Friends,
Sometimes we don’t yet know
I receive blog posts from a recent training, and though focused on leadership development in the corporate world, this week’s message is so relevant to us in church leadership - specifically this:
“…effective leaders often recognize that they don’t have all the answers and, importantly, admit as much. It’s an attitude that could serve leaders well now. “The most powerful decision a leader can make is to say, ‘I just don’t know,’” says Dan Kaplan, a Korn Ferry senior client partner in the firm’s CHRO practice.
That humility and the willingness to admit uncertainty haven’t always been visible over the last few months, as many companies set specific dates for return-to-office plans and other projects. “Everyone wants to be definitive, and it makes them look clownish,” Kaplan says.
People look to leaders for four things: trust, compassion, stability, and hope, says Margie Warrell, a Korn Ferry senior client partner in the firm’s Board & CEO Services practice. Her advice: “Communicate clearly, make quick decisions, and articulate the ‘why’ behind those decisions.” At the same time, she says, leaders should be focusing on their companies’ long-term strategies.
Here’s what we do know
LeaderShift embraces four key words from the excerpt above: trust, compassion, stability, and hope. We’re deeply committed to the practices of discernment and evaluation - not just in what we offer, but also in how we make decisions as a team.
Somethings have changed this month, and some things are steady, and some things are emerging - in the midst of many unknowns, we’re rooting down into what sustains and is sustainable. You are warmly invited to join us:
LeaderShift’s in-person January events have been postponed due to COVID. You’ll see this reflected relevant pages across our website.
New dates for Holy Ground: Seeding the Soil of Wild Church will be announced soon - still in-person, still at Loon Lake!
What’s Next? Conversations continue into this new year! Drop-In for connection and support in your digital ministry
A Cup of Hope: Warmth for the Soul (online only) conference is organized by United Church Communities in Northern BC and supported by LeaderShift, January 31 - February 4. Registration is open now!
From Decision-Making to Discernment with Susan Beaumont has room for boards from 2 more communities of faith… register now!
The 2nd Annual Festival of Biblical Storytelling (online only) is booked for April 22-24, and the theme is delightful: "In the Beginning Was the Word" The Witness and Wisdom of Biblical Telling. Learn more about the passionate people in The Network of Biblical Storytellers Canada who are presenting this event with LeaderShift
Faithfully,
Allison
LeaderShift Director