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Walking on Fire, Rope Exercises, and Collective Intelligence

Team-building sessions have become a yearly ritual in many organizations. They create moments of energy and camaraderie, but they rarely address the deeper conditions that drive sustained team performance. Several years ago, we were invited to propose a team-building session for the finance function of a large telecommunications company. According to the leaders, the team was struggling with serious integrity, performance, and ethical issues. Some staff were under investigation, morale was low, and the proposed solution was a two-day team-building retreat to “motivate employees.” I asked how a team-building session would address problems of that magnitude. The response was candid: “We need time to relax and not think about the office for two days.” When I shared my doubts, a supervisor replied, “You can add whatever else you think we can do, but we don’t want to spend all the time in the classroom.” We were not selected for the assignment. It later became clear that ours may simply hav...
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He Is Not a King Who Passes By

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The crowd that lined the road into Jerusalem on what we now call Palm Sunday was expecting a certain kind of King — one who would ride in on a war horse, scatter Rome, and restore the nation’s glory. What they got was something far more radical: a King on a donkey, with tears in his eyes, who was about to do something that no military campaign could ever accomplish.  Below are five truths shared by  Pastor Julius Rwotlonyo Watoto Church, Kampala, Uganda  on March 29, 2026  One -God keeps His word — every word: The Triumphant Entry did not begin in Jerusalem. It began centuries earlier in the writings of Zechariah, who saw — in precise prophetic detail — a King riding into the city of David, humble, on a donkey. When Jesus made that ride, he was not improvising. He was fulfilling a commitment that heaven had already made on earth’s behalf. This matters more than we often pause to consider. God’s word is not a suggestion, a sentiment, or an aspiration. It is a divine...
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From Content to Application: Lessons in Effective Facilitation

About fifteen years ago, we went to Johannesburg, South Africa, to certify to deliver Franklin Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Franklin Covey is a publicly traded company founded by Dr. Stephen Covey over forty years ago. Franklin Covey route to market is through direct offices (offices managed by Franklin Covey Corporate directly) and international partners – the indirect route – through partners like us. Our firm is CEMM, and we are the exclusive licensees for selected countries in East and West Africa. In this context, we went to South Africa to learn how to operate a Franklin Covey international partner office. The Journey Begins The onboarding process included learning the business operations and how to facilitate content. For a new licensee, our first content was the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. A content, best-selling author, Jim Collins, called “the operating system for personal and interpersonal effectiveness”. According to Jim Collins, managem...
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The Human Element: Why One Act of Care Can Redefine a Customer's Journey

 My recent journey from New York to Kampala, which culminated in me sleeping on the floor of Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, offers a poignant case study in customer experience. It highlights the vast difference between companies that understand and prioritize customer well-being, and those that simply follow protocols. This isn't just a travel anecdote; it's a critical examination of how businesses, particularly in the service industry, can either build unwavering loyalty or erode trust with a single interaction. Twenty-four hours into my journey from New York to Kampala, I found myself sprawled along a corridor at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. My final flight, booked by KLM, wasn't until the following morning—despite earlier, available options. This wasn't just an inconvenience; it was a stark illustration of how quickly a customer journey can unravel when basic principles of empathy and proactive service are ignored. Consider, ...
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The Valley Before the Mountain: God's Process of Preparation

This article was inspired by a sermon delivered by Pastor Andy Moore from Coastline Church, Canada, to the congregation at Watoto Church, Kampala, Uganda. I encountered this inspiring message about 1 Kings 17 and 18 during a morning walk through the beautiful trail adjacent to Port Mercer and the Bridge Tender House in Princeton. We measure spiritual growth by visible outcomes in our fast-paced, results-driven world. We want to see the fruits of our faith work immediately—the answered prayers, the ministry successes, the personal breakthroughs. Yet throughout Scripture, we find a consistent pattern: before God produces fruit through His servants, He first leads them through a season of preparation. This divine process often involves waiting, isolation, and even apparent setbacks—a journey through the valley before ascending the mountain. Elijah at the Brook Cherith: The Formation of a Prophet Few biblical narratives illustrate this principle more vividly than the story of Elijah in 1 K...
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