Growth or control? Can you have both?

  Growth? Or Control? As a coach of missional leaders, one of the competencies I lean on all the time is what I call “organizational sustainability.” That’s the ability to help leaders develop and adapt sustainable systems as their missional ministry grows....

Confusion as a tool of control

  From time to time, I’ve worked with people who are confused about their role or their responsibilities– about what is expected of them. Sometimes I find I haven’t communicated clearly. I slow down, then they lock in and are with me. Other...

A weak man

We recently had a breakthrough in the anger management class I teach. A rough guy in the back row spoke up and said, “Yeah, when someone disrespects you, you gotta defend yourself and defend your honor. You can’t help it.”  He sounded confident and tough, even proud,...

Trust the bike

Novice mountain bikers grab the handle bars tightly. They believe it will give them more control over the bike. What it actually gives them is a rough ride—there’s no room for the bounce. A looser grip on the handle bars allows room for the bike to bounce without...