From Locally Good to Globally Great: The Role of Dynamic Leadership in Global Team Building
Globalization, we are finding out, does not imply any perceived form of homogenization, it means we now have to deal with difference directly, instead of at a distance. Here is the central question: How can we cope with enormous diversity, and complexity of cultural differences, and still remain successful? If an organization seeks to expand into a global market, what are the factors that have the biggest impact on global team design? What barriers must be overcome to achieve organizational goals? What change will organizational leaders need to make to adjust to the socio-technical systems to accommodate a new way of doing business? More…

The Necessity of Unification in Globalization: A Christian Perspective
In the third chapter of Genesis, man succumbed to temptation and disobeyed God. Pundits and theologians have long debated the reason for this disobedience. Some stipulate Eve’s decision was based on deception and that she was tricked into disobeying God. Others claim Eve wanted to be like God and so ate the forbidden fruit. Whatever Eve’s reason, her decision had a cascading effect on the history of mankind. Prior to her decision, man lived in harmony with God, his creator, as depicted in Genesis 2:15. The leader-follower relationship was intact and perfect, as it was intended to be. However, once the decision was made to disobey God and become like God, man’s relationship with his Creator was forever marred. No longer was the leader-follower relationship intact. Man had decided he knew what was best and, in turn, chose to be his own leader. More…

The Formation of a Cross-Border Partnership between Two Christian Leaders
“Hola Ednita.” One Wednesday afternoon in November, 2010, my wife received a call from the pastor of the church she attended while growing up in Mexico. Pastor Alberto called to let us know that he and a team from Mexico were coming to our Texan city to plant a church. Decisions, decisions, lots of decisions are needed for an international church plant to be launched. Through a series of events, I became the interpreter and liaison between Pastor Alberto and a key American Christian leader in our city and have had the opportunity to observe two leaders from vastly different cultures navigate the formation of a partnership with each other. In the midst of this partnership formation, decisions on multiple levels are being explored and made. More…

The Role of Organizational Design in 21st Century Organizations
Blockbuster, Dell, Kodak, Motorola, Sears, Sony…big name companies that, over time, seem to have lost their edge. It is not the purpose of this paper to dissect the particular reasons for their failure, but to inspire the leader to understand the mortality of the organization he or she leads and consider the role of organizational design in the health of that organization. Competition is increasingly stiff, technology is advancing at an ever-increasing rate, consumers are increasingly discerning, and innovation is a buzzword that belies the effort required to actually innovate. What tool might an organization employ to increase the odds of success and longevity in this turbulent world? This paper concludes that a thoughtful organizational design will “tee up” an organization for the long haul, but it will not be easy, nor is there any particular “quick fix.” More…

Inherent Transparency: Values-Based Entrepreneurial Startups
Nascent entrepreneurs (NE) pertain to anyone engaged in the creation of a new venture. These individuals have the greatest influence on startup organizational culture. As the key visionaries for the newly established organization, NE’s develop the foundation for how the idea will manifest. Characteristics inherent to the NE become the primary influencers of the organization. In particular, inherent NEs’ values transparent to organizational followers become the adopted culture transposed through a values-based transformational leadership approach. This article argues for the implementation of a values-fortified approach for entrepreneurial leaders. The purpose of this piece is to establish an understanding for personal value alignment within startup operations. More…

Design Your Organization around Stakeholder Relationships
It was once argued that organizations arose in order to control the diverse range of individuals contained in every activity within an economic goal (Ouchi, 1980). While bureaucracies and hierarchical organizational structures may have succeeded in this control for a time, it was found to be an illusion, because control meant that organizations were closed systems. Since then, organizations have undergone rapid and significant change, not the least of those changes have been the variety of influences and the range of values that the organization affects and are affected by (Johansson, 2008). To survive in this volatile, often ambiguous, and always uncertain environment, the contemporary organization must satisfy a number of stakeholders whose wants and expectations are disparate, often in conflict and subject to change (Johansson, 2008). More…

Leading Change through Passion, Vision, and Humility
Change… it’s an issue that every leader will face at some point in his or her leadership career. It could be expanding into a new business sector, dropping a product line, changing a ministry, or restructuring an organization. Perhaps it’s a complete change in mission or focus. Regardless of the reason, change happens. Leading an organization through change can be challenging and fraught with uncertainty. There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach. However, leaders need to be cognizant of a precious resource, which is always impacted by change: people. More…

Stress Testing a Global Leadership Framework: Juxtaposing Alexander the Great against 21st Century Standards
No single global leadership style works in all situations. Moreover, global leadership styles morph in deference to changing times. Perhaps a useful exercise entails the application of modern leadership principles to ancient figures. Such an endeavor has several practical benefits, including an argument about (i) why a leadership technique would not work in different global scenarios, and (ii) why a leadership technique withstands scrutiny in most venues. Accordingly, this essay will examine the tenure of Alexander the Great—not as an historical figure, but rather as a leadership subject for analysis. Alexander will be examined against a framework of global leadership competencies, literacies, dynamics, and problem solving. More…

The Great Commission: Recognizing the Church as a Decentralized Virtual “Spider-Plant” Propagation of the Gospel
According to Mark 16:15, Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples and rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who saw Him after He had been resurrected. Fulfilling His mission, Jesus instructed the disciples to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.” He told them to set up His kingdom among men by the preaching of the gospel. These eleven men could not, themselves, preach to all the world, much less to every creature in it, but they and the other disciples, with those who would be added to their ranks, were charged with dispersing themselves, and carrying the gospel along with them wherever they went. The intent of this article is to recognize the concepts of decentralization and virtual teams within the concept of the spider plant metaphor as they relate to the fulfillment of the great commission as described in Mark 16:15. More…

Breeding Followers Who Lead: Changing the Networking Paradigm
Leadership is an elusive concept that is the lore of many a leadership theory. Its tales have been captured in the annals of academic journals and tomes. Yet, for all of the time scholars and novices alike have spent trying to solve its riddle, there is little to show for the relationship between leadership and networking. Networking is often considered a social skill honed at cocktail parties or on the fairways of the links in an effort to advance one’s status and career. Organizations have been remiss in recognizing the role networking plays within the confines of leadership that surround their success on a daily basis. More…

Global Leadership and the Call to Authentic Christian Leadership
The increasingly globalized environment of the 21st century is rapidly changing the way business is conducted and reshaping the requirements of effective leadership. Leaders who possess a global perspective with global competencies are being called to the forefront of organizations. An understanding of globalization is tantamount to an exploration of the theories and approaches to global leadership. More importantly, global leadership must be examined in light of the biblical directive of authentic and moral Christian leadership. More…

The Value of Leading from the Middle
In today’s competitive market, there is a leadership crisis. The increase in globalization, technology, the Internet, the mobility of talent, changing employee expectations and shrinking profit margins have shaken the corporate world (Sethi, 1999). With the development of new technologies, such as smart phones, newer laptops, and iPads, the long hours are not just being completed in the workplace in an eight-to-five setting. Such advances have increased the potential for work demands that extend beyond normal business hours (Parris, Vickers, & Wilkes, 2008). So, while such radical changes are impacting organizations, much of the burden of responsibility comes from those who function in the role of the middle manager. More…

Prototypical Jesus? A Discussion of Followership Development from John 6
As a leader, Jesus died betrayed and abandoned by His closest followers, dreams of greatness in ruin with no strategic plan in place for what was to follow. After His resurrection, His followers return to Him. What made these followers of Jesus return after denying they even knew Him? What made them committed to His cause? This paper uses the account of John 6 where Jesus offends his followers and refines his core team, in comparison to contemporary organizational and psychological theory concerning leader and follower style alignment, person-organizational fit (PO-fit), and person-job fit (PJ-fit), to draw out principles for human resource management and leadership development. More…

On Cornhuskers, Navy Seals, and Spider Plants: Choosing the Right Root Metaphor to Help Your Organization Grow
A sports club’s nickname is perhaps the most obvious and prominent example of a root metaphor—the primary word picture an organization invokes to describe the organization in its formal and informal communication organs. If you are not a football club but a business, church, or nonprofit organization, does it make a difference what root metaphor—if any—your employees associate with your organization? More…

When Vision Isn’t Good Enough: The Role of Organizational Design in the 21st Century Church
I remember a few years ago watching a video from yet another church leadership conference as Andy Stanley said, “Eighty percent of your problems are not people problems, they are system problems.” But what Mr. Stanley didn’t know was that I had some pretty significant people problems. Leading “intelligently” was not enough. After searching for some time, I discovered a nugget of gold in Scripture that allowed me to see leadership from various perspectives. Leadership has many dimensions of intelligence; not just brain power. More…

Transformational Leadership: What’s Your Motivation?
Many people often use the terms management and leadership interchangeably, but they are really two completely different concepts. Unlike management, leadership is a vocation rather than a position. While management can be assigned or chosen, leadership is something to which someone must be called. A person who takes a leadership position so they may assume a particular status or control within an organization is a manager—not a leader. While management and leadership have many similar characteristics, the motivations of practitioners are very different.  More…

Leadership Intelligence: The Four Intelligences of a Leader
Intelligence is important, but as a stand-alone tool for leadership, it lacks penetrating substance. There is more to intelligence than getting a high score in an aptitude test or solving enigmas others are unable to solve. Intelligence comes in many forms; it’s just not limited to mental capacity. There are other ‘intellectual’ factors perhaps more important at work in a leader’s life. I call them The 4 Intelligences of a Leader; they are wisdom, character, social and spiritual intelligence. More…

East Meets West: Strategic Expansion Decisions Between Two Cultures
Strategic planning for expansion is always challenging in the current unstable global economy, but the normal strategic challenges increase exponentially when decision teams are comprised of members from very different cultural backgrounds. Negotiation between diverse teams requires an understanding of the decision-making models embraced within each culture and the capacity to adjust negotiation strategies to fit the preferred cultural approach of each decision-making team. The present situation facing a young hotel/tourism executive named Rina illustrates this challenge. More…

We Venture: Leading Global Entrepreneurial Teams
There is an ancient concept that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as holism, "a theory that the universe and especially living nature is correctly seen in terms of interacting wholes that are more than the mere sum of elementary particles." If that theory is correct, then the same theory can be applied to business organizations—internal and external stakeholders functioning together create more value for the organization. More…

The Use of Collage in Leadership Education
Whether leadership development practitioners use them to explore individual understanding of ideas, to promote group dialogue and learning, to be used as team building activities or whatever other ends they determine valid, collage represents a significant and important leadership development tool because of the tremendous power it wields to invite others to delve into their own mental models, emotions, and meaning. More…

Servant Networking: Leading and Connecting Through Service
'Networking' is a term that conjures up thoughts of people schmoozing with the boss to gain an advantage, mingling with the 'in crowd' in the hope of moving up on the social ladder, or using their connections with the 'right people' to better their lives. While people might be interacting with one another for those reasons and others, they are not networking. Networking, especially from a Christian perspective, involves adding value to people's lives with no thought of personal gain. More…

Character: A Critical Component of Good Leadership
The demise of leadership integrity in the business, political and religious arenas has contributed to what could be considered a global disdain for leaders and leadership in general (Vogt, 2009). Charlton (2008) points out, “. . . no generation of business leaders have (sic) received so much education, training and development, yet been found so wanting in areas that learning and development would find it hard to reach.” More…

Placing the Right People in the Right Seats in the Organization
Collins (2001) used the metaphor of a bus as an organization to describe getting the right people with the right stuff in the right seats on the bus. He further stated that it was more important to get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus before figuring out where to drive the bus. According to Geller (2005), great leaders put the right people in the right seats on the bus, and then drive the bus to the right locations. More…

Implications of Integral Theory for Contemporary Leadership
In the search for effective methods and theories for contemporary leadership, the social sciences have been mined and adapted for the development of emerging theories. However, there is yet to be a consensus concerning effective leadership. More…

Closing the Deal: Influencing a Decision in Two Cultures
Complexity in the selling process increases when decision teams include individuals or groups who come from different nations or cultures. Therefore, understanding decision-making models can guide tactical decisions more successfully and allow you to better influence decision makers across cultures. More…

The Mailroom CEO: A Portrait of the Collaborative Leader
Many types of organizations have assimilated team based, cross-functional and collaborative structures. However, organizations often fail to recognize the full benefit of these models because employees in operational posts still wait for direction from executives rather than embody leadership characteristics. Organizational structures that inspire members toward a common mission can allow the task of leadership to shift fluidly to the individual with the highest degree of efficacy at any given point in time. More …

Default Leadership: Two Significant Gaffes Leaders Make
Leaders are responsible for many things; acquiring and shaping vision, personal and corporate communication, strategic planning, budgeting, training, supervision, executing the plan and the plan’s results. But there’s a missing ingredient from this list. What is it? It’s the way leaders treat and relate to team members, a key indicator of one’s ability to lead effectively. More…

What Drives Your Leadership?
Horsepower. Torque. Crankshaft speed. These are just a few of the performance specifications upon which racing engines are measured. From America’s NASCAR to international Formula One racing, a motorsports driver seeks the highest engine performance possible in order to win the race. In much the same way, leaders drive organizations with distinct styles governed by their own inward motives. More…

Strategic Thinking Made Simple
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail,” the old adage tells us. While most of us are quick to agree, not as many of us have a good grasp on the planning process – or strategic thinking as a whole. If we’re good, a comprehensive strategizing experience exists on our personal to-do lists or on the department’s committee calendar. But one thing generally leads to another; the schedule fills up, business picks up, somebody starts or quits, or necessary changes get in the way. So, how can leaders get their attempts off the ground and into the works? More…

Know Thyself and Your Followers
Leaders can know themselves and their followers by using person-environment instruments to investigate the person-job fit and the person-organization fit of followers. Person-job fit has been found as a potential way to predict individual performance and job satisfaction. Person-organization fit has been found to predict long-term membership and attitudes about organizations, but has had less success in predicting performance. A practical approach to using such tools could be to collect and provide person-job and person-organization fit information to establish a two-way process of assessment. Leaders should also consider a continuous post-hire process of assessing leader and followership styles in an attempt to move followers toward exemplary followership and star performer status.
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Improving Cross-Cultural Communication Skills: Ask-Seek-Knock
Global leaders must be in constant pursuit of and proficient in cross-cultural communication skills if they are to succeed in today’s global environment. They must be persistent in asking for cultural knowledge; seeking ways to understand people of different cultures; and knocking on the door of wisdom toward unlocking hidden meaning to better communicate across cultures. Global leaders often use their own meaning to make sense of someone else’s reality or lack cultural awareness of their own behavioral rules and apply them to others. This article offers twelve ways in which global leaders can improve their communication skills across cultures. More…

Leading in the Learning Organization
This insightful article explores the qualities of effective leadership in the learning organization. Effective leaders of learning organizations are those individuals who establish a shared organizational identity. They are able to clearly convey this identity to all members of the organization; encourage the pursuit of individual and organizational knowledge by creating a shared vision of the future of the organization; and possess the ability to identify the role that each individual member plays in the organizational system. They also encourage the open exchange of information between all members of the organization. More…

Navigating Uncertain Times: Perspectives of African Leaders on Key Global Change Drivers Over the Next Ten Years
Highly dynamic, disruptive, multidimensional, competitive, global change complicates today’s organizational leadership. Though globalization has “flattened” the world, local cultures influence the understanding and execution of change. This exploratory survey of four African global leaders correlated with current strategic foresight literature, but also revealed contextual understandings of the current global financial crisis that enrich global change-driving efforts. More…

Comparison of the Origins of Altruism as Leadership Value Between Chinese and Christian Cultures
Both Christianity and Confucianism emphasize altruism as a core value in their systems. However, the scope and nature of altruism is different in the two philosophies/religious traditions. When Confucius talked about altruism, or ren, he was referring to graded-love, with more love towards closer family members and relatives. When Jesus Christ talked about altruism, or agapao, he was referring to universal love, which should apply to all people. Confucius also taught altruism primarily to leaders, while Jesus taught altruism to everyone. Understanding the difference of altruism in the two cultures can help global leaders to properly promote and demonstrate altruism in multi-cultural organizations.
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Redesigning Your Organization for Success: Shift to a New Paradigm
Customers are demanding a new paradigm in which speed, flexibility, integration and innovation, the new success factors, will replace the old success factors of size, role clarity, specialization and control. Organizations must shift from rigid to permeable processes and structures and create a new paradigm for organizational success. Organizational design will play a major role in crafting the right organizations in the 21st century in terms of its strategy, structure, processes, people and rewards in order to meet and even succeed future customer demands. More…

Identifying the Key Factors in the Effectiveness and Failure of Virtual Teams
As organizations seek to increase speed of execution, reduce costs and increase flexibility, the use of virtual teams has become an increasingly popular alternative to face-to-face interaction. With the advance in virtual teams, researchers have explored several facets of the virtual team environment. This insightful article explores the enabling factors to the success and failure of virtual teams by building on previous research. More…

Personal Leadership Poverty: A Biblical Concept for Developing Transformative Leaders
Based on a review of biblical leaders and followers who succeeded or failed in their personal and organizational responsibilities, the concept of personal leadership poverty has been developed to provide a basis for leadership assessment and development. It is argued that leaders/followers who fail are poor or deficient in seven key characteristics that successful biblical leaders/followers exhibited. Developing leaders to overcome these deficiencies will enable them to build trust and good relationships that are essential in building transformative organizations. More…

The Organization as a Person: Utilizing Metaphoric Analysis to Transform Organizations
How can the metaphor of a person help an organization plan for its preferred future? In this article, the author contends that this metaphor, when properly used, provides a superior infrastructure for implementing profound organizational change. Leaders who endeavor to cultivate an organizational culture that is responsive to a changing environment, while also affirming the human capacities to self-organize and to relate, will find the author’s exercise of “creating the organizational person” very useful. More …

Tying the Organization’s Future to Strategic Foresight: Deal or No Deal
Like it or not, the environment modern organizations must function within is changing at an increasingly rapid pace. What future possibilities these changes may bring about within our organizations in the next 20 years is impossible to determine with 100% certainty. Using the analogy of the banker and contestant in the popular television show, “Deal or No Deal,” the author illustrates how strategizing and planning for as many future possibilities as feasible allows organizations to position themselves for making the best deal possible under the circumstances given. More…

Leading Through a Layoff: Three Actions for Effective Leadership
The majority of information technology groups participating in a recent InformationWeek survey reported they are cutting IT spending, many through layoffs. As a result, the morale of IT staff is at an all-time low. Having gone through such a scenario recently, the author provides innovative action steps as well as advice on how to foster a positive work environment while leading in the midst of layoffs. More…

Rest: A Leadership Imperative
Rest, one of the most vital elements of leadership success, is too often the most overlooked. In fact, the average number of daily work hours for Americans has increased by 14.5% over the past eight years. Add an additional 22% increase for America’s leaders and it is easy to see how there is little time available for needed rest. Emphasizing the importance of rest as a vital component of optimum functioning and success for organizational leaders, the author offers strategic actions leaders can implement to achieve rest and renewal. More…

Leading Like Jesus for a Change
Jesus lived and walked in a very different world from the 21st century context of our day, yet He was able to implement profound systemic changes in His world. Understanding His world enables us to more fully understand the context of His leadership and to better apply these principles to our own leadership realities. This article briefly examines the context of Jesus’ leadership and looks at how He responded to these realities by initiating systemic change. It offers timeless leadership principles for contemporary leaders More …

Using Positive Communication to Empower and Develop People
The very soul of leadership is growing and developing people. This article sets out to establish the value of using positive communication to empower people. Too often leaders use their words to tear down their followers, rather than build them up. The author examines the power of leadership communication, people’s innate desire for affirmation and how we can practically transform our leadership communication style. More…

Are You a Warrior in Search of Greener Pastures?
This article examines the concept of the warrior versus the shepherd in our culture, David’s life and Psalm 23. Are you a warrior in need of energy and think time? Are you sick and tired of the warrior lifestyle? Do you feel there is a discrepancy between what you do and what you know you ought to do? Learn from the Good Shepherd how to be nurtured, so that you can be a nurturing leader. More…

Life Story: The Bubble Effect
Feeling like he was trapped in a bubble and his daily routine had become predictable and dull, the author needed a personal breakthrough of some kind. As he researched the life of Jesus, he found that Jesus was able to manage Himself and His ministry well in the midst of all the demands of life. This article takes a closer look at the five strategies Jesus employed to revitalize Himself, resulting in Him staying fresh, productive and fruitful during times of great demand in the ministry. More…

Here Today - The World Tomorrow:
Transitioning your Organization to go Global
Our everyday world is quickly becoming deeply global, pressuring us to adapt. Pause for a moment and consider your own organization. How are you reacting to these intrusions into your local and predictable organizational patterns? Are you transitioning to or ignoring the growing global systems of changing technology, communications and international social interaction? What barriers will your organization need to overcome to compete in our rapidly changing world? How will you lead your organization to become a more globally systemic organization? This insightful article will challenge you to adapt to the rapidly changing world around you. More …

Globalization: An African Perspective
Globalization is impacting our world and is changing the shape of all that we know. A number of global trends will define the world of tomorrow. Common to all of them is the removal of barriers dividing individuals, nations, cultures and markets and an increased tendency towards an integrated whole or a global village. Within each of these trends are both positive and negative tendencies. From an African perspective, there is a continuous tension between the positive influences of globalization and the extensive impact it has on our lives. The injustices of the past and the struggles of the present leave the African with the dream of a brighter tomorrow. The question, however, is how does globalization affect this picture? More…

Creating Culturally Competent Healthcare Organizations:
Six HUMANE Steps
As the United States become more ethnically and racially diverse, there is a need for healthcare organizations that will reflect and respond to an increasingly heterogeneous community.  Knowing how to serve people with different values, health beliefs and alternative perspectives about health and wellness, is both a business and ethical imperative. This article explores why cultural competence matters in health care, recommending six HUMANE steps for developing culturally competent healthcare organizations. More…

Leadership Gap: Too Little Rest and Renewal
Many leaders in our “workaholic” culture are exhausted and burnt out. Often, this is the result of organizational “habits” that place seemingly endless expectations on employees. As a result, their personal health is affected, as well as relational health with family and friends. A key solution to this cultural dilemma is for individuals to self-evaluate and then establish reasonable, but also assertive priorities that focus on spiritual, physical, mental, emotional and relational health, thus bringing personal rest and renewal. More…

Innovation and Creativity: The EI Factor
The world of work is in a time of transition as organizations wrestle with how to maximize the human potential that ultimately makes or breaks a company.  A new generation of organizational leadership researchers and authors are shedding light on a variable that may prove to be the x-factor in how people and relationships are weighted into the equation for holistic organizational effectiveness. This increased appreciation for emotional intelligence is transforming organizations and the people who make them work.  More …

Creating Seamless Behavior
This article explores how the organizational design process can create seamless behavior for improved team effectiveness.  Seamless behavior for team effectiveness is not just another word for good communication or the sum of “individual best” efforts. It’s an unimpeded exchange of energy, ideas, resources and commitments that translate into high performance. More …

Engaging Foresight to Meet the Future Before it Arrives
It can be said that no organization plans to fail, except when it plans not to fail. When Topps Meat Chief Operations Officer Anthony D'Urso walked into his office on June 25, 2007, he did not realize that in exactly 90 days, his family’s company would be forced to end its 67-year legacy and close its doors for good. Highlighting the example of Topps Meat, this article emphasizes the relevance of foresight in the strategic planning process and offers insight into various forms of foresight useful for organizational leaders in strategy development. More …

Restructuring for a Brighter Future: Organizational Design and Culture Change in 21st Century Higher Education
The future of higher education institutions in the United States is threatened by global competitive pressures, powerful technological developments, restraints on public finance and serious structural limitations that cry out for reform. In order to become more transparent, faster to respond to changing circumstances and increasingly productive, colleges and universities must seek to change their current organizational cultures. At the same time, they need to redesign their current organizational structures into networks that function for the good of the whole. More …

Mastering Leadership Reflexes: A Case Study of Captain Aubrey in Master and Commander, Utilizing Russell West’s Reflex Leadership Theory
Using a popular film and a contemporary leadership development paradigm, this article illustrates that though events provoke responses from us, it is possible to develop the inner being so that a leader acts reflexively and wisely in the real world. People can influence, but not control their environment and their future. Those who lead must learn to dance to or act in response to environmental stimuli and the movement of fellow dancers. More…

The Role of Ethics in 21st Century Organizations
In the 21st century, ethics is neither a luxury nor an option. Although many organizations are aware of the need for ethics in their cultural fabric, there is still a great deal of room for improvement. There is a growing impatience within society with selfish and irresponsible actions that impoverish some, while enriching the crafty.  In addition to social responsibility, there are other compelling motivations for 21st century organizations to make ethical values a priority.  More…

Leader-Centered Versus Follower-Centered Leadership Styles
Leadership styles can be divided into two groups: leader-centered and follower-centered styles. Leaders of both groups have a vision, a mission and goals that they strive to achieve. The two groups use very different approaches, however, in achieving their goals. Knowing your own style as well as the style of the organization for which you work, will enable you to identify personal strengths and weaknesses as well as organizational opportunities and threats. This information will help you find the best fit for your career and will help you to improve, grow and develop as a leader. More…

Practical Application of Five Leadership Theories on a U.S. Naval Vessel On a United States naval vessel, task accomplishment and leadership decisions are vital to personnel survival and mission success. A naval vessel is a complex microcosm that utilizes a variety of leadership methods to complete tasks. Although there are a myriad of leadership theories applicable on a naval vessel, this article explores how five of the most tried-and-tested theories can lead to mission success when applied to the right situation. More…

Integrating Strategic Thinking into your Organization for Long-Term Competitive Advantage
Strategic thinking is a powerful tool. When used correctly, it has the potential to move your organization into the future in new and innovative ways, giving it long-term competitive advantage. This article demonstrates that leaders have a variety of tools at hand, which they can use to plan strategically for the future.  More...

You Have a Choice: Using strategic foresight to lead your organization into the future
In the past, many leaders have relied upon strategic planning to guide their organizations. Organizational planning is, however, insufficient in times of uncertainty and rapid change. Organizations facing uncertain times need leadership that focuses on strategic foresight. Here are some steps that a leader can take to develop strategic foresight, providing the impetus for maximizing organizational transformation and contributing to meaning-filled work.

Learning from First Century Dynamism and Early Church Strategy: A model for today
Christianity had an inauspicious beginning, but rapidly achieved a dominant role in world history. How did it happen and what can we, as the Church today, learn from those who went before us?

While We Were Working, the World Wobbled:
A Boomer's dilemma
Baby Boomers entered the workplace with the idealism and enthusiasm that epitomized their generation. They expected to join organizations with the intention of working loyally at a good wage for a lifetime, or at least until retirement. This psychological work contract was broken in the 1980s and 90s when workers realized job security no longer existed. Distrust in organizations became rampant. Now that this world is gone, what is a Boomer to do?

Business Fashion Makeover: Better design for better business
Ask a fashion creator what design is, and the likely answer involves fabric and flow. A gardener may define design in terms of plant material and placement. Ask business executives to define design, and the answers will astound you. Design in business often focuses on brick and mortar structures, but these only define placement. They do not begin to define the real material that builds a business - its people. A new reality is emerging - work no longer depends on a physical structure to house workers. There is something new in the business fashion design to improve productivity and business.

Effective Leadership within a Multinational Environment
The paradox of working in a multinational environment is that one assumes that the increasing connection among countries and the globalization of corporations would result in cultural differences disappearing or diminishing. Yet, the reality is that as economic borders come down, cultural barriers often go up, thus presenting new challenges and opportunities in business.

In Pursuit of the Right Idea - Not just the great one

Today's fast paced society seems to have hurt the people who enjoy it. When I work on a slow computer, I become frustrated because I want it to work faster. How many people get frustrated when they are forced to wait in the drive-thru lane at a fast food restaurant? Our lack of patience can limit our ability to be creative and innovative in our leadership roles. We may seek the fast answer or the good idea rather than the right one.

The Strategic Triumvirate: How to increase your organization's value and avoid future extinction
The primary objective of every CEO or owner should be to create and increase the value of the company. Yet all too often, we find that this is not their high priority. How does the concept of strategic planning relate to value? Many CEOs and owners haven't made this connection, yet these concepts are directly related. The CEO or owner can take strategic actions that directly impact the value of the company.

Generational Diversity: The Future of the American Workforce
This Mosaic Generation, the children of Boomers and older GenXers, may well thrive in a workplace that resembles what has been previously rejected by their parents. Some researchers speculate that Mosaics will resemble the veteran generation in many ways. They tend toward a belief in collective action, optimism about the future and a trust in centralized authority. Although the Mosaics are just now entering the workplace, they are already showing a strong will to get things done with great spirit.

Do-It-Yourself Fundraising: How to Get Money for Your Nonprofit
I often get asked, by start-up nonprofits, how to raise money. The panic of making budget seems to make raising money impossible without knowing someone rich and famous like Bill Gates or Warren Buffet. But fundraising isn't impossible. It can be an incredibly exciting adventure. Here is a simple plan I recommend to my clients. It can get you off to a good start and keep being used for years to come. To keep it easy, I implore them to "Get R.E.A.L."

LEADING WITH THE POWER OF COMMUNITY

The workplace, where people once found their sense of purpose and personal fulfillment, has become a place of uncertainty. As a result, interest in workplace spirituality has increased dramatically over the past decade as people are looking for ways to cope with the growing sense of insecurity that pervades much of corporate America. The threat of layoffs, restructurings and the disillusionment of many aging Baby Boomers, who now see their hard earned success as an insufficient reward for the sacrifice of family, health and even personal identity paid to earn it, have people looking for more in the workplace than what it now provides. Workers are longing for a more humanistic environment with increased simplicity, more meaning and a connection to something higher. Workers are looking for a sense of significance in the workplace.

CARPE FUTURUM
For many people, the old saying, "What will be, will be," quite succinctly sums up their attitude toward the future. Oddly enough, many of these same people are diligent practitioners of carpe diem or seizing the day, its challenges and its opportunities. Certainly, seizing opportunities is a common attribute of those who succeed in business. Yet, when it comes to the future, fatalism is not uncommon. Whatever our view of the future may be, one thing that we can all agree on is that the future is coming at us faster all the time. The increasing rate of the creation and acceptance of new technology and the social changes that technological change drives, is putting pressure on organizations to respond more quickly than ever before. This requires a new form of strategic planning; one that will allow organizations to respond rapidly to the changes of the Knowledge Age.

CHRISTMAS: A SEASON OF PARADOX -- AN EXAMPLE OF GREAT LEADERSHIP
Before the birth of Christ, the prophets foretold of a series of paradoxes surrounding the coming of the Messiah in that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem, from Egypt, from Galilee, would be born of a virgin, would be meek, etc. - all of these things that did not fit the expectations of the people. The Jewish people expected a warrior that would overthrow the Roman power base and re-establish Jerusalem as the center of power, re-establish the Torah (as interpreted by the Pharisees) as the law of the land and the temple (directed by the priests) as the controller of cultural norms. It is interesting to see that the theocracy of the Old Testament's first books changed to a plutocracy in which the wealth of resources and power - held by the church - controlled or sought to control, the social organization of the day.

TAKE THIS JOB HOME AND LOVE IT: VIRTUAL EMPLOYMENT THAT WORKS

Becky left her previous job, in part, because her employer was unwilling to consider a tele-work option. She believes it is the most desired perk for many in the Washington, D.C. area, and she's not alone.  With the combination of broadband Internet availability, a large number of tele-work friendly jobs, and time-consuming, costly commutes, the benefits of telecommuting have increased for the both the employer and the employee.

WHY STRATEGIC FORESIGHT?
It seems that every business has a strategic planning process (and if you don’t, you’re embarrassed to admit it to your golfing buddies). The number of articles, seminars, books and conferences extolling the virtues of and need for strategic planning are innumerable. And they’re right! You do need a strategic plan.

THE VALUE OF SUCCESSION PLANNING
With nearly two-thirds of CEO’s stepping down over the next decade, 39 percent have a likely successor in mind, while 45 percent haven't identified a successor at all. The latest Workplace Forecast from the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) indicates “that few organizations have executive succession plans” (Schramm, 2005). These startling facts place a new sense of value and importance on the succession planning process.

THE MOSAIC GENERATION: THE FUTURE OF CHRISTIANITY? WHO ARE THEY AND HOW WILL THEY CHANGE THE FUTURE?

The Mosaics, also known as Millennials, are those born between 1982 and 2002. Highly educated, they are well behaved and have a positive outlook on life. With the exception of the War on Terror, they have been blessed to live during a time of stability in America and around the globe when a high percentage of adults are concerned about the welfare of children.  While research is only available on the oldest members of the Mosaic Generation, preliminary results indicate that educational, healthcare and community initiatives have been effective in forming the unique characteristics and behaviors of this generation.

Overcoming Personal and Spiritual Exhaustion: The Value of Rest and Renewal

Working harder and faster, staying ahead of life, moving into the future at the speed of light. Does this describe your daily life? Are you forgetting to take time for you and your family? If so, you could be on the fast track to personal and spiritual inner exhaustion.

Five Succession Planning Values to Keep Your Organization Alive

Many organizations are just one step away from extinction. Sounds harsh, but think about it. If Jesus hadn't intentionally infused His values, teachings, vision and Spirit into the lives of several high-potential followers, would the church exist today? No. But it flourishes today because Jesus recognized that there can be no success without a successor. "As the Father sent Me, so I send you," He said (Jn 20:21). Thus, the critical importance of leadership succession continues.

The Leader-Follower Relationship: Practitioner Observations

Larger than life leaders too often define leadership as the Lee Iacocas, Jack Welchs, Warren Buffets, Bill Gates, and Rudy Giulianis. These individuals are the exception, and very few of us possess the qualities these leaders exhibit. Even if we did, still fewer of us find ourselves in a situation where we can exercise those qualities. Yet, the “experts” lead us to believe that we should strive to be like these great leaders. While striving is admirable, reality can get lost. In our society, leaders are glorified and followers are denigrated with unfortunate counterproductive results. During our years as consulting psychology practitioners, we have made five distinct observations concerning the leader-follower relationship.

Oh My Gosh! She's a Millennial!

While sitting in the parking lot of the local high school waiting on my fifteen-year-old daughter to finish basketball practice, I'm preoccupied with my assignment to write a website article on the Millennial generation. "Who are these Millennials?" I ask myself.  Suddenly, my deep thoughts are interrupted when my daughter leans into my line of view and says, "Hey Dad, open the trunk, I've been standing here for hours!" Following a non-stop barrage of thoughts, questions and excited statements from my daughter, it hit me, she's a Millennial!

Unleashing Creativity in the Workplace: Going beyond the Operations Manual
As a leader in your organization, your ability to unleash and focus the power of creativity within yourself and your followers is an essential capability that is required to make the transition from an operational manager to a strategic and innovative leader. In addition, your ability, and that of your followers, to turn dreams into realistic visions and actionable strategies, leading to successful applications, will allow you and your organization to reap the benefits of a creative environment

Overcoming Barriers to Creativity & Innovation: One County Government's Strategy for Change
Building an organization that makes a governing commitment to grace and truth will provide the freedom for workers to make mistakes and grow with an accountability that will accelerate change in people in the workplace. It is the responsibility of the organization and its leadership to provide such an environment.

Enabling Creativity & Innovation in your Organization
Team-building is an art not for the faint of heart. Those of us who have invested time and energy in working to build teams can attest to the struggles we've encountered along the way. To truly engage hearts and minds requires leaders to step out by faith, courage and conviction and be agents of positive change.

What's In(novative) with Preaching? Revolutionary Innovations in Proclaiming Truth.
Do you think Jesus would like Starbucks? Wireless Internet for his laptop-blogging pleasure . . . the jazz music setting an artistic, interactive mood . . . stories being spun and told all around Him . . . I think He'd love it. But what do blogs, jazz and story-telling have to do with Jesus and preaching today? Tons. These symbols represent recent revolutionary innovations in proclaiming Truth to a postmodern world. Look closely within the emerging church and you'll see how they fit in with today's design of preaching.

Hurdling Creativity Barriers: A Top-down Approach for Encouraging Innovation in the Workplace
How can an organization create a climate for creativity and innovation? How can the organization, as a whole, be creative? The key is the human mind. It must be stimulated, excited and nurtured to produce creative thinking. Equally, the mind must be free of creativity and innovation barriers that encumber and impede its ability to fully capitalize on the enormous potential within its grasp that now lies dormant.

There are no Points for Original Thought!
While subtle, there is a noteworthy distinction between creativity and innovation. Creativity centers on ideation - that is the process and dynamics associated with generating ideas. Innovation, on the other hand, is the practical application of creative outcomes into productive results (Shalley & Gilson, 2004; Kraus e, 2004). In this distinction we are able to form several key axioms that highlight how, at times, creativity and innovation combine as a force multiplier, while at the same time they can actually work against one another.

Carpe Mañana:  How Strong Leadership Can Seize the Future Today
For many, the future is an inaccessible, crystal-ball-encased realm that only God knows and mystics speculate about. When organizations and their leaders refuse to dialogue about their organization's future, they ensure a limited impact in it (Hybels, 2002). Having an eternal impact requires that leaders carpe mañana today. Seizing tomorrow today begins with knowing what strategic foresight really is, why it's a necessary leadership habit, and how to incorporate futuring into one's leadership repertoire.

Leading Future Employees
In the United States alone, the 2003 Census Bureau reported 73 million residents 18 years of age or younger (Barna, 2003). With these future employees graduating from high school in 2005 through 2010, how must supervisors with traditional business practices and expectations, communicate and relate to this latest talent pool, and what kind of work environment will attract, retain and motivate them to their full potential?

Leading from the Future
What has occupied your executive team's attention the past three years? Chances are you have been restructuring departments or reengineering core programs for immediate gain, rather than regenerating your strategies or reinventing your organization for the future. It is said that on average, corporate management devotes 90% of their time on the "Inside and Now," leaving 10% of their energy to focus on the "Outside and Then."

Strategic Foresight:  A Critical Leadership Competency
How often have you looked back on a past event and thought; "if I knew then what I know now, I could have . . ." When we consider a past event with the advantage of reflective hindsight, we generally find areas where we would have made better decisions. Unfortunately however, until someone finds a way to break free of the space-time continuum, going back in time and reworking past decisions is an exercise in could-a, would-a, should-a.

Insight into Strategic Foresight:  A Biblical Perspective
What is strategic foresight? And how does it work for the Christian leader? Didn't Jesus say, "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself? Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matt. 6:34). Are we to plan for the future? Is it like fortune telling or palm reading? Or do we just ask God to bless our prognostications?

Editorial: Strategic Leaders Should Know Better
In 1932, science fiction writer and social prophet H.G. Wells, claimed that while vision had created the motorcar, it was lack of foresight that produced traffic jams. "All these new things . . .come crowding along; every one is fraught with consequences, and yet it is only after something has hit us hard that we set about dealing with it" (Wells, as cited in Slaughter, 1989, p. 3). Well's statement challenges us today to examine our unchecked visions.