Christian Leadership Alliance
What makes for a catchy nursery rhyme does not play well in fundraising. If your donor materials still echo the tiniest little piggy’s refrain – “we, we, we” – it’s time to sing a different tune that touches hearts. It’s not about you! “People don’t give to our ministries because ‘we’ are so great,” explains … Continue reading It’s Not About You
We see leadership failures regularly, both on the news and in our immediate network. One business leader wrecks a company due to mismanagement; another is fired for mistreatment of staff. A political leader has an affair, a teacher abuses a child, a church leader is fired for embezzlement, etc. In every case, the sordid details … Continue reading The End of Leadership?
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” St. Augustine, Confessions Today, I had lunch with a friend. He is a pastor and has been for a long time. He’s tired. I spoke to a ministry CEO last week. He’s exhausted. Serving God. … Continue reading Rest for Your Soul
“It takes multiple years to build a good reputation and only a few minutes to ruin it.” Warren Buffett “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” (Prov. 21:5) I’ve spent my professional life helping brands of all stripes and sizes navigate change in order to grow. Whether … Continue reading Building an Unstoppable Brand
For Christians, the motivation to innovate is infinitely more significant than purely organizational survival – because ultimately, we carry the message of the gospel and have been called to let our light shine before others in all we do. Innovation leads to relevance, and relevance keeps our message in front of those around us. And … Continue reading Unleashing Innovation
We all have a claim to being part of a family tree; a heritage that determines our eye color or disposes us to love that special dessert. But, as believers in Jesus Christ, we belong to a much bigger family – we’re brothers and sisters in Christ and we live in fellowship with each other. … Continue reading A Biblical Family Atmosphere
“Management is about coping with complexity. Leadership, by contrast, is about coping with change.” John Kotter Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Gal. 5:25) “How good is your company at change?” asked a recent cover article in the Harvard Business Review. This question has haunted me over … Continue reading Adaptive Leadership Skills
Many organizations find it difficult to build diverse and inclusive volunteer programs, and Christian nonprofits are no different. Why does it seem so hard to attract a diverse base of volunteers? And how can organizations overcome this challenge? It all starts with listening Larry James, a social entrepreneur and the executive leader of the nonprofit … Continue reading Diversifying Volunteer Programs
In my book The Courage Factor, I share a Bible passage that changed my life – the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14: “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants, and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to … Continue reading Courageous Vision
“This is why we stan.” As I read that sentence, my fingers itched to add the letter “d.” But knowing the young and brilliant author who submitted the article, I decided to reach out to him with my proposed edit. His response was informative: “Stan” is a made-up word that means “love and support no … Continue reading Reaching Gen Z
