Mandela style leadership

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I caught Alan Hirsch’s blog on the leadership principles of Nelson Mandela, who is one of my all time heroes.

Here are his eight principles…

1. Courage is not the absence of fear — it’s inspiring others to move beyond it
2. Lead from the front — but don’t leave your base behind
3. Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front
4. Know your enemy — and learn about his favorite sport
5. Keep your friends close — and your rivals even closer
6. Appearances matter — and remember to smile
7. Nothing is black or white
8. Quitting is leading too

You can read more here.

As a reflection, I think I have heard them all before in some way or another apart from number 8. My instant reaction was that to quit was wrong and surely not part of leadership. Is quitting in this sense, though, any different to ‘knowing which battles to fight and which to leave?’

Ahead of me there is a point of principle that I wish to make a stand on. A number of people have, however, suggested to me that it would be wiser to choose my battles and that this one, although it may be honourable, is not worth fighting at this point in time. In that sense, then, it is good leadership to quit.

Quitting is leading to ….

end of an era

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Today has been an emotional day for me as it was my last day of working with Youth for Christ

There is so much that I will miss about YFC, which I am not sure many people who are not part of YFC will understand. YFC thrives on trust and faith. The trust I have been given, the atmosphere of encouragement rather than checking up on me, the constant brushing with creative and evangelistically passionate people, the great honesty between individuals and respect always shown are all things that have moulded me over these last 15 years or so.

I am going to desperately miss working in this environment – so whilst I look forward to what God has for me next through ordination and all that may or may not mean, as the day ends I will indulge myself in a little sadness as I leave the organisation and people that I have a massive heart of love for.

To start writing a new chapter, the page you are happy with has to be turned to reveal the terrifying opportunity of a blank page.

reawaken the dream

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TSK has resurrected his great poem about blogging here.
It’s a great poem and I love the ‘to reawaken childhood dreams’ line.

I find many people today who have forgotten how to dream, and forgotten what it is like to be a child. I have a belief that those who hold on to their childhood dream quality have a younger and more vibrant outlook on life.

I don’t mean people should hold onto all their dreams of younger years (such as being astronauts etc), although holing onto some and seeing them become reality should not be discouraged. But … I do think we should hold on to that child-like ability to be able to dream dreams for ourselves, and to see ourselves holding those places in our dreams.

Too often we listen to reasons why dreams cannot become reality but history is scattered with people who nrefused to listen to those reasons instead preferring to continue to put the effort in to see their dreams fulfilled.

I think we all could do well out of spot of ‘reawakening’ our dreaming ability.

Archbishop Rowan’s letter

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The Archbishop of Canterbury has written an open letter today, summing up his reflections on the Lambeth Conference.

I was encouraged to see this mission perspective given with voice to the stuff of real urgency of our time:

First, there was an overwhelming unity around the need for the Church to play its full part in the worldwide struggle against poverty ignorance and disease.

You can read the whole letter here.

Survivors

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It’s great to have Sarah and Tom back with the family from Soul Survivor. They have both been missed by the rest of us, and we have been very conscious of how incomplete we have been over the last 5 days.

Despite the wind and daily rain they have had an excellent time and they are both buzzing with stories of God’s actions in peoples lives – as you can see from Tom’s account here which both excited me and brought a tear to my eye.

mind the gap

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I heard those famous words ‘mind the gap’ yesterday as we were traveling around on the tube. It was the first time those words had made me think quite intently as to where I am at the moment.

I feel that I am in the gap – I can’t mind it or avoid it, as I have well and truly fallen into it!

A couple of days ago I met someone at the post office who asked if I was enjoying the slow down, and actually I was forced to admit that I am not particularly. I thought I would and planned to spend time reading, reflecting and so on … but I want to do something! To put this in context August is quite often quiet; but normally now I would be sorting my diary for September – November and planning any training I might be involved in and so although quiet, the month would be active. Obviously none of that is happening as I am leaving YFC.

I am leaving YFC, bit the pioneer minister role has not started yet. I am leaving and have nothing to fill the gap. I feel the gap has developed so I can’t step over it – so I have fallen in.

I don’t know if that makes sense, but I do not think this is a negative or wrong place to be. I think being in the gap is a learning place and a time of preparation. As I have been writing my mind has turned to Joseph being thrown into a well – his kind of gap which changed not only his life but his whole outlook and relationship with God.

The gap is not to be avoided. I wonder whether, instead, the gap is to be acknowledged, considered and fully experienced if I am to move on and more fully realise God’s call to mission.

For a task orientated person who loves to be busy, who feels pretty useless if he is not achieving stuff or planning projects, who loves to tick off completed tasks from his list it is, however, an uncomfortable place to be in.

Being uncomfortable does, however, upset the equilibrium which has to be positive if only because it causes you to justify where you are. As I look around to see what I can be taking of God from my gap experience I hope I can take the time and have the patience to climb out when the time is right.

man with a wooden leg

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We had a great day in London today. We drove to Greenwich North, parked the car and tubed to Covent Garden.

Joe and Beth loved the street entertainers and market before we grabbed a pizza hut buffet to give us energy to walk around the London Transport Museum. The picture shows them on top of one of the trams on display.

The museum was excellent (and all children are free!)and brought back loads of memories of what the tube used to be like. It was fascinating to see how the Victorians developed the tube and the funniest video quote of the day was on a small display explaining the use of escalators …. as it was all new and unusual people were scared to use the escalator and so ‘a man with a wooden leg was employed to travel up and down the escalator all day to show how easy it was’. It’s quite bizarre experiencing the values of past societies.

The weather was so great that we walked from Covent Garden along Southbank to the Tate Modern to grab a drink in the members room and sit on the balcony before tubing back to Greenwich and driving home.

Greenwich Park

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Greenwich parkThis afternoon we made a visit to Greenwich Park, wandered down the hill to the National Maritime Museum (a great freebie), play in the park, had an ice cream and then wandered through the flower garden to see the deers.

We were turning the corner and saying something along the lines of ‘they’ll be miles away on the other side of the field as they always are’ when we were met with a view similar to the one in the picture.

The experience immediately silenced the children. They were in awe. The sight was amazing as we watched this massive majestic creature, a red deer stag, graze within touching distance. After a while we wandered off and were amazed that there, in London, we had come so close to a creation wonder.

A great afternoon out.

more chinese ‘promises’

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Amid the numerous stories of the Chinese authorities “faking” parts of the Olympic ceremony, we must remember that another, more serious kind of deception is playing out in Beijing.

On 23 July this year the Chinese authorities announced that they would set up protest zones in three parks around Beijing where individuals would be allowed to express their grievances during the course of the Olympic Games. Everyone is of course still required to obtain advance permission from the police to protest in the zones but the point was, the Chinese authorities were promoting these parks as a tangible example of them meeting promises to improve human rights in China.

read more here

Dad alone

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A few hours ago I waved off Sarah and Tom as they went off to Soul Survivor. This will be Tom’s first major Christian festival as a teenager and so I’ll be really interested to see what he makes of it. It will also be Sarah’s last as a youth worker as she starts full time teaching in September.

This means I get to play dad alone for the next 5 days with Beth and Joe which I have not done for a little while and I am really looking forward to.