The worldwide church is more interconnected than ever before, with missionaries going from everywhere to everywhere. Africans work with Australians in India. Koreans plant churches in London and Los Angeles. But globalization also creates challenges for crosscultural tension and misunderstandings, as different cultures have conflicting assumptions about leadership values and styles. Missiologist James E. Plueddemann presents a roadmap for crosscultural leadership development in the global church. With keen understanding of current research on cultural dynamics, he integrates theology with leadership theory to apply biblical insights to practical issues in world mission. Savvy discernment of diverse cultural underpinnings allows multicultural teams to work together with mutual respect for more effective ministry. The author shows how leaders can grow from an individualistic egocentric practice of leadership to a more global-centric approach. The future of the global church depends on effective multicultural leadership. God has called people from various contexts to minister and lead in every land for the sake of the gospel. Whether you are teaching English in China, directing information technology in Africa or pastoring a multiethnic church in North America, discover how you can better work and lead across cultures.
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"Professor Jim Plueddemann has succeeded in achieving a rare feat. He has written a book that is scholarly and practical, biblical and contextual. Professor Plueddemann draws from his long and rich experience of leadership in Christian ministry and scholarship both in the West and crossculturally. He offers illustrations from every continent. He provides clear boundaries with his definition of missionary and leadership. One of the great strengths of this book is the assumption that all leaders from all cultures can learn from one another. No culture is perfect. As God's children endowed with the Holy Spirit, we can certainly benefit from each others' experience and walk with God. I highly recommend this book to any leader who is involved in crosscultural ministry. That is every leader because of the global context in which we live." (Bulus Y. Galadima, provost and associate professor, Jos ECWA Theological Seminary, Nigeria )
"This book is a rare combination of insights that draw from the biblical disciplines as well as social science research. Jim Plueddemann's insights, blended with a lifetime of global leadership experiences, enrich all of us with new knowledge and practices that contribute uniquely to building the church of Jesus Christ. Readers will be enriched with new understandings and possibilities for more culturally sensitive global leadership." (Duane Elmer, G. W. Aldeen Professor of International Studies and Mission, Trinity International University, and author of Cross-Cultural Conflict and Cross-Cultural Servanthood )
"In an increasingly interconnected world, the need to understand cultural differences in leadership is paramount if the global church is to take the glorious gospel 'from everywhere to everywhere.' Leading in global missions today requires wisdom from above coupled with a new set of assumptions humbly prescribed by a handful of pilgrims who joyfully serve in God's global harvest. In this work, Dr. James Plueddemann takes us on a journey to interact with him and other pilgrims found in a variety of cultural settings whose experiences will enrich the reader who seeks to play a significant role in the globalized church." (Américo Saavedra, executive director, APOYO-HCJB Global, Latin America )
"I found this an extremely helpful book and one that was screaming to be written--from my vantage point as a facilitator of crosscultural competency training seminars. I have both used others' adaptations as well as developed my own material of the concepts researched by Geert Hofstede as well as Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner. Well-written vignettes illustrate crosscultural leadership concepts and difficulties so very aptly that my facilitation of these seminars will be enhanced by focusing not on presenting the basic concepts, but on leading discussions on how they can be applied to specific situations represented by the participants. "The results of gleaning leadership principles from different cultures and applying them can enhance a person's leadership effectiveness, because the world has changed and there are few, if any, purely monocultural situations. As Plueddemann writes, 'We need each other. We need to listen to each other and blend an unchanging gospel into a new missiology that is in tune with an unpredictable, ever-changing cultural context.' "But we also need to tread gently (which is why this book needs to be read) because situations are not always what they appear. After having studied and worked in America for ten years, I returned to India to serve under a Canadian missionary who had been there for thirty years. He communicated with me as though I was an Indian and I with him as though he was a Canadian, while in truth he had become more Indian than me and I had become more North American than him. Now working in a U.S. university, I am surrounded by colleagues from all over the world, and we are all together part of a global ecology. To quote Plueddemann, 'Multicultural leaders must be flexible, able to shift their leadership approach according to expectations of the situation. He or she must not only be proficient in several leadership models, but must also learn to work comfortably under leaders with very different cultural expectations of followers.' "This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to influence others in crosscultural and multicultural situations, and as a dean, I would recommend it to all those who teach in higher education because of the diverse students we have in our classrooms." (Junias Venugopal, dean, Seminary & School of Missions, Columbia International University )
"Plueddemann paints powerful pictures of how our 'low context' images of leadership blind us to the expectations and practices of people living and leading in 'high context' environments. He then guides the reader to think and reflect on how biblical principles both challenge and affirm our respective values. Following the same practice, he critiques the contemporary literature on 'power distance' and 'individualism/collectivism.' This is an important theological reflection on contemporary leadership theory (GLOBE) and its relevance for crosscultural Christian ministry." (Sherwood Lingenfelter, provost and senior vice president, Fuller Theological Seminary )
"Leading Across Cultures is one of the most informative books that I have read on the subject of crosscultural leadership. It integrates sociological data with praxis, experience with theory and, finally, actual life stories with optimal patterns of what crosscultural leadership would look like in given contexts. It is must-reading for those who intend to seriously engage in leadership in the globalized mission/church context of the twenty-first century." (David Tai-Woong Lee, director, Global Leadership Focus, Korea )
"This book carefully integrates theory and reality in contemporary global Christian leadership. It is an invaluable tool in the hands of a leader who desires to impact our multicultural world globally and contextually. It equips, inspires, challenges and enlarges the leader's vision to a higher plane of impacting others. It frees the leader from a monocultural grid to a contemporary multicultural grid. The book integrates helpful ideas of the past with the present and brings our future world reality closer to the present on solid theological grounding." (Dr. David K. Ngaruiya, acting vice chancellor and head of the intercultural studies department, Nairobi International School of Theology )
"I read and reread Plueddemann's book Leading Across Cultures with extreme excitement. I can say this book has transformed my thinking and understanding on intercultural leadership of global missions. I am thankful for his contribution and efforts not only for readers from the West, but also for the global church and overall global missionary endeavor. Therefore, I hope this book will transform the understanding of many, many mission leaders, pastors and missionary trainers. It will also bring new ways of doing missions for those who are ready to change and truly want to expand God's kingdom in missions and church planting in different cultures. Reading this book with conviction will bring humility and harmony among missionary teams, inspire for action, and give direction and vision for new ways of doing missions in crosscultural contexts." (Dr. Desta Langena, director, Kale Heywet School of Missions, Ethiopia )
"For years Jim's example and principles have guided me in my leading and teaching in Africa. I have tasted first-fruits of the great joy and fruitfulness I see in his life. Now in this engaging book, Jim shares his practical insights from forty years of leadership experiences and research with you. He has led influential Nigerian, American and international organizations; personally mentored leaders in fifty countries; and integrated research from business, anthropology, education and intercultural studies. Read well and lead well!" (Rev. Steven Rasmussen, Ph.D., founding director, Training East African Ministers, and lecturer, Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology )
"This book is a rare combination of insights that draw from the biblical disciplines as well as social science research. Jim Plueddemann's insights, blended with a lifetime of global leadership experiences, enrich all of us with new knowledge and practices that contribute uniquely to building the church of Jesus Christ. Readers will be enriched with new understandings and possibilities for more culturally sensitive global leadership." (Duane Elmer, G. W. Aldeen Professor of International Studies and Mission, Trinity International University, and author of Cross-Cultural Conflict and Cross-Cultural Servanthood )
"In an increasingly interconnected world, the need to understand cultural differences in leadership is paramount if the global church is to take the glorious gospel 'from everywhere to everywhere.' Leading in global missions today requires wisdom from above coupled with a new set of assumptions humbly prescribed by a handful of pilgrims who joyfully serve in God's global harvest. In this work, Dr. James Plueddemann takes us on a journey to interact with him and other pilgrims found in a variety of cultural settings whose experiences will enrich the reader who seeks to play a significant role in the globalized church." (Américo Saavedra, executive director, APOYO-HCJB Global, Latin America )
"I found this an extremely helpful book and one that was screaming to be written--from my vantage point as a facilitator of crosscultural competency training seminars. I have both used others' adaptations as well as developed my own material of the concepts researched by Geert Hofstede as well as Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner. Well-written vignettes illustrate crosscultural leadership concepts and difficulties so very aptly that my facilitation of these seminars will be enhanced by focusing not on presenting the basic concepts, but on leading discussions on how they can be applied to specific situations represented by the participants. "The results of gleaning leadership principles from different cultures and applying them can enhance a person's leadership effectiveness, because the world has changed and there are few, if any, purely monocultural situations. As Plueddemann writes, 'We need each other. We need to listen to each other and blend an unchanging gospel into a new missiology that is in tune with an unpredictable, ever-changing cultural context.' "But we also need to tread gently (which is why this book needs to be read) because situations are not always what they appear. After having studied and worked in America for ten years, I returned to India to serve under a Canadian missionary who had been there for thirty years. He communicated with me as though I was an Indian and I with him as though he was a Canadian, while in truth he had become more Indian than me and I had become more North American than him. Now working in a U.S. university, I am surrounded by colleagues from all over the world, and we are all together part of a global ecology. To quote Plueddemann, 'Multicultural leaders must be flexible, able to shift their leadership approach according to expectations of the situation. He or she must not only be proficient in several leadership models, but must also learn to work comfortably under leaders with very different cultural expectations of followers.' "This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to influence others in crosscultural and multicultural situations, and as a dean, I would recommend it to all those who teach in higher education because of the diverse students we have in our classrooms." (Junias Venugopal, dean, Seminary & School of Missions, Columbia International University )
"Plueddemann paints powerful pictures of how our 'low context' images of leadership blind us to the expectations and practices of people living and leading in 'high context' environments. He then guides the reader to think and reflect on how biblical principles both challenge and affirm our respective values. Following the same practice, he critiques the contemporary literature on 'power distance' and 'individualism/collectivism.' This is an important theological reflection on contemporary leadership theory (GLOBE) and its relevance for crosscultural Christian ministry." (Sherwood Lingenfelter, provost and senior vice president, Fuller Theological Seminary )
"Leading Across Cultures is one of the most informative books that I have read on the subject of crosscultural leadership. It integrates sociological data with praxis, experience with theory and, finally, actual life stories with optimal patterns of what crosscultural leadership would look like in given contexts. It is must-reading for those who intend to seriously engage in leadership in the globalized mission/church context of the twenty-first century." (David Tai-Woong Lee, director, Global Leadership Focus, Korea )
"This book carefully integrates theory and reality in contemporary global Christian leadership. It is an invaluable tool in the hands of a leader who desires to impact our multicultural world globally and contextually. It equips, inspires, challenges and enlarges the leader's vision to a higher plane of impacting others. It frees the leader from a monocultural grid to a contemporary multicultural grid. The book integrates helpful ideas of the past with the present and brings our future world reality closer to the present on solid theological grounding." (Dr. David K. Ngaruiya, acting vice chancellor and head of the intercultural studies department, Nairobi International School of Theology )
"I read and reread Plueddemann's book Leading Across Cultures with extreme excitement. I can say this book has transformed my thinking and understanding on intercultural leadership of global missions. I am thankful for his contribution and efforts not only for readers from the West, but also for the global church and overall global missionary endeavor. Therefore, I hope this book will transform the understanding of many, many mission leaders, pastors and missionary trainers. It will also bring new ways of doing missions for those who are ready to change and truly want to expand God's kingdom in missions and church planting in different cultures. Reading this book with conviction will bring humility and harmony among missionary teams, inspire for action, and give direction and vision for new ways of doing missions in crosscultural contexts." (Dr. Desta Langena, director, Kale Heywet School of Missions, Ethiopia )
"For years Jim's example and principles have guided me in my leading and teaching in Africa. I have tasted first-fruits of the great joy and fruitfulness I see in his life. Now in this engaging book, Jim shares his practical insights from forty years of leadership experiences and research with you. He has led influential Nigerian, American and international organizations; personally mentored leaders in fifty countries; and integrated research from business, anthropology, education and intercultural studies. Read well and lead well!" (Rev. Steven Rasmussen, Ph.D., founding director, Training East African Ministers, and lecturer, Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology )
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amateurization of Missions,
By John W. Pearson "John Pearson Associates" (San Clemente, CA, USA) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Leading Across Cultures: Effective Ministry and Mission in the Global Church (Paperback)
Few leaders and managers navigate a normal week without being reminded that globalization is here and here to stay. You dial an 800 number and connect with a customer service rep from India. The youth pastor at your church is taking your daughter or grandson on a mission trip across a border. CNN reminds you that what happens in Haiti or Chile will affect your colleagues and acquaintances in the media or in relief and development organizations. Perhaps you worship in a multi-ethnic church or you serve on a missions committee.
"In spite of profound yet hidden differences," writes James Plueddemann, "many pastors naively lead short-term teams and attempt to create crosscultural partnerships. I have noticed a growing number of voices suggesting that anyone can do crosscultural partnerships. Missiologists call this `the amateurization of missions,' while the amateurs call it 'the democratization of missions.'" Yikes! Read this book and you may be tempted to cancel your next crosscultural trip. And for good reason. According to Plueddemann, you (and your culture) might be more goal-oriented, but your friend or co-worker from another culture might be more relationship-oriented. Will that be a problem? Usually, yes. The author, with a considerable global track record of missionary, mission organization CEO, seminary professor, researcher and author, believes that an understanding of biblical leadership (versus biblical ideas tweaked via our cultural bias) is needed to complete the cycle of evangelism and church planting. We need both a theology and a theory of leadership that enables leaders with differing cultural backgrounds to do Kingdom work together. His real life crosscultural examples (stories from the multi-ethnic trenches) illuminate his well-researched insights. (He cites the 1,500-page tool, "The Bass Handbook of Leadership," published in 2008, and Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers.") Some cultures elevate individualism. Others salute collectivism. Still others have a low tolerance for ambiguity, while some nations have a high tolerance for ambiguity. So what happens when a get-your-ducks-in-a-row short-term missionary check-list-maker meets up with a we'll-figure-it-out-sooner-or-later national leader? Unintended conflict. What if your church desires to "partner" with a church in another country? Watch out, warns Plueddemann. "The idea of `equal partners' is foreign to most of the world. Partnership in much of the world assumes a junior or senior member." "Crosscultural leadership is a school from which you never graduate," says Joshua Bogunjoko, one of many contributors to the informative two-page vignettes, "Reflections on Multicultural Leadership." The author's diagrams are excellent. The three circles of 1) biblical principles of leadership, 2) my cultural values of leadership, and 3) leadership values of other cultures intertwine only in a small area. Yikes again. "Too many Christian books on leadership are written from a monocultural perspective interspersed with Bible verses and marketed as universal principles of leadership." Not! Plueddemann adds, "The biblical text is inspired from God and is without error, but my interpretation is not." Though he took an American Management Association course, it "raised subtle doubts in my mind about the universal benefits of Western management models." One of the author's friends suggested he title this book, "My 1001 Greatest Leadership Mistakes." This is a vulnerable and transparent book, but wise. Yet if he ever writes the "1001" book, I'd buy it. P.S. It's tough to do justice to this extraordinary book in just a few paragraphs, because it's a rare mix of humility, insight, memorable illustrations and crystal clear charts and graphs, like the grid on page 88 comparing High-Context Cultures with Low-Context Cultures in six areas: time, communication style, authority, leadership style, conflict resolution style and time. Another yikes.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Clash or cooperate? Leaders from different cultures can choose.,
By
This review is from: Leading Across Cultures: Effective Ministry and Mission in the Global Church (Paperback)
What happens when a white North American reports to a black Nigerian? The North American has a schedule and sees events in sequence, one, two, three. The African sees a picture and sees events in their totality, all at once. They are both right. How do they work together?
By the end of Page One, I was hooked. Jim Plueddemann had me fascinated with the story of himself and his African boss. The image of a white guy from North America reporting to a Nigerian was intriguing, and the difference in their responses to the events was gripping. Each chapter continued the same way, with vivid, powerful and meaningful stories. Plueddemann gives practical, down-to-earth solutions to leadership problems. Although his book is based on his missionary experiences, his examples are powerful techniques for anyone working in unfamiliar cultures - business, education, government or any other cross-cultural endeavor. Highly recommended!
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Leading Across Cultures,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Leading Across Cultures: Effective Ministry and Mission in the Global Church (Paperback)
I was captivated by this book. Once I started reading it I could not put it down. Jim Pleudemann nails the cultural approaches to leadership right on the head. Having grown up in Africa and the United States it often brought a smile to my face when I recalled instances where a simple issue became complex because of leadership differences.
Recently the issue of leadership styles lead to an unfortunate miscommunication between an African organization and our church that lead to the closing of a very much needed school. This caused consternation and needless hardship for both the church and organization. Both parties had the same objective and meant well but lead to an unfortunate turn of events. Needless to say, I have recommended this book to our mission group at church. I would strongly recommend this book to westerners working cross-culturally and vice-versa. Jim has a way with words that really breaks down the intricate nature of leadership cross-cultural in a simple, non-judgemental manner, a MUST read!
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