Monday, March 30, 2020

Empowering Leaders

Some few years ago Jurgens Hendriks, a South African public theologian, gave an address to a gathering of Christian leaders in Kampala, Uganda. He asked the group, “What is the most important mark of leadership?” After sharing many worthy responses, it became clear that the group had not found the answer he was looking for. Jurgens then asked the group, “Who is the best and most memorable leader in Africa?” Well, that was an easy question – “Nelson Mandela!” With their response, the answer to the original question then dawned on them. The most important mark of leadership is the ability to relinquish leadership, precisely what Madiba* did after just one term in elected office. The most important mark of leadership is letting go, allowing others to step forward, empowering others to go beyond one’s efforts.

In February 2018, the principal of Nile Theological College (NTC) in Juba, South Sudan, asked me to resurrect the college newsletter. When I responded, I told him that I would take on this task with one condition, that I would recruit a group of students and staff to assist me. I took the rest of the semester to pray about which students to approach for this initiative. By the end of the semester I approached four students and one staff member. They all agreed enthusiastically, in fact, they felt honored to have been asked.  

The following semester we took action. By God’s grace we produced the first newsletter in eight years. It was a boon to the college, students even contributing from their own meager funds to help with print production. The following semester we again tackled this task with fervor. We doubled the length of the newsletter and invited more contributors. We circulated the newsletter electronically to partners worldwide and published 70 copies to distribute to partners and churches throughout South Sudan. I was deliberate throughout, ensuring that each student had a role and felt ownership of the work, walking alongside them in their respective roles. 

With students, creating NTC Newsletter (September, 2018)   

After a season of prayer and discernment, we selected and approached three more students from the new class to join us. Now, the biggest hurdle stood before us. I was leaving for the U.S. and would be gone for five months, the entire second semester. After a time of prayer, as a group we selected David Dach to take my role as leader and to facilitate the work of the “Media Team,” as we now called ourselves. To be honest, I was not sure whether the Media Team would succeed in my absence. Creating a newsletter is a big job with lots of technical features. Though I had spent countless hours with the students, I knew it would be a formidable challenge. You can only imagine my joy when I learned from the principal they had succeeded. “Neshkur’Rabuna!” (Thanks be to the Lord!).

Returning to South Sudan in January I began praying about my involvement with the Media Team. My teaching responsibilities would resume, but I was also starting my research proposal for a doctoral program. After speaking with the principal, we both resolved that the way forward was for David Dach or another student to continue as leader and that I would support them in an ancillary role. A few days later I requested David to call a meeting. David prepared our agenda which included turning leadership back over to me. I took a deep breath and said a prayer before I was given the chance to speak. I told the students that I had a “surprise” to share with them. I laid out for them the vision for how we could move forward together with new roles, for David to continue leading us, if he was willing, and for me to support the team as consultant or adviser. The students were surprised! However, as they processed out loud together this new configuration, they saw the wisdom in it. They lamented how leaders in their context never release younger leaders into roles of authority and leadership. They mentioned how leaders should even “pray that those whom they lead would surpass them!” It felt like a paradigm shift and a moment of emotional catharsis was occurring right before my eyes in the hearts and minds of my students. 

NTC Media Team (March, 2020)

With the current Covid-19 coronavirus situation, NTC has closed its doors for 30 days. That will hurt the Media Team with the momentum we have gained. Again, I am back in the U.S., probably for 3-4 months at least because of this global crisis. Nevertheless, I am prayerfully confident and hopeful that we will produce at least one newsletter this year. More importantly, our students are being empowered to lead with faculty and staff encouraging and supporting them from the rear. “Leadership,” as one might say, “is better caught than taught.” I believe that David and the others have ‘caught’ some important principles of leadership, and I believe wholeheartedly that David and the team will go beyond where I could have taken them.  May God bless and multiply our efforts.

*Madiba is Nelson Mandela's clan name, a name of endearment.             

1 comment:

Jim Berger said...

Beautiful and quite moving.