Faith to Innovate: 21st Century Tools & Strategies for Leadership Transformation

By Dr. Tecoy M. Porter Sr.

Faith To Innovate: 21st Century Tools & Strategies for Leadership Transformation is tailored made for leaders of any organization who desire to increase their effectiveness by becoming an innovative leader of the 21st Century. Today's reality is the rules have drastically changed. The processes leaders previously used to achieve their objectives are no longer valid and the traditional roles and hierarchical working relationships are no longer effective. The new rules have not only impacted the way we do business, but also our politics, social ideologies, and especially our faith! New times call for new techniques, methods and ideas all of which requires profound faith! Faith to innovate!

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jun 29, 2015
• ISBN: 9781483555157

Book preview

Pastor.

Introduction

My Leadership Journey

’Failing forward’ is the ability to get back up after you’ve been knocked down, learn from your mistake, and move forward in a better direction.

–John Maxwell

Iguess leading came naturally to me being the eldest sibling at home and a preacher’s kid. With my father being an influential pastor, I was expected to follow in his footsteps and be a leader too, in and out of the church - and for the most part I did. In middle and high school I led academically as an honor student, athletically as a captain on my football and basketball teams, and socially over my church’s youth groups and choirs. As a college undergraduate I was a student leader in the African American Student Union, and the Conservatory of Music at the University of Pacific (UOP), Stockton, California. Even after I transferred to California State University of Sacramento (CSUS), I led there in many groups extracurricular and academically in my pursuit of my Bachelors of Arts in Music and Masters in Business Administration. No matter the group or organization, if I was in it, I was bound to lead it.

Once in the workplace, I led groups in the Information Technology field as a trainer, manager, and consultant in a variety of companies in Northern California. Prior to committing to ministry full time I was responsible for overseeing up to 300 Technical Support Specialists for the University of California, Davis. Call it overconfidence, youth, or just plain ignorance – most likely a mixture of all three – leadership seemed to come naturally and easily to me, that is until I became a Pastor.

Greatest Leadership Challenge

My greatest leadership challenge did not come from my secular career, but from the moment I agreed to succeed my father in the ministry and join my brother, Ellington Porter, as a part of the Senior Pastoral team of the Genesis Missionary Baptist Church. This is not to say I haven’t experienced any success pastoring. Actually quite the contrary, after having come to terms with the loss of my father, and being called to the ministry, the majority of my pastoral career was a success according to almost anyone’s standards.

Genesis was already a prominent church in Northern California and very well known across the nation. Due to the wisdom and leadership of my parents, Dr. Robert Porter and Hazel Porter, we inherited an organization with a solid foundation and a sizeable platform. With this head start we organized the construction of the Dr. Robert Porter Center (DRPC), a multi-million dollar, multi purpose family life center in honor of my late father in 2003. It houses our worship services, athletic leagues, and most importantly the various outreach services we provide for our community. Completion of the DRPC was such a significant milestone it not only attracted local press, but national attention with the Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr. as our featured keynote speaker for our grand opening. The new edifice also made Genesis the hot spot for musical events in the Northern CA area featuring Grammy and Stellar Award Winning Gospel Artists Hezekiah Walker, Walter Hawkins, Edwin Hawkins, Forever Jones, Beverly Crawford, the legendary DJ Rogers and many