Leader Development Reflections

With this blog, I will complete my contributions as the Director of our Leader Development Initiative within The Navigators.  The discipline of writing these blogs has been an enriching experience for me to articulate clearly (hopefully) my thinking and experience on various aspects of leader development.  Here are some of the topics that have been addressed:

• What is leadership and how can we model leading like Jesus
• David the reflective leader
• Nehemiah the change agent
• Joseph the organizer
• Jethro the consultant
• Paul the scholar
• Leading explored
• Developing explored
• Caring explored
• Leading with a developmental bias

Woven throughout these blogs have been indicators of aspects of leader development that I especially hold dear.

1.  Living and leading like Jesus are foundational for all wise living and leading.  The Bible is a primary source for leadership thinking and practice but not the only source.  Biographical and business insights affirm and supplement biblical teaching.

2.  The essence of leadership is influence and relationship.  As leaders we invest wisely when nurturing our understanding and competence in these two arenas.

3.  By the time a person normally enters mid-30s, he or she should have a good idea about the gifting, talents, passions, and life lessons he or she brings to leadership.  The best leaders lead from strength and address weakness when it limits effectiveness.  Leaders need to be self-aware so they can make their best contribution, not trying to be someone they were not designed to be.  No leader is omni-competent or omniscient.

4.  Developing convictions and habits for reflection and think-time are critical to effective leadership.  Modeling margin and enjoyment of life outside of work are necessary for personal satisfaction, mission effectiveness, and for others to find leadership roles attractive.

5. Mental models enable people to focus on what is important.  The Navigators’ Core Model of Lead, Develop, Care provides a great framework so leaders can serve well.  All three components must be present if people are to thrive, but no leader is great in all three.

6.  Leaders have a mindset or bias to develop other leaders.  Although this can happen in a variety of ways, the mark of great leaders are whom they leave behind and how effectively they prepare successors.

Leader development is not optional.  Every organization is engaging in this, for good/for bad.  Probably billions of dollars are spent in this arena every year.  There is no more effective model than the life of Jesus Christ with His disciples.  A life-long pursuit of learning to live and lead like Jesus is the best decision any leader can make.  May such leaders multiply for the glory of God and the good of mankind.

Feedback and Assessment

Leaders who possess a developmental bias understand and practice providing feedback and assessment. When delivered wisely, this feedback is a precious investment for a leader’s development.

Why is it that so many people when hearing that their supervisor wants to see them will immediately wonder, “What have I done wrong?” Or when formal time is scheduled for the annual review, there is dread?

The tones of such conversations are set by the posture of the supervisor with the leader. When leaders at such meetings are primarily told what they have done wrong, no matter how nicely couched in affirmations, they will naturally view these meetings as a necessary evil.  However, when leaders emerge from such meetings with a sense that their supervisor is on their side and even after developmental opportunities are discussed, there is a confidence that the way forward will be better.  These become positive and desirable encounters.

What kind of feedback has been helpful for you?  What feedback was memorable in a positive way?  What feedback have you received that was of a negative nature but was presented in a way that you could embrace and utilize for your growth?

In a June 2014 Harvard Business Review article on “The Neurochemistry of Positive Conversations” research showed what happens in the brain when conversations are either positive or negative. In both cases a hormone is produced that affects our thinking and emotions.  Negative feedback results in shutting down the thinking portion of the brain and triggers protective behaviors that make one more sensitive and reactive.  Positive feedback elevates one’s ability to communicate and collaborate. The research concluded that managers and supervisors tap into positive feedback by expressing concern, speaking truthfully, encouraging creativity, and being open to difficult conversations.  Surely this is doable!

Here are some suggestions for how to give feedback when meeting with a leader:

• Begin with an actual and recent experience to address.
• Explain what kind of leadership was expected and what resulted.
• Ask what went well and worthy of repeating? What did not go well and should be avoided?
• Ask what would one do differently if the experience could be redone?
• Overall, what can be learned about yourself and how you relate to others?
• After allowing the leader to debrief on an experience, ask permission to share some observations.

Depending on cultural background and personality, the degree of affirmation before suggested adjustments should vary. Some people prefer to be told in a direct way and others will miss the learning when too much directness is given.

In their 2014 excellent book, Thanks for the Feedback, authors Stone and Heen provide a research-based approach for how to both give and receive feedback. If this is a needed growth area you will find much practical help. “We need evaluation to know where we stand, to set expectations, to feel reassured or secure. We need coaching to accelerate learning, to focus our time and energy where it really matters, and to keep relationships healthy and functioning. And we need appreciation if all the sweat and tears we put into our jobs and our relationships are going to feel worthwhile.” (p. 35) Feedback is an essential tool when leading with a developmental bias.

Periodic assessments or performance reviews are also an ideal time to help a leader develop. It is a great gift when a person has someone who will speak truth in love.

Some interaction on past performance is needed for concrete discussions but the purpose of reviews should be more forward looking than backward. Development is for increased contribution to an existing role as well as for a potential future role. There is never an end to life-long learning.

Jesus provided feedback and assessment for His disciples. What would you say were the top three areas He sought to develop within them so they could succeed after He was gone? Any study of the Gospels will uncover three core arenas of learning: Belief, Advance of the Gospel, and Glory of God. What we read in Acts and the Epistles tells us that the disciples developed well through the feedback and assessment they received.

Application: Who can you invite to give you feedback?

 

 

Developmental Dialogue

Building upon the helpful model of experiential learning in the last blog is the leadership skill of facilitating a developmental dialogue. Such a dialogue is vital to nurturing learning in others and leading with a developmental bias.

Although it is difficult to find these principles applied between Jesus and the disciples, they can be seen in the early church. In Acts 6 with the appointment of deacons and in Acts 15 when the Jerusalem Council mandated a few essential practices for new converts, there was a developmental dialogue so agreed upon practices could be performed.

Every person accepting a role or task would benefit by knowing the answers to these questions from her/his supervisor:

1. What am I tasked to do? (responsibility)
2. What does it look like when the task is done well? (expectations)
3. How can I get help when needed? (support)
4. How will I know if I am on track? (feedback)

Once there is agreement concerning the responsibility (hopefully with outcomes as clear as possible) along with access to the support and resources available, there can be ongoing dialogue to ensure both success for the project and satisfaction for the leader. A wise leader and worker will embrace, yes, even demand such a dialogue.

In modern terms and processes, consider the benefits of these conversations:

1. Discuss the job description and primary outcomes for which you agree to be held accountable. Seek to differentiate the major responsibilities (big rocks) from those that might be easy and helpful but are not determinative for success. Seek to understand the scope of responsibility (including what not to focus upon) and the authority given to hopefully accomplish the task.  Many a leader has regretfully learned after accepting a responsibility that there was little or no accompanying authority and frustration resulted.

2. Negotiate what success would look like in a way that requires faith but is not presumptuous. Tasks that require faith both please God and stretch the leader. Faith can be seen as something that is out of reach but not out of sight—you know you cannot accomplish the task without God’s active involvement but you are not presuming upon God to engage in a way that is not promised.  Either the leader or the supervisor can lack faith and both need to agree to something more honoring to God.  As much as is possible, picture and articulate what the final and intermediate outcomes look like.  Once agreed upon, milestones can be a powerful guide to monitor progress.

3. Honestly share where you are competent and where you would benefit from development. No one is omni-competent. There is no shame in admitting from self-awareness where you have developed strengths for your task and where you lack the skill and confidence to effectively serve.  Then prioritize developmental opportunities to grow.  Positioning yourself for success honors God and brings enriching satisfaction.

It is easy to assume the good intentions of a supervisor and easier yet to avoid awkward questions. However, the best time to establish a commitment to mutual understanding is when beginning a new role or assuming new responsibility.  Initiate developmental dialogues with those whom you serve and with those to whom you report.

Next blog: Feedback & Assessment

The Learning Cycle

David A. Kolb (born 1939) is an American educational theorist whose interests and publications focus on experiential learning.  In his book published in 1984 entitled, Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development, he put forth his theory that has proven to be an effectual model for transformative learning.  We are indebted for his clarification of the key aspects of learning and summarization into a memorable way.

Perhaps you have heard or stated the phrase, “Experience is the best teacher.” Experience is one of the most powerful ways to learn.  When you fully participate in an experience you must use your mind, your eyes, nose, ears and often your fingers and mouth.  Your senses are fully engaged to reinforce lessons being observed.  Consider Kolb’s four-part model:

1. Experience: Learning results from a process of observation through some concrete experience. Many people never take the time to maximize an experience so that deeper learning can occur. For those who harvest the fruit of experience, they develop habits of observation.

2. Reflection: Observations can become transformational when they are assimilated and distilled into core concepts from which new insights and implications can be drawn. The implications must be tested for validity. Depending on one’s learning style this part of the process will involve study, dialogue, or further experimentation.  Reflection can be done in some refreshing personal way or in community.  However, it is essential to prioritize space for reflection.

3. Conclusion: Potential implications from reflection on experience must be processed through thinking and feeling. Although we all make quick decisions about experiences for good or bad, memorable or forgettable, few are given critical evaluation. After weighing the probable correctness of learning, one can experiment further.

4. Application: The learning cycle concludes one revolution when conclusions are put into action. This is an intentional process of testing to see if the experience, reflection, and conclusion resulted in a worthy new integration for living. Again, some people do this more intuitively, but for leaders committed to helping others maximize their learning this becomes a natural and reoccurring cycle.

NOTE: A sad reality more often than not is that people draw conclusions after experiences without taking the time for reflection. The result of short-circuiting this process is shallow or inaccurate conclusions.  Reflection is an essential skill every effective leader must exhibit.

How did Jesus facilitate such learning with the disciples? One incident of many is seen in Mark chapter 8 after the feeding of the 4,000.  Remember, there was a prior feeding of some 5,000 (Mark 6) so sufficient time for learning from multiple experiences had occurred.  While in the boat traveling to the other side of the lake, Jesus facilitates reflection by cautioning against the “leaven” of the Pharisees (verse 15).  The disciples apparently had not accurately reflected upon their experiences so they made false assumptions about what Jesus was asking.  Jesus then provides a laser-focused explanation, challenging their lack of observation and reflection, which inhibited sound conclusions (verses 17-21).  The goal was for increased understanding and ongoing application but it could not happen without going through the learning cycle.

How well do you steward your life experiences? What habits have you developed to prioritize reflection for deeper learning?  How well do you encourage and nurture reflection for those you lead?  A disciple is a learner and a good learner or developer of learners will engage in such experiential learning.

Next blog: Developmental Dialogue

Leading with a Developmental Bias

In the last two blog postings, the topic of leading with a developmental bias was introduced through articles by Dr. Keith Webb. In particular, the focus was on developing younger leaders.  It is not hard to make a case for giving priority to younger leaders since they will or should be taking over all kinds of leadership roles in the near future.  However, just as every leader should maintain a life-long learning posture, all great organizations should help facilitate learning for leaders at every stage of life.

There are two important concepts to grasp when we lead with a developmental bias: the first has to do with our mindset.  When you as a leader meet with someone, for whatever reason, what is foremost in your thinking?  Hopefully it is not largely to share what you are thinking about or just to pass on information, as helpful as these contributions can be at times.  The way you approach an interpersonal encounter will tell whether you think developmentally or not.  Every encounter can become a learning experience for both parties.  What makes the difference is the mindset in which you engage others.

A developmental mindset will listen well, ask questions, ask for clarification, and restate what has been heard to ensure understanding of where the person is coming from. A developer helps people think about how they can make progress from where they are currently at to where they need to be.  Discernment is needed to focus the conversation where it becomes beneficial to the person.  There is great satisfaction to leave an encounter, even one of only a few minutes, with the other person feeling or saying that he or she has been heard and that you have been of significant help.

Along with having a developmental mindset, a leader with a developmental bias needs to demonstrate intentionality.  Every encounter can be developmental to some degree.  What is required is the ability to turn an opportunity from some normal experience into a developmental one.  If you naturally ask yourself, “What can I learn from this person or conversation?” you will be thinking developmentally.  Such intentionality to learn will always flow over into facilitating learning for the other person as well.  But, the leader needs to develop the conviction and habit of thinking developmentally as a default posture.  The development of others is the priority.

There are so many times in the Gospels when we can see Jesus taking an everyday life experience and turning it into a developmental one for the disciples. Consider the simple incident when the tax collector asked Peter if Jesus paid taxes (Matthew 17:24-27).  Peter answered affirmatively without consulting with Jesus.  Jesus knowing (omnisciently?) of the conversation makes it into a developmental opportunity for Peter.  He addresses Peter by way of a question and then an explanation to help Peter learn about who He is (Son and not a stranger); and what He can do (miracle of the coin in the fishes mouth).  Jesus had a primary concern to help His disciples develop in their thinking about His person and work so that they could lead a movement that would change the world.  Development was Jesus’ mindset and intention.

Think back over some of your more recent encounters with those you lead. How much did you exercise a developmental mindset?  How intentional were you about helping the other person learn?  This is a BIG deal if a leader is to live and lead like Jesus.

Next blog: The Learning Cycle

How to Develop Young Leaders by Keith Webb (Part 2)

In part one, Webb (see http://www.creativeresultsmanagement.com/) introduced essential factors for developing young leaders, building off of the “little-much” principle of Jesus:

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Luke 16:10

How to Use the Little-Much Principle

The beauty of the Little-Much Principle is that you can use it in any situation. There are four big points to developing leaders this way:

1. Give small tasks.  Allow for mistakes of little consequence. Just as small wins build on each other, so will small tasks.

2. Watch for internal challenges.  The task is often just the vehicle to internal learning. It’s like the bun on a hamburger; it’s there to hold all the goodies inside. Ask the young leader to reflect on his or her experience. How were they challenged – not with the task – but challenged internally?

• What influence / authority / integrity / relational challenges did you face?
• What frustrations did you experience?
• How did you respond? What was the process for you? How do you evaluate your response?

3. Provide diverse opportunities.  For young leaders the key to success is to say “yes” to diverse opportunities, roles, and tasks.   Focus comes later. Diverse tasks will provide more internal challenges than sticking with the comfortable.

4. Give more.  If the young leader completes the task and “passes” the internal challenge, provide another task with increased responsibility and challenge. If the young leader doesn’t, then give another task at the same level. Perhaps this leader needs some extra coaching as well.

One of the hardest things about the Little-Much Principle is that the mature leader is often just as impatient as the young leader. We want results. Organizational results that translate to sales, market share, and bonuses. We have as much trouble focusing on the internal development of a young leader as they do. By focusing on the internal development of a leader using the Little-Much Principle, we can help young leaders to shape character values in order to develop their strengths, character, skills, and identify their calling.

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So, what has been your experience in working with young leaders? What stands out to you as most prominent for ensuring healthy development when a person is in their 20’s and 30’s in order for them to thrive and sustain their leadership contribution? How would you have desired to be developed when you were young?

Next blog: The Learning Cycle

How to Develop Young Leaders by Keith Webb (Part 1)

Master coach, Keith Webb (see http://www.creativeresultsmanagement.com/), recently wrote this helpful article that will introduce the next series of blogs on the topic of Leading with a Developmental Bias.

Young leaders are often anxious to get into action. They feel prepared and ready to make a difference. Yet, the workplace is littered with the wreckage caused by those with authority but not wisdom to lead.  Leader development is about going in before going out. The Little-Much Principle will help you develop young (and old) leaders.

Young leaders want to concentrate their efforts on developing skills and accomplishing something of significance.

I knew a 24 year-old who was frustrated with his job because his company wouldn’t put him in a role where he could focus on his strengths and passions. He felt he was more capable than his manager. And he thought he should be in charge of not only the team, but the larger work group. He had been with the company only 3 months!

This isn’t a story about one millennial’s sense of entitlement. It happened 30 years ago. This story is repeated every generation because of a common misunderstanding of how leaders develop.

Leader development researcher, J. Robert Clinton, found that young leaders need to have broad experience; do many different types of tasks; and work on inner character values in order to develop their strengths, character, skills, and identify their calling.

Missing early development in a leader’s life, Clinton found, often leads to stalled development, crisis, or unfulfilled potential as a leader.

Jesus’ Little-Much Principle

Clinton points to Jesus, arguably one of the best at developing leaders. Jesus began with a group of hot-headed fishermen, a socially-scorned tax collector, and a few other people from the margins of society. After just three years of working with them, these leaders went on to change the world.

Fortunately, Jesus left us His principle of leader development. Here it is:

 Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Luke 16:10

Young leaders feel ready for big, fast, and significant.  Jesus took a different approach. Jesus viewed leader development as more about who the leader is rather than what he or she can do.

Jesus focused on the internal development of the leader – going in before going out. Because who you are is how you will lead.

What internal development is needed? Young leaders must develop:

• Their influence
• Submission to authority
• Personal integrity
• Relational abilities
• Conflict management
• Character

The early, small lessons learned in these areas will form the foundation on which a leader stands. Later, when the stakes are high and the pressure is great, the leader who was faithful with little will most likely succeed with much.

Next blog: How to Develop Young Leaders, Part 2

Jesus, the Caring Leader, Summary

The Navigator’s Core Leadership Model affirms that a caring leader will know, provide for, and protect those being led. What if a leader is not naturally a care giving person by gifting or heart inclination?  A leader not gifted in caring can actually do more harm than good if forced to do so.  How must such a leader care?

Every Christ-like leader will ENSURE that those being led have the leadership needed to thrive regardless of the leader’s competence. Within the body of Christ and eventually on every team, there will be people with the strengths and spiritual gifts to provide what others need.  So, a given leader may not be the best person to do the caring but will make sure that it happens.

An interesting development has taken place in recent years, at least in certain evangelical circles, where there does not appear to be an urgent concern for the eternal destiny of people. Those who do not claim to be followers of Jesus appear to be living an OK life.  Unless tragedy strikes, Jesus followers can be led to think that the smiles and relatively high standard of living of non-believers indicates that life is fine.  Fervor for evangelism has seemed to wane.  However, what could be a more important act of concern than for the eternal welfare of people?

The second to last discourse of Jesus was to His disciple, Peter, in John 21:15-19 when he told him to feed and tend to His followers. Ensuring that the foundation laid for this new faith community would continue was a priority for Jesus.  The “good seed” that had taken root needed to be nurtured.  Caring for people is of vital importance.  The last discourse of Jesus (Acts 1:6-11) addressed the other aspect of ultimate care for people by communicating the Gospel message.  Surely Jesus modeled a core leadership value of caring.

The Apostle Paul understood this care value and wrote so clearly to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:28-31 “to keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers and to be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” Intentional caring as a leader is not an option.

Both Jesus and Paul recognized a dual role of caring, for individuals and community. We may start with a genuine concern for individuals, but leaders also need to learn how to care for the community or flock.  Leadership is more than thinking about a person—there is the concern for corporate good as well.  If you can’t think beyond the individual you may put the flock at risk. Deciding what’s good for the whole can feel like betrayal if you most naturally care for individuals.  Sometimes the good of the many outweighs the good for the one.

In summary, a caring leader will seek to know those being led by invested focused time together.  This caring leader will seek to provide for those being led by ensuring health spiritually, physically, emotionally, relationally, and in all other ways.  Also, care is shown by protection from the Enemy, from hostile people, and from oneself.  Leaders cannot provide all the care needed personally or through delegation, and that is why perhaps the most caring function a leader like Jesus can do is to pray.  We need look no further than Jesus’ prayer in John 17 to see the way He cared through praying.  May we be known most of all for our regular, disciplined, and informed prayer life for those we have the privilege to serve as a leader.

Jesus Cared by Protecting People

Along with knowing and providing for their flocks, Jesus and shepherd leaders protect. Safety is one of our most basic human needs (as Abraham Maslow’s pioneering theory proposed in 1943: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs) and much energy and attention is focused on deficiency needs.  In many parts of the world, good leaders must help provide protection from external forces such as hostile enemies, harsh natural elements, and debilitating disease.  Until safety is secured, people are unable to thrive.

There are other forms of protection good leaders ensure. Most people need protection from subtle (or not so subtle) internal forces such as greed, jealousy, and lack of forgiveness.  Children and adults alike can be oblivious to the harm crouching nearby seeking to devour.  Wise leaders bring experience and understanding to people and situations to avert unintended consequences.

Discerning when and where and how to protect is an ever-present challenge for caring leaders. From within the Gospels we see Jesus protecting the disciples from Satan, from people, and from self.

Jesus was well aware of Satan’s attacks having experienced them in the wilderness before launching His public ministry (Mark 1:13); dealing with him during His ministry years (Mark 8:33); and allowing him to accomplish God’s purposes near the end of His earthly ministry (John 13:27). He taught about the work of Satan in stealing the seeds of truth (Mark 4:15) and protected Peter when Satan demanded to harm him (Luke 22:31).  Should those of us seeking to live and lead like Jesus expect any less need to protect from Satan?

People who do not mind the things of God will harm overtly or covertly. Jesus taught the disciples to beware of false prophets, Pharisees, and Sadducees along with their teaching (Matthew 7:15, 16:6,12).  He warned them against the “wolves” (Matthew 7:15, 10:16) and strong men (Luke 11:22) who would do them harm.  There will be people who actually think that they are serving God’s cause by their groundless actions, as could have been the case with Judas (John 16:2).  Then there are those who are motivated selfishly to hurt others.  Leaders need to be wise and discerning to protect people from evil inside and outside the body of Christ.

Perhaps the hardest form of protecting is when trying to help another see what they are doing to themselves. John and James, motivated by their mother, asked for benefits for which they were clueless about the implications (Mark 10:35-40).  Several times Jesus chided the disciples for aspirations of greatness.  He told them specifically to beware of greed (Luke 12:15).  Motives cannot be managed; they can only be crucified daily.  Good leaders model self-protection and through accountability help others with protection from themselves.

The caring leader is a protector of those he or she serves. An environment must be created where safety exists so honest and transparent communication is normative.  The Armor of God must be valued and worn at all times to protect from spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:10-18).  Boundaries (such as Cloud and Townsend have written about for all of life relationships) must be created to protect people from others who would cause hurt.  Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit must be cultivated in order to not grieve or quench His guiding in the way of truth and health.

How have you sought to protect those you lead? What could be lurking with the potential to bring small or great harm that you should enquire about?  Although we will not likely lay down our life for another’s protection, we can and must protect if we lead like Jesus.

Next blog: Jesus the Caring Leader Summary

 

 

 

Jesus Cared by Providing for People

The second of three major ways that Jesus cared for people is by providing. Provision comes in many ways, none more important than helping someone with spiritual health.

In a doctoral study conducted by Laura Mae Gardner of Wycliffe, she researched why missionaries (in Wycliffe and other agencies) left their field assignment prematurely. Along with the many known challenges missionaries face, such as language, culture, health, interpersonal relationships, etc., the one that seemed most indicative of early departures was one’s inability to maintain a healthy relationship with God.  Sustainability is integrally linked to one’s ability to maintain a healthy spiritual diet (Matthew 4:4).

Jesus modeled provision for spiritual nourishment in how He Himself disengaged to spend time with the Father (Mark 1:35), and after the disciples returned from ministry, He drew them away for refreshment (Mark 6:30-32). He taught about provision for spiritual nourishment when answering the scribe concerning the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:36-38) by prioritizing the cultivation of love with all one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength.  With Mary and Martha, He made it clear that spiritual nourishment supersedes physical food (Luke 10:38-42).  Jesus obviously provided drink, healing, food, encouragement, and more, but definitely provided for spiritual health.

There is an amazing story about a clothing manufacturer north of Boston named Malden Mills. On December 11, 1995 three of the buildings burned in a fire necessitating the layoff of 3000 employees.  The amazing part of the story is that the owner, Aaron Feuerstein, chose to rebuild and continue paying salaries during the reconstruction instead of taking the insurance money and closing down.  When asked why, Feuerstein said, “It was the right thing to do.”  He was a caring leader and could not but provide for the physical needs of those who he employed.  This link tells the story in a six minute video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry7_FcSiQL8

Godly leaders will ensure that those they serve are cared for both spiritually and physically. When people are healthy spiritually and have their basic needs met for living, then there are a few other ways leaders can extend care.

• Recognition and reward: everyone wants to know when a good job has been done and have some tangible expression to affirm their value.
• Enabling people to become and do their best: everyone, especially the emerging generation, wants to grow into who God designed them to be so they can use their gifts, talents, education, and experience fully in accomplishing worthy outcomes.
• Benefits that do not distract so that people will not be tempted to look elsewhere: research shows (see Pink, Daniel. 2009. Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us) that when people are valued and compensated at an appropriate level, they are free to make their best contribution.

In non-profit organizations the financial provision options may be limited. Sometimes, however, confusion results when senior leaders who have access to organizational budgets exercise spending freedoms that people closer to the ground with access only to what they raise from supporters cannot do.  This perception of inequity can potentially appear disingenuous of the caring leader.  Navigating this issue is not easy but essential.

Next blog: Jesus Cared by Protecting People