Comments from the Editor
Paul D. Robbins
July 1, 1980
By the time you read this page, the editorial staff will have reviewed all the articles in this journal many times. We go through rough drafts, revised drafts, revised revisions, galleys, page proofs, and blue lines. With that kind of saturation, we ought to learn something ourselves and as I review this issue's contents, I emphatically feel that I have.
For example, John Cheydleur (page 57) taught me something I'd never realized before: it's possible to feel encouraged and discouraged at the same time. Allowed to continue, these opposite forces create a condition of "burn-out." Fulfillment and frustration work against each other, canceling each other out until nothing is left but paralyzing fatigue.
That idea helped me. I was reminded of the contradictory pressures I experienced as a pastor, similar to those our readers mention in their letters. Right now, the highs and lows of editing LEADERSHIP take their toll. Response from the first two issues has been very encouraging; however, finding substantive articles on motivation was quite discouraging. I found lots of manuals, books, and seminars describing what I considered manipulation, but very few on true motivation. Digging through stacks of books and reports sent me home many evenings with a knot in my stomach and a headache. At times I wondered if we'd chosen the wrong theme, even though our field research strongly suggested we quickly address this subject. Eventually, we located the people whom I felt could speak to the issue, but first we had to pursue many dead ends.
...
So I know my problem. But does that relieve the pressures? Not necessarily, and that's where Bill Treadwell (see Forum) helped me. He talks about reporting these contradictory feelings in a responsible ...
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