Barnabas File

You don’t need an MBA to read The Executive Code , but if you have one and seek to rise to an executive role in an organization—and stay there—this one’s for you.   In  The Executive Code , strategic advisor Andrea Nicholas reveals the unspoken rules of C-suite leadership.  The C-suite (or C-level) refers to a company's highest-ranking senior executives.   Although I have never held a C-suite position, I did once have a corner office in a large organization with a significant responsibility for programming, personnel, and resources.  I have had enough experience at that level to affirm several of the author’s key concepts.   First, personal and professional growth go together.  The most important item here is understanding and using your guiding compass—your values. These are clearly seen in your calendar—how you spend your time, who you meet, and priorities when demands conflict.  Values build personal credibili...

In a recent post, I shared a brief book review of  Project Maven , an account of a program  initiated within the Pentagon in 2017 to use AI not only for battlefield surveillance but to target people and resources.  The author points to the evolution of this project to the ultimate goal—removing humans from the decision-making process.   On May 25, Pope Leo XIV released  Magnifica Humanitas, or  “Magnificent Humanity,” the Catholic Church’s first major theological statement about artificial intelligence. No matter your tradition, this document deserves your close attention.   In response to the encyclical, Cameron Trimble, CEO of  Convergence , cited several key considerations, but here is one of special note:   “He [Pope Leo] declared ‘just war’ theory outdated, which is a major theological step. One of the encyclical’s most striking points is about AI in warfare. Leo says clearly that the Catholic Church’s centuries-old ‘just war’ ...

The publication of Katrin Manson’s book   Project Maven: A Marine Colonel, His Team, and the Dawn of AI Warfare   came a month after the launch of Operation Epic Fury.     The operation targeted thousands of Iranian military and strategic assets. And made some tragic errors.     The identification and targeting of these sites were provided, in most cases, using artificial intelligence.    Manson’s thoroughly documented book recounts how that came to be.   Under the leadership of Marine Colonel Drew Cukor, an effort was initiated within the Pentagon in 2017 to use AI not only for battlefield surveillance but to target people and resources.  Manson also recounts the evolution of this project to the ultimate goal—removing humans from the decision-making process.   Project Maven is a military artificial intelligence platform developed by Palantir. Originally launched in 2017 to analyze drone and survei...

  See, I am doing a new thing!     Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness     and streams in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43:19, NIV)   In previous posts, we considered context, calling, and possibilities for church leadership in the future.  I am convinced that the Spirit of God is always at work among God’s people, providing ways forward that will allow the church’s mission to flourish.  In this post, I suggest five key issues for the church today, shifts in thinking from our current ways of dealing with them to new strategies, and leadership skills need to make the shift.  You may find my suggestions unsettling, even controversial, but please give them some thought.   First, a shift in theological training and the leadership roles of clergy.  With a decline in the number of seminary students who are seeking the Master of Divinity degree and the increase in ...

Something exciting is happening in our culture.     Churches and their leaders are being called upon to step up and provide hope and community in these challenging times.     This is a time for believers to engage.    In recent years, many religious leaders have seemed content to sit on the sidelines, wring their hands over the “decline of the church,” and avoid the charge of Jesus that “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40, NIV) Bold leadership--foot washing and witness--go hand in hand, but this only happens when leaders are empowered and supported.   In his new book,   Coaching as Spiritual Practice: Deepening Faith While Deepening Impact  Edward Hammett suggests one strategy to provide that kind of support.   “I would like to propose that churches, denominations, judicatories, and districts begin to cooperate to employ a coach in ...

Do you have what it takes to be a coaching leader?  A coaching leader is someone who encourages another person to identify his or her goals, discover the resources available to pursue those goals, develop action plans together, and then walk along beside that person in the process of achieving the person’s goals.  A coaching leader can apply these skills in working with groups and teams as well, multiplying his or her impact as a coach by including others in the process.   A coaching leader is strong in the elements that Daniel Goleman attributes to emotional intelligence:   Self-awareness. Self-regulation. Motivation. Empathy. Social skills.   These are skills that can be learned once a person understands his or her own emotional intelligence profile.  The more that you, as a leader, can manage each of these areas, the higher your emotional intelligence.  Emotional intelligence is essential to be an effective coaching leader. In ad...