117. Leading with Courage and Integrity in Times of Discontinuous Change

Spiritual Life and Leadership

It is really hard to be a church leader these days, isn’t it? The world we live in today is not the world we prepared for as ministry leaders—especially in light of everything we’ve been through over the last couple of years.

So, what do you do when you find yourself essentially thrust into a world for which you weren’t prepared? What do you do when all the rules have changed? What do you do in a time of what some call discontinuous change?
In this episode, Markus Watson unpacks the meaning of discontinuous change and--using Joseph, the husband of Mary, as an example--how we are called to live and lead in the midst of such change.
THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDES:

• Markus Watson explains the meaning of discontinuous change.
  • Continuous change is change that is expected and understood.
  • Discontinuous change is a kind of change that is different from anything anyone has experienced before.
• The world has experienced severe discontinuous change over the last couple of years, especially with regard to the coronavirus pandemic and the outcry for racial justice.
• Joseph, the husband of Mary, experienced extreme discontinuous change.
  • Being to called to parent the Son of God was huge experience of discontinuous change.
• Joseph accepted the call. He lived and led with courage and integrity.
• Joseph also led adaptively.
• We, too, are called to lead with courage and integrity.
• We, too, are called to lead adaptively in discontinuous times.
• Leading with courage means stepping out of your comfort zone.
• Leading with integrity means leading from your true self.
• The world needs a church with the capacity to bring healing and wholeness even in times of discontinuous change.

RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS:

• Church Leadership Institute website
• Related episodes:
  • Ep 44: Spiritual Formation and Lectio Divina, with Eric Nevins, Host of Halfway There
  • Ep 94: Centering Prayer, with Rich Lewis, author of Sitting with God
  • Ep 110: Identity, Belonging, Purpose, with Kara Powell, author of 3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager
  • Ep 116: Power, Vulnerability, Rest, with Tod Bolsinger, Executive Director of the Church Leadership Institute
  • Rhythms of Leadership, Ep 1: People Don’t Resist Change, with Markus Watson
  • Rhythms of Leadership, Ep 3: When the Leader is Peacemonger, with Markus Watson
  • Rhythms of Leadership, Ep 10: Disruption of Divine Harmony, with Markus Watson
  • Rhythms of Leadership, Ep 13: Sin, Brokenness, and the In

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