The column "Leadership Whiteboard" provides a short visual leadership coaching moment. It introduces and explains a new sketch in each issue, provides leadership coaching for further development, and shares a leadership quote and recommended book.

Framing and Reframing Ideas

Placing a work of art in a lousy frame draws attention to the wrong point. A beautiful frame always highlights the painting and causes the onlooker to ponder the artist’s intention. Many types of leaders can benefit from framing or reframing: pastors delivering biblical concepts, business leaders casting vision, managers helping employees focus, and parents talking to their kids.

Just like people wrestle with the right frame, mat, color, and size, a good communicator spends a similar amount of time developing an illustration or story. Christ modeled framing in many of His visual parables. He described the sower with four types of soil, faith growing like a mustard seed, and yeast’s influence. While Jesus communicated brilliantly, one warning for us is to remember proper reframing of an idea brings attention to the art, not the frame. A pastor’s illustration should illuminate Scripture and the Savior rather than his own creativity.

Parents use framing and reframing in teachable moments, so their kids can connect. A few years ago, talking to a teenager who was listening to downloaded music on her iPod, I asked where she got her music. She replied, “I downloaded it free from a file-sharing site.” As a publisher, I knew the music was illegal, not paying any royalties to the writers or musicians, so I asked her if it was wrong.

She replied, “It’s wrong, but there’s no way I can afford all these songs.”

I reframed her reply and said, “Did you know our Founding Fathers also knew owning slaves was wrong but justified it because plantation owners could not afford to pay all of them?”

Her eyes widened as she realized she had no justification. Reframing the idea helped her with the issue. A lecture on intellectual property rights would have fallen on deaf and bored ears. This same story could reframe the theft some Christians justify: photocopying books, software, and choir music for “Kingdom use.”

Spurgeon, Edwards, and other greats incorporated stories, illustrations, and visuals to connect with their congregations. John Bunyan understood the power of framing salvation, justification, sanctification, and discipleship in his best-selling Pilgrim’s Progress. You can draw from published illustrations, books, news items, or your own life. Frame the idea but keep the original teachable concept as the focal point.