In this talk, George Kavoor, Principal of Trinity College, Bristol, is speaking to a group of businessmen from the across the South West of England.  George talks about the subjects of leadership, managements, success and transformation.

The following notes were taken by the Bible Reflections team. Please do leave your owns thoughts or comments in the box below.

George Kavoor has lived a life of success - in business, in education and in sports.

It was when he became a christian as a 15 year old that his world was turned around. In this talk he speaks about why the influence of Jesus has effected the shape of his life ever since.

For social scientists are asking what is the rational behind the rioting across the UK - have we really understood what is really happening to present day Britain?

Has our society lost it's moral compass? 

In his work at Trinity College, George is developing Community builders with a transformational agenda - not just vicars, but living communities that make an impact - the kind of leadership that will bring about this agenda.

A leader brings...

1. Vision (manager do not bring vision)

Ancient literature says "Where there is no vision the people run a muck/perish."

There should be nothing driven about the church or a christian but there should be everything purposeful.

Nehemiah, having then thought about a resource - an external change agency - God - he began to draw on this resource.

When Jesus called the 12, he invested in them for 3 years. - God has vested in us the agenda for transformation - there is no plan B - we are the team.

Esther responds to her uncle's request for help by stating that he does not understand the way things are done.
Faith must involve risk - when was the last time you took a risk?

Mordicai asks Esther - "do you understand the word providence?"

What value has your leadership brought to the company. Leaders bring value.

"Is Britain broken?" - nothing will change simply by discussing these things? - the question is how do we respond to brokeness.

 

Every generation looks to the past and thinks "those were the golden years" - the best is yet to come - unless you believe that you have no hope. Unless you life is intentional you will loose you competitive edge.

Nehemiah was living in Iraq and heard about how bad things were back home in Jerusalem.  His response to this news was that he wept/mourned and fasted.  Have we lost touch with our Emotional intelligence.

How does one respond to the challenge? Poker faced or emotionally sick - we weep/mourn for lost promise and do we repent?

That is what Nehemiah did - he repented - he accepted culpability for the state of affairs "I am part of this mess".

"You are not in a traffic jam - you are the traffic jam" - do we recognise that we are part of the mess?

As Christians do you actually draw upon your theological resources? - our knowledge and understanding of God - how does this affect things?

Most christian relate to God at the level of their incompetence - it is in the areas of our weakness that we read hour to God.

Marx said that faith and religion are straw and props that we clutch - do we take our faith and theology seriously? how does it make our lives more effective?

Do we have an unhealthy divorce between who we say we are and what we do? Is the world able to call our bluff?

When Jesus said "You are the salt of the earth and light of the world" that he actually meant it? these are two interesting metaphors for influence - Salt and Light. Paul adds a third - he says that we are the aroma of Christ. We are meant to be in the world.

Parallels between Church and a Dung-Hill - with manure it's most effective when you spread it thing - when you heap it together it stinks.  It is when the church is spread through society that change is more affective that when they are huddled together in one holy huddle.

How do you respond to ideas of transformation and change?

If you are not prepared to be transformed yourself, you will not be an agent of transformation.

Unless you have a reality check and recognise the world around us and engage dynamically we are just going to be part of the hinderance to transformation.

Book of Esther - this women was part of the amazing providence of God in a book where God is not even mentioned.

Only those who take steps and are bold and take big steps that will realise and experience the providence of God.

Do you not realise that it was this purpose at this time that you are here today?

What is the path that you are on?

Understand the predicament of your people - in management we are looking at the management of dilemmas - how do we negotiate with complexity?

Esther was given an opportunity to participate with God. If she wasn't going to participate then she would be by-passed. If we do not praise, the very stones will cry out. We must take hold of the opportunities

2. Leaders cultivate a following. A leader without a following is simply a gentlemen going for a walk.

3. Leaders add value. To their teams and to the capital asset of the balance sheet.