Midterm Flashcards
How many rungs are on the capacity ladder? What are they?
4 rungs;
Discover what I can do, Develop my capacities, Acquire title or position, and Attain individual potential
Describe the 1st rung of the capacity ladder.
The 1st rung of the capacity ladder is discover what I can do. Taking this step means discovering your specific skills, leadership inclinations, personality, influence, or abilities such as creating visions or persuading.
Describe the 2nd rung of the capacity ladder.
The 2nd rung of the capacity ladder is develop my capacities. This is when the leader sharpens his/her talents and gifts.
Describe the 3rd rung of the capacity ladder.
The 3rd rung of the capacity ladder is acquire title or position. Taking this step naturally leads to the 4th rung of the capacity ladder.
Describe the 4th rung of the capacity ladder.
The 4th rung of the capacity ladder is attain individual potential. From below, this rung seems to have the results of effective leadership influence – honor, glory, respect, and power. This is the top of the capacity ladder.
What are some problems of climbing the capacity ladder?
The capacity ladder is not sufficient enough to ensure that our abilities will result in positive influence or enduring legacy. When leaders with undeveloped character rise up the capacity ladder, their actions have a negative impact on those around them. Relationships are destroyed and the leader’s character immaturity is revealed.
How many rungs are on the character ladder? What are they?
5 rungs;
Trust God and others with me, Choose vulnerability, Align with truth, Pay the price, and Discover my destiny
What are the two rails of the character ladder? Describe them.
Environments of grace and Relationships of grace;
An environment of grace works hand in hand with relationships of grace to create cultures in which trust, creativity, hope, and other positive outcomes emerge. We are not simply products of our environment. Our environments are also a product of us.
Describe the 1st rung of the character ladder.
The 1st rung of the character ladder is trust God and others with me. Self-sufficiency is not an option here. It is our need for God’s care and commitment along with our need for others’ care and commitment that motivates us to take this step. Without an awareness of our needs, this step is impossible to take. Trusting God has to do with accepting who God is and accepting who we are in the context of God’s plan. God created us to trust Him and to trust others with the deepest parts of our lives. This trust requires humility – increasing gratitude and decreasing greed.
Describe the 2nd rung of the character ladder.
The 2nd rung of the character ladder is choosing vulnerability. Vulnerability does not mean transparency. It means deliberately placing yourself under other’s influence, submitting yourself to others’ strengths – being submissive. Submissive means letting someone love you, teach you, or influence you. Vulnerability both expresses and sustains integrity. It also expands influence and productivity.
Describe the 3rd rung of the character ladder.
The 3rd rung of the character ladder is aligning with truth. This step distinguishes between those who use transparency to manipulate and to those who submit in vulnerability to live lives of integrity. The truth about who we are cannot be wholly known without interaction with others. It requires a standard of measure. Aligning with truth flows from a heart that obeys in trust. Obedience from the heart develops trust and acceptance.
Describe the 4th rung of the character ladder.
The 4th rung of the character ladder is paying the price. It is on this rung that leaders face their greatest challenges. It implies suffering. The payment will be different for everyone because God does not have the same plan for everyone. We especially need friends to support and encourage us on this rung. We must become objective– We must be able to approach people and situations without negative bias or prejudice. We must be servant leaders and never put those under our care at great risk for the sake of our own selfish pursuits. We mature on this rung.
Describe the 5th rung of the character ladder.
The 5th rung of the character ladder is discovering my destiny. Leaders make intentional choices on the 1st four rungs; these choices and their consequences serve as intense preparation for what lies ahead. Oftentimes the destiny they find is far beyond their expectations. This step occurs at just the right time. God takes the initiative to lift us up when He chooses. However, we must still be responsible to seek and evaluate the opportunities presented to us. It is the most active rung and presents us with at least 7 challenges. Refusing these challenges can mean never discovering our destiny. This is the top of the character ladder.
What are the character traits that are developed on the character ladder?
Humility is developed on the 1st rung.
Submission is developed on the 2nd rung.
Obedience is developed on the 3rd rung. Suffering/maturity is developed on the 4th rung.
By the 5th rung your character should be fully developed.
What are the 7 challenges of the fifth rung of the character ladder?
1) Confront complacency, avoiding patterns that may lead to indifference or hubris.
2) Seek out new ways to express your compassions and convictions – to serve others from your heart.
3) Remain teachable and make yourself available to others.
4) Instead of comparing yourself to others’, place your future fully into the hands of God, seeking a destiny of faith over one describe only by sight.
5) Share the benefits of your influence with those around you, rather than benefit at their expense.
6) Approach your relationships and priorities in a fluid way instead of scheduling your life to the point of excluding relationships that really matter.
7) Aggressively seek to resolve your own character issues and weaknesses while continuing to be vulnerable and aligned with the truth – no matter the price.
What is the difference between the capacity ladder and the character ladder?
The capacity ladder focuses more on self. The goal is to reach the top of the ladder – gain honor, glory, respect, and power. This ladder does not focus on developing one’s character.
The character ladder focuses more on relationships, making a difference in the world, and developing one’s character. The goal is to discover who one is, who God has called them to be, and prepare them for the destiny God has for their life. This ladder can’t be climbed alone.
Transactionalism vs. Transformationalism
Transactionalism: In management, they don’t care if you believe in the value of the goal. They only care about you reaching the goal. It is surface motivation – you are motivated by something that may have nothing to do with the actual goal.
Transformationalism: The motivation is to change the world even though that transaction aspect will always be there.
Transactionalism vs. Transformationalism = the core value is relationships in transformationalism.
Compare the capacity and character ladders with transactionalism and transformationalism.
The capacity ladder is most like transactionalism. Like transactionalism, this ladder is more focused on reaching the goal than on relationships and the process of reaching that goal.
The character ladder is most like transformationalism. Like transformationalism, this ladder is more focused on the change of the individuals striving to reach the goal rather than actually reaching the goal. Relationships is a core value of both transformationalism and the character ladder.
Explain the parallels between management and transactionalism; and leadership and transformationalism.
Managers get people to do. Transactionalism uses whatever means necessary to reach the goal.
Leaders get people to want to do. Transformationalism gets people to see the value of the goal in order to reach it.
What is Rost’s definition of leadership?
“Leadership is an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real changes that reflect their mutual purposes.”
What are the 4 essential elements of leadership according to Rost?
1) The relationship is based on influence
2) Leaders and followers are the people in this relationship
3) Leaders and followers intend real changes – the measure of the real change comes in the process of reaching the goal
4) Leaders and followers develop mutual purposes
According to Rost, in order for leadership to take place, all four of the elements must be present.
Describe an influence relationship.
An influence relationship must be a multidirectional relationship. It is two ways. The leader is influence by his/her followers and vice versa. Also, an influence relationship must be a non-coercive relationship. It cannot be coercive (dictatorship). Coercion is a danger from both sides (followers and leaders).
How do followers and leaders measure “real changes”?
By developing shared and mutual purposes.
What are the two approaches to leadership studies?
Deductive and Inductive
Describe the deductive approach to leadership studies.
This is the practice of one’s perception of the truth. They observe successful practice, then derive principles from that. Scientific method – useful in medicine, business, and social science. This is not the best way for the church.
Describe the inductive approach to leadership studies.
This is the source of the truth. They derive principles from an authoritative source, then build appropriate practices. For the church this is the biblical mandate. This is the more robust of the approaches to leadership studies.
