Mar 25, 2023

The Taxonomy of Knowing: What you know, don't know, don't know that you know and don't know that you don't know. By Edumund Chan


 In response to “stewarding knowledge capital”, I was recently asked about Donald Rumsfeld’s “Knowns and Unknowns”, formatted in a paradigm somewhat akin in orientation to Johari’s Window.


While the paradigm is helpful, we must nonetheless humbly recognize that the taxonomy of KNOWING is far more complex in the real world of learning and discovery.

The whole point is to be a lifelong learner, which...
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Mar 10, 2023

Characteristics of gracious leaders

 


I love meeting gracious leaders. There is a quality that endears them to insiders and outsiders alike. Moreover, they possess essential characteristics that all leaders can emulate and learn from. Here are some of the most important.


When they are with you, they focus on the conversation rather than thinking about other things. Being present in the moment when with others is a discipline that...
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Mar 09, 2023

Don't allow these issues to derail your great leadership




It is possible to have effective leadership skills and still undermine one's leadership. And this is not only a risk for young leaders for often for leaders that have seen significant success. 


Hubris. This should be obvious, but it isn't always! Success breeds confidence, and that confidence can cause us to overestimate our wisdom and underestimate our need for counsel. This can creep up on us...
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Mar 06, 2023

Seven signs of a closed and dysfunctional ministry system to be wary of

 


I spoke recently with a ministry leader who had resigned from his church staff position (a large church) because of the dysfunctional culture that he sensed. Having left the "system," he now realizes that it was a great deal more dysfunctional than he thought, and he is so glad to be out of it. When we are in a "closed" system that is dysfunctional or toxic, we may sense that not all is right,...

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Mar 06, 2023

Key lessons I have learned about leadership along the way

 



Learning to lead well is something that is learned the hard way over time. I took time recently to consider what I know today that I didn't know well enough as a young leader. It is a long list that simply says how little I knew about good leadership as a young leader. The raw stuff was there, but there was and is much to learn. If you fit that young leader category, these may be things to...

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Feb 28, 2023

The whiplash effect of leaders who easily change their minds and strategies

 


One of the most difficult challenges many staff teams face is a leader who has new ideas on a frequent basis. Those new ideas can set off a chain of changes that reverberate through the staff and organization as there is a scramble to implement the newest version of the leader's vision or strategy.

Any change that comes from the top impacts the organization. And changes are absolutely necessary...

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Feb 26, 2023

This is one church brand that no one can compete with

 


Churches spend an inordinate amount of energy to attract those who need Jesus to their ministry. This includes high-energy worship, attractive spaces, first-impression ministries, branding, swag, food, and seeking to differentiate one's ministry from others in the area. 

Nothing is wrong with these efforts except that they often miss the most important magnet any church could have. 

Ask yourself...

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