Transcript: How Inspirational Leaders Guide Their People Through Change and Innovation // Dr. Jennifer Holloran, Wycliffe Bible Translators

The Flourishing Culture Podcast Series

How Inspirational Leaders Guide Their People Through Change and Innovation
September 12, 2022

Dr. Jennifer Holloran

Intro: Are you challenged keeping up with the change required to keep your team moving forward? Well, listen in as we talk with a leader who is helping her organization innovate in ways they wouldn't dream of just a few years ago.

Al Lopus: Hi, I'm Al Lopus, and you're listening to the Flourishing Culture Podcast, where we help you create and lead a flourishing workplace. We find the problem many employers are facing today is readjusting to our post-COVID, hybrid world. The great resignation is still evident, where employees are quitting at record levels, filling millions of open jobs, even as we face a cooling economy and record-setting wage inflation. We know that having a flourishing workplace with fully engaged employees is the solution. So this week, we're talking about moving forward on the road to flourishing, no matter where you're starting from.

How do you lead through change in a large organization with a long legacy? Well, honoring the past while innovating and building for the future can be challenging, and yet, God calls leaders in every season to steward the mission and vision of the organization. And in today's episode, we'll consider how to move through change, build a culture of innovation, and provide opportunities for people to flourish.

I'm delighted to welcome Dr. Jennifer Holloran, the chief operating officer of Wycliffe Bible Translators. Jennifer has been with Wycliffe now for 20 years and has worked her way up through the human-resources department. Now as chief operating officer, she combines her love for strategic leadership with her years of experience in human resources. Jennifer, welcome to the podcast.

Dr. Jennifer Holloran: Thank you so much for having me, Al. It's a pleasure to be here.

Al: Well, it's great to see you again, and I look forward to our conversation.

Jennifer, you moved into the COO role about three years ago, and congratulations on your promotion. And share with us how your human-resources background and how education prepared you for your current role.

Jennifer: That's a great question. Every organization uses a chief-operating or a chief-operations role differently. And for Wycliffe, I oversee all of our organization's operations. As part of that oversight, I'm responsible for our strategic-planning processes and our operational health. Strategic planning ensures that we know where we're headed together under the umbrella of our vision, mission, our values, and that we can put our shared efforts into creating momentum toward the same direction. And operational health ensures that we have the organizational culture, departmental processes, and the service mentality that allow us to continuously improve the way that we carry out our work.

And as you've noted, much of my professional background was spent in the people areas of our organization, in roles with increasing levels of responsibility. And as I look back, I can see how those same areas of focus have applied at every level. So no matter what level I was at, in my area of responsibility, how was I aligned with where the organization was heading? How was I examining the culture I was creating or the processes I used, the effectiveness of my service to others? So I feel like every single level of the organization that I had the opportunity to serve in was God giving me that chance to learn those things at a small level to prepare me one day to do those things at a large level.

And additionally, because H.R. worked so closely with manager and staff at all levels, you learn a lot about how people think and feel and respond to various situations, and you get a valuable look into how other departments function, which are useful skills in any leadership role.

Now, you mentioned my education as well. I had the opportunity to complete a doctorate program in strategic leadership from Regent University. And through that program, I gained knowledge and experience in strategic planning, organizational development, and innovation tools and techniques, and I apply those regularly now in the work that I do.

Al: Congratulations. Working full time, you know, getting a Ph.D., that's a lot of work, no question.

So in addition to your own transition, there have been other changes in the senior leadership over the last few years. Dr. John Chestnut just came in as the CEO just in 2019. And so share with us some of the initiatives that you've put in place to help build trust amongst this new senior-leadership team, and also, how you've even begun to build trust and communicate between leaders and staff that you've moved through this season of transition and change.

Jennifer: Yes. So with our leadership team, we have a number of things that we do to help us to continue to grow in our trust together. And a big part of that is our shared commitment and our vision, our mission, our core values, and in our direction together. So we spend a lot of time reflecting on that and really making sure that we stay aligned together around that.

One of the things that I think is great about our senior-leadership team is we have a genuine interest and value for the diversity that each person brings to the team. We spend time getting to know one another, and the background, experience, personality differences, and understanding how that all contributes together towards how the team can function together. We regularly collaborate in developing ideas and solving challenges together so we don't see any of the work that we do as siloed in one particular area, but we see it as a joint problem to solve together.

And, of course, any time that you're working in a team and you're working with people, there's those moments where you bump heads around different issues. And we're very willing and intentional about making sure that we keep short accounts with one another, that we're very quick to apologize. We're very quick to forgive, because we recognize that this is going to be part of working together with differences and with differences of opinion, and we want to be able to do that effectively.

And then between us as leaders and our staff, there are a few things that we do on an ongoing basis that we have found helpful. One is we lay a shared spiritual-formation process together so that we're continually working and talking about spiritual topics and unity together. And that really impacts the way that we as a whole organization view the world and our work.

And then we also continually remind ourselves and our staff that there are realities about change today. The environment around us is continually changing. We're continuing to need to keep up and where we can be to be proactive about the change that's happening in the world. And so we try to make that apparent, even in our orientation process, reminding staff that change is just going to be a part of who we are.

And then as we go through different change processes, we try to be intentional about involving the voice of our staff in whatever the change is. There are always situations where staff would say, “Oh, I would have liked to have had even more voice,” but we're always looking for how much voice we can give people so that they feel like they're a part of the decisions that are being made.

And then, regular communication is absolutely critical. Down through the leadership layers of the organization and throughout the process, making sure that we're all staying aligned about why we're going through change, what those changes are, and where we're headed so that we stay together.

Al: That's great. Spiritual formation, that's the key. And you mentioned that right off the bat.

And how do you incorporate—give me an example or two, if you don't mind, Jennifer—how that gets incorporated in your communication.

Jennifer: Yeah. So we have what we call Deeply Rooted, which is a series of devotional materials that we put out. So several of us on the leadership team helped to write those. And then there are other staff as well who helped to write those. And we'll pick a particular theme, and those emails will go out weekly, and then we encourage our departments to discuss those together. There's always a few discussion questions. And then we have a weekly opportunity for staff to gather together, either online or in person. And, you know, there are different topics that come up through that. So sometimes it's a report from what's happening around the world, but sometimes it's focusing deeply on one of these spiritual-formation topics and trying to continue to get our minds focused on those things.

Al: Great. Well, I love the term deeply rooted, absolutely. That's fantastic. I really appreciate your insights around spiritual formation and talking about change, regular communication, those are keys, no question about it.

And, you know, we've all been through the global pandemic, and that's certainly impacted our daily life and our work in so many ways. And as you reflect on the past few years and now even look forward, what are some lessons learned and new practices for people management or operations that you're beginning to carry out and look forward to in the next season?

Jennifer: One of the things that we've really been paying attention to is the way that work has become so incredibly hybrid between in-person work and remote work. And, now, we've always had staff working all over the world, so we've always worked a little bit in a hybrid situation. But I think this really forced us to think differently about how we carry out our meetings and our communication and our events, and really forced us to think differently about how we create unity and community across our workforce. So I think that this is something that's going to be true for the foreseeable future and that we do have to consider how every one of those opportunities to build unity, community, communication, that you have to think about it as a hybrid space first. You can't think in-person first or remote first, because if you do that, you're going to miss out on key opportunities to connect staff together.

I also think that hybrid reality means that we've had to consider how to provide the right balance of flexibility and accountability. People have been through some really challenging situations, and so we want to be able to be flexible, and at the same time, we want to have healthy accountability. And so what does that look like?

And then operationally, we also have to think intentionally about how we use space. So as an organization, we have a building, and we have to be more intentional about how we steward the spaces that God has given to us. And we're looking at how we invite like-minded organizations to share this space with us and then, hopefully, collaborate with us as well.

Something else I would note that we've picked up on, especially since the time of the pandemic, is that people are very fatigued by all that has happened in the last few years. When we think back to the early days of the pandemic, no one knew what was going to happen. And many people have lost a loved one or a friend or experienced a long period of separation from loved ones. And it's an experience of collective trauma that's been difficult for people to process. And then you add a 24/7 cycle of breaking news, and you have a culture around us that's very focused on division and how to separate us, and it's no wonder that people are mentally and emotionally tired. And so we have to think about how that impacts our staff’s capacity for change and to take that into account as we think about progress.

Al: Amen, Jennifer. It's really been interesting to see the impact of fatigue on people and how they can grasp change so much. There's no question.

Anything special that you've done in the workplace to help people with fatigue, that comes to mind?

Jennifer: So one of our teams is a team that's focused on wellness and vitality. And they've been exploring this issue deeply over the last several months, looking at how we can add different services and how we can encourage staff to find that right balance for themselves, to find those resources that are going to be helpful for their particular set of needs. And we know that each person is different. So for some people, coming into the office, really getting down to work, that's helpful for them to get their mind in gear around some of those types of things. Other people need other kinds of care, and so we're thinking very intentionally around that. I wouldn't say that we're experts in it, by any means, but it's something that we're taking into account as we think through all of the initiatives that we have going on and making sure that our people are cared for well and not just the work.

Al: Yeah. No, absolutely. I have a friend who's one of your translators, and it's really been interesting to get his communication on a regular basis now through COVID and how, you know, he's working out of the U.S. but very involved, but using Zoom and technology to be involved with his teams that are in the country he's working with, actually doing the translation work. And he's coaching and guiding that process. But I would imagine, you know, with technology and now everybody knowing how to use videoconferencing, that's in some ways a real positive. And yeah, that's fantastic.

I love the history of Wycliffe Bible Translators, starting back in Guatemala. You know, you and I were talking earlier about our own mutual Guatemala experience in that K’iche’ area. And William Cameron Townsend went to Guatemala in 1917, taking some Spanish Bibles. And, of course, the story goes, as I understand it, the people that he was working with couldn't understand Spanish because they were actually talking in a local Mayan language.

So as a leader, you're stewarding an organization with a long history, really a long and storied history. You know, what are some of the principles that you hold onto as you guide the organization? And, you know, where do you see the need to adapt and change even as you lead into the future?

Jennifer: So you're absolutely right on our history with Cameron Townsend and just some of the realities that he faced and even how he had to adapt as he went out with one set of expectations around selling Spanish Bibles and then finding out that there were languages, indigenous languages, that didn't have access to Scripture at all, and how that birthed a whole movement around Bible translation.

And a couple of the things, some of the principles that Cameron Townsend put forth that I believe have lasted well into this day and will last into the future, one, of course, is dependance on God. Cameron Townsend was very firm in terms of his understanding and trust in the Lord, and I continue to see that. That's one of our core values still today. And it's absolutely critical. There is no way that Bible translation could happen in the way that it does at the pace that it does today if it weren't for God's intervening hand and creating a way often where there has seemed to be no way. And so we see that as a value that will continue to last into the future.

Another aspect of the organization that was really interesting under Cameron Townsend is at the time that he developed this organization, it was at a point in time where there was a lot of division between different parts of the church, which sounds very familiar. And what was interesting is that organizations like Wycliffe sprang up because people wanted to come together around a particular issue, a particular cause, and they didn't want their background of their church to get in the way of their ability to participate in that cause. And so what we see even through to today is a value around unity across the body of Christ. And so for us, that cause is Bible translation, and we invite and bring in people from all across the body of Christ to participate. And that unity across different denominations and different perspectives on things has been incredibly helpful in allowing the Gospel to keep moving forward in places around the world. And we see that today in how God is calling together churches and denominations in many places around the world to work together in Bible translation.

And then another value that Cameron Townsend had was this idea of service to all. And that has continued to be a very important value for us. As we look at how we go out and we connect with language communities around the world and with the local church around the world, how can we be at a place of service to those churches?

So as I think about the future, I expect that we will continue to hold tightly to our core spiritual beliefs. That's going to be absolutely critical for who we are as a Bible-translation organization. But we have to be willing to adapt our methods, our processes, the use of technology, and even our expectations around timelines. You know, historically, many of our missionaries had to be pioneers. They were going out into places in the world where they were the first to make those connections with some of these different language communities. They were often pioneering in the field of linguistics and really understanding indigenous language at a depth and a level that hadn't been understood before.

But today, with the incredible growth of the church of the South and of the East, we're focused more on this idea of ownership of the work by the church around the world, which means responding to local ownership, sharing what our organization has been given with open handedness and generosity, and then service and interdependence and mutuality. We know that we, as a country and as a large Bible-translation organization, have been really blessed, and so we want to be generous with that. And at the same time, we also recognize we don't have it all. We have to do this in partnership. And we have as much to learn and to grow from from others as we have to offer into this movement.

You know, the other area is we're in the process of a generational transition in the workplace, and we need to pay attention to the gifts and abilities that God is giving to the younger generation as they enter the workforce so that we're prepared to welcome them into the work. I know sometimes generational differences can become these points of divide. But again, I truly believe that God has given each generation certain characteristics that are meant to further His kingdom. And so if we can see the excitement and the value of those characteristics and embrace that and see how God wants to use that in His kingdom, then we're going to be much better positioned to be ready to work with all generations as we continue Bible translation.

Al: Yeah, I'm looking forward to hearing about the metaverse when it comes to Wycliffe Bible translations, and I'm sure that'll be part of the future.

I love your three core principles, and I can see how those have been very helpful. First of all, dependance on God. Secondly, unity across the body of Christ, you know, working together for a purpose. And then, service to all, to keep that open and effective. Those are great principles to start with, and then, you know, as you highlighted the others. Yeah.

Well, let's go a little deeper into this idea of innovation and the importance of incorporating new practices and technology as you work and move forward with Bible translation. I mean, I know personally, again, just how you've moved to have a Bible translation take 20 years of somebody's life, where a couple typically has been in a remote place with these people, learning the language, you know, creating that Bible translation. And now it's happening a lot quicker. So what are some of the opportunities and challenges of staying on the cutting edge of innovative practices, especially for your translation missionaries and staff? How do you encourage this continued innovation, Jennifer?

Jennifer: Well, first and foremost, I have to say that all of the innovation that's taking place in Bible translation happens in partnership, and it's through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. So we always want to emphasize that it's never just about one organization, it's never just about Wycliffe, but we see ourselves as part of a whole ecosystem that's working on this. God has given us tremendous partners and technology to work with that have been able to come together to really create some of these innovative practices that you've talked about that have helped speed up the pace of Bible translation.

There are a few themes that I see across the progress that is being made in Bible translation and in technology, and even in how innovation relates to our operational processes. So one, keeping the end user at the center of the conversation, whether that's the language community who wants Bible translation, the team that needs technological support, or it's a person being served through a process. I believe it's critical to know what matters to and works for that end user, and that helps us be sure we're designing innovation based off of their reality rather than off of our assumptions. We can create a lot of ideas that are not useful if we just work off of our assumptions. But when we truly understand what the needs and the desires are of the end user, then we can create innovations that are going to serve really well.

Two, we want to make sure that we have divergent thinking when we're developing ideas. So diversity in backgrounds, experiences, skill sets, personalities, all of that helps us to come up with the widest set of possibilities for how we can meet a particular need. And that's part of why partnership is so important in innovation. When you have multiple partners at the innovation table, then you can really expand the diversity of thought and ideas, and that just makes us more creative overall.

And then, three, testing ideas in small ways so that you can continue to improve them through iterative learning and adaptation. When you try to implement a concept too broadly at the start, there's more risk and failure. And I, you know, I find that organizations, especially organizations with our history and our size, they're not very excited about wanting to try an idea that has a large risk of failure. So you need those places where you can pilot test, where you can prototype, you can start small, learn from the experience, and then you can find what works, and then you implement it on a broader scale when the concept is ready for full execution.

So I see that happening in all of the different places where I see innovation, whether it's directly working in translation processes; or it's here in our building, trying to think through how we handle a finance process. Those same kind of principles seem to apply.

Al: That's great. And I can see, you know, so many times I've watched people develop something new. It's kind of an internal process. The end user is kind of, you know, not really in a center of somebody's mind, or they're not involved in that process. And boy, that's one that's great. The diversity of ideas, really important. And then, yeah, starting small, getting experience, building on that experience; that’s great advice.

Al: I trust you’re enjoying our podcast today. We’ll be right back after an important word for leaders.

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Al: And now, back to today’s special guest.

Let's talk now a little bit about your own path at Wycliffe. And we've mentioned that, again, you've had a 20-year career. You're a great example of what I think of the biblical principle that you've been faithful in a smaller sphere with little, and as a result, you're given more. And I remember reading that scripture as a 20-year-old, thinking, “Okay, so let me just focus on what I've been given, and maybe, as the Lord wills, I'll have more.” And you've moved from an entry-level, clerical role in H.R., which is hard for me to believe, but that's where you started, and now you've had various growth assignments, and you're the COO, the chief operating officer.

And I also know, and I have a passion, that we've got many women leaders who are listening to our podcast. And can you share some of the key steps in your path that helped you move forward?

Jennifer: So you're right. I started as a typist. I'm a very fast typer. I took dictation back in the day, when that was a thing. And yes, I have been incredibly blessed to see the journey that God has taken me on, not something that I ever could have anticipated or even had the ambition for at the very beginning. But I'm so grateful as I look back and see what God has done over these past 20 years.

And I'm going to use a gardening analogy, even though I'm truthfully a pretty terrible gardener, but I think it's consistent with the way that Scripture talks about our role in creation, so I enjoy the visual. So just go with me. I'm sure you're familiar with the phrase “bloom where you're planted.”

Al: Yeah.

Jennifer: So one of the ways that I think anyone can grow in their career path is to practice excellence in their sphere of responsibility. So whether somebody’s an individual contributor or a team leader, an executive leader, we all have a space that we've been given to tend. And tending well, it means doing it with excellence, but it also requires more than just doing the job well. I believe that it means encouraging new growth. So that means continuing to learn new ideas, new techniques, even looking to what other industries are doing, exploring concepts at new depths, and as you're doing all of that learning, finding ways to apply that learning to the space that you have been given. And so that's something that I see from, especially, well, I've seen that at every stage of my career, but even at the very beginning, looking for those things, how could I continue to learn? How could I apply what I was learning and really be the best that I could be in the space that God had given me?

And then, beyond that area of responsibility, the other piece that I would encourage people with is to see how you can help those growing around you to bloom and to thrive and be willing to offer not just ideas of how to improve things and, of course, to do so tactfully and respectfully, but have a readiness to jump in and help make those changes happen. I find that that was something that our organization was very willing to allow me to do, to offer ideas as I was learning new things. And I thought, oh, our team would really benefit from this type of change, or if we were to adapt this kind of process to the way that we do things. And I had to do that in a way that was respectful to the culture that was here and to the people who are more experienced in the work that we had here. But I was given that space, and because I was willing to do the work to make those things come to life, then I feel like that allowed me to be seen and recognized for additional growth beyond where I'd come from.

And I think that sometimes that starts to thwart people's growth is that they have ideas for how to improve things, but they haven't found a way to share those things in a way that the culture can receive it. Or they share those ideas, but they haven't stepped forward and said, “And I'm willing to help make it happen.” And so I think that that can be a big boost, you know, to your leaders, to other leaders in the organization. When they see that you're willing not just to make things better, but you're going to put some skin in the game to actually make that happen, that that can be very helpful.

And I think you have to have a servant’s heart to see that the whole team and the whole organization need to flourish, not just the part that you've been given a responsibility for.

And also, I want to say you're absolutely right that mentors and leaders played an important role in my story, that in Wycliffe, I was very encouraged to continue to grow. I was very encouraged to continue to invest in my development and given different opportunities. And I believe that all leaders have a responsibility to tend the garden in a way that encourages those under their care to grow into their full potential.

So I had wonderful leaders along the way who invested in my development, gave me the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone, you know, using things like stretch assignments. And they encouraged me to take the next step in leadership each step of the way, even when I wasn't always aware that I was ready for that. They would often give me that push to help me to step into that next space. So now as I think about that with others, I want to think about how I can do that same thing for them and help them to grow.

Al: Yeah. Great observations. You know, we all run into people that have new ideas, but they can't communicate those ideas in a way that the culture can work with it. And very, very insightful thought, there, Jennifer. Yeah, great. Bloom where you're planted, I believe in that. As I work with our indigenous students in Guatemala, who think that the grass is greener in the United States, for example, I talk about bloom where you're planted, tend with excellence, you know, encourage new growth, work towards new things, and help others. I mean, those are just great steps. Yeah, congratulations. And I'm just thrilled with your role.

I've got a new book, as you know, Road to Flourishing, and in it, I talk about factors that create a flourishing workplace, and one of them is uplifting growth. And I'm curious how you create growth opportunities for those you lead, especially given your background, and the ways that you've been able to grow over the course of time. What are your thoughts?

Jennifer: There are several ways that we try to encourage development in our staff here at Wycliffe. We've used 360-degree reviews to help gather feedback, and then use that feedback to make customized development plans. And we especially find that helpful for those we anticipate will move into a higher level of leadership or who've just been promoted, because we want to make sure that they start their role on a strong foundation. And that depth of feedback can really help identify things that could make or break that person in that new level of responsibility.

We also do an annual process of succession planning with our senior leaders, and we do that so that we can identify those that need more immediate development, because, you know, as much as we love every person on our team and they're doing a great job, we never know when God is going to move someone unexpectedly. And so we want to make sure we've got that next person who's ready to step in as it's needed. And also, we want to pay attention to those people who are emerging leaders and make sure that they're receiving additional development and that we can nurture that potential that we see in them.

We also encourage those who show an interest in development to participate in special projects and initiatives that stretch their abilities, help them learn new skills, and ideally showcase their potential to others in the organization. Often, so much about getting tapped to move into a next level of leadership is about being known, being known as someone who has potential, and so finding those ways to elevate the presence of that person so that they can be seen by more leaders within the organization.

And then, we're in the process of building a more robust process around helping people lead themselves, lead others, and lead the organization through training towards specific leadership competencies. And so we’re doing a very thorough dive now and looking at how we make sure that people have all of the different skill sets that they need, no matter what level of leadership they may be serving in.

Al: One of my favorite topics, leadership competencies. That's great.

Well, Jennifer, when you talk about 360s, you know, I love your idea. So when somebody—you've identified somebody, they've been promoted, that's when you provide 360s for people that are really high-potential types. Is that the way you identify them?

Jennifer: It depends. So it depends on the timing. Sometimes if we know that someone's moving towards a promotion, we'll go ahead and do it then, before they would step into the role. And actually, I mean, that's ideal. But sometimes you don't always have that opportunity, and so sometimes it will be one of the first things that we do when somebody moves into that new level of leadership.

Al: Yeah. And I just, for our listeners, I was just at a workshop with about 50 CEOs. And too many times, we use 360s for the wrong purpose, which is to kind of identify problems, not to identify and work with growth opportunities for your potential and future leaders. Yeah. So that's important.

And you talked about an annual process of succession planning, where I'm sure in that process you're also identifying your emerging leaders. Talk a little bit about some of the processes as part of that succession-planning process, if you don’t mind.

Jennifer: Yeah. So we asked each of our senior leaders to bring their suggestions in terms of as they look across the organization, who are those people that could immediately step into the role if anything were to happen? Who are those people that are two to three years out, with the right development, who would be ready? And then, who are those people who are further down the pipeline? Maybe we just don’t even know enough yet, but we think that there’s a seed of something there that could be developed. So depending on where someone falls into each of those categories, then we're looking at how we give them the right kind of development to make sure that they're continuing to move forward in their growth so that when the time comes and the opportunity comes, that they'll be ready.

Al: Yeah. I love that. We call that outstanding talent, where you're not only attracting great people, you're retaining great people, but you're promoting the most highly effective people into key roles. And you can't do that without a great process, like you've described. So that's fantastic.

Well, you know, investing in people really does make a difference in growing a healthy organization. Let's talk about some of the related aspects, you know, teamwork, getting people to work together towards common goals, and so on. And you've already talked a lot about unity and direction. But what are some of the practices that you are finding important in creating a cohesive and highly functioning team?

Jennifer: Well, I'm a big proponent of the Patrick Lencioni approach to building effective teams. So for example, I think it makes a big difference in team effectiveness when you start with people who are that great mix of hungry, humble, and smart. That's ideal when you have that to begin to work with. And similarly, I also consider building trust, learning how to have constructive conflict about ideas, clearly communicating with each other, being accountable to one another, and measuring results together are all extremely important facets of what it looks like to have a team that's working cohesively. I believe that a high-functioning team needs to know one another well, they need to trust each other personally and professionally, and they have to stay moving in the same direction.

And I also think that every person on the team needs to care more about the success of the team and the organization than their individual success. And so this is something that we preach loudly within our executive-leadership team. We do this with our—our vice presidents meet together in what we call our operational-leadership team. And both of those groups work together on strategic planning together. They work together on the effectiveness of their work together. We see all of this as a collaborative effort, because if we're not all succeeding, then we're not succeeding. And so we're continually having those conversations that help us to stay stronger together, build that trust with one another, and then make sure that we're moving in the same direction. And you're not alone, then, because then if you have something that you're wrestling with, you have a whole team around you that can speak into it from their experience and with their ideas. And we're really looking for the success of the whole team, not just the individuals.

Al: Yeah. I love that concept where, you know, when you're in a leadership team, for example, that that's your primary team. It's not your—you’re not just representing—you’re a functional team. You know, you're working together. It's that unity. That’s the focus. Amongst the five keys, or making sure you don't have the five dysfunctions of a team. Patrick Lencioni’s work is very helpful. Yeah, congratulations.

Well, Jennifer, you know, we've learned so much in this conversation. And we've talked about so much about trust and how you're building trust with your leadership team and also between your leaders and staff, how spiritual formation is a key part of that. And again, these are coming to us as much biblical background and biblical worldview experience, and so having that as a key part of the communication. And here we are in this hybrid world, and it's different. And we're coming out of COVID, and being able to be flexible and be able to still have accountability is important. So new processes are some of the things we've talked about. Your core principles of dependance on God, of unity across the body of Christ, service for all, those are good principles for us all to think about as we're doing our work. And, you know, again, so many of these other things. I really appreciate what you talked about with uplifting growth, our term, and how you're doing so much with succession planning, emerging leaders, elevating your high-potential people so that you've got really outstanding talent to take you forward. So this has just been great.

Jennifer, how about, you know, is there anything that you'd like to add that we haven't talked about?

Jennifer: So something I've been thinking about when I got the invitation to join you today on the podcast and just thinking about this idea of a flourishing culture, and I believe that it's no mistake that God has your listeners in the role that they're in today. Each one of us has the opportunity to shape the culture where we work. No matter what type of role or what level of responsibility we have, we can be part of contributing to a flourishing culture in our work and in our relationships with those around us. And so I want to encourage your listeners today to be encouraged that they can make a difference today right where they are.

Al: Amen. I couldn’t agree with that more. You know, people ask us, you know, “Who can impact culture in your organization? Is it just the leaders?” And I say, “No, everybody has a role.” Absolutely right.

Well, Jennifer, thank you so much for your contributions today. And most of all, I appreciate your devotion to making the word of God available in people's heart language so that it will transform the lives of people around the world. We need that now more than ever. Thank you for taking time out in your day to speaking into the lives of so many listeners. Thank you, Jennifer.

Jennifer: Well, it's truly a privilege to play a part in what God is doing around the world in Bible translation and to have had a chance to talk about these aspects of leadership and culture with you today. So thank you so much for having me, Al.

Al: It's been great. Thank you, Jennifer.

Outro: Thank you for joining us on the Flourishing Culture Podcast and for investing this time in your workplace culture. If there's a specific insight, story, or action step you've enjoyed, please share it with others so they can benefit, too. Please share this podcast with friends on social media, and show your support by rating, reviewing, and subscribing wherever you listen.

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