and Other Ways to Look Like You are Building God’s Kingdom When You are Really Building Your Own! When I was studying at Fuller Theological Seminary, the library had a disturbing conundrum. Periodically, a student would pull a book off the shelf, only to find that it was the hardback cover with no pages. […]
The story of Dave from Bible International University[1]is increasingly common in higher education, including Christian higher education. After operating his own consulting firm for 19 years, working as a vice-president for a greeting card company for nine years, then filling the same position with a book publisher, the board of BIU* asked Dave* to serve […]
Coronavirus has essentially cancelled the Spring term as envisioned; i.e., on-campus classes were cancelled, and most moved online. There are serious implications for Fall enrollments and finances, and many are wondering if there will be a Fall term at all as talks of cancelling it arise. There will be winners and losers. Many will use […]
I have spent more than 38 years of my professional life in Christian higher education, the first 33 years of that time in administration, before moving into my current consultative role in semi-retirement. Looking back on my varied professional experiences, I again consider the question that faced me when handling all the responsibilities of a […]
The life of a vice provost who also teaches half-time at a small Christian college is busy. There are emails to review, telephone calls to answer, strategies to plan, meetings to lead, administrators to appease, faculty to encourage, students to help, parents to placate, lectures to prepare, classes to teach, tests to give, chapels to […]
Dr. Drumm McNaughton is the CEO of The Change Leader, a consultancy that helps Christian colleges educate students for a life of faith and service through holistic approaches to improving planning and change management, governance, academic and business operations, assessment and IR, leadership and culture, accreditation, and diversifying revenue streams. In this interview, he elaborates […]
The prestige of being a top higher education leader is highly alluring. The perks of the office, the collaborative leadership style, and the constant focus on maintaining positive public relations on behalf of the institution and the leadership can create a bubble of false security and pride. However, that bubble can quickly burst when fiduciary […]
Terminating for Moral Failure: How to personally thrive when terminating senior staff The third-hand rumor of sexual misconduct came to my office. Without corroboration, I could do nothing. I would not, and could not, ask a valued senior staff member about a sexual rumor. Without substantiation, I could not cause his spirit harm with such […]
A colleague asked: “Is it more important for people to believe in the cause or the individual?” My response: “Every cause needs a voice; every organization needs a face.” We all know dynamic, inspirational figures that lead organizations we support or serve in. We follow pastors, executive directors, presidents, and other leaders who speak […]
Several years ago, I was invited to join the board of directors of our regional food bank. At the first board meeting I attended, I didn’t have a clear understanding of the cause or my role. I didn’t fully understand the focus or the mission of the organization. I did not understand that my role […]
