Leadership and Control
Not processed much or posted much around leadership for a while.
But have seen a few things where leadership ends up looking like power and control, rather than leadership. Always a danger for us I think, and for me I see that in the Baptist context it can sometimes result in one person having a lot of power/responsibility, so much so that it becomes their identity (and it is often not the minister).

Len is helpful as ever, in a recent post on leadership and listening.
Quick quote:
'“leadership” itself has become almost useless as a word, carrying the awkward baggage of modernity and hierarchy, managerial measures and technocratic traffic; at its worst “command and control"'.

He goes on to talk about leadership as a process, not a "heroic individual", which is very helpful.

Discipleship & Leadership
Just doing some reading/thinking around discipleship for my next MA assignement.
Came accross this quote from Alan Hirsch's Forgotten Ways:
"the quality of the church's leadership is directly proportional to the quality of discipleship"

What he seems to be saying is that if you want to raise up leaders then you've got to do the discipleship thing well. But it could also be read in a way that says "churches get the leaders they deserve". Is that true? Or do "leaders get churches in thier image" or both - depending on who has the "power"?

(on a seperate note - anybody know what the deal is with Blogger's spell check? Seems to be not working - so sorry if this post has errors!!!)

Becoming Missional
'Leaders become permissional and missional when they:
1)Become less purpose-driven and more dream sensitive
2) Create an atmosphere of inquiry rather than one where questions are stifled.
3) Help others "colour outside the lines" rather than looking for prefabricated performances'
(from Cooke & Goodell: Permission Granted to do Church Differently, p94).

Is there a tension between leading people somewhere and being releasing or is that merely based on modern mechanistic notions of going somewhere, and mission as based on programmes and "attraction"?