Above the Line Leadership

Mappings has implemented its own ABOVE THE LINE© leadership model that is successfully serving Christian leaders seeking to faithfully navigate their calling.

Powerful approach to leadership

Mappings has developed a unique and powerful approach to personal and organizational leadership. 

Since 1989, we have used a philosophical framework originally developed by William Frankena, Ph.D. More recently, Mappings has implemented its own ABOVE THE LINE © leadership model that is successfully serving Christian leaders who are seeking to faithfully navigate their calling.

The importance of Leading Above the Line©

We suggest executive leaders spend the vast majority of their energy working “Above the Line”. Over the years, MAPPINGS has observed a strong correlation between leadership teams that give significant consideration to “Above the Line” essentials and organizations that bring consistent, positive, life-giving, missional impact.

Conversely, MAPPINGS has observed how leadership teams that give little consideration to “Above the Line” essentials tend to become the most frustrated (and the most frustrating), resulting in high turnover of staff and volunteers, never-ending destructive conflict, mission drift, and minimal, positive impact.

Above the Line© EMPHASIS

  • Mission Advancement
  • Life-giving Leadership
  • Provisions Rooted in Core Beliefs
  • Clearly Defined Outcomes
  • Motion with Movement
  • Redemptive Conflict

Above the Line© NEGLECT

  • Mission Drift
  • Frustrated Team Members
  • Provisions Borrowed from Others
  • Foggy Outcomes
  • Motion without Movement
  • Destructive Conflict

Above the Line Leadership requires disciplined focus on…

  • Ends (more than Means)
  • Outputs (more than Inputs)
  • Right Things (more than Things Right)
  • Orthodoxy (more than Orthopraxy)
  • Function (more than Form)
  • Advancement (more than Activities)
  • Clarity (more than Creativity)
  • Theory (more than Practice)
  • Qualitative (more than Quantitative)

Below the Line Leadership requires disciplined focus on…

  • Means (more than Ends)
  • Inputs (more than Outputs)
  • Things Right (more than Right Things)
  • Orthopraxy (more than Orthodoxy)
  • Form (more than Function)
  • Advancement (more than Activities)
  • Creativity (more than Clarity)
  • Practice (more than Theory)
  • Quantitative (more than Qualitative)