Josh Craft showed me this chart of the steps people go through with innovation and I have to admit, it's spot on. I've seen this exact sequence play out so many times it's not funny, but it's worth repeating. The next time you want to make real change happen in your organization, get ready to experience this sequence: ... read more

Right now we're in the middle of the greatest crisis of our lifetime. Media companies are shutting down almost daily, and people who were industry leaders a year ago are now looking through the classifieds. Churches, ministris, and non-profits are no different. If you're in that boat, and while it may look like there's no hope, let me remind you of something really important. Do you know what the following companies have in common: ... read more

"How can you be a Christian in Hollywood?" The question still gets asked by well meaning believers, and I'm often stopped at conferences and workshops and asked to share the experience of how I ended up in the entertainment industry. I was raised a "preacher's kid," so early on in my life, I understood the power of great preaching, and the importance of communicating effectively - although I never had the slightest desire to be a preacher myself. But it wasn't long before I discovered the ... read more

There's a disturbing trend I'm seeing among leaders in both the religious and secular worlds regarding expertise. I'm talking about people who are highly successful in one area, then seem to assume they're experts in other areas as well. Of course, sometimes it's true. I love the concept of "Renaissance people" who have multiple talents. But for most, expertise in one arena doesn't assure expertise in others. For example, because a pastor achieves numerical success in building a large church, doesn't automatically make him an expert in leadership. Some are, but most aren't. Some of these misled guys are out there writing leadership blogs that are largely hooey. In other cases, ... read more

Nathanael Fast and Serena Chen at UC Berkeley just released a study reported in New Scientist that your bullying boss really is an idiot. (As if we needed proof). As they report, "Power holders feel they need to be superior and competent. When they don't feel they can show that legitimately, they'll show it by taking people down a notch or two." With 54 million Americans experiencing workplace bullying, at least we have actual proof that it's a problem. It's insecurity my friends. Someone who's ... read more

So I'm talking with my friend and filmmaker Brad Knull, who's been working on a documentary project in a third world country dealing with a person that grew up with no written language in an obscure part of the world. Upon finding out Brad and his team were all Christians her first question about the project was, "Is this film going to be Christian or is it going to be good?" So somehow halfway around the planet, a person considered "backward" in a culture that is third world by most western definitions knew that "Christian" was code for "crap" when it came to creating a film. As Christians our ... read more

Whenever I mention a highly public religious leader on my blog, I always get a barrage of responses from people who either support or criticize that person. The supporters accuse me of speaking out of turn, warn me against judging, and disapprove that I didn't go to the ministry leader privately first. The other side cites accountability issues, ministry abuse, and financial indiscretion as evidence that some leaders should be looked at more carefully and publicly. Either way - it brings up a really good question: ... read more