Innovate

01/20/2026

We tend to think leadership problems start with leaders.

Often, they start with silence.

Being a bystander is still a form of participation.

Choosing not to speak, not to engage, not to respond—those are decisions too. And sometimes, they are the right decisions. Silence can be wise. Restraint can be an act of grace.

But not always.

Yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and I found myself reflecting on how often meaningful change required people to move out of bystander space and into courageous participation. Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” wasn’t born from outrage—it was born from conviction, clarity, and costly witness.

That tension matters for followers of Jesus.

There are moments when our calling is to be quiet—to refuse the pull of outrage, to de-escalate, to extend grace. And there are moments when silence becomes complicity, when staying on the sidelines allows injustice, dehumanization, or falsehood to go unchallenged.

Leadership scholar Barbara Kellerman reminds us that followers are never neutral. Culture keeps forming whether we speak or not. Decisions keep being made. Silence doesn’t stop the process—it simply hands responsibility to others.

The question isn’t “Should I always speak up?”

It’s “What does faithfulness look like in this moment?”

For those of us seeking to follow Jesus, that discernment matters. Following Jesus has never been about passive agreement—it’s about aligning our lives with His way, even when that calls us out of comfort and into costly witness.

So I’m sitting with this question this week:

Where am I choosing bystander space—and is that choice rooted in grace, or in avoidance?

01/19/2026

Leadership that is effective—and faithful—doesn’t happen by accident.
I’ve just updated my website with coaching, training, and consultancy resources to support leaders seeking clarity, alignment, and sustainable impact. Take a look.

https://www.innovatebethechange.ca

01/13/2026

What if I don’t want to follow?

That question tends to make leaders uncomfortable.
But it might be one of the most important questions a follower can ask.

In many leadership and church cultures, following has quietly been equated with passivity: don’t rock the boat, don’t ask too many questions, don’t complicate things. But that version of followership doesn’t lead to health — it leads to silence.

Leadership scholar Barbara Kellerman reminds us that good followership always involves asking hard questions:
- Is something being done?
- And if so, to what end?

That kind of questioning isn’t rebellion.
It’s responsibility.

Even within the Jewish tradition that shaped Jesus, questioning was a sign of faithfulness, not defiance. To follow well meant engaging deeply — thinking, discerning, wrestling with what was being asked and why.

So maybe the better question isn’t, “Why won’t you follow?”
But rather, “What kind of following are we actually inviting?”

Healthy leadership doesn’t need passive followers.
It needs thoughtful, courageous ones.

What questions are you holding back — and what might change if you voiced them?

01/08/2026

Just launched a new website!

Stay informed with the latest updates, explore the coaching and consulting options or read my blog.

Visit https://innovatebethechange.ca today!

INNOVATE /ˈinəˌvāt/ verb Make changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods or ideas

01/06/2026

Ever notice that there are loads of pages, posts, and memes focussed on leadership, but very few talk about what it means to follow?

Barbara Kellerman (Harvard), a leading scholar on the study of followership, makes a simple but unsettling observation: all of us follow some of the time. It’s a human condition, not a leadership failure.

Even the most senior leaders follow:
• Boards
• Values
• Strategy
• Mission
• Calling

The real question isn’t whether we follow, but how we follow.
• Do we disengage quietly?
• Fall into line without reflection?
• Or participate thoughtfully, responsibly, and with courage?

Organizations (and even nations) don’t struggle only because of weak/poor leadership.

They also struggle when followership becomes passive, silent, or disengaged.

If we want healthier leadership cultures, we need to take followership seriously…not as a consolation prize, but as a formative responsibility.

Everyone follows (even leaders).

How do you follow when it actually matters?

12/29/2025

As this year comes to a close, I’ve been sitting with a simple but demanding truth: Leadership is not about arriving. It’s about becoming.

My word for 2025 has been ABIDE.
Abiding in God’s presence.
Remaining attentive.
Not rushing clarity.
Not forcing outcomes.

It tested my leadership patience more than I expected!

There were moments when I wanted movement instead of waiting, answers instead of presence, progress instead of trust. But abiding has a way of forming us beneath the surface. To abide shapes not just what we do, but who we are becoming.

That’s the heart of leadership formation.
It’s learning to stay close enough, to God and to one another, that formation actually happens. To truly abide as a leadership practice, requires community formation.

Over time, I’ve come to see this more clearly: leadership matures when we learn to invest in others from a place of abiding, not striving. When we’re rooted, we can help others grow into their true potential without needing to rush or control the process.

As 2025 comes to end, I’m reminded that leadership is never finished.
We keep becoming.
And we invite others to become alongside us.

What was your word for 2025?
What did you learn?
Who are you helping become as we step into 2026

12/16/2025

I often hear people talk about resilient leaders as if resilience is a personality trait - something you either have or you don’t.

But resilience isn’t inherited. It’s formed.

It’s shaped through challenge, yes...but also through relationship. Through someone who walks with you when the pressure rises. Someone who helps you interpret failure, stay grounded, and keep growing when quitting would be easier.

That’s discipleship at work in leadership development.

The leaders who endure aren’t the ones who never struggle. They’re the ones who were invested in. Who were challenged, supported, and called forward by others who believed in their potential before they fully saw it themselves.

I see this repeatedly in leadership journeys: people don’t become resilient alone. They become resilient because someone stayed with them long enough for strength to take root.

Leadership is not about standing strong on your own.

It’s about forming strength in others—and allowing others to form strength in you.

Who helped you develop resilience?

Who are you intentionally strengthening right now?

12/08/2025

There’s an old Jewish blessing that I love:

“May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi.”

It means:
Walk so closely behind your teacher that the dust from their feet settles on you. Learn their ways. Let their life shape yours.

That’s discipleship.
And it’s also how leadership development truly works.

Jesus didn’t teach from a distance — He walked with people. He invested in them. He helped them grow into who they could become.

We learn the same way today.
We grow when someone walks with us.
And we lead best when we invest in others with that same closeness and care.

Leadership isn’t learned from the stands.
It’s learned on the dusty road.

Who are you walking closely enough with to share the dust of the journey?

12/02/2025

Leadership doesn’t just appear because someone has the right traits.
It grows through relationship, encouragement, accountability… discipleship.

Every one of us can become more than we currently see in ourselves — especially when someone invests in shaping our potential.

11/15/2025

If you have a passion for leadership, one of the best leadership books available is Leading with Authenticity: A Path to Effective Leadership. This book helps you find your leadership roots and authentic identity. It teaches you how to stay true to yourself without compromising your morals and ethics. It is available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/ij0lx2g.

11/11/2025

Had a great experience meeting and hearing about Adorno Novelties - and I absolutely LOVE my new coasters!

11/11/2025

I would like to introduce you to my friend Vikal. What if every neighbourhood around the world experienced a Jesus centred, disciple-making, peace presence? Vikal is living and leading in his context today!




Mennonite Church Canada