04/29/2026
I was asked to expound on why so many nonprofits, churches, and local organizations are stuck today. At local philanthropic event.
This was my response:
The moment you clear out the noise and fill the room with people who show up without being asked, work without being watched, give without needing credit, and build without needing the spotlight, the whole atmosphere shifts. The energy changes. Progress becomes visible. There's a saying: "One real one is worth ten pretenders." Because the glory hound takes up space, the freeloader drains resources, the grandstander creates confusion about who's actually leading, the title chaser slows down decisions, and the deflector kills morale. So, when you remove all that dead weight, the mission moves faster, the team trusts deeper, and the work speaks louder. That's why pruning is necessary - in the garden, in ministry, in nonprofit work, and in organizing. You cannot grow what you refuse to cut. And sometimes the most powerful leadership decision you'll make isn't who you add, it's who you remove. This is why a lot of organizations and movements are stuck - not for lack of resources, but because the wrong people are in the room.
My survey form said I hit the Bullseye 240 times
Satisfactory 100 times
Unsatisfied 0
Neutral 0
I guess the team got the picture.
I also use the hula hoop demonstration where we all had to get through it without breaking the chain together regardless of size.