Today Paul Donders of xpand provided pastors in Utrecht with some handles on leadership in a city-reaching context. I found his holistic and strategic approach highly refreshing after the past few "let's fellowship for the fellowship" sessions. Paul has his roots in the Jesus movement, moved to Germany after his studies to start a community, but didn't want to live in two worlds: the Christian subculture and society. So he started a company that aims to empower leaders in church, business and society with Kingdom leadership principles. Here are some of my notes:
- In the time of the Jesus People you were supposed to lead a group by the time you were 17 or 18. And people who asked difficult questions were sent out as missionaries to start new groups in other places.
- Leadership is providing hope, not exercising criticism.
- Everyone has the God-given potential to be a leader, at least to manage himself (first level). If you can manage yourself, you can grow into leading projects (second level), people (third level), and organisations (fourth level).
- A Kingdom leader is lion and lamb, king and priest, at the same time.
- Virtues are a main theme in business and science at the moment (see Harvard Business Review January 2007).
- Power is neutral, but the heart can corrupt it.
- The Netherlands still benefits from the reformation inheritance of Abraham Kuyper and the fact that (unlike surrounding nations that were more directly involved in the two world wars) we have no fatherless generation.
- There are not many effective models for 'discipling a whole nation', but Zinzendorf's approach comes very close. To really disciple a nation we need a revival of the heart, a renewal of thinking, and a reformation (or transformation) of structures. This implies a synergy of different kinds of leaders with different anointings.
- It takes 5% of the population (and 0.5% leaders in different sections of society) to start a revolution, and 20% to forge a reformation or transformation. For a city like Utrecht this means raising up 1,500 healthy leaders in the various mindmolding areas: church, business, healthcare, government, education, media, sports and family.
- Paul currently works in Rotterdam and Vienna with an experimental grid that can be applied to a city to identify the key areas of influence, the key leaders of influence, and the opportunities for leverage.
- Healthy leaders develop character and competence, and a good balance between people and results. This means we have to train people in four areas: discipline, servanthood, management and communication.
- Together with the CHE (higher education) xpand is developing a coaching program that aims to raise up Christian 'leaders of influence' in society.
Download Paul's Powerpoint slides (Dutch)
I feel quite a lot under pressure these weeks and struggle to find focus and motivation for the season ahead. Partly it's the unclarity of the transition we're in, which silently sucks away creative energy. Partly it's being structurally tied (and likely overburdened) into project coordination and admin tasks which don't make me tick. Partly it's my personal working style that is not the best expression of a healthy balance of family, work, friendship and relaxation. Partly it's personal discouragement of unmet expectations - or is it midlife crisis already, having reached the magical age of 40? 
