By vose.leadership on
9/10/2008 1:47 PM
 By Monica O'Neil. First appeared in The Advocate October 2008
God’s given all of us the ability to contribute. It’s a gift, a package of genetics, environment and the work of the Holy Spirit within us. We might call it our ‘capacity’. Jesus’ parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30 shows us we can use our capacity effectively or poorly. We can increase it by being savvy and working hard or we can bury it in fear and inactivity. How do you go about increasing your capacity and being the good steward God wants you to be? Here’s six suggestions to start.
1. Value your gifts
It is possible to highly value the gifts God has placed in you and remain grateful, hum ...
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By vose.leadership on
4/09/2008 4:28 PM
 By Monica O'Neil. First appeared in The Advocate September 2008
“To do, or not to do” - is that the question?
I was sitting in a room filled with winter sunshine cut through by cold blasts of air. Peter McHugh and Keith Farmer, two guys I trust, were talking about living differently in our performance-based culture.
It got me thinking about my life and how I live it. When it comes to personality tests, I show up as one of those people who love to change things and always have several projects on the go. I love to DO STUFF.
In my thirties I would say, “If I don’t DO IT then who will?” And the thought that IT might not get DONE was abhorrent. When I turned forty, life truly began. I celebrated with a great dance party ...
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By vose.leadership on
14/08/2008 4:42 PM
 By Monica O'Neil. First appeared in The Advocate.
Once upon a time, it was a forlorn looking patch of scruffy marri trees, gravel and a couple of blackboys. Not the natural beauty of bush land, but remnants of a semi-cleared hills block, left to its own devices for a couple of decades. A small shed adorned the centre of the patch. Piles of rocks were clustered here and there. The family needed sturdy shoes to traverse the terrain. This backyard, our backyard, needed a makeover.
Where was the team from Backyard Blitz? I needed them. I wanted to hand my ugly duckling yard over to them and go away for a few days to a beach resort where I would be pampered. When they had finished, they could call me to announce it was time to come home. I would arrive to my fresh, new, all ex ...
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By vose.leadership on
7/08/2008 2:34 PM
 By Monica O'Neil ; first appeared in The Advocate
“Leadership is not the private reserve of a few charismatic men and women. It is a process ordinary people use when they are bringing forth the best from themselves and others. Leadership is your capacity to guide others to places they (and you) have never been before.” James Kouzes and Barry Posner in Leadership Next by Eddie Gibbs.
“Leadership is the discipline of deliberately exerting special influence within a group to move it towards a goal of beneficial permanence that fulfils the group’s real needs.” John Haggai in Lead On!
The Leadership Compass - leadership can happen in four directions:
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By vose.leadership on
7/08/2008 2:15 PM
 This is from the address by Dr Noel Vose at the opening of Vose Leadership in Perth; first published in The Advocate.
For many years I have been interested in, and concerned about the ” what and how” of leadership. I wish to offer a brief comment on its meaning.
In his book “Intelligent Leadership” Alistair Mant heads the first chapter with what looks like, at first glance, the words of a small boy in a primary school playground.
It reads like this:
I want to be the leader
I want to be the leader
Can I be the leader?
Can I? I can?
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By vose.leadership on
31/07/2008 1:32 PM
 by Neville Callam, General Secretary of the Baptist World Alliance
(On April 4 2008, Neville Callum, gave this address to a Vose Leadership breakfast gathering of Christian leaders.)
Especially in these days, much is being made of the question of leadership in the Christian community. The concern for our subject is driven by a number of trends. I will refer to only three of these.
First of all, we live in an age in which there is a concerted assault on authority and authority figures.
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By vose.leadership on
24/07/2008 4:49 PM
 By Dr Brian Harris, Principal of Vose Seminary
Don’t know if you enjoy watching Mythbusters. You know the program. The one I like is where they test to see if your head will get chopped off if entangled with a ceiling fan. The answer – only if it’s an industrial strength one, so check before conducting the experiment for yourself!
This is the age of the cult of personality. Those we most admire are larger than life figures. They are never stumped for words and unlike us, are at ease in all social situations. T ...
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By vose.leadership on
7/07/2008 3:25 PM
By Monica O'Neil ; first appeared in The Advocate
 “Leaders are a brick in the wall”, Mitch explained. “When you’re feeling angry, you can walk up to them, bash your head against them and it feels good”. He was having fun, being a little random and he has a point.
Leaders make good targets for frustration. Why? Frustration is interesting. Who gets it, who gives it, and why?
When I’m frustrated there are a number of people (also animals and objects) that might need to beware. It is easy to vent frustration on those nearby. Those at home- spouse, kids, dog, or the young man at the checkout, the older lady driving 3 km/hr under the speed limit in the lane I am stuck in.
Leaders also attract our venting of f ...
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