Preparing for the 'big guy'!

Blog #46 - Preparing for the big guy!

October 20 was Mashujaa Day in Kenya - Heroes’ Day!  It is a public national holiday honoring those who contributed to the struggle for Kenya’s independence (1963) and those who have positively shaped the post-independence of the country.  People honor how independence has enabled the country to provide better opportunities and living conditions for its residents. Heroes Day also acknowledges Kenyans who have made significant contributions in sports, education, medicine, and in other areas.

This year, the town where I live, Kakamega, celebrated the occasion in fine style.  The President, Uhuru  Kenyatta and his first lady, Margaret Kenyatta, came to town – along with the Deputy President, the opposition leader, and guest President of Namibia, Mr. Hage Geingob - quite the entourage for this rural place. The weekend festivities included a major celebration gathering at the new local arena where the President gave the keynote address.  In his speech, he declared unity to be the spirit of the Kenyan handshake which must be emulated across all sectors.  Traditional dancers and choirs  entertained the crowd and one of our Salvation Army Territorial leaders, Commissioner Grace Chepkurui, participated with prayer. An air show of fighter jets by the Kenya Air Force wowed the residents while tons of food vendors were a great attraction to those who congregated to see the big guy! The town likely swelled by thousands over the weekend.

Leading up to the event, concerted preparations were quite visible for several months.  Road repairs galore, the installation of literally hundreds of street lights, embedded floral in the round-a-bouts, significant additions of shelter/sun shade space to the stadium, and a new fountain in the centre of town helped beautify Kakamega’s community image.  Presumably all paid for by the national government. The increased military presence, heightened police security, tons of colorful national and municipal flags flying, and lots of rehearsals for community groups and schools were among the final details before the big day. Near the end, you could almost feel the panic of last minute arrangements in town. Ready or not, here he comes!

In many ways, the measures taken were an asset to the area. Better road conditions, bright lights for evening traffic and travelers, extra visitors, first hand exposure to government officials, and a more visually appealing municipal ambiance for any newcomers. The weekend generated additional revenue for local businesses and potentially highlighted Kakamega as a charming place to live in Kenya. Obviously, the upgrades had its limits and did not address lots of other social and community needs. Some wondered if the large number of erected street lights could possibly have an adverse effect if electricity costs to run these lights propel a surge in power costs for the ordinary consumer.  (Perhaps not all the lights will be turned on after the holiday event). In any case, preparing for the country’s President has definitely been a rigorous and resolute labour intensive attempt to impress political dignitaries and will likely be the talk of the town for quite some time.

Observing this hustle and bustle begged a reflection for me about the coming of another prominent figure, a dignitary of a different sort, Jesus.  In the Christian faith, we believe that one day our ‘big guy’ will come (again) to town. (Please don’t mistake this light-hearted description of Jesus as sacrilegious or disrespectful).  The Bible teaches us that the promise of Christ when he ascended to Heaven following his resurrection was his eminent return. In John 14:3, Jesus promised “If I go … (and he did go), I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”  Some years later, the apostle Paul wrote in one of his letters “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God, the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” (I Thess. 5:16-17)

One of the differences between the coming of Jesus and the appearance of a prominent political leader is we will not be fore warned about the actual time & date. As a matter of fact, “in an hour when you least expect it, the Son of God will come back – like a thief in the night.” (Matt. 24:44) Our preparation days won’t be just for two weeks or two months.  More truthfully, it's every day. We do not have a date for Jesus return, though the bible does describe the kind of times we may be living in: “days of wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6). Sound familiar?  Question is, how do we ‘get ready’ for an arrival of such great magnitude that it makes the President coming to town seem mundane and inconsequential? I think it means we need to pay careful attention to how we live - every day.

Following Paul’s prediction of Christ's return, he gives us some pretty good advice while we wait. Various phrases from 1 Thess. 5:6-11 encourage us to  “be alert … be self-controlled, put on faith and love as a shield, and the hope of salvation as a protective headdress ... encourage one another and build each other up.” Preparing to meet Jesus, whether at his official return to earth or the day when we die, is about putting into practice what He told us to do – love God and love others. Believe in and receive the gift of salvation. Then follow His example in how we treat people, including every effort to stand against evil and injustice. In other words, let’s expend our energy beyond what can be seen on the outside. Let’s do more than just embellish our image. Let's find ways to make a real difference.  Don’t be self-centred. Be aware (alert) to the reality of people around you (neighbors) and those across the globe. Put your faith into action.  

Notably, this is NOT about impressing Christ, for none of our ‘good works’ earn us a place at the table being prepared for our eternal feasting. Faith alone in the unmerited grace of God is the only way into His presence. It is not an outward beautifying effort. It is a preparation that begins (and ends) in the heart and translates into a living, active faith.

In many ways, I am grateful that the coming back of Jesus is an unknown day. If I was given a date when I would leave this world or the date when Jesus would show up on my door step, would I potentially be as frantic as the hired workers I’ve seen in Kakamega the past two weeks? Would I be scurrying against the clock to ensure everything in my life was ‘in place’? Would I be panicking about what I had left undone? Maybe - though I'm sure I would not get it just right.  Instead, because his return is an unexpected one, I get a new opportunity, a fresh chance, every day to carefully and prayerfully prepare my heart and live my life in honor of His grace to me.

Ready or not, He’s coming.

Karibu (welcome) to Kakamega! 

Prep work - by hand

Crowds at the stadium - some like the lime light!

Celebrate Kenya!

Artistic flare! 

And the dignitaries ...

Coaching and cultivating

Blog #45

Coaching and cultivating – envisioning a better future

Words are so often contextual. Meanings vary depending on setting or circumstance. The word ‘coaching’ has its most familiar framework in sports.  Individual athletes and sports teams depend highly on effective coaching for success.  (Okay, hockey fans in Canada, perhaps the Toronto Maple Leafs still have that hope!).  About ten years ago, Morris and I welcomed a new context for this word, attaching it to being a leader. We quickly resonated with the principles, values, and theory of coaching and have sought to emulate it in our leadership.  We haven’t perfected it but still pursue it.

The other word for today is ‘cultivating’.  Without much difficulty, common images are growing, gardening, or farming, though it can apply elsewhere - in education, relationships, or even finances. In my current setting, the default for this word is quite natural. Living in rural Africa, cultivating is seen constantly since farming is the inherent livelihood for most.  Recently, I considered the congruency between coaching and cultivating.  Both, I believe, are rooted (no pun intended) in the forward movement of a better future.

When harvest season happens in Kenya, hundreds (maybe thousands) of acres of maize (corn) are cultivated. Maize is the basis for a staple food – ugali.  Maize is planted in March or April and usually harvested in October.  The investment of sowing the grain commences the annual practice of producing what is needed to feed families and generate revenue. Without it, their future may be bleak.

To redeem a quality crop, cultivating is quite a process.  It begins with choosing the right kind of seed, one not easily destroyed by insects. The seeds are planted in straight rows about two feet apart with fertilizer sprinkled to stimulate productivity. Once the plants grow to about knee height, weeding happens, discarding all that hinders maximum gain. Following a second topping of fertilizer, and if weather conditions are favorable, in a few months the green cobs turn brown and are ready to be cut. After grouping the stalks in bundles for quick drying, the kernels are peeled from the cobs and laid out on a flat surface to dry for two weeks, followed by tedious shelling, until only the maize seeds remain for grinding into flour. Finally the flour is bagged into 90 kilo sacks and ready for home and the market. Every year the farmers must care for their crops properly to ensure a fertile harvest. 

Recently Morris and I did some lectures at the Officers Training College on leader coaching. On our drive home, peering past miles of farmland, I contemplated the similarities between coaching and cultivating. Coaching is a style of leadership that involves building trust, creating an honest awareness of your current reality, and making necessary adjustments to redeem a better future.  Carol MacKinnon and Susan Wright define it as “the process of getting to know both yourself and other(s), establishing a relationship of mutual trust and awareness for the purpose of working together to reach a common goal” (Leader Alchemy).  Coaching begins with an investment (a cultivation of sorts) in yourself first and then developing others to accomplish goals (or mission) for something bigger than self-interest. For spiritual leaders, it is an investment for the purpose of seeing God’s Kingdom come (grow) on earth as it is in Heaven – the prayer and passion of Jesus.  Others using this approach can also find personal or organizational applications.

So how are coaching and cultivating similar? When local farmers start tilling soil and planting seeds, a trust commences.  To start with, they believe the ground to be fertile in ‘receiving’ what’s being embedded. A unique relationship emerges between the farmer and the soil, perhaps similar to fisherman and the ocean or miners and the underground.  Farmers also need trust in the atmospheric environment – the right balance of sun and rain.  Yet, truth is, the weather is not dependable. Too much rain washes away the crops prematurely and long periods of drought saps the crops nutrients. To add to that, if they haven’t chosen the right seeds or if they have failed to weed properly, these variables can adversely affect the results and the needed source of life for their families.  Simply put, farmers cannot depend on nature alone.  The process needs their regular attention.  

In leader coaching, if people are being led towards a better future, they should be able to trust the person or the organization they are following.  Realistically, people can find themselves embedded in a culture that has taken for granted the faith others have in them (the natural ground).   However, when rains of doubt or uncertainty fall too heavily or if a drought of dependability occurs, or if regular attention to what is integral has been neglected, trust can be marred or even severed with rebuilding required. Trust must be created. It is not automatically dependable ground. Transparency and accountability, honesty and integrity, as well as being reliable and approachable are foundational values which leaders (and others) want to sow and give regular attention. These seeds of character need cultivating.  And whereas some external conditions in farming like weather patterns are not predictable or controllable, perhaps our behaviors ought to be. Jesus said “Let your light so shine before people that they see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

When my untrained farming eye first started gazing at large fields of maize, I was impressed.  What a great harvest! After some time, however, I discovered there was something even better going on, something else was growing in between the rows of the tall corn stalks that I didn’t see. Beans had been planted in the gaps, enabling farmers to reap not just one crop, but two. While the corn is hovering high, beans are being produced closer to the ground. Optimal use of the field is happening!  (And by the way, I’ve tasted the beans here - they are quite yummy and provide great protein too.)

One of the goals for leading as a coach is to identify and help fill in the gaps of what is missing in the culture being created, for the purpose of an improved future. It’s easy sometimes to see all that’s good and miss some prime opportunities.  The former Salvation Army General, Andre Cox, reminded us that we cannot depend on our past successes, no matter how great they appear to be. There are still gaps missing.  Filling the gaps in churches and also in our individual lives (whether we are leaders or not), means becoming aware of what can be better, admitting what we have possibly overlooked, and exploring the prospects of a forward movement or a better direction. This requires a combined effort with lots of helpful and loving support. Leadership is not a solo sport and we can always accomplish more together than alone. The cultivating process farmers use is not done by one person.  There’s too much to do and too much at stake.

When crops yield a productive harvest, I’ve seen how happy people are. Conversations in the tea room at the office or with the locals on the street are naturally more jovial when the farming year has been a good one. Everyone benefits - families, the economy, the church and the community. The process has been worthwhile when all contributing factors are working in the same direction and goals are accomplished.  If however the conditions have not been favorable and the results are less than what was imagined, I also see that the farmer doesn’t give up.  If a crop has failed or is poor, the farmer must examine the reason why and commit to a change for the following year.  Was something neglected? What changes are required for better results? What can be done differently? And of course, acknowledging what was uncontrollable (like the weather).  Instead of yielding to despair, new commitments (alternative actions) can ensure progress.  Before long, there is a new year ahead! Another opportunity and fresh space to adjust, regroup, learn, and plant again.

In leader coaching, as we build trust through healthy relationships and focus on common goals, we gain traction in moving beyond resistance (our own or what is in others) and discover together new possibilities for more favorable outcomes.  Commitments and helpful support will enable us to set our sights on the fields around us which are “white unto harvest”, knowing that nothing is wasted when we are leaning and growing.

Coaching and cultivating may have an array of meanings for different people. For me, they are opportunities for wise investments, developing something beyond ourselves, and foreseeing greater takeaways!   On this Canadian Thanksgiving Day, among many reasons for gratitude, the ability to learn, improve and grow is definitely on my list.