Hinge Moments

In life we have moments in time in which we have an opportunity before us to make a change or to respond to a situation. According to Michael Lindsay, president of Gordon College, what follows these instances will depend intrinsically on the decisions we make and the actions we take. These are what he calls 'hinge moments'-opportunities to open (or close) doors to various pathways of our lives. Lindsay maintains that getting these moments right can change our lives for the better, and getting them wrong can pose problems for years to come: 'Some transitions have a disproportionate impact on our happiness, our contribution to society, and our family's well-being.' In these pages Lindsay shares faith-based stories of success and failure from his ten-year study of 550 PLATINUM leaders. He has charted seven phases of transition, providing both practical and spiritual insights for making the most of each stage. In uncertain and tumultuous times, there is no better advantage than wisdom gained early.

D. Michael Lindsay is president of Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. He previously served as president of Gordon College, in Wenham, Massachusetts. Earlier in his career Lindsay was a member of the sociology faculty at Rice University, where he won multiple awards for both his teaching and scholarly research. Lindsay's Faith in the Halls of Power was nominated for the nonfiction Pulitzer Prize in 2007. His book View from the Top won two awards and has been translated into Chinese and Japanese. Lindsay has lectured on six continents and works tirelessly to create opportunities worldwide for students, faculty, and staff. He earned his PhD in sociology from Princeton University and has graduate theological degrees from Wycliffe Hall at Oxford University and Princeton Theological Seminary.