“Everything rises and falls on leadership.” This is the common refrain of John C. Maxwell, the widely-read leadership expert and former pastor. This comes through in his books and having met him a few times I can confirm it comes through even more forcefully in person.
Maxwell’s admonition can be applied to Christian non-profits and educational institutions. One key aspect of leadership is the ability to cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit. In other words, does the leader pursue innovation and creativity and look at new and different ways to have an impact. This is the entrepreneurial imperative.
Why does it matter? Having worked with a number of leading non-profits and Christian educational institutions, the message is clear: a creative and nimble institutional culture will attract support. Most institutions need an entrepreneurial culture more than they need money—if they have the former, the latter will come.
The creation of that innovative culture starts at the top. But leadership requires talent. I have had the pleasure of working with Heather Monroe-Blum, Principal, McGill University on their highly-successful recent $1 billion capital campaign. McGill has been ranked the #1 university in Canada for the last nine years. Monroe-Blum says McGill’s stature is due to “talent”—the most talented professors and the most talented students. I would add, also, the most talented leaders.
Do Christian non-profits and educational institutions have similar levels of talent? Often characterized by below-market pay and non-innovative environments, the pool of willing talent is regrettably thin. The talent that exists in the Christian community—but it largely resides and remains in the private sector. I see ample evidence of the existence of considerable leadership talent through the numerous clients I work with through Covenant Family Wealth Advisors.
Despite the challenges of attracting talented leaders to the Christian NPO sector, there are some excellent examples of stellar leaders. I’ll highlight two.
One example is Geoff Tunnicliffe, CEO / Secretary General, of World Evangelical Alliance (www.worldevangelicals.org), which is the voice of 600 million Christians worldwide. Geoff spends much of his time in an airplane, connecting with church, business and academic leaders worldwide. He is a turbo-charged connecter. He has an entrepreneurial and creative spirit. He knows how to get things done.
He is positioning WEA as an effective global force to speak on behalf of evangelical Christians in the corridors of power. A good example is the relationship he has developed with Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, the co-creators and co-producers of The Bible mini-series that aired last year on The History Channel. Mark Burnett is the #1 TV producer in Hollywood with a string of hit shows such as Survivor, The Voice, Shark Tank and Celebrity Apprentice. The Entrepreneurial Leaders Organization in November 2013 in Vancouver featured Mark Burnett as the key note speaker.
Another example is Brian Stiller, former President of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, and presently Global Ambassador with WEA. Brian is a great leader with passion and determination. As former President of Tyndale University College & Seminary in Toronto (www.tyndale.ca), over a 15-year period he took it from bankruptcy through a successful capital campaign, raising tens of millions, and repositioning it for future growth. (Tyndale is now being capably led by President Gary Nelson.) Brian has been described as a force of nature, a man with drive and focus. His leadership skills are legendary in the evangelical world.
John Maxwell, in his book titled, Everyone Communicates, Few Connect cites a study on the “success” traits of recent US presidents. The research identified five core traits of these leaders: vision; pragmatism; consensus building; charisma; and trustworthiness. Of course, not many people have all of these five traits, but it’s a great measuring stick for successful leaders.
The bottom line is that Christian educational institutions and non-profits need talented leaders—that will make all the difference. These individuals, like Brian Stiller and Geoff Tunnicliffe, need to embrace entrepreneurial leadership—that will be a magnet to attract both talent and financial resources. They need to seize the entrepreneurial imperative. Those that don’t, will be part of our past, but not our future.