1. What have you found most challenging as a Christian school leader?

What I have found most challenging as a leader in academic Christian settings is to have everyone involved in the organization/process regard both academics and character with the same level of appreciation.

2. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

Wake up, dedicate the day to the Lord, and listen to worship music while I get ready for the day.

Get to work, check and respond to email before the beginning of the activities for the day.

Teach or write, depending on the day, plan and prepare for the next day.

Get home, check personal email and messages, eat dinner.

Read, play music or watch the news or a TV show.

Go to bed.

3. What's the most recent significant leadership lesson you've learned?

Be VERY careful whose words you listen to.

Observe and listen closely to BOTH ends of the spectrum, stop, take a step back, pray and think, and THEN decide whether you know enough to have an opinion in the matter or not.

4. What's one book apart from the Bible that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

To kill a mockingbird. Atticus Finch is a true gentleman. When I grow up, I want to be half the man he is.

Atticus Finch listened and understood the profound reasons why people act the way they do.

He regarded everyone as a friend, regardless of their views on complex and controversial issues =Especially when their views differed from his own.

5. How do you find and keep great Christian teachers?

Friends of friends. There's nothing like a man or woman of character recommending another one.

I keep them by respecting them as adults who are responsible for completing the tasks in front of them without me micromanaging them. I also keep them by understanding them as adults with individual gifts, abilities, personalities, and styles who do not need my style and personality imposed on them.

6. What's most important as a Christian school leader for developing a culture of wellbeing in your staff and students?

Take care of their needs FIRST. Everything else flows from that.

Encourage them to take personal days when needed and don't condemn them when they do.

As I said before, let your staff surprise you with their gifts, talents, abilities, and personalities.

As long as the task is completed on time and well, I don't care how you do it.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a Christian school leader so far?

The many times in my life when people with views completely different from mine come and want to hear my opinion on a matter important to them.