My Story

It is mid-2019 and I am tired. I am tired most of the time, honestly. Physically. Emotionally. Spiritually. Just tired. I am two years into my position as the Lead Minister of a struggling church in Oklahoma City, and although I have served in various types of leadership positions in my career, something is different this time. Each day I am becoming keenly aware of exactly how much growth I need to pursue -- as a minister, person, and leader.

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I had considered graduate education many times over the years. My wife and I did a year of graduate work at the beginning of our marriage, although we ultimately chose to leave before completion to begin our professional careers. It remained an itch that I wanted to scratch, but I was uncertain about which field to pursue. As a minister, should I continue to study theology? As a speaker, should I study communications? I was unsure, to say the least.

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The answer came (as it often does) in conversation with a trusted friend. "Have you ever considered organizational leadership?" We were having lunch and I was in the middle of unloading a lot of frustration about my job and my exhaustion was, to put it mildly, on full display. "I think you'd enjoy it, and I think it would give you context for a lot of what you're feeling."

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That insight proved to be transformative. I was exhausted because I was working in a dysfunctional organization that needed to operate in healthier ways, but I didn't have the knowledge or language to fully comprehend it. I was tired because I wasn't living up to my potential as a leader and needed help understanding how to effectively lead in a modern organization.

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I began my journey in the MPS in Organizational Leadership program in January 2020, just before the pandemic hit. The initial steps in this program helped me navigate that perilous time, and each step along the way has provided the theoretical knowledge, analytical skills, and critical experience to be a more effective leader and teammate. My perspective on the world has been forever expanded, and I am more committed than ever to being a lifelong learner.

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I have experienced a career change since beginning this program, and more changes in my professional life could be on the horizon. I am supremely grateful for the way this program and Fort Hays University have helped shape the scope of my future and I am confident that the tools I have acquired as a student in the MPS in Organizational Leadership program will serve me well regardless of what lies ahead.