Category Archives: Leadership

Posted on

Obedience From A Weak Position!

by

If you have been in business long, you have likely found yourself in a weak position from time to time. Maybe key personnel left for other opportunities or a new competitor came onto the scene. Whatever the case, you knew your organization was vulnerable.

What if God asked you to do something right then that could potentially wreck your fragile situation? Would obedience be easy for you?

Fragile Situation

Years ago, I had a key, long-term member of our company’s executive leadership team come to me and resign. His reasons were valid and I supported his decision even though I did not want him to leave.

Posted on

Are You Unleashing Your Unfair Advantage in Business?

by

[Today’s post is written by Dr. Jim Harris. He is a friend of mine that also writes about the Christian faith in the world of business and leadership. He has a new book that launches this week. It is called Our Unfair Advantage: Unleash the Power of the Holy Spirit in Your Business. I encourage you to learn more about what Jim has to say in this book…read on!]

Believers in business have an unfair competitive advantage that few realize and even fewer use. This advantage is based upon how you answer one critical question: What Leads You?

Posted on

5 Often-Overlooked Truths for Christian Business Leaders

by

Christian business

The days get faster and faster.. Deadlines and headaches rush at us at a high rate of speed. We do well just to survive to fight another day, right? It is in this kind of environment that Christian business owners or leaders can get so busy and we forget some key truths about our ministry. Hopefully, this post will remind you of some ideas you need to revisit.

Christian Business Leader Truths

1. You must live by example and to a higher standard.

As the owner or leader of a Christian business, you are the example to follow, whether you like it or not. You are the head of the business and your employees are going to look to you for the example. What do they see?

Posted on

Who Do You Teach First?

by

Assume for a moment that you only have enough tuition money to engage a teacher for yourself OR for your children. What do you do? If you are a Christian business leader, this same question could apply to you OR your employees. Who do you teach first?

teach

Teach Yourself First

In his book, Thou Shall Prosper: Ten Commandments for Making Money, Rabbi Daniel Lapin refers to Deuteronomy 11:19 to give us the answer.

Posted on

The Slowest Way To Build A Reputation

by

Whether you are trying to run a business or build a subscriber base for your blog, reputation is something that concerns you. It is no secret that a good reputation increases your likelihood of success in either situation. What is too often forgotten is that when you really need the good reputation, it is most likely too late to build it.

Posted on

Handling Sin In The Camp – Part 2

by

There is no real question as to why business, as an industry, is seen by much of the general public as less than trustworthy. So many business leaders are more interested in power, wealth, or winning than they are in doing the right thing when crisis hits. As Christian business owners and leaders, we are called to a higher standard. We are called to deal with the sin in the camp, regardless of the potential consequences.

sin in the camp

Sin In The Camp – Part 1

In my last post, we looked at how Joshua performed in a tough situation. If you missed that post, it would be helpful to go back and read it first. In that post, I took you through the first three of six steps for dealing with sin in the camp:

    1. Set Clear Guidelines
    2. Stay Close To God
    3. Trust God’s Provision

Today, I want to cover the last three steps. Hopefully, you can then see the actions Joshua took and how we can apply them to our current business situations. I would love to hear your thoughts on these steps in the discussion area at the end of the post.

Step 4 – Identify Sin In The Camp

Early on the morning after the defeat at Ai, Joshua got up and began the process of determining who among the Israelites had violated the covenant with God by taking the sacred items (Joshua 7:16-23). He followed God’s instruction to the letter and the guilty party, Achan, was selected. He quickly confessed to his crime.

When we face situations like this, we likely will not have specific instructions from God on how to select the guilty. At the same time, it is clear we are to investigate and dig until we find the truth.

Waiting it out or hoping someone will come forward on their own – these are not viable methods. We must be proactive if we expect to find the truth. We must see the urgency and dig in.

Step 5 – Act Immediately

After narrowing the search down to Achan and hearing his confession, Joshua acted. He did not hesitate. He did not waffle. He did not try to rationalize Achan’s actions. He simply acted (Joshua 7:24-25).

While the punishment was severe and extensive (including Achan’s family), I don’t see that to be the point of what we should learn here. In a business environment, we are not going to stone the guilty. At the same time, our commitment to our core values is on display in these moments.

If your core values include integrity, honesty, truth, or other similar ideals, then dealing decisively with violations of these values is not optional. Clearly, you must weigh the violation and determine the appropriate discipline. Just remember that others are watching to see how your scales work. How “core” are your values?

Step 6 – Remember

The crisis was over and the Israelites were likely ready to move on. The Promised Land was ahead of them! However, this is when Joshua’s leadership stands out even more. In Joshua 7:26, we see that the Israelites erected a large pile of rocks over the body of Achan.

This was not simply a grave. This act was in addition to the norm. This was an act of remembrance. In fact, the place was known going forward as the Valley of Trouble. Joshua wanted to make sure that Achan’s actions were remembered and not repeated.

I don’t see us putting up a plaque on the wall to commemorate a dishonest manager and his termination. I do, however, think that we need to follow Joshua’s thought process. We need to figure out the best way for us (and those we lead) to remember how crucial our core values are to our success.

Constant communication about our core values is a must. Talk with new hires about real consequences of infractions. Don’t let the memory of the crisis completely disappear.

Summary

This can be a tough passage to read due to the extreme punishment delivered. Don’t let that keep you from learning from Joshua and his handling of the crisis. If you read on past this passage, you will see the continued success of the Israelites against Ai and other cities.

God honored their faithful elimination of the sin in the camp. He will do the same for us if we will learn and apply the wisdom found here. He is faithful.

What other advice would you offer someone facing sin in the camp?

Which of these 6 steps is toughest for you?

Are you prepared to effectively address sin in the camp?

Posted on

Sin In The Camp – 6 Steps To Deal With It

by

You are a Christian business owner or leader and you are suddenly confronted with an ugly truth about your business. It appears there is “sin in the camp” and you are not sure how to deal with it. You want to do the right thing, but that is not always easy to determine. How do you deal with it?

sin in the camp

Sin In The Camp

In the book of Joshua, chapters 6-7, we read about Joshua leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. First, there is the miraculous defeat of the mighty city of Jericho. Spirits among the Israelites are high until they are subsequently defeated by a much weaker city of Ai. What happened? Why the reversal of fortune?

It turns out someone among the Israelites had broken the covenant God had made with them during the attack on Jericho. As a result, God left them to their own against Ai and they were sorely defeated. Now, the morale of the people has fallen and they are scared to death.

Learning From Joshua

Joshua is the (fortunate?) one that God has given the task of replacing Moses as leader of the Israelites – a TOUGH job! How does he handle this similar situation? What can we learn from him?

I encourage you to read the whole account on your own, beginning with Joshua 6:1 and ending with Joshua 7:26. There is much more to learn from this passage, but I have broken Joshua’s actions into the following 6 steps that I believe we can apply to our current business challenges.

Step 1 – Set Clear Guidelines

There is no grey area in Joshua’s instructions to the Israelites prior to the attack on Jericho. In Joshua 6:17-19, he clearly tells them what is to be done with the city, its inhabitants, and and everything in it once the city is in their hands. The sin that followed was not due to misunderstanding!

We must do the same in our businesses. It is our responsibility as the leaders to make sure the rules and expectations are clear to everyone. New hires must receive clear instruction regarding your policies or they cannot be held accountable to them. Everyone must know our guidelines if we expect them to comply!

Step 2 – Stay Close to God

Joshua did not receive instruction from God and then run off on his own to carry it out. He remained close to God. As soon as he learned of the defeat at Ai, Joshua fell before God in submission (Joshua 7:6-10). He did not know the reason for the defeat, but he knew he had to seek God first. God answered by telling Joshua there was sin in the camp.

Our response must be similar. Don’t get caught up in the fact that Joshua had such an obvious defeat that clued him in to the trouble. Instead, recognize that Joshua had remained so close in his walk with God that his very first reaction was to seek God’s face.

Joshua did not question his general about strategy or even question his own decision to send a smaller force of 3,000 men. He went straight to God as an instinctive reaction. If we are in close communion with God, our instincts will be similar.

Step 3 – Trust God’s Provision

In Joshua 7:10-12, God tells Joshua about the sin in the camp. He makes it clear that He will no longer be with the Israelites unless the sin is removed. At this point, Joshua does not hesitate. He does not look for other options. He acts decisively when he delivers the instructions to the Israelites (vv. 13-15).

I don’t know what Joshua could have feared when making this decision, but I know how these kinds of decisions have affected me. When I have caught wind of impropriety in our business, fear has often flooded my mind. Will an investigation lead to a top performer? Will I be forced to terminate someone that is critical to our success?

Joshua may have had similar fears, but he acted anyway. He trusted that his provision was only from God. We must have the same trust in God. If the removal of sin in the camp causes the loss of a top performer, then we have to trust that God will make up the difference. He is faithful.

Stay Tuned!

In my next post, we will cover the final 3 steps for dealing with sin in the camp. I hope that you can see the business application of this passage. Again, I encourage you to read it on your own and see how it speaks to you. I think you might be surprised at what you find!

Have you experienced sin in the camp with your business?

How did you deal with it?

What would you do differently next time?

Posted on

9 Simple Hacks For Better Leadership Perspective, Part 2

by

As Christian business owners and leaders, we need to have a clear perspective on what is going on around us. If we do not know where we are personally strong or weak, then we will not be able to effectively lead our team or company. The question is how to best gain that perspective!

perspective

Improved Perspective

In my last post, I went through the first four simple “hacks” that will help you gain the perspective you need on your own leadership style, strengths, and weaknesses. Today I want to go through the last five. My prayer is that you are inspired to implement at least a few of these hacks so you can continue to improve as the leader God called you to be.

As I did in my last post, I will warn you! When anyone tells you something is simple, don’t assume it is easy! There is a big difference! I have these 9 “simple” (not easy) hacks for anyone that is committed to seeing themselves more clearly for the purpose of being a better leader. Gaining perspective in these ways is not complicated, but neither is it easy. You are warned!

Not Easy Or Fool-Proof

I will also remind you that none of these “hacks” are fool-proof. None give the entire picture. None can be relied on by themselves. We need a minimum of two or three of these views if we want any semblance of the truth! Take a look at each and determine which will work best for you.

Keep in mind, you may not like what you hear from some of them. In some cases, you will need to face feedback that is difficult to hear. In other cases, you may need to exclude feedback that may be contaminated with less-than-pure motives. You have to be the judge of which is which…or you could get some help with that as well!

#5 – 360 degree survey

A 360 degree survey is one completed by those who answer to you, those who you answer to, and those on your same level. If you are at the top of your org chart, then you can go outside of your organization to those you feel have enough information to answer in a helpful way.

Setting this one up is the key. Those who answer to you (or think they might one day) are not inclined to give you criticism if they fear retribution or damage to the relationship. They MUST be in a safe position with you before you will get any honest feedback from them.

#6 – 3rd Party Assessments

These assessments (personality, strengths, emotional iq, etc.) are worth their weight in gold! They can give you insights into what makes you tick and why you behave the way you do. Prepare to be wowed as you are trained in how to read and interpret these assessments.

Tip: don’t do them all at once. Take one at a time and learn about that one. Implement the changes recommended over time before you move on to the next one. If you ignore this advice, prepare to be overwhelmed.

#7 – Your Spouse

You had to know I would include your spouse! For many, this one can be the toughest. Unfortunately, the reason for this is the dangerous lack of transparency most people experience with their spouse.

If you can handle it, ask your spouse for his or her honest opinion about a struggle you are having with someone at work. See if they can tell you what it is about you that might be contributing to the problem. There is gold in this source of perspective as well, but there may need to be some serious time spent in prep work first!

#8 – Your Children

Obviously, this source of perspective has its limitations. Depending on the age of your children, it may not yet be possible for them to offer you leadership perspective. At the same time, you may be surprised at what they can offer.

Build a relationship with them that gives them the freedom to be honest with you. The way they see things may shock you with its wisdom. Give it a shot! What do you have to lose?

#9 – Bible Study & Intimate Prayer Time

I saved this one for last because it may be the most difficult to execute. If you are great at studying the Bible and diving right into intense prayer about what you have read, then you are already experiencing the perspective gained here. If not, this is a practice you will have to work at over a period of time.

While it may not come quickly, when you do get the hang of it, you will be blown away at the effectiveness of this method. God is faithful and will teach you as much as you are willing yo learn about yourself. You are the only limiting factor in this method!

What else do you do to gain perspective?

Which of these have you used? Share your experience!

Which of these would be the toughest for you?

17 Biblical Principles

What Would You Invest to Have 50 Biblical Mentors?

Imagine what it would cost to sit down to lunch with more than 50 different leaders to glean their wisdom for life.

  • What would it cost you to travel to more than 50 locations?
  • How much would you pay for hotels and food?
  • What scheduling headaches would you encounter trying to make it happen?

Your costs would easily run into the thousands of dollars if you could pull it off at all. But 17BPS has done it for you.

Now you can have all this wisdom delivered when it is convenient for you for only a fraction of the cost.

Click HERE to learn more!

Posted on

9 Simple Hacks For Better Leadership Perspective

by

Warning: when anyone tells you something is simple, don’t assume it is easy! There is a big difference! I have 9 “simple” (not easy) hacks for anyone that is committed to seeing themselves more clearly for the purpose of being a better leader. Gaining perspective in these ways is not complicated, but neither is it easy. You are warned!

perspective

Coaching Perspective

In his devotional book, The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge, former professional football coach Tony Dungy describes how coaches watch a lot of game films to critique past execution and develop future strategy. In doing so, he always made sure he was watching the game film that had been recorded by two different cameras – one set at a mid point on the sidelines of the field and the other between the goalposts at the end of the field.

He described how the goalpost camera had some advantages, but would not allow him to see yardage gained or lost like the sideline camera would. The sideline camera also had advantages, but would not give perspective on the spacing of his players like the goal post camera would. With only one perspective or the other, too much information is missing. True performance assessment is impossible and good decisions cannot be made without both perspectives.

Leadership Perspective

The same is true about you and me as leaders. Quite simply, we must not trust our own perspective as our only gauge of our performance or effectiveness. There is just too much missing from our perspective to rely on it as our only source. Instead, we must seek out other perspectives if we want a clear, honest picture.

Below, I have listed nine different ways that you and I can gain perspective on how well we are (or are not) doing as leaders in our homes, businesses, and communities. None of these “hacks” are fool-proof. None give the entire picture. None can be relied upon by themselves.

Just like the multi-camera game films, we need a minimum of two or three of these views if we want any semblance of the truth! Take a look at each and determine which will work best for you.

Simple, Not Easy

Keep in mind, you may not like what you hear from some of them. In some cases, you will need to face feedback that is difficult to hear. In other cases, you may need to exclude feedback that may be contaminated with less-than-pure motives. You have to be the judge of which is which…or you could get some help with that as well!

#1 – Coach or Mentor

A coach or mentor is someone likely older than you that has more experience and wisdom than you in certain areas. You meet regularly with them on certain topics and pick their brain, learning from their wisdom.

If set up correctly, this relationship will bring to the surface some areas where you need to improve. If you are willing to be open to this person, you can get great perspective and advice from them. Finding the right person(s) for this relationship can be tough. Accepting what they say might be tougher!

#2 – Accountability partner

This person is likely closer in age (though its not necessary) and might be in a similar stage of life as you are. Meeting on a regular basis, you share victories and struggles. You hold each other accountable to commitments you have made together.

Again, openness and transparency with this person is the key. If you give them permission to call you out on anything they see, you gain the most perspective. This is the only way you max your odds of growing as a result of this relationship!

#3 – Peer Group

These groups are usually centered around a common theme. Some are based on age of children. Others are business-based. Small Bible study groups also fall into this category.

In the regular meetings, everyone shares what they are learning and how they are struggling. Through this process, members get to know each other well and are able to give each other perspective that can’t be found elsewhere.

#4 – Employee survey

Unlike the first three hacks, an employee survey is more likely something you would do once every 6-12 months, depending on the need at the time. Spend time on the questions and make sure you include some that get to the heart of the perspective you are seeking.

Sure, some of the results might not be dead-on, but you should gain perspective from the overall results and the trends over several iterations of the survey. Tip: don’t completely ignore the outlier results. Dig to determine whether or not there is something in your leadership that is helping to create the feelings represented.

To Be Continued!

Once again, I have run out of room in this post! Rather than making it one that you stop reading due to its length, I have broken it into two posts. In my next post, I will go over the remaining five hacks for better leadership perspective. I hope you are eager to see what they are!

Are you currently using some of these hacks?

Do you value the additional perspective you gain from them?

Do you lack the perspective you need? How will you change this?

17 Biblical Principles

What Would You Invest to Have 50 Biblical Mentors?

Imagine what it would cost to sit down to lunch with more than 50 different leaders to glean their wisdom for life.

  • What would it cost you to travel to more than 50 locations?
  • How much would you pay for hotels and food?
  • What scheduling headaches would you encounter trying to make it happen?

Your costs would easily run into the thousands of dollars if you could pull it off at all. But 17BPS has done it for you.

Now you can have all this wisdom delivered when it is convenient for you for only a fraction of the cost.

Click HERE to learn more!

Posted on

What Do You Do With The Interruption?

by

Business is busy. That may seem obvious, but for anyone in a leadership position in business, it can be a big problem. We are always working on something. Some projects require very little focus from us. Others require our complete attention. That is usually when the interruption comes, right?

interruption

Forms Of Interruption

For me, this “interruption” could come in the form of a customer asking a simple question. It could be an employee that needs clarification on a process. Maybe it is phone call from a vendor that needs my authorization on an expenditure.

Interruptions can come in many shapes and sizes. When we are intently focused on getting something important done, how do we handle the interruption? I am not really asking about your manners or patience with the cause of the interruption.

The Bigger Question

The question I am asking is much bigger than that. We all know that we should be gracious and approachable when interrupted. That’s not my point.

The real question is more about your mindset regarding the interruption. In fact, I am actually asking about the bigger interruptions in your plans. To be more clear, let’s look at an example from Scripture.

Paul’s Interruption

Paul is on a mission. He has been called by God to take the gospel to the Gentiles. Anyone who has read any of his letters in the New Testament would agree that he was focused on this mission. Nothing deterred him from accomplishing the mission.

Then we read in Philippians 1 that Paul has been put in jail. Imagine that you are in his sandals and you have this mission in front of you. This is a big “project” with huge ramifications for those you seek to teach about this gospel. Then you find yourself in jail…for no real good reason! How could this happen?

How Would You See It?

Would you see THIS as an interruption? Would you get frustrated at the injustice and start trying to figure out how to escape? Would you lose focus on the overall goal and become preoccupied with your circumstances?

What did Paul do? Well, he uses the time wisely and continues to accomplish the mission God gave him. He does this in several ways.

Paul’s Response

First, he uses the time to write four letters to various churches (and one individual). In these letters, Paul encourages, chastises, and teaches about the gospel. He made very effective use of his time in prison to continue his mission to spread the gospel!

Second, he took advantage of the fact that he was imprisoned by Gentiles! He likely saw a number of different guards each day as they fed him and guarded him. He used this time to witness to these guards and explain to them the cause of Christ!

Paul even recognized that others were preaching more boldly about Jesus as a result of his imprisonment. While some had pure motives and others did not, Paul welcomed any accurate preaching of the gospel as helping to accomplish his mission.

What About Us?

Paul tells us to follow his example (1 Corinthians 11:1). If we do this, how can we handle the interruptions that come our way? Not only the little daily interruptions, but even more so the big ones?

When we have big plans for ministry through our business and something interrupts these plans, how can we react in a way that imitates Paul? Can we reasonably expect to stop and pray that God would reveal that part of His plan to us?

If He chooses not to reveal His plans, can we patiently look around at our circumstances and determine how to continue our mission despite the interruption? Is our eternal perspective so ingrained in our mind that we could adapt to the circumstances and maximize the opportunities they presented?

How Close Are We?

Are we so close in our relationship with God that this behavior is possible?

If not, what are we going to do to change?

I encourage you to stop and pray about this. As business owners and leaders, we are normally trained to overcome the circumstances of any interruption and move on with the mission. We are problem solvers and have wiring that keeps us moving.

Instead, sometimes we need to recognize that God may want us to sit still and look for His will IN the interruption. If we will draw closer to Him, it is more likely we will be able to do this when the time comes.

How good are you with handling an interruption?

Do you see interruptions as potentially coming from God?

What do you need to do differently?