What it takes to be a leader in 2009.

Leadership in 2009?
How different than 1999 or even 2008?
Enter Thomas Freidman – yet again.
Leadership in 2009 must be global.
If the world truly is flat; if our generation can travel anywhere around the globe within 37 hours; if the global is local – then the measure of our leadership must include the measure of our global-ness.

That’s what it was for Paul back in his day.
With the Pax Romana and the incredible road network Paul’s leadership rose or fell on his seizing the day and expanding the Gospel due to the global conditions around him.
True also for every epoch of the Christian expansion.
Take the Great Awakening.
The revival of the colonies began through the travel of George Whitefield from England. For him the new world now open to receive visitors required him to travel, to be global in his preaching.

The measure of your leadership at this time in the history of our world will include the measure of your global-ness.
To our generation of leaders the responsibility and opportunity of a flat world has been entrusted.

So how you doing leading at a global level – or have you defaulted that to some international mission’s board or travel wired adventurer in your congregation.

So what does global leadership look like?

Here are 5 key features:

1. Our grasp of reality cannot be shrunk to the reality on our doorstep but must engage a global perspective. We cannot be insular in our world view. We need to be the eyes that lead people to seeing things beyond themselves and their corner of the globe.

2. How we interpret Scripture and/or the voices we listen to as we make decisions theologically or philosophically need to reflect the cacophony of color and diversity within a global church. We need to lead in moving the West from only engaging with western thought and idea. We have much to learn from Asian and African scholars and practitioners.

3. We must work to remove any sense of Western superiority within the Christian sphere. Our resources and education does not make us greater than our global brothers and sisters. We are equal – lead your church to seeing that in complete ways.

4. Our missions profile; budget spending; resource allocation should reflect a global church – not just an American church.

5. We need to travel – leaders need to touch the greater world and be touched by it.

So how you doing?
Need help?
Email me (gilbert@reedleyfbc.com)and I’ll help you become a global leader.

The Kingdom of God is always so much bigger than our systems, structures or spheres.