"The key to leadership is making the inaudible become audible and the invisible become visible. The initial mode of leadership is receptivity: hearing, not speaking...You can listen and not hear" Leonard Sweet
This morning in Preschool Chapel, I continued my talk about "God's helpers". We talked about Moses. In terms of "God's helpers" in the Bible, Moses is a Hall of Famer. So I thought it was about time to put together my best Play Doh rendition and go for it. According to some of the astute art critics in the room, Moses looks like Santa Claus. So, Christmas in July is alive and well. The message today was simple. I tried to encourage the kids to develop something that most of God's helpers seem to have in common. They were good listeners. When God spoke, they heard.
It's funny. My biggest "fear" back when I started doing chapel for these active preschoolers was that I would be unable to hold their attention. I was afraid that they would not hear what I was saying. I was wrong. I think I should be more concerned with our ability to "hear" as adults. Leonard Sweet, in his book, "Summoned to Lead" draws attention to our tendency to "listen" and not "hear". Back in the first century, it was necessary for James to extol the virtues of being "swift to hear and slow to speak". I have recognized that the older I get, the more "hearing" deteriorates and speaking accelerates. It's not a good combination. For leaders in the making, it's a great reminder to cultivate receptivity.
This morning in Preschool Chapel, I continued my talk about "God's helpers". We talked about Moses. In terms of "God's helpers" in the Bible, Moses is a Hall of Famer. So I thought it was about time to put together my best Play Doh rendition and go for it. According to some of the astute art critics in the room, Moses looks like Santa Claus. So, Christmas in July is alive and well. The message today was simple. I tried to encourage the kids to develop something that most of God's helpers seem to have in common. They were good listeners. When God spoke, they heard.
It's funny. My biggest "fear" back when I started doing chapel for these active preschoolers was that I would be unable to hold their attention. I was afraid that they would not hear what I was saying. I was wrong. I think I should be more concerned with our ability to "hear" as adults. Leonard Sweet, in his book, "Summoned to Lead" draws attention to our tendency to "listen" and not "hear". Back in the first century, it was necessary for James to extol the virtues of being "swift to hear and slow to speak". I have recognized that the older I get, the more "hearing" deteriorates and speaking accelerates. It's not a good combination. For leaders in the making, it's a great reminder to cultivate receptivity.
No comments:
Post a Comment