Leadership

Most entrepreneurs I know are dreamers. They have big visions of what could be, and they aren’t held back by current realities. They may be brushed off as idealists or even a little crazy at times, but nothing world-changing ever happened because of people who think small. Part of being successful as an entrepreneur, though,…

We all have passions. We have causes we believe in, hobbies we enjoy, and dreams we hope to accomplish. And you know what? All of those things have been placed in your heart by God as a part of the fabric of who you are. They are one of the many things that make you…

I think sometimes people confuse the work of helping others and volunteering with an attitude of solemnity. As if volunteering and serving the homeless and hurting is Very Serious Business and must be treated as such. While helping people in need can certainly be hard work, it’s also great fun.  In a recent episode of…

The nonprofit world is different from the for-profit world in many ways, but one major difference is the idea of “competition,” especially in regards to our specific area of service. It’s easy for people to classify nonprofits with similar missions in the same category and assume they see one another as competitors, but that’s not…

Country singers know a thing or two about the simple life: porch swings, making supper with grandma, hanging out under the stars with friends and family. This kind imagery has been woven throughout country music for decades. And as the world moves faster every day, people resonate even more with a longing for that kind…

In our country, hustle is king. Since its beginnings, the U.S. has been a place where people are praised for working harder, longer, and faster to accomplish our goals and achieve the “American Dream.” It’s in our DNA. It’s no wonder we’ve ended up a society that prides itself on busyness. The person who stays…

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another”. That’s Proverbs 27:17, and it’s every bit as true for organizations as it is for people. Every person, company or nonprofit is limited by their own experiences. By leaning on and learning from others, we become stronger, smarter, and make a bigger impact in the world…

If you work in the nonprofit community, you probably hear a lot about programs — whether or not this program is working, a new program at another organization having success, the expansion or shutting down of a program. Programs are crucial to how we serve people; they provide structure. They save lives and keep people…

Every emotion has value. We use hundreds of words to describe our feelings, but at their core, they can usually be boiled down to just a handful of emotions, each with their own positive and negatives. In his book “The Voice of the Heart,” professional counselor Chip Dodd, Ph.D., outlines a list of primary emotions…

Loving people isn’t easy. Loving people who are different from you is even harder. During His time on earth, Jesus said aside from loving God, loving our neighbor is the greatest commandment. Paul said that we can preach with beautiful words all day long, but without love, we are like clanging cymbals (1 Corinthians 13:1).…