ConneXions

From Leaderpedia

Our ConneXions model is a new – perhaps old – approach to leader development.

Here are brief descriptions of our foundational ConneXions models. These models inform and direct everything we do in leadership development. They are comprehensively examined in our Building Healthy Leaders course.

The Goal of Leader Development

Main article: 5Cs.

In the ConneXions model, we deal with the whole leader, not just his head. Our ultimate goal is the holistic transformation of the Christian leader into the mature image of Jesus Christ. According to our “5C” model, a healthy Christian leader knows God (Christ), was formed and lives in supportive and accountable community (Community), has integrity (Character), knows the purpose of God and presents it with credibility, clarity and passion (Calling), and has the necessary gifts, skills and knowledge to lead the people in the accomplishment of this purpose (Competencies). These five elements are dealt with in detail in Healthy Leaders: SpiritBuilt Leadership#2.

Using four dynamics to build healthy leaders

Main article: 4Ds.

If we accept that healthy Christian leadership includes all 5Cs, and not merely academic capacity, it is immediately clear that building such a leader is easier said than done. Jesus built leaders by creating a transformational context around them:

• A spiritual environment, involving relationship with God (with Himself, as well as with the Father through prayer).
• A relational web, involving relationship with a mature leader (Himself), and relationships with others (the community of the disciples).
• An experiential context, involving challenging assignments and a diversity of learning opportunities.

Then, in that transformational context, He instructed them – the content of development. Thus, context + content = the process of leader development. Usually, in leader development design we have focused mostly on instruction. However, we must give significant attention to all four of the “dynamics of transformation”:

• Spiritual
• Relational
• Experiential
• Instructional

This is how lives are changed! When all 4Ds are strongly present in a design, spiritual life is nurtured, relational capacities are strengthened, character is developed, calling is clarified and deep leadership capacities are built.

The 18 Principles of Leader Development

Main article: 18 Principles

These principles are discussed in detail in Building Leaders: SpiritBuilt Leadership #4. Here is a summary.

• The church needs healthy leaders
• Ultimately God is the one who builds leaders
• Prayer must saturate leader development
• Healthy leaders are built in community
• Leaders build leaders
• Leaders who build leaders should themselves be involved in daily leadership
• Leaders are built a few at a time
• We must build the right ones
• Leaders learn by doing
• Leaders are built through fire
• Challenging assignments stretch and mature the emerging leader
• The Word of God is the foundation and the means for building healthy leaders
• Emerging leaders must be engaged in the process
• Responsibility for learning and growing is shared by the emerging leader and the church community
• Building leaders takes time
• People grow in different ways and their callings are different
• Both team and individual learning contexts must be provided
• Effective leadership development is a complex, experiential collage