Anti Americanism and Leadership
11 Feb 2005
I got to spend Wednesday and then breakfast yesterday, with John Maxwell. After I advertised this event on my blog I had a few people, ask me, why I was going, surely Maxwell represented the modern church in all it’s evilness (my paraphrase)?
Well here are my reasons and thoughts on going, and why I enjoyed the time with him.
1. I want to learn from anywhere I can. If I can go hear someone from the Orthodox church in funny clothes share something I find helpful without me needing to buy into the way they do church/chistianity in it’s entirety, why can’t I do the same with an American, in a suit. There were lots of suits BTW and cultural issues, but it made me see my predjudices and my issues, and was a chance to look beyond them.
2. Numbers game: there was lots of numbers, to inspire vision, which personally leaves me cold, and unmotivated. But the number of people at the event, the number of people committed to the Equip leadership vision, shows me that people are desperate to grow and develop, and have impact.
3. People are not signing up for an easy ride, this was not a come and get a buzz and go home, it was a hard core call to commit to mentoring people, and a life long process of desiring to grow and help others grow.
4. Leadership wisdom: beyond the americanism, there was much I found helpful, about leadership, and developing teams, and character formation. Too many want to write of Maxwell, as a modernist ( a cheap shot people want to fire at others) and therefore invalid.
5. Talking head: why would I want to sit and listen to one person speak for a few hours, how un-emerging? That’s a pile of pants too. It is what it was, 700 people having travelled all over the country, and in this context wanting to hear John maxwell speak. There are plenty of other places in my life where I get to sit and discuss. Once in a while I enjoy the big space with a good speaker. BTW he was outstanding as a communicator. His content was inspiring, his communicatuion skills amazing, and who he was as he spoke was genuine as far as I could see.
Whilst we have to be sensitive to issues of american colonialism, and there is muchy about the US attitude to the world that makes me despair, I don’t want to buy into the British Anti-Americanism that seems to be growing like a sarcastic cynical tumor.
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Comment by James Petticrew
11.09 am on 11 Feb 2005
Jason, it was good to meet you with you at the Maxwell thing. I think you pretty well sum up my feelings about the event. One thing I observed impressed me about Maxwell and allayed many of my fears (prejudices?), on the day in Westminster chapel I watched as he prayed before the afternoon session, he cried as he prayed, but then made sure that he wiped the tears away before the “amen.” That seemed to suggest to me he was a man with a heart for the Kingdom and our nation but not obsessed with self-promotion. I hope I am always open enough to listen to someone whose heart is in the right place, because all too often I find mine isn’t. I also apprieciated his generosity of spirit, he made clear that his material is there to be used, adapted, changed, as people want. There was no veiled warnings about copyright or small print warnings to people to follow the line he takes exactly and make sure he is given the big credit to ensure his reputation. Surely anything that has the potential to raise the general leadership level here in the UK can’t just be dismissed out of hand because of its American packaging? Let’s take what is helpful, contextualise it and politely ignore the rest.
Comment by Whitewave
5.56 pm on 11 Feb 2005
This issue is difficult for me. I have alot of resentment against the American way of doing business, not just on a personal level, but also as you mentioned – the colonial/global level. So much resentment in fact that anyone who proposes a solution to the problems in business would have to put up their dukes and prepare to be fully questioned if I decide to even listen to what they have to say.
I’m conversing with some people right now about ways of being in the world that Integrate all the best ideas from all disciplines, religious, philosophical, scientific, etc. And I’m wondering if it would work to require business leaders/owners to provide the oportunity for workers to fulfill Great Purpose and high standards of integrity in all relating and to not systematically punish people who are pissed about being run over by the greedy jerks they work for and with.
In other words, show me how this company makes this world a better place (real numbers, not cooked up by tricksters like IHM’s) and how the people here who are jerks will not be rewarded. Don’t just offer this as an option to attract good workers, but require it. Only businesses that have a high margin can afford to hire economists to cook numbers to show that kind of thing at the present. This ends up rewarding dishonest gain and the willingness to believe anything we’re told.
Solve this problem, Max, and maybe I’ll think about giving you my ear.
Sorry I’m so cynical.
Comment by Chrysostomos
3.12 pm on 17 Feb 2005
“If I can go hear someone from the Orthodox church in funny clothes share something I find helpful without me needing to buy into the way they do church/chistianity in it’s entirety, why can’t I do the same with an American, in a suit.”
Jason,
I am one of those individuals who wears funny clothes in the Orthodox Church, and yet, by God’s grace, am a “successful” businessowner. Because of my practice, I wear suits, and desire to live & run my business via my Christian faith. I even run a blog for my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ of the Eastern Orthodox Faith. John Maxwell has done much for the Protestant faith. I have a different opinion in the way business is ran. I appeal to the early church fathers, the lives of the saints. Do a technorati on St. Philaret the Almsgiver, EOCBB, and you will come up with what I sincerely feel is a saint that Christian Businessowners and people should pattern themselves after. May God bless you for your efforts.
With humble bow,
Rd. Chrysostomos
Comment by Whitewave
7.36 pm on 17 Feb 2005
How COOL! I must know more! Hooray for the guys with funny clothes!
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