Join us as we sit down with Ezra Benjamin, the vice president of Global Ministry Affairs at Jewish Voice. Ezra shares insights on cultivating clarity, fostering open communication, and the transformative power of leadership 360s in creating impactful ministry initiatives that resonate at a heart level.
Listen to the Audio
Listen in Apple Podcasts | Listen in Spotify | Listen in Google Podcasts
In this episode:
- Introduction:
- Ezra Benjamin from Jewish Voice discusses their mission and reaching Jewish communities worldwide with the Gospel of Yeshua. (04:18)
- Ministry Amidst Conflict:
- Despite not having direct operations in Israel, Jewish Voice tithes to support partner ministries there. (07:04)
- Ezra details the impact of war in Israel on their ministry and the collaborative efforts with local partners. (07:20)
- Cultivating a Flourishing Workplace Culture:
- Jewish Voice has seen significant improvement in workplace culture using the Best Christian Workplaces’ Employee Engagement Survey. (10:04)
- Ezra highlights the importance of establishing clarity and overcommunicating organizational goals and strategies. (11:44)
- Inspirational Leadership:
- Leaders at Jewish Voice prioritize open and honest communication, especially during challenging times, to engage and inspire their staff. (14:59)
- The organization faced tough decisions during crises but chose transparency and vulnerability, which resulted in increased morale and unity among staff. (15:15)
- Leadership Development:
- Investing in Leadership 360 reviews helps leaders identify blind spots and understand how they are perceived by different levels within the organization. (20:55)
- Ezra emphasizes the importance of honesty in feedback for the effectiveness of the Leadership 360 process. (21:31)
- Leadership Feedback and Growth:
- Ezra shares his experience with receiving constructive feedback from a 360 review, realizing the impact of seemingly minor behaviors on perception. (26:08)
- He emphasizes the importance of being open to feedback and making simple adjustments to improve leadership effectiveness. (27:08)
- Al shares a similar anecdote about a friend using a physical method to track meaningful interactions with staff. (27:26)
- Sustaining High Engagement:
- Ezra discusses how Jewish Voice maintains high employee engagement by aligning staff with the organization's mission at a heart level. (28:42)
- He highlights the significance of overcommunication and setting clear expectations regarding the organization's purpose and employees' roles in fulfilling it. (29:40)
- Preparing for Leadership Transitions:
- Ezra reflects on the succession planning and leadership transition process at Jewish Voice, emphasizing the importance of establishing a cohesive leadership team and sustainable leadership structures. (32:25)
- He underscores the need for organizations to focus on their mission rather than institutional sustainability to remain relevant and impactful. (36:57)
- Cultivating a Flourishing Culture:
- Ezra discusses ongoing efforts to sustain a flourishing culture at Jewish Voice, including building a strong leadership team, focusing on the mission, and resisting complacency. (37:31)
- He encourages long-term commitment to cultural improvement, recognizing that it's a gradual process yielding incremental but significant results over time.
Read the Transcript
Read a complete, word-for-word transcript of the episode
FOLLOW OUR HOST
Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on LinkedIn & Twitter.
Email our host at al@workplaces.org
Best Christian Workplaces : May, 15 2023
Best Christian Workplaces