I am told that anyone who has ever put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard) feels the tension in beginning a piece of writing. I can attest to that: Every time I sit down to start this column I stare at a blinking cursor on a blank screen and wonder where – and when – the inspiration is going to strike.
More often than not, it comes from storytelling. And storytelling is not optional for leaders.
Every leader – whether executive, academic, board member, faculty, staff, or administrator – is a steward of story. We tell stories about who we are, why we exist, what matters most, and what the future demands. We tell them in boardrooms and classrooms, donor visits and faculty meetings, strategic plans and colleague conversations. Stories help us to shape our work and define our culture.
In this issue, my colleague Matt Hufman offers wise counsel and the guidance of someone who has spent decades telling stories (How to Hatch a Story, p.22). Likewise, The Census (Surveying the Field, p.13) tells a visual story of the In Trust Center’s work over the past year. And the emerging story of our board study, which we will tell over this next year, continues to unfold in ways that perhaps will challenge some of the prevailing stories leaders tell about governing and advisory boards.
Which stories about your institution have become so familiar that they feel ingrained and unquestioned? What assumptions about leadership, governance, or mission are embedded in the narrative? Which stories served you well in a previous season but may no longer describe today’s realities?
Theological education is not static, and if the landscape is changing, our stories must be examined, as well. I hope this issue invites you to think about the stories you tell, if they reflect your mission as it is being lived today, and whether they invite a faithful and hopeful future.
What stories are you telling?
Amy L. Kardash, President
