“Effective leaders use that influence to rally people around a common mission, vision, and strategy. They take people on a journey.” Carey Nieuwhof shares five things that make you feel like you’re leading when you aren’t. “I believe that in our current social climate, the most powerful apologetic for our Christian faith may be the…
Language
Language, Literature, and Culture Formation
In his acclaimed work Built to Last, Jim Collins described the culture of “visionary companies.” Collins observed four common characteristics, admittedly cult-like, in the cultures: Fervently held ideology: All team members are expected to believe strongly in the company ideology. Indoctrination: The people are continually taught the essential beliefs and values of the company. Tightness…
Links for Leaders 9/4/15
If you’re in leadership, your faith needs to be undergirding everything you do, which means you need to be a regular prayer. Great post on the importance of prayer in leadership by Carolyn Taketa. “The most effective leaders are authoritative, not authoritarian.” Helpful wisdom from Dan Rockwell on how you can lead with authority without…
3 Steps in a Language Audit
When we lived in Miami, several times my wife, Kaye, was asked in Spanish, “Como se llama?” which means, “What is your name?” Since she knows a little Spanish, she responded appropriately, “Kaye.” If you know Spanish at all, you know that “Kaye” sounds like “Que,” and that “Que” means “What?” So the person would…
The Myth of Insider Language
The biggest myth of insider language is that there is really no such thing as insider language. “Insider language” will inevitably become outside language that everyone hears—meaning, it does not stay insider language. If it did, the term never would have been coined because no one on the outside would have heard the language that…
Leadership and Language
Wise leaders understand the importance of words. They grasp the importance of language in describing the culture of the organization and the direction she is headed. But the role of a leader in relationship to language does not end when the doctrinal statement is finalized. It does not end when the mission and values are…