Worldview, Culture and Leadership how the world squeezes us into itʼs mould. 1. Defining worldview 1. Our reality itʼs relationship to beliefs, values, behaviour and culture 2. Worldview groups Copyright Jeremy Peckham 2013 1
3. Changes in Worldview and Culture over time from A human Development View on Value Change Trend 1981-2006 Christian Welzel Prof of Political Science International University of Bremen Germany 4. Influence of Christian Worldview on Society Abraham Kyper, Sphere Sovereignty Being salt and light Simon Blackburn, professor of philosophy at the University of Cambridge, celebrates the death of God as the source of human liberation. The disappearance of God, he says, is by no means a threat to ethics. It is a necessary clearing of the ground, on the way to revealing ethics for what it really is. What it really is, according to Blackburn, is a negotiated morality and a human search for meaning. What ethics is Copyright Jeremy Peckham 2013 2
not, he would explain, is a studied consideration of what the Creator expects of His creatures. Without God, Blackburn instructs, we must make our own laws. This argument is the central thesis of the modern moral revolt. With Friedrich Nietzsche, modern philosophy declared that God is dead. Since God does not exist, morality is nothing more than a human construction. Since morality is our own construction, we can deconstruct and reconstruct a morality more to our liking. We are our own judges, our own umpires, and our own gods. Prevailing worldview and culture influences our values and behaviour, even if we are Christians! There are often conflicts with a truly Christian worldview. Christians must develop a uniquely Christian worldview that impacts all areas of life and behaviour. Romans 12v2 - Pauls warns that we must not be squeezed into the worldʼs mould, clearly there is a danger for Christians when in a conflicting worldview and culture. Prevailing values challenged in Bible - see Kames 2:1-44. We can be blind to our culture! Need to understand what our cultures practices are and critique against Bible. 2. Culture and Leadership 2.1. Dimensions of culture Several major dimensions to defining a cultures behavioural traits and practices such as view of; time work communication leadership status responsibility risk taking the future our attitudes to time and people bias cultures towards being monochronic or polychronic. Copyright Jeremy Peckham 2013 3
collectively some traits also can determine if we are a DOING or a BEING culture. These cultural behaviour biases influence how we lead in churches and organisations Different cultures also have different leadership traits and biases, examples are; Influence of Communism on Eastern Europe leadership - Autonomous, Authoritarian, Self Protecting Influence of Democracy on Western leadership - Charismatic, Participative, Team Orientated Influence of Worldview on African leadership - Corrupt, Event driven, Charismatic, Humane? 2.2 The Protestant Work Ethic and itʼs demise 2.2.1 The source and nature of the Protestant Work Ethic The reformation resulted in the promotion of work as good and for God, no sacred - secular divide. Societies became more time conscious rather than purely event driven as Agricultural economies were and are. Promptness, punctuality and hard work was seen as a virtues. Capitalism born out of the Protestant Work Ethic Leadership with ethics, leadership becomes earned not ascribed. 2.2.2 The demise of the Protestant Work Ethic Throughout the industrial revolution efficiency became important as did the importance of planning and goal setting now enshrined in every management text as the way to succeed. Agricultural economies remained largely polychronic, being cultures. Industrial economies became largely monochronic, doing cultures. Copyright Jeremy Peckham 2013 4
Competitiveness and success has become a hallmark of Western and all industrialised economies. Increasing secularisation shifted focus from serving God to serving self. Copyright Jeremy Peckham 2013 5
2.2.3 The impact of capitalism and secularisation 2.2.3.1 In the Business world loss of moral anchor leads to success being sought for oneʼs self rather than God. impact on people less important. time driven by efficiency needs and success criteria. the rise of the celebrity leader and image manipulation. character less important than getting the job done! people can be manipulated and exploited for the corporate and oneʼs own success and image. 2.2.3.2 In the church we adopt business techniques without understanding their origins and limitations. leaders selected on ability rather than character. status is ascribed by appointment (I am the pastor/elder) rather than achieved (recognised as a leader by character). members are manipulated and/or exploited. leadership becomes a career and about own progress and achievement (for God of course!). church becomes programme orientated. evangelism a goal and process to be managed. everything is QUANTIFIED rather than QUALIFIED. Copyright Jeremy Peckham 2013 6
3. Critiquing our culture through the lens of scripture 3.1 Biblical viewpoints time versus event [chronos and kairos] Acts 1v7 task versus relationship success status 3.1.1 Time versus event linear not abstract [Job1v21, Ps31v15] A resource to be managed [Mark6v30-32]. to be prioritised [Mark1v32-39] 3.1.2 Relationship bible emphasises a relationship orientation [Micah 6v7-9, Matt22v36-38] 3.1.3 Success God has different priorities [Lukev13-21, James4v13-17] need to qualify not quantify success 3.1.4 Status Jesus turns status on itʼs head [Matt 23v1-12, Luke 22v24-27] leadership not about status but service. the problem with the Pharisees lead not by status/position but by character, itʼs about function rather than position. 4. Conclusion Like it or not, our leadership practices are shaped by the prevailing and changing worldview of our culture. There is no single model as they are influenced differently by different worldviews. The church is being squeezed into a mould by these trends through lack of critical thinking and a tendency to spiritualise the negative characteristics of our cultures leadership models. Christians can and should unite behind a uniquely Christian worldview of leadership thus creating in many cultures across the world a radically different culture. This must be seen in practice not in biblical theorising! Copyright Jeremy Peckham 2013 7