“Disagreement is inevitable.” I can certainly agree with that statement!
It is the lead-in statement of an email blog from two women who have blessed me with asking me (along with others) to mentor them as they have started a new ministry – Reclaiming Civility.
OK, the truth is that they are mentoring me!
But it has been exciting to have watched them evolve and grow this much-needed ministry. I especially love their byline they often use in Reclaiming Civility communication – “it begins with me”.
They have come a long way from their initial interactions with me after we met a few years back at a Relational Wisdom (Ken Sande’s ministry) conference. They have embraced his Relational Wisdom principles as well as the tenets of inspirational author/supporter Alexandra Hudson who wrote The Soul of Civility. Although based in Colorado Springs, Lori Leander and Lisa Brandt have traveled all over the US in the past year or more participating in and assisting with events plus have delivered many of their own workshops and trainings locally. The network they are building is a powerful one. I am so proud of them.
But back to their message that grabbed my attention – disagreement is inevitable.
Here’s the crux of it:
The real question is whether we know how to engage it well. Right now, according to Maury Giles, we live in a system “engineered to provoke outrage.” But we can choose to step out of the outrage by employing one of the most overlooked leadership skills: the ability to approach disagreement with curiosity instead of certainty.
You will need to read their full blog to really “get it” and it is well worth it. Just to explain that a bit more, here is the intriguing point: “Why Constructive Disagreement Makes Us Smarter”.
Yes, these two women are strong Christians and commit their work to Him. So I will send you to their link suggesting you read the full blog — and then I would recommend you dip into Romans 14:1 – James 4:11 – 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 – John 7:24 and James 4:1-3. But definitely visit Ephesians 4:1-32.
Why? So we can remember why Jesus commands us in these things, “so that you will love one another.” John 15:17
Here is their link –read, consider, add scripture time. I pray you will be blessed as I was.
How Disagreement Makes Us Better: A Real “Team of Rivals” Story
