Africa – The Rise of an Emerging Leadership Generation

Posted: February 12, 2013 in Generations, Missional Leadership
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EthiopiaDuring a recent visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, I had the privilege of being part of the launching of an Emerging Leadership Network for Africa. This is a huge step in the right direction as I strongly believe the time for Africa to stand up and take its rightful place in the world of global missions has arrived.

Under the covering, leadership and guidance of the Movement for Africa National Initiatives (MANI), five of us gathered for three days to share stories from our own regions and our desire to see a more unified voice on the continent. On Saturday we had the opportunity to meet a group of younger leaders from Ethiopia and heard how they too desire a more unified platform from where they can be more effective in that which they are already doing.

Although much can be said on our time together, I thought it good to post a few comments made by these younger leaders as they viewed the way forward as an Emerging Leadership Generation (ELG).

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Global North vs Global South

Posted: December 31, 2012 in Generations, Missional Leadership
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salt_of_the_earth11One of the more discussed topics currently circulating the mission world is that of the ‘global north vs the global south’. With many referring to the global south now leading the way as to how missions are to be done, the question from those in the global north are what their responsibility heron forward should be.

Calisto Odede of Nairobi, Kenya, refers to the people of the south as the ‘people from the 11th hour’. Reading from Matthew 20, he acknowledge the great momentum people from the north gave in spreading the gospel amongst those in the south. However, although those who came early have been part of the mission movement much longer, their responsibility is not greater than those who arrived on the 11th hour. As those of the south start to take their responsibility within God’s mission movement, they are not to be seen as late comers, but us fellow workers who are to receive the same payment at the end.

Stories of great missionary legends such as David Livingstone are well known in mission circles around the world, which is great. But how many people know the names of ‘Chuma’ and ‘Susi’? The unknown heroes who carried his body for five month to the coast where it was then taken to Britain. We would not have known about the story if it wasn’t for these two men; people from the 11th hour.

The situation in the South is changing, very quickly. The question is not as much how the global north is to adapt, or what the south is about to do, but rather how we are to ensure the gospel is taken from everywhere to everywhere?
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‘Leading with a Limp’ (Dan B. Allender)

Posted: November 30, 2012 in Book Reviews, Missional Leadership
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limp-bookEvery now and then I come across a book that forces me to stop, and reflect on my current leadership style; ‘Leading with a Limp’ is one of them. Most of the time people are encouraged to lead from a place of strength. Admitting to one’s weaknesses and struggles are often seen as inappropriate in our western culture, however Allender challenges this worldview. His book ‘Leading with a Limp’ reminds us that “if you are a leader, you’re in the battle of your life,” and therefore leading from your point of weakness might just be the edge you need. Allender summarizes it as follow, “to the degree you face and name and deal with your failures as a leader, to that same extent you will create an environment conducive to growing and retaining productive and committed colleagues”.

Married with three children, Dan B. Allender is the founder of Mars Hill Graduate School, Seattle. Previously served as the president, he is a professor in counseling, a therapist in private practice, and a popular speaker. He is the author of numerous books including ‘To Be Told’, ‘How Children Raise Parents’, ‘The Healing Path’, and ‘The Wounded Heart’.
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‘How to Grow Leaders’ (John Adair)

Posted: November 22, 2012 in Book Reviews, Missional Leadership
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I just love the way John Adair begins his book by setting the parameters of his personal understanding of leadership. It is as if he invites you on a journey into the unknown, and explains the way you are going to get there. “It is the art of influencing a body of people to follow a certain course of action; the art of controlling them, directing them and getting the best out of them. A major part of leadership is Man-Management

‘How to Grow Leaders’ is an experiential story of Adair’s “personal odyssey” in his discovering of leadership. With many years of experience and often referred to as “one of Britain’s foremost authorities on leadership in organisations”, Adair recently received the title of Honorary Professor in recognition of his ‘outstanding research and contribution in the field of Leadership’ by the People’s Republic of China. Being the first professor in Leadership Studies at the University of Surrey, he has been the author of more than 30 books on the subject of leadership.
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Millennials and Infographics

Posted: November 19, 2012 in Generations
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Recently it has become a norm for people to use infographics to communicate statistics, research findings, and trends. Designing an infographic can be a difficult and research-intensive task. From all the research that is involved to making sure the design conveys the right message, some say it’s art, others would say it’s a science. (Designdisease)

In the digital age, the saying has never been more relevant; A picture is worth a thousand words. To cope with the daily onslaught of information we’ve become content grazers, skimming headlines and post descriptions for the promise of bite-sized nuggets of information. (Intersection Consulting)

Infographics are easy to digest, easy to share, and create great brand awareness. However not all infographics tell the whole story, or in some cases tell any story. Building an infographic requires some research by itself to avoid the unwanted of just being a cumulation of graphs, fancy art work and color use. (Speckyboy) Read the rest of this entry »

Global Influence requires Global Leadership

Posted: November 3, 2012 in Missional Leadership
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When I first heard the term ‘Global Leadership’ my thoughts were about people who have ‘really made’ it in leadership; those who are recognized around the world as a good leader. The people who came to mind were those writing books about leadership, presidents of countries, major businessmen and women who have developed global businesses, and people working for global organisations such as the United Nations (UN).

As time progressed and my interest in leadership grew, I realised that many of these men and women were all normal people; some with influence and some without. Some have the ability to lead well when change was needed, and some were merely in a position due to democratic processes.

Today as we find so many different understandings as to what leadership really is, the added subjective of ‘Global’ adds to the complexity of defining a basic explanation. Northouse, in his book ‘Leadership; Theory and Practice’, states that, amongst other things four primary aspects of leadership exist; leadership is a process, leadership involves influence, leadership occurs in groups, and leadership includes attention to common goals (Northouse, 2010, p3). Read the rest of this entry »

“Small is the new BIG”

Posted: October 29, 2012 in Missional Leadership
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Article also available on Connect Magazine…

Everyone would agree that the way we used to do things ten years ago is massively different from the way we do things today. There is no guarantee that what worked with a previous generation will be as effective with a new one. This is especially true in a missions context.  Being involved with missions for the last fifteen years, I have seen some very interesting ways in which people are raising funds for the causes they believe in. I can still recall the first day I realised that my life was going to be different from that of a traditional missionary, and I had to walk away from the norm into the unknown. Financial security was not a given, and the possibility of entering a new month without any finances was a huge possibility.  After seeking counsel, reading numerous books and talking to many veteran missionaries, my journey started. I used my best writing skills, gathered the greatest photos available, and designed a newsletter explaining what I was about to do. I requested various forms of support from different people. Because many people knew about the importance of sending the gospel to all, and because they already had busy schedules, it was easier for them to give and to allow me to do the witnessing on their behalf.  Read the rest of this entry »

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