Becoming a Leader of No Reputation

…Now, reflecting back on my five years in office, and on the leadership I have witnessed in my years of consulting work, I would point to a different verse.  In speaking of Jesus’ incarnation, Paul tells us, “he made himself a man of no reputation, taking on the very nature of a servant.” (Phil 2:7)  The verse does not say that Jesus became a man of bad reputation, or questionable reputation, but simply of ‘no’ reputation.  That is, reputation, image, prestige, prominence, power, and other trappings of leadership were not only devalued, they were purposefully dismissed.  Jesus became such a man.  Not […]

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Leadership from the Inside Out

Imagine the following scene.  You take your car into a repair shop because it is not running well.  After a thorough check your mechanic tells you that your engine is damaged and will need a complete overhaul, which will be expensive and take a great deal of time.  You respond by suggesting that perhaps if you clean the windows, put more air in the tires and hang an air freshener on the rearview mirror, the problem will go away.  Your mechanic insists the problem is much deeper and more substantial, but you respond with confidence that if you just get […]

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