Clinton on Crisis and Leadership Development

A crisis is a time of increased pressure. Theses situations are often used by God to test a leader and to teach him dependence on God.eg. A leader faces a major crisis. The leader sees that his only hope is in God. He experiences God in a new way in the crisis. He sees God as the One who can and does meet him in this major experience of life. Not only does God meet the leader in the situation but He does so with a solution that is tailor-made for the leader. The overall effect is a more confident leader. It provides a landmark experience that will affect this person's ability to lead others. His followers in turn sense a new spiritual authoirty in him. Learning lessons in these experiences is the goal. Spiritual authority is a most important by-product.

Clinton's Three Challenges to Leaders

1. When Christ calls leaders to Christian ministry, He intends to develop them to their full potential. Each of us in leadership is responsible to continue developing in accordance with God's processing all our life.

2. A major function of all leadership is that of selection of rising leadership. Leaders must continually be aware of God's processing of younger leaders and work with that process.

3. Leaders must develop a ministry philosophy that simultaneously honour biblical leadership values, embraces the challenges of the times in which they live, and fits their unique gifts and personal development if they expect to be productive over a whole lifetime.

Clinton on Conflict and Leadership Development

God will use conflict to point out areas of character needing modification, to point out or confirm areas of strength, or to point out areas of character missing entirely. Personal conflict can deal with inner fears, lack of self image, fear of failure, guilt, etc. The emphasis is not just on the insights learned about conflict, but also on the intended development of character orchestrated by God in those conflict situations.

Clinton on Isolation and Leader Development

One way that God forces a leader into reflective evaluation and into a 'being' stage of the upward development pattern involves isolation. It is one of the most effective means for maturing a leader. Several times in a leader's lifetime, the leader may be set aside from his or her normal ministry... The thrust of the processing is on the recognition that the isolation is God's work and that it is a call to a deeper relationship and experience of God

Clinton on the Leadership Development Pattern

The upward development pattern occurs throughout a leader's life. It is a spiral of growth in being and doing. In each being cycle there is an increased depth of experiencing and knowing God; and in each doing cycle there is increased depth of effective service for God. The final result of the upward development pattern is a fusion of being and doing. ie. Conversion - being; doing - leadership committment; being - inner-life growth; doing - development and use of ministry skills; being - ministry philosophy becomes life based; union.

Clinton on Leadership Maturity

To develop a leader to maturity, God enlarges the leader's perspectives of the spiritual dynamics of ministry. The leader must learn to sense the spiritual reality (spiritual warfare) behind physical reality, as well as to depend upon God's power in minstry. Also, the leader must learn to know God's voice in the challenge process items - faith, prayer, and influence - and the affirmation process items - divine and ministry.

Clinton on Leadership Development

As a leader, you should recognise that God is continually developing you over a lifetime. His top priority is to conform you to the image of Christ for ministry with spiritual authority. Enduring fruitfulness flows out of being.

Development phases are identified by three factors: process items (people, circumstances, lessons, etc that God uses to indicate and develop leadership potential), boundary events (significant experiences that happen during a boundary time and influence its outcome), and changes in sphere of influence (the totality of people being influenced and for whom a leader will give an account to God). There is usually an interplay of all three factors during a development transition.