No turnaround can divorce entirely from the organization’s past, nor should it. As Dr. Rutland points out, the challenge is to honor the past but not be in bondage to it. He points out that the attempt to re-create a “golden era” is doomed, as is the effort to deny the more difficult realities of an organization’s history. Sometimes some tough negotiations lead the way forward. Using the athletic program at a university where he served as President, Dr. Rutland deals with this tension.

So much teaching about turnaround leadership is theoretical. Dr. Rutland explains that theory will only take you so far before the wall of reality can be the crash point. What exactly does the turnaround leader do? Dr. Rutland answers out of 53 years of leadership experience, especially in three major turn arounds.

In this episode, Dr. Rutland explains how servant leadership impacts the success of a turnaround. He says servanthood lubricates the gears of management. Without it, they grind against each other and may even grind to a halt. In the intensity and crisis of turnaround leadership, never can fray and tempers flare. Servanthood is the heart of true leadership, especially in a turnaround.

In this episode, Dr. Rutland deals with the reality that the turnaround leader faces personal challenges of growth and development. Every challenge is both an opportunity and a challenge. Some of such challenges can be extremely intimidating—the more daunting the challenge, the greater the possibility of personal growth.

Turnarounds are among the most difficult of all leadership challenges. In this episode, Dr. Rutland speaks to why some attempts succeed, and others fail. There are particular skills unique to turnarounds and, even more importantly, indispensable attitudes.

Easter is, without a doubt, the greatest of all Christian Holy Days. It marks the celebration of the resurrection of Christ and is the most important day in the Christian church calendar worldwide. In this episode, Dr. Rutland deftly guides us from theology to the meaning of the resurrection in the everyday life of the believer and, in fact, in the death of the believer. 

In this fascinating and insightful episode, Dr. Rutland explores the differences between two types of growth; organic and engineered. Each has pluses and minuses. Some of the differences may surprise you.

Servant leadership is a hot topic among those who teach leadership. Even so, there remain many misconceptions about what it is and definitely about what it is NOT. In this episode, Dr. Rutland delves into the topic of servant leadership with down to earth practicality and good humor. If you are a leader of any kind, parent, pastor, or CEO, don’t miss this one.

In this challenging but intriguing episode, Dr. Rutland speaks to the issue of “evil speaking” or, as it is said in Hebrew, Lashon Hara. From gossip to making a false accusation, reviled speaking damages lives, reputations, marriages, and careers, yet many never stop to consider the wounding power of Lashon Hara.

One question Biblical counselors are frequently asked is, if inner healing is really Biblical, why didn’t Jesus do it. Dr. Rutland’s surprising answer is, He did. Using the Biblical story of the restoration of a failed New Testament saint, Rutland paints a powerful picture of the grace and process of inner healing.