I dont want to lead. I want to participate. I think the group benefits more from my active participation than from me (or any other leader) spending my energy and time tending to group management.
The group benefits when some of its members (not necessarily all) have intentionally engaged in the work of the kingdom, or in our case, the things we do by giving, building, and going into the homes of the needy, have confronted, head on, the obstables and means of spiritual formation, and intentionally process that experience in the NCCZ. Who leads? The ones that do this. Doesn't matter which one it is. The learning and change that happens comes from that process, not from a set of skills of a trained group leader.
Some in the group may not have been intentional about the practice, and, consequently, may not have confronted or been as aware of the obstacles and means of spiritual formation. They can't really contribute much besides some ideas that may not have much basis in experience, unless they intentionally pay attention during the NCCZ. They are welcome to participate by coming along for the ride. If nothing else, they can be exposed to a model of what a dynamic small group looks like with a focus on intentional practice and discussing of the process of contemporary, relevant, meaningful spiritual formation.
They dont need a leader. They need models that are engaged and participating rather than leading.
The active, intentional participants also don't need a leader. They just need others on the same venture to work shoulder to shoulder with, to share the same experience with, to share the passion with. The synergy that comes from that group will create kingdom encounters. Now, thats a group I want to be a part of.
Whose in? Who will lock both hands with us and join the bed project?
4 comments:
Mark, this post demonstrates great leadership. Er, I mean, great coming-alongsideship.
We need a metaphor to describe it, how about a winning team without a coach. Nah, that doesn't really work. Okay, forget the metaphor I can't think of one. I can imagine a group that works together learning what needs to happen and making it happen, but in real life I can't spot many examples of it. I suppose they exist, but I bet the groups are very small. Like a successful family owned business where everyone learns all the tasks and because the additions to the organization are few no one the system works. I am guessing these organizations are very rare. Most every organizational model humans have included leadership. The first company I worked for out of college had a flat leadership system that worked well, but the founder of the company made an enormous leadership contribution to make it work. He was an amazing leader and created a culture that drew everyone toward ownership of the organization. He named his system "The Lattice". His company, W.L. Gore, has been in on top of the most desirable companies to work for, for many consecutive years. One basic attribute of the system is that if you joined the company and found it difficult to contribute without direction you became like a fish out of water. Most of the new hires that found themselves gasping, soon left on their own accord. It was amazing. I really liked working there. I worked there for 10 years. However, his system took an extremely diligent and intense amount of leadership so that the layers of leadership could be very few. I have the documents describing this system if you are interested.
All of that to say I agree with you. It may be idealistic but I have the hope that The Bed Project can be a culture of joint leadership. Let’s each seek, serve and be aware.
Keith
This is what the botched up sentence was supposed to read: Like a successful family owned business where everyone learns all the tasks and because the additions to the organization are few, the system works. Keith
Let's keep it simple, guys. We we lack is not the right business model or leadership style. Our primary concern is not to get more people to join us of get more money to build more beds. Our concern right now ought to be to get the beds done and delivered to Sheree's kids. Why? Because of compassion, that exceptional love that comes from the father. Without it, the whole endeavor is something else. We don't need a leader, we need compassion.
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