Category: Discussions

Leaders vs. Managers

Leaders vs. Managers

March 27, 2010

Thoughts taken from a talk by Hugh Nibley:

Leaders to Managers: The Fatal Shift

Classic education, which Christianity embraced at the urging of St. Augustine, believed that you can’t trust revelation because revelation cannot be controlled by man. The Spirit bloweth where it listeth (John 3:8).

St. Augustine believed the Church needed something more reliable than man empowered to act according to the dictates of his heart and mind as directed by God. And so Universities took on a form counterfeiting the Temple, or as I feel it should be called-The University of God.

Teaching and holding the students accountable

Teaching:

The act of showing love by holding the student accountable for growth

What does it mean to hold someone accountable? Have you ever held someone accountable for what they want? Some years ago my son Stuart asked me to help him prepare for a mission. One of the things he asked me to help him with was cleanliness, or should I say, lack thereof.

During the initial weeks of his preparation, he heard a repeated question: “Stuart is your room up to missionary standards?” He never argued with me from that point on. Having a clean room was something he wanted. He gave me permission to hold him accountable for serving a mission and a clean room was a stepping-stone along the way.

To Date With A Purpose

DWAP – Date With A Purpose
For the Single Person

1.    The purpose for dating is to narrow the field to one person that you determine is the best companion for Eternal Life.
a.    Make a list of the qualities you want in a spouse.  There is nothing off limits.  Don’t try to be overly spiritual, too philosophical, or lascivious.  Just be you.  I wanted a pretty wife her took care of herself (exercise and public appearance) so I married a pretty wife that loved exercise.  That was important too me, but so was a love for sports.  My wife knew nothing about sports when I met her.

Are You A Religious Bureaucrat or Entrepreneur

Yesterday we got into a very lively discussion on the topic of Religious Bureaucrats versus Religious Entrepreneurs around the dinner table.   It’s been fun watching the facial reactions when I pose the question and even more enjoyable listening to the responses.

Let’s use these definitions as the basis of the discussion:

Bureaucrat: An administrator concerned with procedural correctness at the expense of the people’s needs. Someone who wants to perpetuate the status quo with the motive of safety and security.

Entrepreneur: someone who has a set of principles and is willing to take risks on behalf of those principles.