Non-Profit Leadership in a For-Profit World, (Ed.) Gyertson & Krivickas.
The history of charities in Australia reveals that most were started by committed Christians, or church organisations, seeking to show God’s love and meet a need.
The not-for-profit sector has grown to become a significant player in Australia with an estimated 5% of value to the GDP and almost 7% of employment. They cover a wide range of services from schools to hospitals to churches to aged care services to social enterprises to aid organisations to the myriad of associations representing people in need.
As these organisations formalise and become more professional, there is a need for visionary leadership that continues to recognise the Christian vision that motivated their formation.
Not-for-Profit Leadership in a For-Profit World is a collection of narratives by leaders of major Christian not-for-profit organisations in the US, talking about how they lead with a mission.
The titles of the chapters sum up the different dimensions examined, including mentoring, strengthening the inner core, nurturing the organisation’s culture, winning the battle for your organisation’s soul, finding the big idea, leading by following, finishing well.
The organisations represented include World Vision, Prison Fellowship, Campus Crusade, Youth for Christ, The Salvation Army and The Navigators.
My favourite chapters included “What’s the Big Idea” by David Azusa who started and led some of America’s most well-known Christian-based liberal arts universities. He describes ‘the big idea’ as something you are willing to give your life to, something that becomes a “magnificent obsession”.
He became inspired to lead an educational institution where all of life could be studied from the perspective of Jesus Christ. Thus was born Spring Arbor College, a liberal arts college with Christian perspectives on creative arts, human development, the physical world and human society.
At his next posting, Seattle Pacific University, his big idea was “a vision of wholeness” to be applied to process and systems and policy, as well as influencing the content of what was taught. His next big idea was “engaging with culture, changing the world”. Finding the words and concepts that can move and motivate people, and transform organisations, is a wonderful task for a leader to embrace.
I also enjoyed the chapter on the “Three Cs of Leadership” by John Reynolds, who heads up Azusa Pacific University. The first ‘C’ is a calling from God; the second ‘C’ is character, something that the spirit grows within your self as a response to your calling, and the third ‘C’ is consequences, which is the outflow of your calling and character as they mature, and in relationship with your followers.
The character aspects he encourages focus on are: being passionate, principled, people minded, perceptive, prepared, political and professional. Under consequences, his advice is to model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart. This was a chapter full of wisdom from an experienced leader.
The last chapter I would like to highlight is “Finishing Well” by David Gyertson, one of the editors of the book, who is a Fellow with the Engstrom Institute, the resource centre for Christian Leadership Alliance; who deals with the need to keep reviewing one’s calling. Under the heading “A World-Changer’s Profile” he lists five affirmations: taking a biblical perspective and entering into dialogue with the world; consciously integrating faith, learning and living; addressing and resolving human meaninglessness and suffering; acting justly and loving mercy and walking humbly in your own life; thinking clearly and loving deeply.
He also gives some advice about how to examine whether you have a calling to lead:
- Know and develop the unique set of gifts and skills and experiences God has given you, as well as acknowledging your weaknesses
- Surrender the hurts and disappointments of not being fully utilised or recognised
- Soak up the character of Jesus
- Be prepared to spend time in the ‘waiting room’: “the stops as well as the steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord”.
In contrast to the arrogant self-obsessed confidence of many popular leadership books, this list is a realistic blend of passion, purpose and perseverance that resonates with Christly leadership virtue.
This is a useful book, although limited for Australian application a little by its US context. It would be good to see a similar examination of the wisdom of Christian leaders of Australian charities and not-for-profit organisations.
