• Directories
    • Business Directory
    • Church Directory
    • Organization Directory
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Help
  • Log In

MENUMENU
  • Learning
        • Leader’s Edge
          • Author Interviews
          • Book Summaries
        • Book Reviews
          • Book Look
          • EMQ Book Reviews
        • Publications
          • Anthology
          • Evangelical Missions Quarterly (EMQ)
          • Missiographics
        • Podcasts
          • The Mission Matters
          • Members Only Feed
          • Missions Podcast DirectoryNew
        • Topics
          • COVID-19 Resources
          • Diaspora Missions
          • Global Issues Updates
          • Member Highlights
          • Mobilization
          • Muslim Missions
          • Support Raising
          • UkraineNew
        • Media Library
          • Conferences
          • Global Issue Updates
          • On Mission
          • Thought Leader Briefings
          • Webinars
          • Workshop
          • View All
  • Programs
    • Accreditation
    • Bible Certificate
    • Church Missions Coaching
    • Cohorts
    • Cybersecurity
    • ImproveNew
    • Mission Jobs
    • Missions DataNew
    • Publish
    • RightNow Media
    • The Mission App
    • Women’s Development
  • Events
          • Calendar
          • In-Person Events
          • Virtual Events
          • Event Recordings
          • Awards
        • Premier Events
          • Mission Leaders Conference
          • On Mission
        • Upcoming Events

          • Pocket Guide to Being a Missions Pastor: 5 Things Every Missions Pastor Needs to Know
            Wed Jun 1 2022, 01:00pm EDT
          • From Harlem to the World - the Local Church Mobilized for Global Missions
            Wed Aug 3 2022, 01:00pm EDT
          • Innovation Leaders Discussion
            Mon Aug 8 2022, 01:00pm EDT
        • View All Events
  • Research
          • Missions DataNew
          • Missiographics
          • Research Reports
        • Popular Research
          • Compensation Reports
          • COVID-19 Resources
          • Field Attrition Report
          • View All Reports
        • Contribute
          • Current Research Projects
          • Volunteer
  • About Us
        • Who We Are
          • Our Contribution
          • Meet the Team
          • Board Members
          • History (1917–present)
        • Our Beliefs
          • Statement of Faith
          • Community Standards
        • Awards
        • Partner with Us
          • Advertise
          • Donate
          • Sponsorships
          • Volunteer
        • Help
          • Contact Us
          • Advertising Specs
          • Branding Guidelines
  • Join
        • Learn
        • Learn what you cannot learn anywhere else.

        • Meet
        • Meet people you otherwise won’t meet.

        • Engage
        • Engage in a community like none other.

          • Benefits
          • Benefits for Churches
          • Pricing

Sponsored Content

Upcoming Events

  • Pocket Guide to Being a Missions Pastor: 5 Things Every Missions Pastor Needs to Know
    Wed Jun 1 2022, 01:00pm EDT
  • From Harlem to the World - the Local Church Mobilized for Global Missions
    Wed Aug 3 2022, 01:00pm EDT
  • Innovation Leaders Discussion
    Mon Aug 8 2022, 01:00pm EDT
  • Peer 2 Peer for Communications and Marketing Staff: Communications and the Mission of God: Aligning organizational communications with God's purposes
    Thu Aug 18 2022, 01:00pm EDT
  • Women's Development Weeks
    Thu Sep 8 2022

View all events »

Topics

author interview CEO Church Church Missions Church Mission Team Church Planting COVID-19 Cross Cultural Skills Diaspora Disciple Making Discipleship Focus Future Innovation Islam Justin Long Leadership Management Member Care Missiology Missionaries Mission Finance and Administration MLC2019 MLC2020 MLC2021 Mobilization muslim Muslim Diaspora Networks Partnership Podcast Presenter Pursuing Partnerships Series Research Risk Short-Term Missions Spirituality support raising Training Trends Unengaged Unreached Weekly Roundup Women Women in Leadership

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Smart Leaders Back Up

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Mary Kay PalgutaFebruary 18, 2014

Don was the international ministries director working from the US office of a mid-size media ministry. He had oversight of 9 strategic ministry centers overseas. As he was sitting at his desk engaged in his routine leadership responsibilities, he received a call from the administrative assistant of the ministry’s CEO. He was asked to come to the CEOs office for an unannounced personal meeting. Since the CEO was rather new at his post, having come on board only months previously, Don figured he was being called to help shed light on some aspect of the ministry. Image the surprise – and horror – when the CEO curtly informed Don that he was being terminated immediately, and was to leave the building within the hour. He was instructed not to touch his computer upon return to his office, but to simply pick up his personal belongings and exit the building.

 

Bill’s termination experience was similar. In his position as the president of an innovative church-planting mission, he was working in his executive office when the chairman of the board unexpectedly dropped in. Bill was told that in a closed board meeting held the night before, it had been decided to release him from his position and the mission. Bill was given the rest of the day in his office to wrap things up, and then escorted to the door at closing for the last time.

 

At another mission, there was a large-scale surprise layoff. The Monday after a normally scheduled weekend board meeting, seven home staff middle-management workers were called into the director’s office in succession and told over the course of fifteen minutes each that they were being terminated effective immediately. While they were being informed of their dismissal, a team of tech workers was systematically going from office to office dismantling their computers. Each manager was told that they had a half hour to leave the building, and upon returning to their office or cubicle, each discovered their computer either gone or rendered inaccessible. Thus they were unable to access any personal information they would have liked to have gathered before departing from the mission office.

 

All of the above stories are true. Names have been changed for obvious reasons. More similar stories could be related, but you get the point: even as a mission leader – no matter what level of leadership or management – you are susceptible to being blind-sided by an “out-of-the-blue” termination at any moment. None of us are exempt. Some of those mentioned in the instances above were “on support,” having previously served overseas and thus considered themselves immune to such an abrupt severance. They were mistaken.

 

The common thread I hear from ”de-leadered” leaders when an unexpected termination takes place is, “I wasn’t even allowed to get back to my computer.” They were rendered powerless. The surprise termination was bad enough, but not being permitted access to their personal files or professional contact lists made the terminee feel “virtually” orphaned, if not violated. If they had had an inkling that dismissal was imminent, they would have done something in advance to safeguard and have access to their personal information files.

 

Smart leaders back-up! In this day of instant firings, with scant opportunity of accessing one’s electronic data, smart leaders back-up. They back-up their files – and they do it frequently. Whether it be on thumb drives, external portable drives or in the “cloud,” if one doesn’t want to be caught leaving the building empty-handed, data needs to be stored at an alternate location. Smart leaders back-up their personal and non-sensitive professional data off site. I have noticed that the most likely time a leader gets terminated is immediately following a board meeting. The prudent time to back-up is the week before a scheduled meeting. (The morality of what rightfully to preserve remotely is an ethical topic for another blog).

 

Now, the villain that has precipitated this unwanted crisis is the technological age in which we live.  As much as we want to blame it on a personality or even an unchristian mentality on the part of those doing the firing, we dare not. It is sensible for governing boards and CEOs to not allow just-terminated leaders to have access to electronic devices (like office computers, notebooks, etc.) to avoid potential harm to the organization. All kinds of havoc can be wrecked in just a few moments by access to an organization’s database. Sadly, we live in an age of tension between prudent managerial acumen and common Christian graces that are difficult to balance when much is at stake.

 

So rather than pointing fingers and placing blame and bemoaning how unChrist-like a mission leader has been abruptly fired, the prudent leader proactively prepares in advance. Smart leaders will back-up everything that is vital to their wellbeing as if knowing he/she would be out of a job tomorrow. Take my advice – you just may be.

GoToOlder PostNewer PostAll PostsMissiologically Aware • Blog

Write a Comment Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Subscribe to Our Mailing List

Keep up to date with our community.

Menu

  • Home
  • Directories
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Contact Us

Join

  • Join
  • Benefits
  • Learn
  • Meet
  • Engage

Help

  • Contact Us
  • Terms
  • Cookies Policy

About Us

  • Who We Are
  • Statement of Faith
  • Awards
  • Resources
Missio Nexus Logo

© Missio Nexus. All rights reserved.
As an Amazon Associate Missio Nexus earns from qualifying purchases.


PO Box 398
Wheaton, IL 60187-0398

Phone: 770.457.6677
678.392.4577

Annual Sponsors

ECFA Logo Brotherhood Mutual Logo

Subscribe to our Mailing List

Membership website powered by MembershipWorks