Leadership development in a “VUCA” Environment

ISSUE: The need for a focused approach to “Leadership Development” in the discipleship of men.

BACKGROUND: The term “VUCA” is actually an acronym developed by the U.S. Army War College in the mid-80’s to describe the international environment developing after the Cold War. Drawing on the very credible leadership theories of practitioners such as Warren Bennis, the terms volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity were developed to describe these evolving conditions.

A central objective of the army was to train and equip leaders who would be resilient, adaptive, and effective in this potential warfare arena. The idea, was not to put aside core competencies of leadership training, but rather to enhance core competencies so as to better distinguish leadership skills and ability.

DISCUSSION: Around 2002 the term VUCA began to take root in other disciplines such as corporate warfare, strategic leadership studies, graduate school curricula, and etc. A cursory check on the internet will reveal numerous articles about VUCA from a variety of disciplines. This transfer of a military concept to civilian application often happens such as with the, perhaps more familiar, “OODA Loop”.

This concept, developed by Colonel John Boyd, was to facilitate the more rapid decision making so necessary in aerial combat as jet aircraft replaced the slower propeller driven aircraft. Remarkably, Observe---Orient---Decide---Act, is now taught in such diverse places as Navy SEALs, corporate boardrooms, and law schools as a method for prevailing in combat, as well as, in the court room. The internet has numerous insightful articles on the OODA Loop, many revealing very practical applications.

By “observing” national media reports for any given week most any reasonable person would conclude that we live in a culture that mirrors a VUCA environment. It is relatively easy to identify the many political, financial, sociological, and cultural issues which tend to create the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity we have come to recognize and associate with the market place of life. The challenge for leaders, and specifically Christian leaders, is how to respond to and resolve them?

Jesus Christ is the consummate apex leader. He was fully aware of His follower’s deep need to effectively deal with volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. A review of His confrontations with religious and political leaders reveals that: To Volatility He responded with Vision; to Uncertainty with Understanding; to Complexity with Courage; to Ambiguity with Adaptability. Jesus also consistently out maneuvered His adversaries much in the manner Colonel Boyd later taught his pilots to do so well.

RECOMMENDATION: I recommend that Promise Keepers consider collaborating with other ministries in creating a basic and advanced “servant leadership development” curricula for local churches and small groups. From personal experience I have noticed an absence of this type of training in the local church which is where the “tip of the spear” emanates from.

Like the army, the objective would not be to replace our core, biblically-based discipleship/leadership competencies. Rather the objective would be to develop leaders, Christ-like masculine men, who are resilient, adaptive, and effective on the spiritual battlefields of life. Men trained and equipped with skills to engage volatility with vision…to out maneuver the adversary…to be protectors of women and children.

Developed by: Barney Barnes, Warrior Spirit Ministries, 09-06-2019