In "Good to Great and the Social Sectors", Collins cites the example of a high school science teacher that wanted to change the education system around him...and succeeded:
"First, and most important, you can build a pocket of greatness without executive power, in the middle of an organization. If Roger Briggs can lead his minibus from good to great within the constraints of the public school system, you can do it nearly anywhere. Second, you start by focusing on the First Who principle - do whatever you can to get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people into the right seats. Tenure poses one set of challenges, volunteers and lack of resources another, but the fact remains: greatness flows first and foremost from having the right people in the key seats, not the other way around.
In " The Master Plan of Evangelism", Coleman reveals how Jesus began to change the world:
"His concern was not with programs to reach the multitudes, but with men whom the multitudes would follow. Remarkable as it may seem, Jesus started to gather these men before he ever organized an evangelistic campaign or even preached a sermon in public. Men were to be his method of winning the world to God. The initial objective of Jesus' plan was to enlist men who could bear witness to his life and carry on his work after he returned to the Father."
Indeed, the "who is more important than the "what".
I often wonder about Jesus' choice of these men. I think 'we (personally or as we are involved in missions)' tend to think we need to choose the lovely (to this world), the go-getters (of this world), the educated (of this world), the influential (you get my drift). Jesus had an advantage, I think, seeing what these guys would become, but he didn't seem to go after just the popular (Matthew), the savvy (James and John), the super strong of faith (Thomas). Just normal guys, right? Blue collar? Hard working? Open?
ReplyDeleteNot sure where I'm going with this, but I think about it quite a bit.
I agree, Daniela. I think "the right people" aren't always necessarily clear initially...at least to us. The context I've been thinking about this, however, is in relation to the tools and techniques we use to build a spiritual movement. Which is more important? The tools or the people? I think it is obvious that, regardless of how you define "the right people", finding them is more important than finding the right tools.
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