Author Archives: Israel Galindo

About Israel Galindo

Israel Galindo is Coordinator of the Leadership in Ministry program at the Center for Lifelong Learning, Columbia Theological Seminary. Formerly he was Associate Dean for Lifelong Learning at Columbia Theological Seminary and Dean at the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond.

The Micromanaging Pitfall

Posted on January 27, 2026 by Israel Galindo

The transition from micromanager to effective leader requires conscious effort and sometimes uncomfortable personal growth. But the rewards—a high-performing, innovative team that operates effectively even in the leader’s absence—are well worth the investment. Continue reading →

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How To Tell if Trouble is Brewing

Posted on January 25, 2026 by Israel Galindo

If there’s one thing a leader hates the most it may be getting caught by surprise—getting blindsided, waylaid, sideswiped, or caught unprepared. This pitfall sometimes happens because staff or subordinates tend to be hesitant about sharing “bad news” to their … Continue reading →

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Seven Moral Imperatives of Bowen Family Systems Theory

Posted on January 21, 2026 by Israel Galindo

A moral imperative is a principle or duty that one feels compelled to follow based on ethical reasoning. It represents an obligation to act in a certain way because it is morally right, regardless of personal convenience or consequences. Continue reading →

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Taking a Stand

Posted on July 26, 2019 by Israel Galindo

I thought this was a nicely written piece by Brene’ Brown on Speaking Truth to Bullshit. While the CONTENT is on guns-rights-control—debate, it is the treatment on emotionality, non-critical thinking (ideologies), projection, and b.s. which I find helpful. Substitute the … Continue reading →

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Good lessons here on teaching

Posted on February 6, 2017 by Israel Galindo

https://www.christiancentury.org/article/how-i-teach-theology-undergrads

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Good lessons here on curriculum design

Posted on February 6, 2017 by Israel Galindo

https://www.faithandleadership.com/mats-selen-physics-change?utm_source=NI_newsletter&utm_medium=content&utm_campaign=NI_feature

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Triangle games

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Israel Galindo

The concept of the emotional triangle often is referred to as the “building block” for emotional process dynamics in relationship systems (families, churches, organizations, etc.). Dual relationships (one on one) are difficult to maintain so it does not take long … Continue reading →

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Phrases You Should Never Use Around Church Members

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Israel Galindo

We all have that painful memory of a moment when our emotions got the better of us during a moment of reactivity. As soon as we said those words we regretted them, or, if not immediately, then eventually, as the … Continue reading →

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Your Mother Was Right: Life’s Not Fair

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Israel Galindo

New post on the Perspectives on Congregational Leadership blog: “Your Mother Was Right: Life’s Not Fair (and sometimes you should not be).” A reflection on trying to be fair in an anxious system.

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What makes for an effective leadership team?

Posted on February 10, 2015 by Israel Galindo

Leadership, by its nature, is an isolating enterprise. And while leadership can be a lonely state of being, too many in leadership come to believe that a leader needs to stand apart, and sometimes to stand alone. But effective leadership … Continue reading →

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