Weekly Links

Some of my favorite blogs provide regular posts with a simple series of links and brief annotations.  In this vein, and in the spirit of sharing information and collaborating I would like to begin to provide my own links regularly about once a week.  I need to come up with a good name for this regular post, so any ideas are welcome.  My hope is … Continue reading Weekly Links

Asking the Questions

For me leadership involves a constant willingness to be asking the questions.  One of the challenges though that comes with this is figuring out what the questions are that need to be asked. You can always start with the standard questions that shape and form any story:  who, what, where, why, and how?  But after those starters, I have a few that I have found … Continue reading Asking the Questions

The Future, Authenticity, and Hope

A little under 9 years ago, I visited Claremont, California for the first time.  I visited in order to see and tour the campus of Pitzer College.  I had read and heard that Pitzer might be a great fit for me as a liberal arts college with a focus on the whole person and on the person being a part of the world as a … Continue reading The Future, Authenticity, and Hope

Need for the Longer Term View

In the previous post I mentioned some thoughts that came out of the article, “Moon Shots for Management.”  There are a couple other quick thoughts that I would like to mention in the following two posts.  First, there is the idea that incentives need to provide for the long term! “Stretch executive time frames and perspectives.  Compensation and incentive systems often truncate executive time horizons … Continue reading Need for the Longer Term View

Management as a Liberal Art- Moonshots

Peter F. Drucker believed that management is a liberal art.  In fact, to this end he even titled the second chapter in his famous blue covered seminal work, Management, “Management as a Social Function and Liberal Art.”  Drucker explained, “Management is thus what tradition used to call a liberal art:  ‘liberal’ because it deals with the fundamentals of knowledge, self-knowledge, wisdom and leadership; ‘art’ because it … Continue reading Management as a Liberal Art- Moonshots

Leadership and the Church- Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

I had the pleasure of being able to take some time out of my work day to attend chapel at Luther Seminary yesterday.  I felt it was important to do so as this was the final chapel service of the academic year, and it was a special one of “Farewell and Godspeed” for a place itself that is in the midst of great transition and … Continue reading Leadership and the Church- Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

“The Challenge We Face, Part I”

I have decided to pick up and read a decade old book, Transforming Congregational Culture, by Anthony B. Robinson.*  As I move through this book, I intend to write a few posts along the way about either quotes that resonate with me, or about pieces I see that have especially changed (good or bad) since Robinson wrote this. So, in this line of reflection, from the beginning … Continue reading “The Challenge We Face, Part I”

Revisiting Multi-Layered Leadership

Two years ago, I wrote a blog post about “multi-layered leadership.” Given the transition the congregation I am employed at is in, I thought it might be worth another look. Reading this 2002 article, “Multi-Layered Leadership:  The Christian Leader as Builder, Shepherd, and Gardener,” almost convinces me that its author must have been in conversation with Peter Drucker.  It’s not that hard to believe that … Continue reading Revisiting Multi-Layered Leadership

Leadership Thought of the Week

When visiting a potential partner organization yesterday, I noticed that a great quote was front and center on their conference room’s whiteboard.  The quote read: “Excellence is not a skill … it’s an attitude!” (Ralph Marston is quoted as saying this quote via a quick search online, though I believe its a quote that can be attributed to many leaders and leadership experts who have … Continue reading Leadership Thought of the Week