The Kenotic Organization

Brian E. Ruffner

Description

Organizations struggle endlessly with integrating the individual and collective into a cohesive whole. The kenotic organization promises an antidote to cure this chronic syndrome.
Although organizations frequently proclaim the desire for change, renewal and transformation, few ever fully embrace those ideas, failing to rise above more than mere mediocrity and never realizing even a fraction of their true potential. Certainly, many pontificate on the nature of organizations as they live and breathe, so to speak; yet, few question how the organization ought to be. This ought belies the existential and ethical dimensions of organizing and, as such, points to a discipline not often associated with the organizational realm–theology. To this end, the concept of the kenotic organization offers a much-needed antidote to the syndrome described above. Drawing on the divine Trinitarian kenosis observed in the creation event and witnessed in the Incarnation, the simultaneous actions of self-limiting and pouring out inform the organizational cause and expose a deeply entangled organizational mesh enveloping the entire cosmos which can serve as a catalyst to excite preferred organizational behaviors. It is, in fact, the humility of Trinitarian kenosis, the willingness to withdraw but also at once pour out the individual essence, that generates the thrust necessary to escape the gravitational pull of convention which typical inhibits organizational flourishing.

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Gestion et management
• Trinitarian theology
• Economics
• Business
• Leadership

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 25 janvier 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781664267213
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

THE KENOTIC ORGANIZATION
A COMMUNITY OF LEADERSHIP, LEARNING, AND TRANSFORMATION
 
 
 
 
 
 
Brian E. Ruffner
 
 
 

 
Copyright © 2022 Brian E. Ruffner.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.
 
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
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Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
844-714-3454
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6642-6720-6 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-6722-0 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-6721-3 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022909558
 
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 12/05/2022
 
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.®
 
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
 
Scripture marked (KJV) taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
 
Scripture quotations marked (NASB) taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org
 
Scripture quotations marked (NRSV) are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
CONTENTS
Abstract
Abbreviations
Introduction
Enter the Organizational Theologian
Character of the Text
Purpose and Trajectory
PART 1 : FOUNDATIONS
Chapter 1 : Organizational Superheroes and Other Myths
The Myth of the Heroic Leader
A Brief Interlude on the Theology of Leadership
The Myth of the Organization as Machine
The Illusion of Control
Chapter 2 : The Beauty of Paradox
Embracing Paradox
A Matter of Control
Vulnerable Authority
An Organizational Constant
Chapter 3 : Organization Ex Nihilo
Creation Ex Nihilo
Trinitarian Kenosis
Organizational Incarnation
Chapter 4 : An Entangled Community
Organizational Incoherence
The Entangled Organization
Complex Adaptive Systems
Quantum Entanglement
Dialogue
Chapter 5 : The Kenotic Organization
Relational Leadership
Relational Entanglement
Organizational Kenosis
From Kenosis to Plerosis
A Foundation Built of Stone
PART 2 : APPLICATION
Chapter 6 : Kenotic Leadership
Kenotic Substance
Kenotic Identity
Case Study: Christ
Chapter 7 : Kenotic Structure
Habits of Hierarchy
Flat versus Tall
Relational Networks
Conciliar Bridges
Case Study: The Mayo Clinic
Chapter 8 : Kenotic Exchange
Dialogic Containers
Generative Image
Small-Group Mentoring
Scenario Planning
Case Study: Royal Dutch Shell
Chapter 9 : Kenotic Transformation
Deep Structure
Deep Organizational Incarnation
Deep Dialogic Inquiry
Organizational Greenhouses
Kenotic OD
Humble Beginnings
Case Study: The Church
Chapter 10 : Empty Never Felt So Full
A Kenotic Ethic
Celebrating the Whole Person
Freedom to Fail
Abounding Grace
Converting Uncertainty
Case Study: 3M
Running on Empty
A Kenotic Labor Complete
 
Bibliography
ABSTRACT
Although organizations frequently proclaim the desire for change, renewal, and transformation, few ever fully embrace those ideas, failing to rise above more than mere mediocrity as a result. While the literature quite literally abounds with theoretical prescriptions meant to heal such malaise, most organizations continue to limp along never realizing even a fraction of their true potential. Certainly, many pontificate on the nature of organizations as they live and breathe, so to speak, yet few question how the organization ought to be. This ought belies the existential and ethical dimensions of organizing and, as such, points to a discipline not often associated with the organizational realm—theology. To this end, the kenotic organization offers a much-needed corrective to the syndrome described above. Drawing on the Trinitarian kenosis observed in the creation event and witnessed in the incarnation, the simultaneous actions of self-limiting and pouring out inform the organizational cause and expose a deeply entangled organizational mesh enveloping the entire cosmos which can serve as a catalyst to excite preferred organizational behaviors. It is, in fact, the humility of Trinitarian kenosis, the willingness to withdraw but also at once pour out the individual essence, that generates the thrust necessary to escape the gravitational pull of convention that typical inhibits organizational flourishing. Peering deeper into kenosis, the intersection of science and theology come clearly into focus as complexity and dialogic theories affirm the kenotic paradox of limiting and pouring out as a precursor to exceeding organizational abundance. Applying kenosis as the primordial organizing ingredient, recommended principles for organizational leadership, design, development, learning, transformation, and innovation emerge for due consideration.
ABBREVIATIONS
AI
appreciative inquiry
 

AL
action learning
 

CAS
complex adaptive system
 

EQ
emotional intelligence
 

HRD
human resource development
 

KJV
King James Version
 

NASB
New American Standard Bible
 

NLT
New Living Translation
 

NIV
New International Version
 

NRSV
New Revised Standard Version
 

OD
organizational development
INTRODUCTION
ENTER THE ORGANIZATIONAL THEOLOGIAN
My Christian journey began much like that of the apostle Paul, “as one born out of due time.” 1 As one born out of due time indeed. Despite not having been raised in a religious household, I always possessed an innate belief and faith in God, although that faith would amount to nothing more than mild flirtation until much later in life. Yet I could not help but sense that somehow there was more to the situation than mere logic could discern. Perpetually on the tip of my tongue, so to speak, this lingering feeling that a crucial aspect was absent from my worldview (even though I could not, at that time, describe it in this way) haunted my existence. To say haunted simply means an elusive, nagging thought lurking in the back of my mind that the full picture was not yet in view but a picture, nonetheless, for which I had no adequate means of expression. So I was caught in between two worlds: the conventional, secular world and another unseen world softly beckoning me toward an ultimate confrontation with all of my existing assumptions as to what constituted reality. Only much later would I become a bona fide believer and subsequently attend seminary in order to theologically educate myself.
Likewise, my leadership journey began long before I realized. Looking back, the steps seem mysteriously ordered now, but in those moments, it was not at all clear that I would be called to carry the burden and privilege of leadership. As a child from a blue-collar upbringing, leadership constituted a black-and-whit