By: Kally Elliott on April 16, 2024
“What, if anything, about the way people are leading today needs to change in order for leaders to be successful in a complex, rapidly changing environment where we’re faced with seemingly intractable challenges and an insatiable demand for innovation?”[1] This was the question Brene Brown and her researchers started with when conducting interviews with senior…
By: Kim Sanford on April 15, 2024
There have been a couple of overarching themes running through our doctoral learning. We’ve read and discussed a great deal about leading out of who you are[1], leadership and differentiation and being a non-anxious presence[2]. I’ve felt this internal work deeply, to the extent that I’ve joked with a couple of close friends that I’m…
By: Jenny Dooley on April 15, 2024
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts., by Brené Brown came just as I was hit with a wave of self-doubt while making the final decision for my doctoral project. My husband and peer group have borne the brunt of my doubts and confusion. I appreciate their patience. Dr. Brown came through for…
By: Russell Chun on April 15, 2024
Фільтри для води та лідерство – Water Filters and Ukraine. Introduction Part 1 What others are saying. Part 2 What I learned from Brown Epilogue – Ukraine bound Introduction Dare to Lead, by Brené Brown[1] is highly referred to by many in the leadership field. Within our DLGP02 Cohort, there seems to be a…
By: John Fehlen on April 15, 2024
In the spirit of Bobby Duffy’s Why We’re Wrong About Nearly Everything, let me begin with a confession to all my doctoral peers* that I was wrong about something: Brene Brown is amazing. In a previous blog post I made an arguable statement: “I’m not a huge Brene’ Brown fan. Go ahead, crucify me. I…
By: Tim Clark on April 15, 2024
What an awesome, amazing, exhausting semester! Thank you, my dear cohort friends, for the courage to wrestle with the texts and with one another, and for the vulnerability of “showing up” even when not everyone agreed. Thank you for your encouragement, prayers, and support. I’m blessed to have been put in THIS cohort. Our time…
By: Esther Edwards on April 15, 2024
Six years ago, the staff at the school where I taught music was asked to read Brene Brown’s book, “Dare to Lead.” As a staff, we went through each chapter and shared all that we gleaned from the book. It was a rich time of discussion and insight. Our principal was so enamored by the…
By: Jennifer Vernam on April 15, 2024
In Dare to Lead[1] Brené Brown covers a wide range of challenges that leaders face to diagnose why they are hard and to give some quick strategies for mitigation. Some of my favorite areas were around combating shame with empathy and living into our values. Brown has made a very successful career by unpacking psychological…
By: Travis Vaughn on April 15, 2024
Brene Brown wrote Dare to Lead so that her readers would have a well-researched practical framework for “what it takes to be a daring leader” in their places of work.[1] I first heard the name “Brene Brown” maybe a decade or so ago. The term that comes to mind when I think about Dr. Brown’s…
By: Mathieu Yuill on April 14, 2024
In Toronto, Canada, a pastor with a compelling backstory and distinctive style—tattoos visible and all—captured the hearts and minds of many by founding The Meeting House. This church, initially gathering in cinemas, represented a fresh expression of faith, resonant particularly with those disenchanted with traditional forms of worship. The pastor, known for his relatable sermons…
By: Jana Dluehosh on April 11, 2024
I have mentioned in the past that I am a PK, my grandpa was a pastor, my uncle was a pastor, my brother-in-law is a pastor and sister a pastor now, my husband and I were pastors. I have put a lot of thought into pastoral families, and while reading J.R. Woodward’s book The Scandal…
By: Dinka Utomo on April 11, 2024
I am proposing that the only way to overcome the Powers is through imitation of Christ, in particular his desires, which always leads to how we act. -J.R. Woodward- Scandals in the leadership of clergy in the church are a phenomenon that has existed for centuries and occur in any part of the world…
By: Adam Harris on April 11, 2024
I’m currently in Washington, DC attending an educational workshop at the Holocaust Museum to foster healthier Christian-Jewish relationships, biblical teaching, and interfaith dialogue. My group has around seventeen members and consists of Jewish rabbis, pastors, priests, seminary students, lay people, and chaplains from around the United States. The first thing we are required to do…
By: Todd E Henley on April 11, 2024
“If the light inside you is not greater than the light upon you, the light upon you will destroy you.” – Scott Dickie’s mentor. The above quote is an excellent summarization of the book, The Scandal of Leadership by JR Woodward. I will soon tell you why the quote resonates with the book, but first,…
By: Kally Elliott on April 11, 2024
The Church has potential to be a breeding ground for domineering leadership. Open up your news app and you’re sure to see yet another story of a church leader’s downfall. But this is not just a current problem. According to J.R. Woodard, in his book, The Scandal of Leadership, it is a historical issue, as…
By: Scott Dickie on April 10, 2024
Christian leaders that consciously or unconsciously follow the leadership patterns of the world (which are animated by the unseen Powers) will inevitably wield power in unhealthy and destructive ways. Christian leaders that model their leadership after Christ will humbly serve and ensure others flourish. That, essentially, is the core message of Jr Woodward’s, The Scandal…
By: Esther Edwards on April 9, 2024
Having grown up in church circles and having been in ministry since my mid-20s, I had never experienced domineering leadership until I viewed a church that a relative attended from a distance. There was high energy and much emphasis on winning the lost. The pastor preached with enthusiasm and passion. However, as time continued, some…
By: Cathy Glei on April 9, 2024
“Will we become a scandal to those who look to us as leaders, or will we choose to imitate the scandalous way of Christ? If Christian leadership is primarily about being Christ-like examples, it is imperative that we understand how the Powers seek to undermine us as leaders, as well as examine the lives and…
By: Jenny Dooley on April 9, 2024
Years ago, as I began preparing to leave Jakarta to move to South Sulawesi, an Indonesia friend and member of our church told me she had been watching me. I panicked a little, wondering what she observed. I secretly prayed it was something good. I was keenly aware that my every move was a curiosity…
By: Pam Lau on April 9, 2024
“It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet hats to church: we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares: they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake someday and take offense, or the waking god may draw us out to where…
