In the modern world, symbolized by the Cold War, life was compartmentalized, regimented and strictly organized. Leadership in the corporate world and the church was highly regimented. For several centuries, leadership was defined by industrial society. We were in the business of producing and making things. Leaders defined themselves as managers. Authority in the modern world was based upon rules, roles and organizational structures.

With the passing of the modern into the post-modern (and beyond??), what does this mean for leaders?

Photo by oldcockatoo

The other day I posted the first two parts of a 3 part series on SHAFTED, a model of leadership presented by Robert and Janine Donaldson.

The first aspect was to know, develop and work to your leadership STRENGTHS.

The second was to understand and fix your leadership FATAL FLAW.

The third and final element is:

Work with your TEAM to achieve the rest

The Changing World

In the modern world, symbolized by the Cold War, life was compartmentalized, regimented and strictly organized. Leadership in the corporate world and the church was highly regimented. For several centuries, leadership was defined by industrial society. We were in the business of producing and making things. Leaders defined themselves as managers. Authority in the modern world was based upon rules, roles and organizational structures.

Jimmy Long. The Leadership Jump. Intervarsity Press.

The Leader’s Position

With the passing of the modern into the post-modern (and beyond??), what does this mean for leaders?

From Heroic Leader to Post-Heroic Leader

Heroic leaders were characterised by individualism, assertiveness and dominance. They were responsible to determine the direction, find the right answers and carry out traditional management functions.

Post-Heroic Leaders build strong leadership teams to share the responsibility. They:

• share power;
• invite rather than coerce;
• recognize rather than manipulate
• engage rather than separate; and
• serve rather than rule

From Guarded to Vulnerable

Leaders today should follow Paul’s example (2 Corinthians 12:7-10) and be willing to admit weaknesses so they can rest in God’s strength.

An attitude of vulnerability will be both freeing to the leader and give more freedom to the people they lead to admit weakness. The result will be a lot more freedom for people to be themselves.

From Positional Authority to Earned Authority

I know I’m skeptical about all types of hierarchical authority. The time for positional authority has passed. Leaders need to earn the respect and trust of people, not expect it because of a title!

The Leader’s Role

From Task to Community

Although the next quote is about the church, I believe it is something all leaders should take careful note of.

It would do us well to remember that our job is to help people with their lives rather than build infrastructures that help institutions stay alive. Sometimes we focus so much on building a “healthy church” that we forget to tend to the health of the people.

Joseph Myers. Organic Community. Grand Rapids: Baker.

From Directing to Empowering

I have worked for leaders who led from a facade of omni-competence and the best I could hope for was to be an implementer of their vision and their decisions. I have also worked for leaders who… invited me to participate as a peer and really lead. I’ll take the latter any day.

Nancy Ortberg. Ministry Team Diagnostics.

For people who have grown up with the idea of power as strength, control and top-down direction, re-thinking the definition of power is a struggle. Yet re-thinking the definition of power and how it is applied is key to defining the essence of leadership for the emerging age.

Jerold Apps. Leadership for the Emerging Age.

From Destination to Journey

Leaders of the past had all the answers and knew how to tell others the answers. The leaders of the future, however, will not necessarily know enough to tell people what to do. They will, instead, be people who know how to ask questions.

Jimmy Long

The existing, modern leader leads through building a great empire and using it for the common good.

The emerging, postmodern, catalytic leader leads through influence, using the collateral he or she has acquired through trust or respect.

Leadership’s Future

From Aspiring to Inspiring

Leading in a team environment requires a new set of leadership characteristics.

The leaders of the future will have to be less task oriented and more community oriented. They will have less personal ambition and more compassion. They will be able to lead in a chaotic present and an uncertain future.

The most important characteristics that leaders need to bring to the team are:

• Trust
• Compassion
• Stability
• Hope

Gallup poll:2005-2008

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