Finding Our Place by Attending to Relationships

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 17:50:00 -0500

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When I first started as a seminary librarian with the responsibility to direct a theological library, the dean gave me a mandate: right-size the collection. The library had grown from modest beginnings in the 1820s and was a decade away from its bicentennial. The physical size was over 200,000 bound volumes, including books, periodicals, and special collections. In comparison to other seminaries with similar enrollment, less than 100 students and declining, the library was oversized for the school. While to some it might have appeared a bit overgrown, this was a curated collection of materials to which former professors and students had contributed to over generations. Previous librarians had acquired the personal libraries of important collectors and scholars. It told the story of the school, of the professors who had come before, of the subjects that were taught, and of the viewpoints that were thought important to preserve.

Disrupting Autocracy: Why We Need Attendant Leadership Now

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 15:44:00 -0500

This is the first of an 8-part series on Attendant Leadership theory.

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I was in a committee meeting recently and witnessed a troubling display of leadership. The type of meeting, the people in the room, and even the agenda are not all that important. This could’ve been any meeting, and in fact, I’ve experienced meetings like this before and I will probably experience meetings like this again.

Attendant Leadership on Fosgail

Finding Our Place by Attending to Relationships

Disrupting Autocracy: Why We Need Attendant Leadership Now