February 11, 2013
Leadership for Ministry
Dr. Levi Price
“Leadership Without Easy Answers” – Ronald Heifetz 1. The Essence of the Book, 2. Main Thoughts, 6. Reflections
In “Leadership Without Easy Answers,” Ronald Heifetz gives his take on what it means to be a leader in various types of leadership situations, how to use or not use our authority, and most importantly, the difference between leadership and authority. Throughout a wide variety of examples and narratives, Heifetz shows how these two are different, yet also how that can be used in harmony in a variety of work environments.
Heifetz bases the arguments in this book around making two different distinctions: technical versus adaptive problems, and …show more content…
When we first met, I was very impressed with his spiritual maturity and his desire to be a Godly leader. Matched with his ridiculous musical abilities, he seemed like a guy that I would follow anywhere just to live life with him. As our four years together progressed, I began to notice things about his leadership that I was not comfortable with, specifically things that he did when he was not in the spotlight. By the time my senior year rolled around, I had developed a burning desire to be looked upon as a leader among these groups we were both a part of, yet he always remained in position of authority due to his level of talent. In groups like band and choir, that was fine with me, but I really had a lot of trouble being led by him in spiritual setting, and by this point we were leading worship together one to three times per week. The summer before my senior year, I was a part of a missions-based summer internship in Houston, Texas where I grew a great amount spiritually. That summer of 2011 was where my desire to be a leader was born, and that propelled me into my senior year. On day 72 of the internship, the last night, I was given one of the best compliments of my life. The leaders called us together as a group and had prepared something to say to each one of us about how that had seen us grow and how they would be praying for us as