In academia, there are very strict rules regarding citing sources of information. Not only does it help to know where the information comes from for the purposes of clarity, consistency and accuracy, but, enforcement of the rules ensures that we give credit where credit is due; minimizes plagiarism and keeps us honest.

We need to be just as careful in or churches and community-based organizations and with elected officials and other influencers. Over the years, I’ve seen leaders in these arenas take credit for work they didn’t do, in one form or fashion. Some of these actions are unintentional and reflect lack of knowledge and understanding of laws and customs around intellectual property and giving credit where credit is due. They honestly get so caught up in “the work”, that they don’t focus on such matters as citing sources, and all that goes with it.

In other cases, the actions are deliberate, and include things like intentionally omitting people’s names from reports, plagiarizing presentations and adopting programs and initiatives designed by others without attribution. Sadly, I have seen some people who derive some sort of satisfaction over the fact that they have taken other people’s ideas and implemented them without including the person or organization that came up with the idea, or even acknowledging their role.

I am finding that, just because people are mission-driven and love the community, does not…