You Never Know What You Have Till You Give It Away
And Other Important Lessons in Leadership
Brian Stiller, Past President, Tyndale University College & Seminary, has spent a life-time leading and teaching others to lead. He has led small ministries, large organizations and everything in between. During his years, he has accumulated a wealth of knowledge and skills. In this new collection of wisdom, humour and history, Brian shares some of the valuable insights and wisdom he has gleaned in his 50 years of leadership.
Major sections include: • The Art of Leading • Leading with Vision • Discerning the Times • Perspective Matters • Taking Risks • Smoothing the Rough Edges • Embracing Change and Gifting to Lead As president of Tyndale, over a fourteen year period he moved it from bankruptcy to being one of the major Christian educational communities in Canada. During his time as president, Tyndale purchased a major 56-acre campus in Toronto and conducted one of the largest capital campaigns ever launched by a Christian university in Canadian history. |
Contents
Introduction..................................................................................................................... 4
You’ll Never Know What You’ve Got .......................................................................... 5
Jesus Wants What Others Ignore ............................................................................... 6
Jesus Blesses What Others Underestimate ................................................................ 7
Jesus Gives – People Take.......................................................................................... 9
Who Was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu? .......................................................................... 10
Blooming Where Planted............................................................................................. 11
Grace Costs ................................................................................................................ 12
Risk Is What We Practise ........................................................................................... 13
The Art of Leading........................................................................................................ 14
Is Meek Weak? ........................................................................................................... 15
Time to Rattle the Cage?............................................................................................. 16
The Fallacy of Certainty .............................................................................................. 17
What’s Wrong With Blue Footballs?............................................................................ 18
Shaping the Times....................................................................................................... 19
God Talks? .................................................................................................................. 20
The Bigger Picture ....................................................................................................... 21
Ignoring Flies ............................................................................................................... 22
Leading With Vision ..................................................................................................... 23
First, Walk.................................................................................................................... 24
Seeing Beyond ............................................................................................................ 25
What’s Your Plan?........................................................................................................ 26
What’s Your Mission? .................................................................................................. 27
What’s Your Trophy? ................................................................................................... 28
What a Flap!................................................................................................................. 29
As a Child .................................................................................................................... 30
Blinded by Goals........................................................................................................... 31
Discerning the Times .................................................................................................... 32
Mission, Strategy or Tactics?........................................................................................ 33
Beyond My Agenda ...................................................................................................... 34
Is Complaining My Right?............................................................................................. 35
Burning Out?................................................................................................................. 36
Goodness, How Bad Is It? ............................................................................................ 37
Through the Fire ........................................................................................................... 38
Canary in a Coal Mine .................................................................................................. 39
A Fatal Pretense ........................................................................................................... 40
How Am I Doing?........................................................................................................... 41
Slow to Hire – Quick to Fire .......................................................................................... 42
The Toughest Job as a Leader...................................................................................... 43
Making a Successful Hire ............................................................................................. 44
Making a Graceful Fire.................................................................................................. 45
Hope: A Bias to Succeed .............................................................................................. 46
No Perfect Workplace.................................................................................................... 47
Knowing When to Go .................................................................................................... 48
When Should I Resign? ................................................................................................ 49
Beyond Faults ............................................................................................................... 50
Perspective Matters ....................................................................................................... 51
The Other Side of the Brain .......................................................................................... 52
Being Real..................................................................................................................... 53
Is There Such Thing as a Blueprint?............................................................................. 54
Taking Credit ................................................................................................................ 55
Seeing Reminders ........................................................................................................ 56
Get It Done.................................................................................................................... 57
Just Showing Up ........................................................................................................... 58
Taking Risks .................................................................................................................. 59
The Intersection of Faith................................................................................................ 60
Which Way in a Crisis? ................................................................................................. 61
When Afraid .................................................................................................................. 62
Self-fulfillment – a Misnomer?....................................................................................... 63
New Steps ..................................................................................................................... 64
Living Out Possibilities................................................................................................... 65
Smoothing the Rough Edges ........................................................................................ 66
Reporting ROI................................................................................................................ 67
Counterculture Faith ..................................................................................................... 68
Ready. Fire. Aim............................................................................................................ 69
The Battle of Character ................................................................................................. 70
Ministry May be a Poor Solution.................................................................................... 71
Leading Unafraid .......................................................................................................... 72
Leadership is More Than Science................................................................................. 73
Embracing Change ........................................................................................................ 74
When is the World Worldly? ......................................................................................... 75
Pushing the Boundaries................................................................................................ 76
When Not to Stand Still ................................................................................................ 77
Watch Out From Behind............................................................................................... 78
The Price of Tuition ...................................................................................................... 79
A Beneficial Rain........................................................................................................... 80
Calling it Quits............................................................................................................... 81
Gifting to Lead ............................................................................................................... 82
Real Wranglers Wanted ............................................................................................... 83
Moving From Comfort Zones........................................................................................ 84
Surprised ...................................................................................................................... 85
Failure Opens Doors .................................................................................................... 86
Overcoming Resistance ............................................................................................... 87
Lessons on Resistance................................................................................................. 88
You’ll Never Know What You’ve Got .......................................................................... 5
Jesus Wants What Others Ignore ............................................................................... 6
Jesus Blesses What Others Underestimate ................................................................ 7
Jesus Gives – People Take.......................................................................................... 9
Who Was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu? .......................................................................... 10
Blooming Where Planted............................................................................................. 11
Grace Costs ................................................................................................................ 12
Risk Is What We Practise ........................................................................................... 13
The Art of Leading........................................................................................................ 14
Is Meek Weak? ........................................................................................................... 15
Time to Rattle the Cage?............................................................................................. 16
The Fallacy of Certainty .............................................................................................. 17
What’s Wrong With Blue Footballs?............................................................................ 18
Shaping the Times....................................................................................................... 19
God Talks? .................................................................................................................. 20
The Bigger Picture ....................................................................................................... 21
Ignoring Flies ............................................................................................................... 22
Leading With Vision ..................................................................................................... 23
First, Walk.................................................................................................................... 24
Seeing Beyond ............................................................................................................ 25
What’s Your Plan?........................................................................................................ 26
What’s Your Mission? .................................................................................................. 27
What’s Your Trophy? ................................................................................................... 28
What a Flap!................................................................................................................. 29
As a Child .................................................................................................................... 30
Blinded by Goals........................................................................................................... 31
Discerning the Times .................................................................................................... 32
Mission, Strategy or Tactics?........................................................................................ 33
Beyond My Agenda ...................................................................................................... 34
Is Complaining My Right?............................................................................................. 35
Burning Out?................................................................................................................. 36
Goodness, How Bad Is It? ............................................................................................ 37
Through the Fire ........................................................................................................... 38
Canary in a Coal Mine .................................................................................................. 39
A Fatal Pretense ........................................................................................................... 40
How Am I Doing?........................................................................................................... 41
Slow to Hire – Quick to Fire .......................................................................................... 42
The Toughest Job as a Leader...................................................................................... 43
Making a Successful Hire ............................................................................................. 44
Making a Graceful Fire.................................................................................................. 45
Hope: A Bias to Succeed .............................................................................................. 46
No Perfect Workplace.................................................................................................... 47
Knowing When to Go .................................................................................................... 48
When Should I Resign? ................................................................................................ 49
Beyond Faults ............................................................................................................... 50
Perspective Matters ....................................................................................................... 51
The Other Side of the Brain .......................................................................................... 52
Being Real..................................................................................................................... 53
Is There Such Thing as a Blueprint?............................................................................. 54
Taking Credit ................................................................................................................ 55
Seeing Reminders ........................................................................................................ 56
Get It Done.................................................................................................................... 57
Just Showing Up ........................................................................................................... 58
Taking Risks .................................................................................................................. 59
The Intersection of Faith................................................................................................ 60
Which Way in a Crisis? ................................................................................................. 61
When Afraid .................................................................................................................. 62
Self-fulfillment – a Misnomer?....................................................................................... 63
New Steps ..................................................................................................................... 64
Living Out Possibilities................................................................................................... 65
Smoothing the Rough Edges ........................................................................................ 66
Reporting ROI................................................................................................................ 67
Counterculture Faith ..................................................................................................... 68
Ready. Fire. Aim............................................................................................................ 69
The Battle of Character ................................................................................................. 70
Ministry May be a Poor Solution.................................................................................... 71
Leading Unafraid .......................................................................................................... 72
Leadership is More Than Science................................................................................. 73
Embracing Change ........................................................................................................ 74
When is the World Worldly? ......................................................................................... 75
Pushing the Boundaries................................................................................................ 76
When Not to Stand Still ................................................................................................ 77
Watch Out From Behind............................................................................................... 78
The Price of Tuition ...................................................................................................... 79
A Beneficial Rain........................................................................................................... 80
Calling it Quits............................................................................................................... 81
Gifting to Lead ............................................................................................................... 82
Real Wranglers Wanted ............................................................................................... 83
Moving From Comfort Zones........................................................................................ 84
Surprised ...................................................................................................................... 85
Failure Opens Doors .................................................................................................... 86
Overcoming Resistance ............................................................................................... 87
Lessons on Resistance................................................................................................. 88