Kiran and Sarah Skariah’s journey through Arrow’s Executive Leaders Program not only developed their personal leadership skills in ministry and careers, it positively impacted their marriage. Their time doing Arrow takes us through a compelling look into how leadership development, spiritual formation and self-discovery intersects in real life.
Kiran entered the Arrow program first, joining in 2021. As Sarah watched Arrow’s impact on him; his growth, confidence, and renewed clarity, she was deeply encouraged. Seeing how beneficial Arrow had been for her husband, and after hearing his positive experience, Sarah decided to join the program herself. She entered Arrow the following year, in 2022.
Entering Arrow From Two Different Worlds
Kiran spent almost a decade in the church pastoral world, serving as a pastor at a local church. Following this, Kiran launched a new not-for-profit ministry called Pastor Scar. This ministry was established to give structure to Kiran’s new focus: reaching people for Jesus online through live streaming and video games.
Kiran explained that the transition from a local church pastor to running a not-for-profit came with its obstacles and knowledge gaps. Arrow was a great way for Kiran to tie in his faith while learning about leading a not-for-profit.
The timing of the program (2021) was in the early stages of forming the organisation, and provided “really helpful things that might be basic to others, but were exactly what I needed at the time,” he explains.
A year later, in 2022, it was Sarah’s turn. At the time, she was one of the youngest leaders in her division at Westpac and felt the weight of navigating leadership whilst incorporating her Christian values and beliefs. Arrow offered her direction in intersecting her Christian belief with her secular leadership role.
Despite their different contexts, both found Arrow to be exactly what they needed to help them grow as leaders.
The Practical and the Spiritual: A Leadership Framework That Works
Both Kiran and Sarah agree that Arrow was helpful because it encouraged them to “think outside of our norm for a moment,” they explain.
While Kiran’s day-to-day activities involved sharing faith, dealing with crises, and creating content, his understanding around not-for-profit structures was missing. Arrow helped frame how Kiran approaches these business frameworks, including simple practicalities like, “keeping your inbox low.”
But for Kiran, the most powerful moments weren’t always in the program sessions. The community and support offered through the Arrow program was greatly felt by Kiran. Kiran’s mentor from Arrow, George Sevitas, continues to be an “incredible external voice” multiple years later.
Kiran shares, “sometimes what I would get from one of our retreats wasn’t even from the session. It was from the conversations over lunch with another peer… and previous to Arrow, I didn’t have anyone in my world that was in that space.”
For Sarah, the breakthrough came through better self-evaluation and understanding:
“The TMS (Team Management Systems Questionnaire) profile was one of those things that was life-changing for me just seeing the results on a page.” She discovered strengths she had undervalued and blind spots she had never identified. It reshaped the way she led her team and challenged her view on leadership.
However, what neither of them expected was how deeply Arrow would shape their life together. Their leadership tools became marriage tools.
Arrow’s Impact on their Personal and Spiritual Development
Arrow didn’t just strengthen their leadership; it strengthened their marriage. Their newfound self-awareness turned into relationship building. Their strengths, once a source of misunderstanding, became complementary. And their communication, once previously clouded by different processing styles, became clearer as they learned how the other thinks, decides, and leads.
Kiran explains their natural differences in processing decisions:
“Sarah would jump to the end game and be like this is what we’re doing. Let’s go. And I would be like, ‘I’m okay with it but how did we get there?’ Like for me, I’m like, ‘take me on the journey’.”
Arrow helped them understand that differing styles of communication can compliment each other and be used to strengthen them as a team and leader.
Another key moment for Sarah was during the conflict management styles session in Residential Two. The session helped her break free from long-held fears around conflict. It was through Arrow that she grew to understand that when it came to conflict she displayed a pattern of ‘turtle mode,’ by closing in when conflict arises; followed by immediately transitioning to ‘fox mode,’ to find the best solution for everyone.
“Having grown up experiencing domestic violence, the big thing was conflict does not equal violence. That was the thing that did not flag in my brain until those sessions,” she shares.
These realisations and personal experiences changed the way they engage at work and at home.
Leadership that is Self-Aware, Connected and Christ-Centred
Kiran and Sarah’s journey with Arrow was a catalyst for a new outlook on their leadership styles and personal growth. They both echo the sentiment that, “the beauty of the Arrow experience is it really kickstarted a whole other level of introspection for us,” Sarah explains.
The intensity of the Arrow experience boosted their introspection to a much higher degree. The couple gained tools, strategies, and practical systems that immediately changed the way they lead. Even more, Arrow helped them communicate better, build trust, and bring grace into their marriage and leadership.
Their story is a reminder that leadership formation is not just about skills; it flows into every aspect of life, including your relationships.
Recent Comments