Curt Dunlop, Director
My Leadership Philosophy/Style
My Leadership Philosophy/Style
My biggest passion in ministry is seeing youth put their trust in Jesus Christ and grow in relationship with Him but Leadership would be a close second.
I believe that the purpose of leadership in the body of Christ is to help those we lead fulfill God's calling in their life. If the calling is adventure based youth ministry in the Northwest, Praise the Lord, we have a good fit. If at some point we realize together that your calling is somewhere else then I want to help you get there as well. I want to see God's people working in their calling rather than trying to keep a person in an environment where they are not called just because we need warm bodies.
My leadership style is highly relational. I care about those who are on the team and try to stay connected with each team member on a regular basis. It is my desire to stay connected with spouses as well and I see them as critical to the function of the team. Each of the spouses knows that they have my ear and can call me with their concerns.
We operate on a team model that requires a high level of trust and commitment. Healthy conflict resolution is very important here and we try to draw conflict out early so that it can be dealt with rather than fester into bigger issues. "Me" and "my" are replaced with "we" and "our" in this team environment. It is understood that we can be far more effective as a team than when operating as a bunch of individuals.
We have a clear chain of command but in the day to day operations we operate more like a group of peers. I do not feel the need to set myself above anyone. The respect that I receive from the team gives me all the authority that I need to lead. Though not normally noticed, the chain of command becomes very evident when we are dealing with risk management or other significant issues.
Areas of ambiguity tend to move decision making up the chain of command so we try hard to manage our ambiguity by continually bringing clarity to roles, responsibility and lines of authority. Responsibility and authority go together. This helps keep decision making where it is most effective.
I am not a micro manager. Because of the high level of trust, commitment, buy in and accountability within the team there is a lot of flexibility and freedom given to team members.
I believe that fun is a key element of an effective team.
Many organizations feel that it is a good goal to have 60% of a staff member's responsibilities fit their strengths and gifting. I believe it should be more like 80% - 90%. This requires a less linear set of responsibilities that each team member must manage and a little more creativity in maintaining clarity between roles and responsibility. I believe having team members operating more in their strength and gifting creates a more committed, confident and effective team as well as a more enjoyable work environment.
I believe that a healthy team will reach more teens for Christ and glorify God.
We are looking for individuals with:
~ a living growing relationship with Jesus Christ
~ a heart set on serving God
~ a teachable spirit
~ a passion for reaching young people for Christ
~ a love of adventure and the outdoors
I ran this document by several team members to see if this is being lived out and they felt that it is.
Curt Dunlop
Director - YD Adventures