I have the privilege of serving as a keynote speaker at the Annual Leadership Roundtable Conference at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. The Andrews University Leadership Program, now in its 30th year, is an innovative educational program for midcareer professionals. Participants are required to be in full-time leadership or management roles to qualify for this learner-driven, competency-based, Ph.D. program in leadership. I can honestly say this program was transformational for me as I was transitioning from serving as president of Baptist University of the Americas (BUA) to a new role as president of Buckner Children and Family Services, Inc., in 2007.
One of the major themes of this program is that it was learner driven. In my role at BUA, I did not have time to sit in class to listen to lectures. I needed to keep learning along the lines of my greatest needs and questions as an executive leader. The Andrews University Leadership Program allowed me to shape my learning agenda rather than jump through predetermined hoops representing a body of knowledge irrelevant to my learning needs as a leader at the time. The other major attraction to this program was that it was a competency-based research program. In other words, it is one thing to learn about leadership and not know how to lead versus learning about leadership with an expectation of applying your learning to your work and demonstrating competency in your role to the faculty supervising your work. The leadership program was set up that way. I had to develop knowledge, application, and expertise as an empowering organizer, effective teacher-mentor, dynamic change agent, collaborative consultant, scholarly researcher, and a reflective leader. Rather than a dissertation as the crowning achievement of this program, I had to demonstrate competency and knowledge in all six areas before a faculty panel to graduate.
Seventeen years later, I have been asked to serve as keynote speaker for the Annual Leadership Roundtable Conference to speak to more than 60 participants, faculty, staff and area guests. In one sense, the Andrews University Leadership Program redeemed my life of leadership for a more effective contribution to the Kingdom of God in the places I have served since then. The motto of the School of Education at Andrews is “Educar es Redimir,” and in English: To Educate is to Redeem.” One of my pastors used to say, “All that God allows, he also redeems.” I serve Buckner International as a redeemed leader seeking the Kingdom of God to bring it near to those who need hope.
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