Column Title: Leadership Life Stories: Communicating and Leading through Your Story
Column Entry: “A Full Circle Moments: Cassette Tapes to the Classroom and Back”
By Chris Hamstra, PhD, Davenport University
Description: There is a power when people come together to share stories. As people of faith, the practice and process of storytelling helps us understand ourselves, our communities, and our organizations. When combined with leadership, stories provide examples of how to serve authentically. This column brings people around the virtual campfire to explore the concept of leadership life stories and how to learn to engage people in the classroom and boardroom with wit and wisdom.
October-November 2025 | August 2025 | July 2025 | January 2025 | August 2024 | June – July 2024 | May 2024 |April 2024 | March 2024
I recently resurrected a shoe box full of 30-year old cassette tapes from the basement. These old, dusty air-check tapes were from my first professional job out of college in the 1990’s as an overnight disc jockey. I thought digitizing these tapes and sharing the voice from the past would be worth a few laughs for the grandkids. Little did I know that there was an unexpected adventure ahead. The same electricity and breath of communication would be revived today.
Last Fall in New Orleans, Calvin Troup’s challenged us at the Unconference that quality Christian scholarship requires “double-work” in the life of the mind. Not only do we need to be scholars of the communication discipline we need to be scholars of the Bible.
The cassette tapes got me thinking about the practical work we do as Communication scholars. I’d like to boldly offer another consideration, that as people of the book and as we engage the life of the mind, we should also offer practical steps forward through the breath of communication.
Study Abroad – A French Connection
I had the wonderful opportunity this past Summer to lead our Study Abroad experience to Paris, London, and Dublin. While in France I learned about French philosopher Paul Ricoeur and his framework of Narrative Identity. My work up to this point has focused on Walter Fisher and the Narrative Paradigm.
I’m a bit embarrassed that I missed Ricoeur in the past. I’m just now exploring his books Oneself and Another (1990) and Time and Narrative (1983). Currently I’m at an elementary grade level of knowledge. As I understand, Ricoeur was concerned with how humans have a need for our lives to be intelligible to us. For Ricoeur, we become who we are by integrating our experiences into a coherent life story. We get to know ourselves through the stories we tell about our lives. I continue to learn that if our stories help us make sense of who we are, scripture can provide the meaning as we move forward.
Ezekiel 37: Breath of the Holy Spirit in the Valley
In my personal life I’m seeing how the breath of the Holy Spirit can offer restoration. We see in Genesis 1:1-3 (NIV) that the breath of God was hovering over the waters. In Ezekiel 37:1-14 (NIV) and the valley, the breath of the Holy Spirit revives the dry bones. I’ve learned that the breath in these passage comes from the Hebrew ruach which means life-giving or inspiration. I’m wondering how we breath in and breath out this life-giving breath of the Holy Spirit on a day-to-day basis?
Unexpected Breath of New Life
Going back to the digitized files from the cassette tapes. Early Spring this year I saw a job opening for a weekend Voice Tracker at my local faith-based radio station. Just a couple of hours a week to record my voice between songs. I applied. Much to my surprise I was offered the job and since my return from the Study Abroad, I’ve been on-air weekends since July. This was definitely not on my bingo card for 2025 and has been an unexpected breath of life to renew body, mind, and spirit.
Practical Steps in our Communication
As communication professionals we live the “double-work” between a life of the mind and people of the book. As we wrap up, let me offer three ideas.
#1 – I’m wondering if our past lectures or writing may be rediscovered for unexpected wisdom today? Maybe you don’t have a box of cassette tapes in your basement but I’m willing to bet that you have some old notes that can be revisited and revised for new thoughts today.
#2 – This past year I’ve leaned in to Troup’s challenge of the sacred work we do day in and day out. How are you doing being a scholar of the Word? Ezekiel is an example in my life. How can we listen AND actively participate with the breath of the Holy Spirit?
#3 – I’m struck by the fact that noise and the urgent surrounds us. More than ever I’m hearing the power of stories to slow down and communicate timeless truths. At the radio station, we are testing a Sunday Night Stories segment with 2-3 minute stories of the wisdom in the Bible through a simple conversation. How about you? How are you calming your mind and spirit to be open to listening to the Holy Spirit?
I’m excited about seeing some of you in a few weeks at the Unconference in Denver. Let me encourage us all to engage the practical work of communication through the simple, everyday conversations. You might not be on the radio Sunday nights, but you certainly have an audience whether you teach, lead or speak. When these opportunities come up, take a breath and let’s engage through the power of the Holy Spirit.