Pulling a good network together takes effort, sincerity, and time. – Alan Collins Over the past few months, I proposed that each Christian school leader must answer the following questions about their institution in order to navigate a way through the current turbulence in education policy: Why does your school exist? (Part I) What makes your school distinct? (Part II) How … Read More
Do You Inspire Your Timothy?
On a warm, autumnal afternoon shortly after the start of the school year, a group of ten students came to me and asked, “Dr. Chen, can we scale up the impact of our work?” They were referring to the work they had done through the Trinity Institute for Leadership and Social Justice at our school. This enthusiastic group of juniors … Read More
Being Biblical in our View of Leadership
Anyone that is familiar with marketing messages of Christian schools can attest to the fact that leadership is high on the list of promised deliverables. In fact, developing leaders, probably more than any other objective, is nearly universally promised. While there are some good opportunities to talk about the challenges associated with what are, at times, wildly optimistic promises, I … Read More
Do You Believe in Your Timothy?
“So, you think you can TED?,” asked Toni. He was not asking if I would have something worthwhile to say on the TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) stage. He was asking for my feedback on his novel concept: a TED style meeting of “So You Think You Can Dance?” To be honest, I had my doubts. Did he have clarity … Read More
Effective Christian Leadership: Before You Can Do It, You Have to Know It
Before you can teach and lead others, you have to live it. But in order to live it, you first have to know it. I experienced this (or better put, failed at this) in my first experience as the senior leader in an organization. To be honest, as I walked in the door I was questioning my own preparedness, unsure … Read More
Navigating the Ed Policy Storms: Measure Success
It is not enough to do your best; you must know what to do, then do your best. – W. Edward Deming A few months ago, I proposed that each Christian school and Christian school leader must answer the following questions about their institution in order to navigate a way through these turbulent times in education policy: Why does your school … Read More
Effective Christian Leadership: God Has A Plan
The work of leadership is hard, and it is not for the faint-hearted. There are decisions to be made, problems to be addressed, challenges to be solved, tensions to be managed, conflicts to be resolved, tasks to be managed, and numerous other responsibilities that ultimately have an impact on many people. And add to that the work of leading and … Read More
The Disintegration of Faith and Learning, Part 1
In 1996, I was a young pastor tasked with the mission of adult ministry and discipleship at a medium sized church in the western suburbs of Chicago. As a graduate of a premier bible school and a product of growing up in the church since my infancy, it was shocking to me to recognize the truth that I was ill … Read More
Who Are We Trying To Reach?
I recently worked with a school that was in the process of uncovering key factors in school choice for their current school families. At the same time, they were exploring key drivers that target families when making decisions about school. My research, in addition to normative research from around the country, indicates that most Christian school parents use academic quality … Read More
Leadership and Innovation, Part 4
Innovation involves bold action and courage. As Christian school leaders, we must be prepared to act boldly and courageously to lead our organizations and the larger Christian school movement to a preferred future. In part one, we discussed how leaders communicate the vision for the future, establishing that leaders need to humbly communicate the vision and that leaders must recognize … Read More