Macro Lessons: Macro-Lessons Defined Macro Lessons List of 41 By J. Robert Clinton These two articles are combined from John: Jesus Incarnational Leadership Clinton s Biblical Leadership Commentary Series Used by permission. The whole commentary may be downloaded as a pdf at http://bobbyclinton.com/store/individual-commentaries/john/
Macro Lessons Defined Macro Lessons inform our leadership with potential leadership values that move toward the absolute. We live in a time when most do not believe there are absolutes. In my study of leadership in the Bible, I have defined a leadership truth continuum which recognizes the difficulty in deriving absolutes but does allow for them. 1 Figure 1 depicts this. Suggestions Guidelines Absolutes May give insights Important for most situations Requirements <------------------- Macro Lessons -----------------> Figure 1. Leadership Truth Continuum/ Where Macro Lessons Occur Introduction to Macro lessons In the Complexity Era in which we now live, 2 the thrust of leadership theory has moved, toward the importance of leadership values. The questions being asked today are not as much what is leadership (the leadership basal elements leader, followers, and situations) and how does it operate (leadership influence means corporate and individual) as it is why do we do what we do (leadership value bases). The first three eras (Great Man, Trait, and Ohio State) answered the question, What is leadership? The Contingency and early part of the Complexity Era answered the question, How do we do it? Now we are grappling with, Why do we lead? or What ought we to do? We are looking for leadership values. Leadership values are underlying assumptions which affect how a leader behaves in or perceives leadership situations. They are usually statements that have ought or must or should in them. Macro-Lessons are statements of truth about leadership which have the potential for becoming leadership values. These macrolessons are observations seen in the various leadership eras in the Bible. Many of these became values for numerous Bible leaders. These macro-lessons move toward the right (requirement, value) of the leadership truth continuum. What is a macro lesson? Definition A macro-lesson is a high level generalization of a leadership observation (suggestion, guideline, requirement), stated as a lesson, which repeatedly occurs throughout different leadership eras, and thus has potential as a leadership absolute. Macro lessons even at their weakest provide strong guidelines describing leadership insights. At their strongest they are requirements, or absolutes, that leaders should follow. Leaders ignore them to their detriment. examples Prayer Lesson: If God has called you to a ministry then He has called you to pray for that ministry. Accountability: Christian leaders' ministry ought always to be done with a conscious view to ultimate accountability to God for their ministry. Bible Centered: An effective leader who finishes well must have a Bible centered ministry. 1 See Clinton, Leadership Perspectives for a more detailed explanation of the continuum and for my approach to deriving principles from the scriptures. See Article, Principles of Truth. 2 A study of leadership history in the United States from 1850 to the present uncovered 6 Eras (an era being a period of time in which some major leadership theory held sway): 1. Great Man Era (1840s to 1904); 2. Trait Theory (1904-1948); 3. Ohio State Era (1948-1967); Contingency Era (1967-1980); Complexity Era (1980-present). See Clinton, A Short History of Leadership Theory. Altadena, Ca.: Barnabas Publishers. page 1
Macro Lessons Defined page 2 Macro Lessons are derived from a comparative study of leadership in the Six Leadership Eras. These Six Leadership Eras and number of macro lessons identified are shown in Table 1. Table 1. Leadership Eras and Number of Macro Lessons Leadership Era Number of Macro Lessons 1. Patriarchal Era 7 2. Pre-Kingdom Era 10 3. Kingdom Era 5 4. Post-Kingdom Era 5 5. Pre-Church Era 9 6. Church Era 5 I have identified 41 macro lessons, roughly 5 to 10 per leadership era. When a macro-lesson is seen to occur in varied situations and times and cultural settings and in several leadership eras it becomes a candidate for an absolute leadership lesson. When that same generalization becomes personal and is embraced by a leader as a driving force for how that leader sees or operates in ministry, it becomes a leadership value. The top three Macro Lessons for the four O.T. Leadership Eras are listed in Table 2. Table 2. Top Three Macro Lessons in O.T. Leadership Eras Priority Leadership Era Label Statement 1 Pre-Kingdom Presence The essential ingredient of leadership is the powerful presence of God in the leader s life and ministry. (Therefore a leader must not minister without the powerful presence of God in his/her life.) 2 Patriarchal Character Integrity is the essential character trait of a spiritual leader. (Therefore, a leader must maintain integrity and respond to God s shaping of it.) 3 Pre-Kingdom Intimacy Leaders develop intimacy with God, which in turn overflows into all their ministry since ministry flows out of being. (Therefore a leader must seek to develop intimacy with God.) The top three Macro Lessons for the two N.T. Leadership Eras are listed in Table 3: Table 3. Top Three Macro Lessons in N.T. Leadership Eras Priority Leadership Era Label Statement 1 Church Word God s Word must be the primary source for equipping leaders Centered and must be a vital part of any leader s ministry. 2 Pre-Church Harvest Leaders must seek to bring people into relationship with God. 3 Pre-Church Shepherd Leaders must preserve, protect, and develop those who belong to God s people. You will notice that some of these macro lessons are already described in value language (should, must, ought) while others are simply statements of observations. I have put in italics my attempt to give the value associated with the observation. Comparative study across the six leadership eras for macro lessons makes up one of the seven leadership genres, i.e. sources for leadership findings from the Bible. See Articles, List of Macro Lessons; Leadership Genre Seven Types (Macro Lessons, Biographical Material, Books as A Whole, Direct Context, Indirect Context, Leadership Acts, Parabolic). See Clinton, A Short History of Leadership Theory. Altadena, Ca.: Barnabas Publishers. See also Clinton, Leadership Perspectives. Altadena, Ca.: Barnabas Publishers.
Dr. J. Robert Clinton in Titus: Apostolic Leadership Article 24 Macro Lessons List of 41 Across Six Leadership Eras Macro Lessons inform our leadership with potential leadership values that move toward the absolute. The following are the 41 lessons I have identified as I comparatively studied the six different leadership eras for leadership observations. No. Label Era Statement of Macro Lesson 1. Blessing Patriarchal God mediates His blessing to His followers through leaders. 2. Shaping Patriarchal God shapes leader's lives and ministry through critical incidents. 3. Timing Patriarchal God's timing is crucial to accomplishment of God's purposes. 4. Destiny Patriarchal Leaders must have a sense of destiny. 5. Character Patriarchal Integrity is the essential character trait of a spiritual leader. 6. Faith Patriarchal Biblical Leaders must learn to trust in the unseen God, sense His presence, sense His revelation, and follow Him by faith. 7. Purity Patriarchal Leaders must personally learn of and respond to the holiness of God in order to have effective ministry. 8. Intercession Pre-Kingdom Leaders called to a ministry are called to intercede for that ministry. 9. Presence Pre-Kingdom The essential ingredient of leadership is the powerful presence of God in the leader's life and ministry. 10. Intimacy Pre-Kingdom Leaders develop intimacy with God which in turn overflows into all their ministry since ministry flows out of being. 11. Burden Pre-Kingdom Leaders feel a responsibility to God for their ministry. 154
Dr. J. Robert Clinton in Titus: Apostolic Leadership Macro Lessons List of 41 Across Six Leadership Eras 155 12. Hope Pre-Kingdom A primary function of all leadership is to inspire followers with hope in God and in what God is doing. 13. Challenge Pre-Kingdom Leaders receive vision from God which sets before them challenges that inspire their leadership. 14. Spiritual Pre-Kingdom Spiritual authority is the dominant power base Authority of a spiritual leader and comes through experiences with God, knowledge of God, godly character and gifted power. 15. Transition Pre-Kingdom Leaders must transition other leaders into their work in order to maintain continuity and effectiveness. 16. Weakness Pre-Kingdom God can work through weak spiritual leaders if they are available to Him. 17. Continuity Pre-Kingdom Leaders must provide for continuity to new leadership in order to preserve their leadership legacy. 18. Unity Kingdom Unity of the people of God is a value that leaders must preserve. 19. Stability Kingdom Preserving a ministry of God with life and vigor over time is as much if not more of a challenge to leadership than creating one. 20. Spiritual Kingdom Spiritual leadership can make a difference even Leadership in the midst of difficult times. 21. Recru- Kingdom God will attempt to bring renewal to His descence people until they no longer respond to Him. 22. By-pass Kingdom God will by-pass leadership and structures that do not respond to Him and will institute new leadership and structures. 23. Future Post-Kingdom A primary function of all leadership is to walk Perfect by faith with a future perfect paradigm so as to inspire followers with certainty of God's accomplishment of ultimate purposes. 24. Perspective Post-Kingdom Leaders must know the value of perspective and interpret present happenings in terms of God's broader purposes. 25. Modeling Post-Kingdom Leaders can most powerfully influence by modeling godly lives, the sufficiency and sovereignty of God at all times, and gifted power. 26. Ultimate Post-Kingdom Leaders must remember that the ultimate goal of their lives and ministry is to manifest the glory of God.
Dr. J. Robert Clinton in Titus: Apostolic Leadership 156 Titus: Apostolic Leadership 27. Perse- Post-Kingdom Once known, leaders must persevere with the verance vision God has given. 28. Selection Pre-Church The key to good leadership is the selection of good potential leaders which should be a priority of all leaders. 29. Training Pre-Church Leaders should deliberately train potential leaders in their ministry by available and appropriate means. 30. Focus Pre-Church Leaders should increasingly move toward a focus in their ministry which moves toward fulfillment of their calling and their ultimate contribution to God's purposes for them. 31. Spirituality Pre-Church Leaders must develop interiority, spirit sensitivity, and fruitfulness in accord with their uniqueness since ministry flows out of being. 32. Servant Pre-Church Leaders must maintain a dynamic tension as they lead by serving and serve by leading. 33. Steward Pre-Church Leaders are endowed by God with natural abilities, acquired skills, spiritual gifts, opportunities, experiences, and privileges which must be developed and used for God. 34. Harvest Pre-Church Leaders must seek to bring people into relationship with God. 35. Shepherd Pre-Church Leaders must preserve, protect, and develop God's people. 36. Movement Pre-Church Leaders recognize that movements are the way to penetrate society though they must be preserved via appropriate ongoing institutions. 37. Structure Church Leaders must vary structures to fit the needs of the times if they are to conserve gains and continue with renewed effort. 38. Universal Church The church structure is inherently universal and can be made to fit various cultural situations if functions and not forms are in view. 39. Giftedness Church Leaders are responsible to help God's people identify, develop, and use their resources for God. 40. Word Church God's Word is the primary source for Centered equipping leaders and must be a vital part of any leaders ministry. 41. Complexity All eras Leadership is complex, problematic, difficult and fraught with risk which is why leadership is needed. See Also Article Macro Lessons Defined.