Salt, Light, and Conscious Leadership

BY REBEKAH SIMON-PETER

Have you ever wondered what Jesus really meant when he called us to be “salt of the earth” or “the light of the world?” How do you “be” those things, anyway?

A cohort of leaders from across Oklahoma have been gathering since April to explore and apply what the Scriptures mean when they talk about salt and light. These leader have discovered that being salt and light impacts their mindset, their spirituality, and their ability to be visionary.

In fact, over the course of three in-person retreats, and follow up exploration sessions, these adventurous leaders have delved deeply into a new way of practicing leadership, through the Conscious Leadership program, the first of its kind.

What is Conscious Leadership? Conscious Leadership is the capacity to master your mindset, tap into your soul’s spiritual intelligence, and employ the courage of imagination to envision and bring new realities to life. A set of skills very important in our postdisaffiliation, post-election world, when unity seems elusive and leadership is harder than ever.

At our first retreat in April, we learned the principles of mastering our mindset. We started by taking the Everything DiSC® Agile profile and learning the eight mindsets. We went on to explore Carol Dweck’s concepts of fixed and growth mindsets. Finally, we looked at how to master our own mindset to avoid self-sabotage. In the experience of Ashley Green-Young, “As a conscious leader, I can now be responsible for my own emotions. And be aware of the mindsets of others. I have grown spiritually and emotionally, and I am better equipped to lead my congregation.”

Carmen Stafford said, “I loved exploring my mindset—a vital part of ministry that we aren’t often given space to discuss. Plus we had rich discussions that take us into the consciousness of the mystery of the unseen realm.” Angela Fleming wrote, “I learned new ways of processing information, mindsets, and how they work. I found that my Agile emotional intelligence style is a part of who I am and the way I think.”

At the second retreat in May, in conjunction with School of Congregational Development, we entered into an intentional time of awakening and deepening our spirituality. We learned the surprisingly effective practice of “2 Way Prayer.” We explored the differences between personal spirituality, communal spirituality, and visionary spirituality. We took on spiritual practices for each. As a result, Cindy Robertson Reidel found that “Conscious Leadership increased my awareness of God around me and in me.” Ashley Green Young said, “I loved the connection between DiSC and spirituality.”

Our third retreat in October focused on Visionary Intelligence. We studied the roadmap to visioning, then used aspirational language to elevate facts into visions. Sandy Shepherd reported: “In Conscious Leadership I have learned how to be intentional about my spirituality and to be conscious of my leadership – what comes easy, and not so easy – and how to use both of those in my church to move towards visionary spirituality.” Carol Txipama found that “Conscious Leadership gave me encouragement to expand visions, dream dreams, and be all God created me to be for His glory.”

What’s it like to participate in Conscious Leadership? Worship grounded our time together. We engaged in Bible study, journaling, and deep sharing. Each leader designed a personal Salt and Light Project. Friendships formed and true community bloomed. Connections were strengthened with online exploration sessions and “Reports from the Field.”

This is how participants summed it up: Carmen Stafford said, “I love the pacing of Conscious Leadership: it is contemplative, active, and fun! Rachel Parrott wrote “Conscious Leadership brings a theology that speaks to so much of my explorations and experiences in a coherent whole with endless possibilities and joy!” Carol Txipama stated, “It’s been a great way to open my heart and mind to new possibilities for church renewal.”

Cindy Robertson Reidel spoke for all when she wrote: “The new connections with my peers brought healing after disaffiliations.”

If you’d like to participate, please reach out to Derrek Belase (dbelase@okumc.org; 405-7141554) to participate in the next cohort.

I look forward to seeing you the next time I am in Oklahoma! I can’t wait to continue the explorations of Salt, Light, and Conscious Leadership.

The cohort enjoyed retreats as part of Conscious Leadership.