Like many organizations, ours needed to reduce staffing levels; to the tune of a 60% reduction in a year. Yet, in this new reality, the organization turned the corner and is once again dynamic and growing. How did this happen? I recently posted The Phantom Org Chart: 4 Positions You Need on Your Team, but…
The Phantom Org Chart: 4 Positions You Need on Your Team
One of the most frequently asked questions I’m getting these days is “How has a team of 13 managed to help turnaround an organization that recently numbered over 25?” Part of the answer to this question is found in key roles that are being played out in a manner that simply doesn’t show up on…
Passing the Leadership Torch: Moving Beyond Just a Smooth Transition
The embrace was genuine. The tears were real. The bond, authentic. The moment occurred in the fall of 2008 in a Kelowna, BC restaurant, when John Baergen, the founder of The Leadership Centre Willow Creek Canada, told me that after a 17 year run, he felt it was time to pass the torch of leadership…
Lessons from a Mentoring Week, Part 2: The Leadership Imperative of Community
Picture the scene; A Chili’s restaurant, eight Canadian pastors, a couple of staff from The Leadership Centre Willow Creek Canada, plates of nachos, assorted beverages, embarrassing stories, waves of laughter, nods of acknowledgement, winces of shared pain, more laughter. It’s community. And for the sustainability of leaders it’s absolutely vital. Following the second information-packed day…
Lessons from a Mentoring Week: How Leaders Approach Obstacles
After a full day of mentoring in the leadership crucible of Willow Creek, God used an off-handed comment over dinner to drive home my biggest leadership take-away of the day. With 100 church leaders from around the world huddled in dinner conversations following 10 hours of training, the pastor sitting next to me commented, “You…
