Leadership, Living Legends & The Power of Words

(Too busy to blog lately - but i'm back.)

My friend, Russ Austin, is always talking about the importance of creating an atmosphere of affirmation, especially in male leadership and mentoring circles.

In some of our churches this gave birth to what became known (and sometimes ridiculed) as “champ talk” and included the following power-packed terms of endearment:

“Champ”

“Strong”

“Hero”

These multi-use words made it possible for a man to say a lot with one or two syllables. That’s an important man-thing. I don’t know if there is a Harvard study to prove it yet, but I have feeling the more multi-syllable words a man uses, the more he is in touch with his feminine side. And I’m not sure that’s a good thing.

While I never personally used champ talk as a part of my vocab, from my observation, here’s how “champ talk” simplified male communication:

Rather than saying: “Hey, I think you’re a really cool guy, a good leader, a real man and a good friend” you could lazily slur, “Chaaaaaammmmp.”

Or, when you want to use one syllable to say, “That sermon was deeply convicting, emotionally touching, theologically sound, biblically accurate, homiletically powerful and hermeneutically excellent” you simply grunt, “strong” as you bump clinched fists with your preacher friend.

Or, when you want to give honor where honor is due, and you want to go overboard with the honor, you use 2 syllables and utter: “hero” with a serious smile.

I don’t hear champ talk as much as I used to. And, I kinda miss it.

This champ talk nostalgic moment was inspired by my time with the COC leaders in Australia a couple of months ago. Those guys have created that “atmosphere of affirmation” that Russ is always talking about. And their own version of champ talk was part of creating and maintaining that atmosphere.

No, I never heard them say champ, strong or hero. But every time I finished preaching, several men would slap me on the back, shake my hand, bump my fist or give me a classic charismatic hug and say with that thick Aussie accent the whole world loves: “you’re a legend.”      

If I heard it once, I heard it a thousand times during my week with my new COC friends. And it put strength in my soul and a smile on my face every time.

I eventually asked, “don’t you have to be dead to be a legend?” Undaunted, Dave the COC leader, smiled, slapped me on the back and said, “YOU are a LIVING legend!”

Words are powerful. Life & death.

Are we using our words to create or to kill the atmosphere of affirmation that is so important to the spiritual life of our churches?

***IMPORTANT PRAYER REQUEST HERE.

Comments

[Donny Fisher]

Strong, Pastor Steve- too strong! Dealing with some harsh talking college students has brought to mind and made me miss the level of encouragement I experienced in those champ days. Thanks for the reminder of the power of words.

[Joshua Abbott]

champ, strong.
(this is the double affirmation.)

you can also use "champ talk" to rebuke, instead of saying, "You really overstepped your boundries and showed a complete lack of discretion, wisdom and disernment." you can simply shake you head, slant your eye brows and say "Chaaaaaaamp, no"

[smurrell]

josh - you sound so familiar with the "chaaaaaaamp, no" phrase accompanied by the slanted eye brow head shake.

why?

[Frank the Tank]

Verisimilitude! Steve you are the real deal! It is an honour to imitate you and follow you!