Leading from the Margin part two

I did a "Google" search for the term, Leading from the Margin.  It seems to me that I had once read a book with that title but could only find an article titled, "Leading from the Margins" by Leonard Hjalmarson.  I have no idea who this person is but I found the article interesting.   He speaks from a postmodern perspective about the Christian church and its leadership structure.  Ministry is decentralizing and church structures are dissolving - not his words but mine trying to capture his ideas in a brief summary.   I found myself relating to his ideas and saying to myself, “yes, that is how I function”  or “yes, that is how the Lutheran Association of Christian Educators is functioning.”   He states that there is a relocation of authority in the church and a disentanglement of leadership from authority.  People without lots of financial resources or academic credentials or a hierarchical position are stepping up to become leaders in a new way.

Leadership is not power or confidence or knowledge or position.  Leadership is more about holding space.  He  quotes Jen Lemen (May, 2004, online http://www.jenlemen.com)  “Not space so you can examine me and try to be just like me as your leader, but space so that you can think about who you need to become, about who you are already in relationship to this alternative reality we call the kingdom…”  I thought this was really interesting.  I have never thought of myself as a leader just “holding space.”  Ummm…I have to think about that.

Leonard goes on to discuss that today strong leaders are needed but the strength of a leaders will not come from power or certainty but from building of a community where there is recognition, worthiness, involvement, and growth with a loving give and take of person-to-person interaction over a long period of time. Usually leaders want control and success but future leaders will need to embrace insecurity and dependence on others.

This makes me think about my leadership and ponder how I function as a leader.