Jul 2, 2025 | By Dr. Brian Simmons | As faithful steward leaders we need to strike a balance between caring for the weeds of the organizations we lead and living in the weeds. Recently, I attended a baseball game for one of my grandchildren. By the backstop was a big weed. We have watched this weed grow over the last few weeks. Why would the person responsible for mowing the grass inside the baseball field let this weed grow?  His job is to beautify and maintain the field. Big weeds are not beautiful!

Jun 22, 2025 | By Dr. Brian Simmons | As faithful steward leaders we need to strike a balance between caring for the weeds of the organizations we lead and living in the weeds. Recently, I attended a baseball game for one of my grandchildren. By the backstop was a big weed. We have watched this weed grow over the last few weeks. Why would the person responsible for mowing the grass inside the baseball field let this weed grow?  His job is to beautify and maintain the field. Big weeds are not beautiful!

Jun 22, 2025 | By Dr. Scott Rodin | Consider with me for a moment this one assertion: the major issues we face today as a world, a nation, and a church – from divineness to hatred to anger to fear to despair and more – all stem from one cataclysmic point of contact: the collision of pride and grace. From Genesis 3 through the judgment scenes in Revelation, this collision is at the center of the story of Israel, the teachings of Jesus, and the birth of the church. It is also at the core of our steward theology. In this theology we see how we fight the battle with our old sinful nature that begs us to play the owner, to grasp at control, to claim our own rights and privileges, in short,  to be the Lord of our life.

Jun 22, 2025 | By Dr. Brian Simmons | What is the purpose of a backstop?  A backstop's primary purpose is to stop projectiles or objects from going beyond a designated area, ensuring safety and control. It acts as a barrier to prevent unintended damage or injury by containing projectiles like bullets, balls, or other items. In various contexts, backstops serve as a safety measure, a reinforcement, or a support mechanism. What happens when a back stop loses its “stop” function?

Jun 16, 2025 | By Dr. Brian Simmons | What happens when an organization sets aside innovation and reverts back to old ways of doing things? 1. Customers go elsewhere for products and services • Innovation drives competitive advantage. Without it, competitors who continue to innovate surpass other organizations in product quality, service delivery, and effectiveness. 2. Stagnation follows, and decline destroys the bottom line. If there is no margin there is no mission • Processes, products, and services become outdated. • This is especially apparent as talent leaves for more forward-thinking companies and opportunities. Look around. If the best people leading the most important growth areas of the organization are leaving, the organization is in trouble!

Jun 10, 2025 | By Dr. Brian Simmons | What happens when an organization sets aside innovation and reverts back to old ways of doing things? 1. Customers go elsewhere for products and services • Innovation drives competitive advantage. Without it, competitors who continue to innovate surpass other organizations in product quality, service delivery, and effectiveness. 2. Stagnation follows, and decline destroys the bottom line. If there is no margin there is no mission • Processes, products, and services become outdated. • This is especially apparent as talent leaves for more forward-thinking companies and opportunities. Look around. If the best people leading the most important growth areas of the organization are leaving, the organization is in trouble!

May 27, 2025 | By Dr. Brian Simmons | What happens when an organization sets aside innovation and reverts back to old ways of doing things? 1. Customers go elsewhere for products and services • Innovation drives competitive advantage. Without it, competitors who continue to innovate surpass other organizations in product quality, service delivery, and effectiveness. 2. Stagnation follows, and decline destroys the bottom line. If there is no margin there is no mission • Processes, products, and services become outdated. • This is especially apparent as talent leaves for more forward-thinking companies and opportunities. Look around. If the best people leading the most important growth areas of the organization are leaving, the organization is in trouble!

May 27, 2025 | By Dr. Brian Simmons | The connection between ineffective leaders and the departure of close team members is strong and well-documented. I spoke recently with a departing VP of an organization who said, “It’s time!!” Here's how ineffective leadership can directly lead to team attrition...