Need a Leader? Look Behind You.

leadership

At the beginning of 2016 I launched a full-fledged writing agency called Cicada as I am working on being a leader—essentially creating opportunities to lead instead of waiting around for someone in front of me to tap me for those roles. I decided that if I’m going to be a leader I had better just turn around and tap myself. But something interesting happened when I turned around to tap myself. I saw leaders behind me. Not people behind me in terms of experience or education but in terms of the leaders… Read More

LEADERS: DO THIS, DON’T DO THAT.

I wrote this post as an article for the Leadership column of The Mennonite magazine’s most recent issue.  There are powerful leaders and humble leaders, horrible leaders and questionable leaders. Throughout my adult life of working under various leaders—from churches to places of employment, from neighborhood associations to my children’s school board, from nonprofit organizations where I’ve volunteered to my own family—I’ve had varying experiences of leaders and come to understand that everyone is a teacher. They teach me what to do and sometimes what not to do. 1. Do this: Get your hands dirty When… Read More