Fixing a Toxic Team
Transforming the culture of a toxic team is hard work, and it begins with looking at the team’s behavioral norms.
PERSPECTIVES articles
Spiritual Self-Care For People With No Time
I needed something like Will Strunk’s Elements of Style for spirituality—pithy rules like “use the active voice” or “omit needless words,” to reorient my life the way Strunk’s book has sharpened up my writing. Here’s what I came up with.
Top Five Ways Ministers Get in Trouble
It’s not easy being a pastor, priest, or rabbi. People come to congregations bearing an incredible variety of hopes and aspirations. When reality falls short—as it inevitably does—the clergy leader often takes the fall. That process is almost always painful, even when it turns out to be a good thing for all concerned. A lot of clergy fail, but others manage to avoid the pitfalls and succeed despite the odds. A key to success is to remember that the congregation’s mission, not its minister, is the central issue.
Character and Leadership
Character trumps every other attribute of leadership—including skills, charisma, vision, motivation, and persistence.
Navigating the Congregation’s Reaction to a Firing
Terminating a staff member is difficult under the best of circumstances. When the congregation gets reactive in response to the termination, leadership becomes especially tricky. Five guiding principles can help you navigate the turbulence than follows a dismissal.
Staff Designs in the 21st Century
Don’t automatically replace departing staff with another person doing exactly the same work. Use staff turnover as an opportunity to examine how those dollars might be better used in a different staff configuration.
Are You Shrink-Smart?
“Shrink-Smart” communities have something to teach congregations about how to thrive where population is declining.