LEADERSHIP CHANGES ACROSS CULTURES
Quote: Jesus said, "Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men. And they left everything and followed Him." (Matt 4:19,20)
Introduction - Trying to work in another culture with your own cultural values of leadership can be frustrating, counter-productive, and dangerous.
Illustration: Take for example, the man who thought he could transfer the principles of Western democratic census building into running a theological school in Africa. One day he found himself in a committee to determine the new curriculum for the school.
Mysteriously it seemed that whenever he tried to build a majority view of the philosophy and direction of the curriculum, most of the participants were silent. However, as the meeting progressed, it became clear that the faculty members had their own idea of the kind of curriculum they preferred for the theological college. Then the American leader discovered something that shocked his sensibilities about leadership.
Most of the decisions in that part of Africa were made before the meeting occurred. The major directions, philosophies, and courses were determined in small group discussions in the context of trusting friendship conversations outside of the walls of the school.
Relationships determined not only the courses, but who would teach which courses, and where they wanted to take the students in each course. All of this was not done in a formalized committee meeting, but happened under the shade of a mango tree when the American was typing up the agenda for next days meeting. The American had to go through a paradigm shift in his thinking about the nature, responsibilities, and processes of leadership in another cultural context. Leadership should adjust itself to the cultural context so as to be the best servant leadership following the example of Jesus Christ who humbled himself and became like a man.
I. Leadership’s Nature
Problems to Overcome With Good Leadership -
One of the greatest problems today comes from people who want authority and power without realizing where it comes from, its ultimate purposes, it nature, its methods, and the qualifications of those who claim to be leaders.
Many people want power, authority, and leadership without having to take the accompanying responsibility. Some people insist on holding positions of leadership when they are ready spiritually, educationally, or experientially. Even some Christians want the power of the Holy Spirit for their own selfish benefits, but are unwilling to submit to obedience of God’s word to acquire it in His timing. The following are some of the solution steps to several of these types of problems in cross-cultural leadership.
A. Leadership includes having authority which implies having the power and the right to give directions or take action. When you are a leader you are in a position to govern, to rule, to have dominion over others. For example one may have the power as a dictator, but not have the right to be a leader. On the other hand, it is possible that one may have the right but not the power to exercise leadership for several reasons. First the proper authority, power, or responsibilities-resources may not be properly given to the leader. The leader may not know what his right authorities, responsibilities, resources, and identities consist of. Third the leader may fail to exercise the powers that are his.
B. A true leader must gain his authority from God and by merit. His authority should be based on scripture, principles of justice, fairness, and the promises that Jesus Christ gave His disciples when He said, "If you want to be great in the kingdom of God you must be A SERVANT OF ALL." This presupposes that you are willing to serve those who God has placed you in leadership over for their welfare.
C. Leaders gain people’s respect for their capacity to positively use their authority. People spoke of Jesus as one who had authority when it was ascribed to him by the centurion in Matt. 8:9 when he said, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, Go and he goes; and that one Come and he comes, I say to my servant, Do this and he does. So just say the word, and my servant will be healed." The centurion was commended for astute insights and great faith.
D. Leaders demonstrate power and authority over the forces of evil. In Mark 1:16-20, Jesus began to teach in the synagogue. There the people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Then Jesus exercised His authority by shouting to the demon inside of a possessed man, "Be quiet, come out of him. The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other. what is this? A new teaching and with authority! He even gives order to evil spirits and they obey him. " Jesus showed how to communicate his authority through demonstration s of His power and authority over all evil forces publicly. He feared no one.
E. Leaders lead best when they use the greatest authority and power given them through the great commission of Matt. 28:19,20. Jesus said, "All power and authority is given to me in heaven and earth, go therefore and make disciples of all nations." When we direct our leadership to go into all the people groups of the world for evangelism, discipleship and church growth we are empowered with the greatest power and authority in the will of God. As we are fully involved with fulfilling Christ’s commission we will be given extra blessings of that power, might, and authority in our leadership that transcends cultural barriers.
F. Leaders exercise their authority with greatest effect when they are supported with solid backing. When you want to lead with authority you need to have "weight" in your statements, planning, and actions. All cultures recognize the strength of any leader lies in the weight of his arguments. The weight is usually determined by how much backing the leader has in terms of people, resources, and power. Occasionally, the backing can come from a position given to the leader by the election of the people. This leader has legal, political, and executive backing through the constitution of the organization he represents. At other times, the backing may come from financial sources that allows the leader to tap into reservoirs of money that allow him to accomplish great things through the wise use of material assets. One of the most frustrating positions to be in as a leader is a job where you have limited backing to carry out your tasks. Wise leaders are always on the look out for sources of backing, support, and undergirding of their tasks. Learning to cover your bases with continual maintenance of your support systems is essential for effective leadership. A cross-cultural leader needs to recognize the unlimited resources we have in Christ through His wisdom, knowledge, Holy Spirit’s guiding, empowering, and enabling ministries.
G. Leaders who practice righteous and effective leadership grow in their confidence, discernment, and credibility. It is sometimes thought that leaders are people who are born with confidence, certainty in their manner, and courage. However, usually, these virtues are fruits of an effective leader’s labors. Success tends to produce more success both within and without side of a leader. A leader who lacks confidence usually fails to properly use his authority given from Christ, His commission, or his position in the organization. Relationships are developed through confidence of the leader in himself, in God, and in others. Any time one of these three sources of confidence is threatened, the leader tends to lose a fraction of his authority. Frequently, leaders who lose the balance of these three aspects of confidence tend to distort, misuse, or abuse their authority.
Case Study - One leader lost confidence in God, his followers, and in himself. When he was told to wait on God and support to come to his rescue, he panicked and responded hastily in his decision to offer burnt offering. In I Samuel 13:7-15 we read about a Saul who lost the confidence of God, his people, his earthly leader-Samuel, and himself through one impulsive action:
"Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited for seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. So he said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings. And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he had finished making the offering Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him. "What have you done?" asked Samuel. Saul replied, "When I saw that the men were scattering and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, I thought, Now the Philistines will come down against me at the Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favour. So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering." "You act foolishly," Samuel said. You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command."
Saul lacked confidence in God, His word, His chosen authorities, and allowed the pressure of circumstances to affect his decision-making abilities. Losing assurance in his back-up systems, Saul lost his trust in God. The Bible warns us in Hebrews 10:35, "Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded."
H. Successful leaders know how to best work through the social organizational structures across and within different cultures. Often leaders who are successful in their own cultures fail when they are transferred to another culture. This failure often stems from the fact that they are trying to use their knowledge and social organizational knowledge from their own culture into the new one. A cross-cultural leader needs to know how different people function in every new cultural social organizational set-up. Learning the implications of why a certain man makes the major decisions is key in understanding how to successfully work in and through the sociological networks within each culture. Paul knew how to acquire the skills and relationships for planting churches in a wide diversity of cultures. He used mediators who interpreted new sociological systems to him.
I. Great leaders know the keys to using feelings of dissatisfaction to produce changes across and within cultures. The motives, processes, and rates of change vary from culture to culture for numerous reasons. Learning how to capitalize on the feelings of need for improvements will be a secret that few leaders master. If you want examples of men who produced change, read Hebrews 11. There we read about one man who risked everything to build an ark that would save himself and his family from a great flood. Heb. 11:22 says, "By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones." Joseph knew how to use the keys of a dissatisfied Pharaoh to interpret his dreams and plan for a famine.
Joseph knew how to use the fear of starvation of his brothers to save Israel from destruction. Joseph even knew how to avert a tragic adulterous relationship with Potiphar’s wife, by refusing to lay with her. Good leaders know when to turn up the dissatisfaction gauge and when to turn it down for the most propitious changes.
J. Spiritual leaders have a greater capacity to avoid syncretistic compromises with the world’s beliefs. There is a delicate balance that a cross-cultural leader must keep in working with a new cultural set of perceptions.
Example - One leader wanted the respect of the people so much that he contributed toward the burial of a respected elder in the community. The money went to offering idols to the ancestors. Within several months the leader was called upon to give more money to offer sacrifices for safe deliveries of several important women in the community. He refused and the community discredited his leadership for his inconsistencies.
K. Discerning leaders know how to correctly interpret the meanings, norms, and dynamics of a new culture. Learning how to accurately sort out the root and surface meanings of a new language, non-verbal cues, and cultural symbols is essential for a cross-cultural leader. For example, when I was in Chicago in the U.S. this summer, I had to remember that if a young boy from Hispanic roots looked me in the eye, it meant I was in deep trouble for he despised me. However, if a young black male looked me in the eye, it meant that he was showing me deep respect. In many African cultures, if a young male looks an elder in the eye it shows disdain, haughtiness, and a prideful spirit. A leader usually needs a hermeneutical teacher to sort out the vast array of meanings from both verbal and non-verbal communications.
L. Leaders who want to succeed across cultures need to discover the best means of having permanent influence. Superficial leaders are quick to jump at the first chances to have an influence in a new culture. However, this is not the kind of long lasting influence that wise cross-cultural leaders search for. For example in Nigeria, if you want influence you simply mention the name of some of your most significant friends who are willing to come to your assistance and you will usually get results. Influence is the invisible action or power exercised through position, knowledge, or character.
Example - When the Governor of Plateau State came to our 8th graduation ceremony at Jos E.C.W.A. Seminary he simply mentioned that he would do what he could to build a new bridge and a road to the E.C.W.A. staff school. Within a year of his promise, his influence brought about the change. The Provost of the seminary knew the Governor from his former primary school days. This friendship carried tremendous influence that meant over N3 million naira ($30,000) in benefits for the seminary and staff school.
M. Leaders bring a measure of accountability to their decisions in effective cross-cultural terms. When someone comes from another culture there is usually an automatic suspicion about his power dynamics. Often people will be heard to say, "What can that man do to us?"
For example - When a military Governor of Plateau State was appointed, the citizens questioned whether or not he could gain the people’s respect because he was a Muslim and the majority of Plateau people are Christians. However, within weeks the people gave the Governor great praise for his accomplishments as they started to see new roads, new lights, and new housing tracts being erected throughout the state capital, Jos. The cross-cultural leader’s credibility both for benefits as well as for creating law and order soared through demonstrations of positive and negative mechanisms of accountability.
N. Leaders know what motivations to use with a variety of cultures, situations, and people. We all know that one man’s meat can be another man’s poison. Similarly, different motivations can be effective with some, but destructive for others.
When you are considering the different kinds of motivations to use in cross-cultural leadership consider the following aspects of motivations:
1). Personalities are motivated according to their basic temperament make-up:
a)). Drivers are excited by the results they see from their work. Allow him to build his own ideas into the programme. Give him plenty of options and probabilities as he likes to control the way in which he works.
b)). Expressive are stimulated by the compliments and approval they get. Check-up on him giving him plenty of praise and testimonies of others who have succeeded in similar tasks. Allow him to work together in an environment where he can get plenty of social recognition.
c)). Amiables are invigorated by the attention they receive. Assure him of the importance he is playing in keeping others happy, agreeable, and feeling secure. Give him enough guarantees that you are fully in support of his efforts even if they don’t turn out perfectly.
d)). Analyticals are spurred on by their increased involvement and activity. Help him know that you appreciate his accurate thinking and working. Give him help on the steps for carrying out the overall plan of operation. Compliment him on his technical expertise in carrying out the job. Occasionally give him suggestion that will help him to save embarrassing himself later if necessary.
2). Tension or fear of failure will motivate some to great heights. Some cultures are afraid of being shamed, disgraced, or embarrassed publicly. You can use this as a leader to motivate your people to protect themselves from public ridicule by performing up to a given standard of performance. Facing the wrath of the leader however, is never sufficient motivation as people work best when there is a balance of positive and negative reinforcement.
3). Rewards provide many people with sufficient motivation for qualitative and quantitative performance. When people realize the kinds of degrees, diplomas, and recompense for their labors they can accomplish great things. Suspension of rewards will often motivate people to increase their personal motivations as well. The greater the reward in quantity, quality, and longevity, the greater will be the motivation. Rewards should also be in line with the age, gender, educational, and cultural understanding of the person. Spiritual and earthly rewards should always be balanced for a cross cultural leader.
4). Motivations are on four basic levels:
a)). Satisfaction orientation - This man thinks that doing his work is just a means to meet his immediate needs like food, clothing, or shelter etc. If he cannot get what he wants in terms of advancement, more money, higher status, promotions, prestige, or power etc., he is not interested in any more work. Jesus did not have much time for these people who only followed Him because of what He could do for them.
b)). Impressing Others Orientation - This man is working because he things it will help him gain greater social acceptance and importance. He is mainly interested in impressing others with his certificates, diplomas, or degrees. Leaders must help people by giving them some kind of recognition for what they are doing in order to help mortgage them. Try to help people see, however, that this is an insufficient permanent level for motivation.
c)). Competence Orientation - This man wants to be skilled enough so that he can obtain a sense of proficiency in his work in case he can get a better job elsewhere. He is interested in being able to fulfill his social responsibilities. It is very important for him to be considered normal, worthy, credible, and acceptable before his peers. Leaders can use this level of motivation to encourage everyone to come up to the minimum standards for acceptable employment.
d)). Management Orientation - This man wants to do the job so as to deepen his understanding of God, himself, his family, and his society’s expectations. This affords him greater capacities to manage all these elements of life with confidence, skill, and fulfillment. Leaders should aim to bring all of their people to this level of motivations both internally and externally. This is the level that Paul the apostle talked about in Col.1:27 when he said, "For this I labor so that I may bring everyman complete in Christ."
5). Motivation can be affected by a leader who fits his teaching style to the cultures and person’s best learning style. From birth, everyone develops their own unique way of acquiring useful information, this is called your learning style. Here is a look at the four basic types in which people tend to learn:
a)). Innovative learners - These are learners who enjoy acquiring new ideas, methods, concepts, and experiences for bringing about change. Create experiences for them through a witnessing outing, field trip, or a visit to someone’s church to help them see the reasons why improvements are needed. As Jesus did in sending out his disciples two by two, allow them to analyze their experiences afterwards. These people are often good at counselling, organizing, developing programmes, writing, and managing. Their favorite question is "Why is this job not done more effectively?"
b)). Analytical Learners - These are learners who prefer to the details of an ideal thoroughly. They are generally not satisfied until they have discovered the underlying reasons behind the truths or lack of truths. These folks learn by thinking through ideas, give them plenty of opportunity and patience. They are good at perceiving information abstractly and processing it reflectively without having to learn through trial and error methods. They enjoy the traditional classroom setting. Their goals are usually intellectual satisfaction and recognition for their wisdom and knowledge.
c)). Common Sense learners - These learners prefer to find out how to do something through practice. They want to know the practical value of truth, a concept, or a lesson. They learn best through hands on experiences. They resent ideas that are mostly theory without practical applications. They use factual information to build concepts that will work in their real cultural world views. They need to know how things will help them in their real worlds. They are often good at practical performances and do not mind trial and error learning.
d)). Dynamic Learners - These learners are energetic who prefer to look for ways to bring about change, improvements, and modifications for greater efficiency. They are usually thinking "What if something would be done another way?" Do not be threatened by these free thinkers. They enjoy discovering new ways of using old pieces of information to infuse improvements in the system. They perceive information concretely so you will have to give them real life demonstration of what you are planning for them. They are then able to project possibilities based on their intuitive perceptions. They are most adaptable to change and enjoy it since they like variety and excel in situations that call for flexibility and risks.
6). Motivation involves a process of informing, inspiring, persuading, and applying information to different cultures. This presupposes a knowledge, an interest in the culture, a belief in the possibilities of the culture, and plan for acting on the problems in the culture. As you are able to provide understanding and clarification of the needs in a culture you will be able to stimulate the people to seek solutions for their problems.
When you are able to inspire them through suitable stories, proverbs, and case studies they will engage their attention to accomplish the challenges laid before them. Since you want to convince them to believe in the importance of your mission you must exhibit faith in God that will change in their minds, wills, and emotions toward you goal of knowing Christ and His will for their lives.
If you want the motivations to make a permanent difference you need to design specific action steps that can lead the people to solving their own problems through the principle applications of the scriptures to every life situation.
7). Motivation takes into account the steps of gaining people’s attention, finding real, perceived, and felt needs, demonstrating means of greater satisfaction for those needs, visualizing the results, and challenging them to specific tasks.
