4 min read

S7E26: Why Disillusionment Can Be a Gift and How to Lead Your People Through It

S7E26: Why Disillusionment Can Be a Gift and How to Lead Your People Through It

Those of us in leadership at Christian organizations feel a call from God to serve, and also a vision for how our organization can make a difference in the world. That sense of vision and passion motivates our work. But what do you do when idealism hits unmet expectations and painful experiences? How do you lead forward through difficulties? Our guests, Chris Horst, chief advancement officer, and Peter Greer, CEO of HOPE International will give us insight into this important issue as we look for hope that will endure. 

 

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In this episode:

  • Peter, give us some background on your work in Ukraine and how you and your organization have pivoted to support the people during this heartbreaking time. (02:49)
  • "We do operate in 17 countries around the world, but our origin story is in Ukraine, and it was after the fall of the Soviet Union, when there was a time of crisis. And a church in Pennsylvania said, “We've got to do something.” So, they initially started sending food and supplies, and after doing that for several years, Pastor Petrenko in Zaporozhye said, “Your help isn't really helping us anymore.” (03:20)
  • "Fast forward now to today, and there has been so much progress in Ukraine. The model, the team, the church network, there's been so much good that has happened. And on February 24, our hearts ached as we watched these towns where we work, these towns where we have partners and friends and colleagues, watched as the invasion began." (04:07)
  • "For those that do want to join with us in that response and helping Ukraine both to provide relief in the short term and the rebuilding efforts once and as the violence begins to subside, they can go to hopeinternational.org/ukraine, and at that website, you'll see kind of an update, dynamic update, on what's going on in Ukraine, how we're responding, and what stage of rebuilding we're at." (06:11)
  • There is a lot of idealism that I hear from Christian leaders. Well, share with us some of the positive aspects of idealism, especially that of working toward a better world. Why don't you start, Peter? What are some of the positive aspects? (07:07)
  • "In no way are we diminishing the positive impact and influence of idealism. We just simply have experienced and discovered that if you are in service for any length of time, that initial rush of idealism, it does get confronted by the challenges, by the complexity, by interpersonal issues. And idealism is a wonderful place to start. But very rarely does that level of idealism really sustain service that can be measured in decades." (08:14)
  • "And so sometimes when I describe The Gift of Disillusionment in a few words, I say it's basically a book that illustrates that doing Christian ministry is hard. That's essentially the premise of the book. And that actually, like, recognizing that and naming that, coming to terms with the fact that it's more difficult than we might think it is, that's the beginning of Christian hope, and that's the joy of Christian hope is realizing that we actually can't just make complex problems evaporate."(09:54)
  • "Chris, let's continue with that idea. I mean, you share honestly about your own personal struggles, running out of optimism and getting to the end of your own energy. You know, share a bit of your story for us." (10:56)
  • "And for me, it felt paralyzing. It just felt like I wasn't quite sure that there was any clear path forward, but I wanted to find it." (12:19)
  • "You described a pivot point for a leader, where we choose to go from our disillusionment to what's the next step. So, Peter, what is the next step beyond disillusionment? (18:36)
  • "The reason why we say that this is a moment that can be a gift is that this is the reframing moment, and it is in this moment that I believe a change can happen that will enable individuals to serve faithfully for the next season, as measured in decades, not in months. And so that's why it's a gift." (20:05)
  • "You interviewed leaders from around the world. And as you researched this topic, these leaders were very helpful to give you insights. You know, what are some of the common themes that emerge consistently in interviews with these hope-filled leaders? Chris, did anything about these leaders surprise you?" (25:48)
  • "I think that, to me, was something that was so helpful was recognizing these themes of what is your calling? What does that actually look like? Who are the individuals that you've committed to do life with that are thoroughly unimpressed with what you've accomplished and thoroughly committed to you as an individual? Every single person told stories of groups of people that walked with them." (28:40)
  • How do you lead a team that's going through disillusionment and help them stay on a healthy pivot? (30:24)
  • "But the commitment to communicate in the midst of ambiguity, I think, is the first piece of saying, we don't know. We can't claim certainty around certain things, but this is what we know now. This is where we are and communicate throughout the process." (31:52)
  • "I think the second piece is to name the pain, to not be afraid to say, “This hurts. This is a pain that we are facing,” and to give time and space for lament and for individuals to share." (32:10)
  • "I think the third piece, and this is where our faith makes a difference to do that, but then also to know that in the midst of that, that's not the complete story. If we only have the pain without hope, we are led to a place of despair and discouragement." (32:21)

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Additional Resources

Buy Peter and Chris' book: The Gift of Disillusionment: Enduring Hope for Leaders After Idealism Fades

Read the Transcript

Read a complete, word-for-word transcript of the episode.

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