading this week: –<\/p>\n