I think a lot about learning. I suppose that is because learning is central to what I do as a professor. I wonder how people learn. I am intrigued by the different levels of learning. There is superficial learning that is easy because it does not challenge our core assumptions. Then there is deep learning that is difficult because it challenges our self conception. How we learn should be a concern of all leaders. Learning,…
In this series of posts, I have been taking us through Marquardt and Berger’s eight competencies of an effective global leader for the 21st century and comparing them to what we know about the life of Jesus Christ. The purpose has been to get us to look at Jesus not just as the Son of God or as a great moral teacher, but as a leader. How does Jesus fair when tested through the grid…
Though it may sound strange to modern ears, the business world has witnessed a growing interest in spirituality in the workplace. Thus Marquardt and Berger list “Spirituality” as one of the qualities of a successful global leader. They write: Many cutting-edge leaders are helping their companies set off on spiritual journeys that are attempts to create a sense of meaning and purpose at work and a connection between the company and its people (p. 26).…
Another characteristic that Marquardt and Berger associate with successful global leadership is what they call a “global mindset.” According to them, these leaders display certain behaviors and outlooks that help them rise above other leaders. One of those outlooks is that they have a “unifying global vision” (v. 19). Did Jesus have a unifying global vision? Let’s take a look. One passage that sheds light on this questions is John chapter 4, where we read…
In his classic book, Servant Leadership, Robert Greenleaf stated that servant leadership “begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead” (p. 434). Greenleaf was writing to the organizational world of late twentieth century. In his view of things, the time was rapidly coming when people would no longer tolerate the command-and-control leadership behavior of the past. He launched the “servant leader”…
