What Should Go and What Should Stay

This week’s Lincoln on Leadership podcast consisted of interviews with a number of different leaders who hold various kinds of leadership positions speaking to what they thought about leadership. Specifically, they were asked to speak to what aspects of leadership theory or practice that leaders are hanging on to from the last century that ought to be jettisoned as we get ready to enter the second decade of this new century. I urge you to listen to their answers by clicking here or onto the podcast icon on the web page.

After you have listened in join the discussion by commenting at the end of this blog. Don’t forget that we want to hear from you your ideas are important and we can learn from each other as we share from our research, experiences, and our reflections on leadership.

In the next few days (probably early the week of July 19) on the Hargrove Leadership webpage you will find a link go active to forums, and we want your participation in these. Our desire is that the forums will be a way to share what you have learned about leadership or a place to ask questions and get answers. My hope is that you will begin to think of the Hargrove Leadership Institute and its webpage as your toolbox. The desire of the staff, faculty, and administration of Lincoln Christian University is that you will see Lincoln as a place to continue to learn and to get real life answers to your real life problems.

You might be wondering what my thoughts are about the question of what needs to go and what needs to stay in regard to leadership. Well, my take is not so much about what needs to go but what I learned in the last century that I think we ought to keep. I learned the value of leading with a purpose and I am still doing my best to lead from with purpose in mind. Not just any purpose, but a purpose that is rooted in theology. When I first began teaching as an adjunct professor in the 1990’s I told my students “Know your theology, know your purpose.” What I wanted my students to understand is that leadership that is not rooted in a theological or biblical worldview is not going to be sustainable. Sustainable leadership or leadership that survives the verities and difficulties of the day-to-day is leadership that is not coming from books or current fads.

My suggestion to all who read this blog is to do your theology first and allow your leadership purpose, philosophy, and methods to rise from your theology. I know that for most of you this statement is a “duh.” If that is the case I am glad. But I am wondering if you are assuming that your leadership is rooted in a sound theological understanding or if you have actually done the work. I am not judging anyone- I am only observing that many people dance around the edge and speak one way about leadership and act in completely different ways. So that is why I am looking for folks to share what they have learned about leadership from their study. Join in the discussion and let’s learn together.

Our Mission and Method

The Hargrove Leadership Institute’s mission is to nurture and equip Christian Leaders with a biblical worldview to serve and lead in their chosen profession with professional competency. What does that mean? First, it means that we will always be focused on how a biblical worldview impacts how we think, feel, and act regarding leadership and management topics. We want those who avail themselves of the Leadership Institute’s many programs to think about leadership and management using a biblical matrix (orthodoxy) to inform their practice (orthopraxy) and to shape their heart (orthopathy). Perhaps a simpler way to say it is that we want to help Christian ministry professionals to have their head, heart, and hands in sync because they have a clear understanding of how biblical worldview thinking impacts how they lead and manage their ministry.

Second, we are committed to helping Christian leaders to further develop new skills and new perspectives in the area of leadership they are currently working. That means if you are the director of a crisis pregnancy center you will receive education and training that will help you be a better leader of your ministry and a better manager of the resources that you have available to you. If you are a youth minister you will find resources and programming that will help you be the best youth minister you can be. If you are a nursing home administrator you will find resources and programs to help you. Christian counselors working in parachurch counseling centers or working in a-for-profit counseling center will receive the CEUs necessary to stay current with their license and the field. No matter what area of leadership you are focused on, Lincoln Christian University wants to become your first stop for information and programming to help you be a competent leader.

Professional competency is increasing important in these difficult financial times. Christian leaders in mission agencies, food pantries, crisis pregnancy centers, Christian camps, parachurch youth ministries are all struggling to help their organization survive in this economy. It is no different for ministers, the economic crunch impacts churches as well, so it is important for all leaders to be competent. The truth is; there is very little wiggle room any longer. Being loved by your ministry or church board may not be enough. They can love you but they also need for you to be well-informed and competent. Our resources will help you answer questions that you have about a variety of leadership issues in order that you can avoid mistakes, spinning your wheels, or being ill-informed.

How will we accomplish this? We are committed to both formal and informal continuing professional development (CPD) programs. Formal programs will include CEU seminars for counseling professionals. It will also include a variety of certificate programs that will provide completers of the program professional credentials that demonstrate the holder has both understanding and skills to increase their competency. We will continue to sponsor community-wide events that strengthen area churches as we have been doing in Decatur and Danville the past several years. Informal means we will be utilizing web-based methods to provide 24/7 access to important information and skill development materials. This will include weekly podcasts, blogs, and forums. Early in 2011 we have fully online non degree courses in a variety of areas that will help individuals strengthen their skills or to receive training and development in new areas of leadership.

How can you help us help you? I want to invite you to use the comment section of this blog to share with us what professional development means to you. What is it that the Hargrove Leadership Institute can do to help you? What topics would you like us to address? What kinds of tools would you suggest we use to make the information you need available? Share with us what you think so that we can serve you as best we can.

Next week the blog will contain comments made by a variety of leaders at the North American Christian Convention about the state of leadership as we move into the second decade of the new century. Out podcast next week will be focused in on the same topic. It should be an interesting discussion and we will want you to weigh in on the topic as well next week.