Lead Like a Heretic by Dr. Phil Johnson

Author:Dr. Phil Johnson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Promontory Press
Published: 2017-04-08T04:00:00+00:00

The Mission

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl,” encouraged civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., “but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

Coupled with instilling a vision as a key to sustaining momentum, heretics instill a permeating sense of mission. They differentiate their vision, the why of their movement, from their mission, the how of their movement. Vision derives from the Latin visio, which means “to see,” and mission from missio, which means “to send out.” Readers may be familiar with the latter that refers to the focus of the Roman Catholic Mass that reaffirms the calling and commitment of the people to the mission and then their being ‘sent out on a mission’ to be God’s missionaries in the world.

Heretics pay special attention to developing a clear inspiring memorable mission that can resonate with the hearts and minds and souls of their members. For example, I’ve met a number of persons who have served in the United States Peace Corps (USPC) and every one had an extremely strong sense of their mission. The USPC provides service opportunities for motivated change-makers to immerse themselves in a community abroad, working side by side with local leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation. Its mission is to promote world peace and friendship by fulfilling three goals: to help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained volunteers, to help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served, and to help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

The United States Marine Corps, another example, serves as a versatile combat element, and is adapted to a wide variety of combat operations. It has a unique mission statement, and, alone among the branches of the U.S. armed forces, “shall, at any time, be liable to do duty in the forts and garrisons of the United States, on the seacoast, or any other duty on shore, as the President, at his discretion, shall direct.” In this special capacity, charged with carrying out duties given to them directly by the President of the United States, the Marine Corps serves as an all-purpose, fast-response task force, capable of quick action in areas requiring emergency intervention.

Stan Doerr, Executive Director of Blood:Water, describes its mission as a grassroots organization that empowers communities to work together against the HIV/AIDS and water crises in Africa. It considers itself an equipping agency that partners with African grassroots organizations to address the HIV/AIDS and water crises. It does this by identifying Africa’s hidden heroes and coming alongside their vision for change. Through technical, financial, and organizational support, Blood:Water expands the reach and effectiveness of African civil society organizations and the communities they serve.

I noted earlier that heretics cultivate a climate of engagement so that members of their movements have the freedom to grow to their own personal potential and the collective potential of the movement.

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