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I’ve written before about organizational integrity, one of the four critical components we’ve identified in healthy organizations.   But let me offer a real-life example.   The Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical company is a humongous  corporation, with reported revenues of $89 billion in 2025. Their reputation has taken some serious—and deserved—hits over the last couple of decades, from consumer fraud settlements to ongoing lawsuits regarding the link between their baby powde

“It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.”     Oft attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, this quote exemplifies the activistic nature of passionate leaders: sometimes you just need to do something. Anything.     It’s hard to steer a car when it’s not moving.   This doesn’t sound very spiritual, but often people just want to see their church or organization doing somethi

When my dad died at 56, I had a hard time sleeping.    It wasn't over my own sense of loss, but the sadness of thinking of my mom going to bed alone after decades of marriage.   I kept thinking of how strange and disorienting her deep aloneness must have felt. Perhaps it was a psychogenetic connection? Regardless, it affected me for many months.   Or maybe it was simply empathy.   Too bad, because in the last few years, empathy has taken a beating. Much of that criticism has

The goal of these posts is to offer pragmatic help to leaders of churches and nonprofits.    I have been fascinated by leadership models and organizational constructs for decades.   But here’s the reality: every situation and context is different. There is no "one size fits all" when it comes to leadership. For instance…   My history is an amalgam of widely varied experiences. I began as a musician, playing in cover bands in dive bars before I could even drive. I once played

And now for something different.   This is a prayer/poem for all followers of Jesus, but especially for we leaders who are in a hurry to run fast and far.   The Kite    Here in the closet, discarded and still, I am the kite of winterkill. Wanting no more but currents to sail, Buried in tangles of string and tail. But oh! Come the day when the April wind Is high, the door opens and light screams in. Yanked from my corner and scattering dust, My arms stretched taut to catch eac

© The Peaceable Kingdom | John August Swanson The mission of these posts is to offer practical help for leaders of churches and nonprofits—addressing a need we’ve identified as “organizational discipleship.”    When I led a church, I welcomed any resource that could make me a better leader, from outside consultants and mentors to conferences and books on personal development. I owned dozens of leadership volumes.   However, the challenge in writing these articles today is the

James Alison—a British theologian and Catholic priest whom I may not always agree with—made an interesting comment on a podcast several years ago.    I stumbled across it in the book Cross Purposes by Jonathan Rauch.   When asked to summarize in three sentences what Jesus was trying to teach us, Alison responded with three tenets:   "I think the first one would be ‘Do not be afraid.’ . . . The second one would be, ‘Imitate me.’ And the third one would be, ‘Forgive each other

Back when I was pastoring, a professional poker player attended our church regularly.     He had won national championships and various World Series of Poker events.   One weekend he caught me between services and asked, “Hey Dave, what do you think about gambling?”   “Depends on what you think about tithing,” I responded.   Okay, I agree it was flippant. And I do have some thoughts about gambling, including the oft-repeated line, “State lotteries are a tax on stupid.”   I do

I am a product of the Jesus Movement that swept across the U.S. in the early 1970s.   Many of my generation felt betrayed by how our elders and government responded to the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, the corruption of the Nixon/Agnew administration, women’s liberation, and other societal fissures.   Timothy Leary’s “tune in, turn on, drop out” mantra seemed reasonable in light of our disillusionment with institutions that appeared blind to the inevitable course of

Some years ago, we expanded our work into the faith-based nonprofit space.   The origin story of The Elemental Group was initially focused on churches, particularly those that didn’t have the resources to engage with consultancies that larger churches had.   And that’s what we did for years.   Then, at one point, a megachurch asked us to help assess the health and effectiveness of the dozens of nonprofits they supported financially. What’s more, could we not only survey and a

My friend Jim Henderson turned me on to a Substack from an astute Gen Z economics-whiz and author named Kyla Scanlon .  In This Economy? How Money and Markets Really Work ; Penguin Random House 2024   I’ve since seen her on several national interviews helping to make sense out of the economy in a way that my IQ points can handle.   Plus, I think she’s a Jesus-follower. And, by the way, from Kentucky, my country of origin. And believe me, it’s a country.   Anyway, she recent

Many decades ago, I spent some time writing down some personal mantras that I wanted to live by as a leader.    It was sort of a “leadership affirmations” list, but it meant more to me than a daily confession; I wanted to think through what would guide my life and behaviors as a leader.   I limited myself to five .   Why five? No reason.   I just find that I like to force arbitrary parameters that constrain me to consider what the  most important  items are in whatever I’m wr

The recent news of Christian author Philip Yancey’s affair hit me hard.    For decades, I’ve loved and appreciated his writing.   Nearly thirty years ago, I remember reading What’s So Amazing About Grace?  and being struck by Yancey’s honesty and helpful reevaluation of why grace seemed supplanted by the much easier operation of legalism. In elegant, simple prose, he questioned why Christians were known more for what they were against rather than the beauty and power of undes

Say goodbye to 2025—thank you.   What a seismic year of cultural, political, and spiritual shifts.   Regardless, I find myself at the end of each year feeling a tension between reflection and visioning.   That is, thinking about the past year: What was challenging? Where did I see God move? When did I miss something important? What brought a moment of playfulness? Of resolution?   And then I wonder about the future: What changes do I want? Where do I see my heart leaning? How

As quickly as it came, it even more quickly left.   The phrase became a cryptic puzzle for all those older than a tweener: “6/7”. Middle school teachers were perplexed by what caused snickers when it was uttered inadvertently. While everyone beyond fifteen was trying to decipher its meaning, the fact that something actually meant nothing was part of the joke. Or as one young girl put it, “No offense to adults, but I think they always want to know what’s going on.”   In nation

I wrestled with writing this post—for two reasons.    First, it’s kind of a downer.   Sorry.   After all, this is the start of a new year with fresh possibilities and resolutions.   Second, in our politically polarized culture, I try to avoid any political inference. With our 24/7 news cycle and suffocating socials, we get enough negativity.   But these posts are also leader-centric, exploring every aspect of healthy, integrous leadership. And this is an honest example of a f

It’s that time of year again.    As of the date this is posted, there are only fifteen shopping days left until Christmas.   Sorry. I feel your pain.   Last night my wife and I were chowing down on Torchy’s tacos and talking about leadership. She said, “At this time of year, you should write something about ‘The Best Gift a Leader Can Give’.”   Dang. I loved the idea because it also reminded me of a question I posted on the socials years ago.   I once asked, “If you ever had

Nonprofit success often hides leader collapse. 45% of executives face burnout. Leadership support is not a luxury—it’s an essential investment in the mission.

As we close on November, let’s think about Thanksgiving in a different way.   Recently in a conversation with a church leader, he brought up some difficult questions he was wrestling with because of crushing circumstantial challenges.   As with most of us, our theological and doctrinal certainties are shaken and tested when experiences in life force us to reconfigure our belief systems. This level of deconstruction is helpful when it causes us to reconstruct in ways that reta

A few weeks ago on X, Pope Leo XIV posted a simple call for responsible action from Silicon Valley power brokers.   He wrote:     “Technological innovation can be a form of participation in the divine act of creation. It carries an ethical and spiritual weight, for every design choice expresses a vision of humanity. The Church therefore calls all builders of #AI to cultivate moral discernment as a fundamental part of their work— to develop systems that reflect justice, solida

Recently, I was asked to lead a cohort of mainline pastors who wanted to explore experiencing more of the Holy Spirit’s work in their congregations.   They lead churches that are primarily traditional and somewhat liturgical.  I had been individually coaching them when they began asking questions regarding the Holy Spirit—perhaps because of my pastoral background—and whether I might offer some resources. I suggested we meet as a cohort and investigate together.   I bought eac

I am an unabashed fanboy of Wikipedia.   I even throw a little support money at it from time to time. It’s my go-to when I first want to know a little something about anything. If you want an insider’s story of Steve Jobs and peek into his psyche, read Issacson’s book. But if you want an overview and some basic facts, Wikipedia is your jam. Its mission is simple: to make the sum of all human knowledge freely available to every person in the world.   But full confession: I’m a

Recently, on the news show 60 Minutes, Cecilia Vega interviewed mentalist Oz Pearlman.   Pearlman’s act is spookily entertaining: he reads people’s minds. He randomly asks people in his audience to think of a question that no one could possibly know the answer to, as he did with Vega. She asked him, “Who was my third grade teacher who had a paddle above the classroom door?”   He answered correctly, completely freaking her out.   The act is stunning—you’d be convinced that so

Decades ago, Nobel Prize winner Roger Sperry posited the “left brain/right brain” theory in neuroscience.      Since then, research has revealed that the brain is more complex and not so binary.   Still, there remains some support for Sperry’s original premise: generally, the left hemisphere of the brain is more verbal, analytical, and linear, while the right hemisphere tends to be more creative, visual, and intuitive.   In the 1990s, neuroscientists and psychologists began t