Zack, A Transformed Leader

I have recently been looking for good examples of leadership in the pages of Scripture. I quickly scanned the Bible and many individuals rose to the surface as prime candidates for study - Moses, Joshua, Gideon, David, and Joseph. I easily came up with a list of 15 individuals that I want to explore in order to evaluate their leadership styles and/or their practical leadership actions. And that, a few individuals came to mind that were not on my top ten (or fifteen) list of biblical leaders, but I think will provide some interesting analysis.

For example, Zacchaeus is one such character. His story is found in Luke 19 and only takes up the first ten verses of the chapter. Zack lived in Jericho and we read (in verse two) that he was a chief tax collector as well as being very wealthy. As a chief tax collector, Zacchaeus must have had subordinates under his authority that gathered taxes and submitted them to Zack for collection and accounting. As a positional leader, Zack appears to have been quite successful as his wealth would indicate. Tax collectors were most often despised by the people, not only because they did not want to pay their taxes, but also because the collector was a Jew who was working for the pagan Roman government and assisting the foreign rulers in oppressing his own people. From the viewpoint of the Jewish community, the tax collector was one of the worst of sinners – a betrayer of his spiritual brothers and a traitor to his country. When Jesus decides to have dinner with Zack, the people criticize the Lord for entering the house of such a “sinner” (verse 7).

If you know the children's song about Zacchaeus, you know that Zack was short. He was so short that he could not see over the crowds that followed Jesus. I imagine that no one was going to do him any favors and make room for him up front. So Zack demonstrates the great leadership quality of initiative. He runs ahead of the crowd, finds a tree and climbs up the “ladder” in order to get a good view of the “Teacher” as he walks by. I really like this aspect of Zack's character – he was not discouraged to the point of giving up, but rather took the challenge and came up with a positive, creative solution. Zack had a goal – he wanted to see who Jesus was (19:3). I find this goal itself rather interesting. He did not desire to see what Jesus looked like, or to hear his voice, or to listen to his message, or even to see his miracles. Rather, he wanted to know who Jesus was. I believe that it was this goal – the thirst for spiritual understanding - that drove him up the tree.

When Jesus passed by the tree, he stopped and called him by name, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today” (v. 5). The text does not make it plain whether Jesus had ever met Zack before or if Jesus knew his name in a supernatural way, but the response of Zack is insightful. Verse six says that Zack came down at once and welcomed Jesus gladly. This is yet another special insight into Zack's heart of leadership – he demonstrated cheerful obedience to the Savior. For any Christian leader to be effective, he/she must be ready and willing to obey the truth of God's word...immediately, cheerfully, enthusiastically, and radically.

Zack's radical obedience is also seen in the dining room of this sinner. Verse 8 is such a great transformational verse that I must share all of it here:

“But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, 'Look Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.'”

There is so much in this verse, but let me point out just a few golden nuggets of leadership. First, Zack has found the answer to his question – he wanted to know who Jesus was. Zack calls him Lord – not Teacher or Rabbi or Prophet, or Healer, but Lord. Second, his leadership commitment is now to the Lord and not the Roman government or his own pocketbook – he has decided to give ½ of all he has to the poor. Notice as well that this decision is immediate and definite – “here and now!” Third, the leadership transformation is deep and serious – Zack is going to pay back fourfold anyone whom he has cheated. One final detail that I think is significant is the fact that Zack stood up to make this declaration. It might have been because of his size, but I think it was primarily out of respect for Jesus and to be a public statement designed for all his guests to hear. This was not just a private promise whispered in the ear of God, but a loud commitment to an audience of many who would hold Zack accountable for his words.

The response of Jesus to these leadership characteristics is profound. “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.” Salvation - because Zack found the answer to his goal quest – Jesus was (and is) Lord! How cool is it that Jesus calls him a son of Abraham – not only does he reinstate a man who is despised as a traitor to his people, but also points to his sonship to the father of faith. Abraham was justified by faith (Gal 3:6-9); now too, Zacchaeus find his salvation in the same source of faith as the Old Testament patriarch.

I wish more was written about Zacchaeus because I would love to know the kind of leader he became after this transformational encounter with Jesus.

Opening Day!

Opening day of school! It was great to see all the students invading the school building today after the long silent summer. I love the summer months because it allows me time to plan, think, organize and dream. But all the activity of summer is meaningless without the students and the families that they represent. To see the excitement reflected on the faces of the little ones is precious.

I spent some time on the elementary floor this morning just observing the new kindergarten students and the more veteran first graders as they arrived on campus. I have to admit there was more apprehension on the faces of the parents than on the students themselves. I didn't see any tears or separation anxiety, but I did observe lots of parents peeking in the windows to be sure that their precious ones were making a smooth transition.

Moving up to the second floor, I had a blast watching the middle school students take up residence in their lockers and finding their spots in the classroom. The reunion of friendships was sweet to see. The girls were filled with giggles and hugs for friends and teachers alike. The guys were more concerned about locker combinations and book bags. Everyone looked sharp and ready for academic pursuits. A little fashion trend was pointed out to me as I walked down the hall with a colleague. Many of the girls had matching polo shirts and sneakers....green shirts with green sneakers, blue shirts with blue shoes, red polo and red sneaks... you get the idea.

The high school floor was filled with the cool crowd trying not to show their apprehension and nervousness about the new school year. Teachers were fired up and ready for the adventure (although nerves could be seen on their faces as well). As usual, there was a line in front of the main office made up of students who forget their schedules or needed some sort of direction. Smiles on all three floors... excitement throughout the school... anticipation and enthusiasm were the overall descriptors of Day One.

One of the blessings of school leadership is seeing months of preparation culminate in something good. New programs, new teachers, new technology, new students... all bathed in prayer... provide reality to the planning. All the administrative meetings, the hours spent interviewing and hiring new personnel, the time evaluating past performance and developing future strategy, and the detailed effort in gathering all the resources needed for the coming academic journey resulted in a symphony of voices as the students arrived on campus. Leadership is creating, communicating and transforming vision into reality. Each school year allows me to see a partial transformation of our school's vision.

School photo found at http://ofdotsnthings.blogspot.com/2011/06/first-day-of-school.html

The New Pages of School

The joys of education are varied and deep. I am so thankful that God has led me into a career in education. I have had the privilege over the years to work with elementary students and enjoy the laughter and growth that occurs in those young years. As headmaster of a small elementary school I thoroughly enjoyed overseeing recess (with many games of kickball and hours on the playground); teaching band and general music classes; planning special days and field trips. Most of my days, however, have been spent in secondary education, dealing with the high school program. I have never failed to be amazed at what teenagers can accomplish - their talents and resilience spur them on to achieve spectacular things. I have seen science fair projects that boggle my mind - I do not even understand the titles of some of the projects; I have been part of some fabulous musicals that have taken my breath away as I hear and see young actors and singers perform at such mature levels; I have witnessed acts of service and responses of faith that have not only honored God, but have impacted our community and changed out school. I have also been part of a team of teachers that inspire me with their commitment, encourage me with their enthusiasm, and challenge me with their vision. Education is a great place to spend your life.

One of the things that I enjoy the most is the newness of education. So many jobs seem to be the same day in and day out. Colleagues may change, products may change, assignments may change, but the basic thrust of the organization stays the same. In education every year is brand new. The lesson plan book is filled with blank pages calling for creativity and varied pedagogy. The grade book is new awaiting the achievement of a whole new crew of students. The workbooks have never been used longing for a new owner with a desire to learn. For the student, it is a new start - the grades from last year really don't count...everyone starts with great potential and the the dreams of success. What excitement that can generate...what anticipation and hope for the young people in our halls.

Next week the teachers come... the week after that all the students invade. The summer has been full of preparation and important administrative meetings. My days have been filled with interviews, planning, brainstorming, evaluating, strategizing, and praying. And all the days of summer have had one target - the opening day of a new school year. As an administrator I think I am busier during the summer months than I am during the school year. I have often compared school to an airplane. My job is to get the plane in the air, after that teachers and principals fly the craft. My days leading up to the opening day are filled with teacher orientation, budget meetings, textbook inventories, and re-enrollment issues. Once school starts, I can breath a little deeper until my name is called to address a bump in the flight of the plane.

May we all, as educators and students, write our best words on the new pages of the 2011-2012 school year!

Human Heroes Often Disappoint Us

Most of us have had heroes in our lives - those that we look up to that provide stability and certainty in life. Some of those heroes are people that we know personally and have developed deep admiration for because of the consistent lifestyle that we see them living day after day. Others are distant heroes - those that we see, but we do not know; those that appear to be solid and great examples of fulfilled lives, but we are not close enough to really discern. Heroes are important to have and add such hope and consistency in our lives. But there is a danger in placing too much hope and faith in our heroes. They are all human (with the exception of the Lord, Jesus, who IS our Ultimate Hero) and as human they are frail and they often fail.

I had several heroes in my young life. Beside my mom and dad that provided such a wonderful childhood and positive example of married life, I greatly admired Sam Huff, middle linebacker for the West Virginia Mountaineers and later the New York Giants. He provided the bravado of a macho All-American with a hard work ethic and star qualities. Then there was Jerry West (can you tell I grew up in West Virginia?). Mr. Clutch, number 44, was the perfect example of a star with class; of a humble gentleman on and off the court. As a young boy I shook Jerry's hand and refused to wash it for two weeks. I am sure that both of these mighty men were human, made tons of mistakes, and if I knew the details of their lives, I might be very disappointed. But as a young boy they stood head and shoulders above my attempts to live life.

Four other young men entered my life that changed me during my teen years. Although I never met them they shaped so much of my young thinking. I always saw them as fun loving, moral, conservative inspirations. Because of my naivete I failed to miss so many of their obvious flaws. John, Paul, George, and Ringo came into my living room via the Ed Sullivan Show and flipped the switch of my creativity. They sparked in me a love for music, a relevant message of young love, and a special way to communicate. I loved their music and owned every album they made. However, when the Beatles called it quits, I stopped following their music as solo acts. Paul and Wings, John and Ono, George and Krishna, Ringo and his All-Starr Band went on their roads of success without my loyal support. I became a Christian in the early 70s and much of their music ran in a different philosophical circle, thus losing its appeal to my spirit.

Just recently I read a biography of John Lennon (an interesting book written by Cynthia, his first wife and mother of Julian), one of Paul McCartney (Paul McCartney: A Life by Peter Ames Carlin), and I finished this week a biography of George (Marc Shapiro's Behind Sad Eyes: The Life of George Harrison). My first plan was to read the life story of each of the fab four before comments on my blog. Having read the first three, I doubt if I am going to spend any more time reading about Ringo. With each of the readings, I have become more disillusioned with my heroes. I knew that there were drugs involved in their Sgt. Pepper days and the Indian religion attracted their minds for a while, but I had no idea how disappointing their early years would be for me. The cool lads from Liverpool were not what they appeared to be.

My mother was born in London and so the British invasion was welcomed with open arms in my house. Mom, my sister, and I all raved about the mop-tops from across the ocean. I really can't remember my dad's response, but he certainly wasn't negative. I Want to Hold Your Hand, She Loves You, Yea, Yea, Yea, and I Saw Her Standing There seemed so innocent and clean. The beat was crisp, the words were almost pure, and the melodies so catchy. But the lives behind the music were sad indeed, filled with the decadence of Hamburg, the anger of rebellion, and boredom of fame. Beatlemania led to heavy drug use, immorality, failed marriages, and desperation to find meaning in life.

John's abandonment of his wife and child, first by leaving them behind while living the life of a pop star and then literally for Yoko, left me feeling so betrayed by my favorite Beatle. Paul, who seemed to have his moments of tenderness and compassion was also obsessed with being in control. Why the Beatles disbanded is a complex question with complex answers, but I think that Paul may have caused the biggest wedges between the comrades. George didn't want the fame, was bored with the plastic nature of Beatlemania, and found himself so buried in drugs, alcohol, and sex that he never really found his way out. His religion seemed to fail to answer his deepest questions. Marc Shapiro summarized George's ideology with George's own words, "For every human is a quest to find the answer to 'Why are we here? Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going?' That, to me, became the only important thing in my life. Everything else is secondary." There is no indication in what I read about George that he truly found the answers to any of those questions.

Instead of majoring on the disappointments of my fab four heroes, let me conclude by sharing a reminder to me of a lesson learned long ago. Don't put your faith and reliance on any person. Men and women, no matter how great, will fail your expectations, because we are all human and we all fall short of God's glory. Sin has gripped us all and in our frailties, we all stumble. Human heroes will disappoint us. Make sure that the pedestal we place our heroes on is not so tall that we will be surprised when they fall.

Let's honor those in our lives that impact us with love, forgiveness, and kindness. Let's admire those who run the race with integrity and zeal. Let's emulate the strong of faith and consistent in life. But let's remember that they struggle with the human nature just like all of us. Strive to be a hero yourself; live a life worthy of the calling that God has upon your life; leave behind a set of footprints that can and should be followed.

Hebrews 12:2-3 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition form sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Sam Huff photo found at http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.aspx?PLAYER_ID=102

Team Building

I became the Academic Dean of a wonderful Christian school in Ohio just 7 months ago. Taking the position officially in mid-January was a real change for me. I had served in the school as a high school principal for many years and as the director of curriculum and instruction for a year and a half prior to entering the spot of academic dean. Having just completed my 23rd year with the school as an administrator of some sort, I have been part of the Administrative Team for decades. But now, for the first time, I am the chairman of this important committee.

The Administrative Team (the A-Team to it's membership) is made up of 11 members and myself - 7 principals, 2 special education specialists, a director of curriculum and the assistant academic dean. Some of the membership I have known for years, others for just a few years and two are new to the committee this year. I decided that it might be beneficial to spend some time prior to school getting to know one another in deeper way and discovering how each one of us is wired. We all participated in three assessments that provided some interesting insights into our teammates (and ourselves). I would recommend this type of experience for any team.

The first inventory that took our attention was a free personality inventory created by Gary Smalley that involved a self-rating exercise of the four major temperaments (choleric, sanguine, melancholy, and phlegmatic) in terms of animal types - lion, otter, beaver, and golden retriever. As you might expect we had a lot of lions in the room of leaders. This exercise allowed us to see ourselves as a mixture of the extroverts, the serious, the focused, the loyal, the visionary, the task-oriented, the people-centered, etc.

The second inventory we took was an online survey of the motivational spiritual gifts described in Romans 12 (http://mintools.com/spiritual-gifts-test.htm). This provided another interesting perspective on how God has created, wired, and gifted each one of us. It really emphasized the unity we experience with the diversity of individuals. I was rather surprised at the specific giftedness of some people with whom I have sat around the table for years.

The third inventory involved a book, StrengthsFinder 2.0. by Tom Rath. This Wall Street Journal bestseller focuses on the strengths that individuals bring to an organization. After reading some background information and conceptual understanding of the book's focus, the reader is directed to a website for an assessment. The online inventory provides the participant a list of his/her 5 top strengths. Each of the five strengths is explored for the participant including and definition and suggested ideas to magnify the strength. The book contains an explanation of all 34 of the characteristics.

These three exercises proved to be an insightful time for me. I have obtained some key insights into each of my co-workers. I hope that it will allow me to understand them better and to build a unique relationship with each one. I am praying that knowing our differences and similarities will help us cooperate and collaborate on deeper levels. Time will tell the long-lasting effects (if any) that this sharing will produce, but it was fun to get some initial glimpses into my friends' lives.

My administrative team is made up of some pretty amazing people. I so look forward to working with them and seeing how God is going to use our individuality to bring about unity and accomplish a common purpose and ministry.

Rebecca Rolfe - Young Leader

Bravery and compassion are two interesting characteristics that many leaders possess. I think of these traits as mature aspects that seasoned veterans have developed and demonstrate as a result of their wisdom and experiences. But the example below is found in a young lady, some believe only 12 years old. She only lived to be about 21. Her name was Rebecca Rolfe and she was born in 1595 in Virginia. She became a Christian when she was 18 and married John when she was 19, Two years later, at age 21 she died as a result of a sudden illness. But her story of young leadership is a famous one - it has been made into movies and described in most American history books. Rebecca Rolfe is better known as Pocahontas.

My three granddaughters love this Disney princess. This summer my wife made each of them a Pocahontas dress and feather headband. As a family, we visited a state park this July, made a teepee out of tree branches and watched the girls enjoy pretending to be three Indian princesses. I am not an expert on Pocahontas and I have not seen the Disney version of her life, but I understand the animated version is not always historically accurate (and it is probably good that it is not).

Pocahontas was the nickname of Mataoaka – the daughter of Powhatan, one of the important chiefs of the Algonquian Indians in the Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia. Most of the Pocahontas story comes directly from Captain John Smith (1580-1631). According to Smith, his life was spared only through the intervention of Pocahontas, who at the time was around 12 years old. Somewhere in the 19^th century the story took on a romantic flavor and was retold as a love story. But there is general agreement that Smith and Pocahontas were not sweethearts. In John's account, Pocahontas demonstrated great bravery and compassion on him as she risked her own life to save his.

John writes in the third person as he describes the event, “Two great stones were brought before Powhatan: then as many as could laid hands on him, dragged him to them, and thereon laid his head, and being ready with their clubs, to beate out his braines, Pocahontas the King's dearest daughter, when no intreaty could prevaile, got his head in her armes, and laid her owne upon his to save him from death...” (The Generall Historie of Virginia by John Smith)

There are other accounts that indicate that Pocahontas was a courageous and caring child who acted as a go-between for Powhatan and the settlers at Jamestown. Pocahontas assisted the colonists during that first winter and provided much needed food, helping to prevent the starvation of many. Pocahontas was known to pay regular visits to her friend Captain John Smith. Smith credited Pocahontas with preserving "this Colonie from death, famine and utter confusion" for "two or three yeeres" (The Generall Historie of Virginia by John Smith). When John Smith was forced to return to England because of severe burns that resulted from a gunpowder explosion, Pocahontas (who was told that he had died) stopped visiting the settlers.

A fews years later (in 1613) she was actually kidnapped by Captain Samuel Argall (another smart move by the white settlers) and held prisoner at a fort for a year as a potential negotiation chip in dealing with Powhatan. During her captivity, concerned colonists shared with her the claims of Christ. She embraced the truths of Christianity. One of those colonists, John Rolfe, fell in love with her, and she with him. Pocahontas was baptized as a Christian and christened Rebecca. In 1614 married John Rolfe and together they had a son, Thomas.

In 1616 she and John went to London as part of a plan to popularize Jamestown; she was presented to King James I, Queen Anne and the royal family. After seven months in England, Rolfe decided to take his family back to the New World and set sail for Virginia in March of 1617. Just as the voyage had gotten underway, Rebecca became gravely ill and the ship went ashore at Gravesend, England. She died there on March 21, 1619 and is buried there as well.

Bravery and compassion are usually the voices of the experienced leader, but they can be found in the young as well. Often children and young adults are overlooked for leadership. As we work with and are exposed to the next generation may we be careful not to miss the young Pocahontas in our midst. The capacity to save another; to lay down one's life for someone else; to help and serve somebody in need, is a capacity that is not bound by age, gender, race, or intelligence. Educators see them every day. Teachers have them in their classrooms everyday. Heroes can come in small packages - all that is needed is opportunity.

Photo: Many different depictions of Pocahontas exist today. Pictured clockwise from top left: Mary Ellen Howe (1994), Robert Matthew Sully (1850s), Thomas Sully (1852), Jean Leon Ferris (c. 1921) courtesy of William E. Ryde and the Virginia Historical Society.