Category / Leadership

Barcilona, Spain – June 2016 CHS Alliance Conference on Humanitarian HR on the front lines…

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Lately I have been reading and reflecting on the meaning transformation. It is a word used quite liberally by people writing about leadership, international development, theology and other fields. You can easily get a half million hits from a Google …

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I have been feeling a bit melancholy this past month. I am not sure why, but maybe it has something to do with my strange job. As the director of Operation Mercy, there are two things that make my job …

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castle walls 1In ancient days, many castles consisted of three defensive perimeters. The outer wall, the inner wall and the keep. The keep was the final place for retreat. If the enemy penetrated the outer and inner walls, it was

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It has been fun to see that the international humanitarian sector’s most prominent HR actor, People In Aid has been promoting my doctorate research. Between January and May 2015, People In Aid (now CHS Alliance) have run four articles highlighting …

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three-legged stool of success in aid workOne of the interesting interpretations of the data from my doctorate research was this tree legged stool metaphor. The three legs: 1) relationships, 2) results, and 3) grit represent traits of people who successfully navigate the complexities of international aid …

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pear tree ub four seasons 3
The Parable of the Pear Tree

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look …

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A while back I came across an ancient proverb from the Middle East:

harvester-antGo to the ant you sluggard; consider her ways and be wise; who, having no guide, overseer or ruler, provides her bread in the summer and gathers

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I recently returned from a trip to Azerbaijan visiting Operation Mercy staff and projects. We have some great people working for Operation Mercy in Azerbaijan. During my visit I had the privilege to teach a 2-day seminar on leadership …

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geog07a[1]Centuries before a person could earn a master’s degree in humanitarian studies, social work, or international development, ancient societies enacted laws to protect the poor and needy of their communities. One of the earliest examples of such a law dates …

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