Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory

by Tod Bolsinger

Bringing good, healthy change to an organization, family, church or business is like cooking a stew in a Crock-Pot. Every person is a like a hard, raw vegetable or a firm piece of uncooked meat. Each has its own identity, opinions and beliefs. For the pieces of food to become a meal that will feed a hungry tribe, each bit must be transformed at least a bit. Each vegetable must be softened, the meat must share its flavor, and each morsel must contribute to a healthy sauce for all to share. When the components combine, we end up with something altogether different and tastier than if we were to cook carrots separate from the beef and separate from onions and then put them all together. Without enough heat, nothing changes. Too much heat and it burns. In either case, nobody is fed. A leader’s job is to regulate the heat. The leader is like the thermostat on the Crock-Pot, keeping enough heat in the system so things begin to change, but not enough that individual parts get scorched.