A bright spot in the faith at work movement is in corporate America through Employee Resource Groups (ERG). American Airlines was this year’s winner of the most faith friendly Fortune 500 workplace because of the Corporate Religious Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (REDI) Index. American Airlines allows employee-led faith gatherings, hosts interfaith events, encourages community outreach partnerships, and provides Prayer Rooms. American ...
One of King David’s best leader qualities was his willingness to be approachable. When David learned that his men had bravely fought and defeated David’s son, Absalom, David mourned Absalom’s death but didn’t praise his men for their victory. Joab knew this would undermine David’s leadership. In 2 Samuel 19, Joab said to David, “Today you have shamed all your ...
Winston Churchill was a complicated man with a colorful history. Although he had vast political experiences, his early years had many colossal failures which haunted him. Yet, Churchill is famous today because of his accomplishments later in life. His courageous leadership led Britain and its allies to defeat Germany in World War II when victory seemed unlikely. Although strategy ...
My friend owns a chain of car dealerships. Due to the chip shortage, getting cars to sell has been a challenge. However, the limited supply has caused car prices to skyrocket. My friend’s peers are selling cars far above sticker price. As his team discussed this opportunity, they decided to take a longer-term view. In fairness to their local ...
When I was in banking, we occasionally complained about competing with credit unions and savings and loans. At least they were local, however, and we could compete using a more convenient location. In today’s world, banks, and most other industries, are now competing with online alternatives. Leaders who refuse to seek counsel beyond their traditional industry consultants run the ...
Kathy and I were visiting a new city and wanted to experience local food. The hotel concierge recommended and called a restaurant for reservations. At first, the restaurant refused to take our reservation. Our concierge pressed on until we were finally promised a reservation at precisely 6:45, not earlier or later. The next night we were excited to try ...
Many salespeople have told me a similar story. When the pressure rises, they begin hearing their bosses say, “If you get someone on the phone, tell them whatever you have to in order to close the sale.” Many salespeople are commanded to lie to gain customers. This creates a dilemma for those who desire to live out their faith ...
Life is multidimensional, but we often limit ourselves to our one-dimensional perspective. This became evident to me after my father’s passing on May 31st. As my siblings, and my aunt, shared about dad, I began hearing their different perspectives on many stories about my father. For example, I knew that my dad changed dramatically when I was 17, but ...
In this series, we’re discussing preparing for economic storms. The fourth and last step I recommend is decreasing payroll. Many large organizations start with massive layoffs without considering other solutions. Previously, I worked for a bank that frequently downsized. One year, the bank creatively allowed 40-hour employees to shift to 35 hours a week. This allowed many working mothers ...
In this series, we’re discussing preparing for economic storms. We’ve discussed getting closer to your customers and hiring freezes, the third step you might consider is to trim expenses. In 2009, the economy was crumbling. For those who adjusted and weathered the storm, I heard many tell me a similar story. They discovered that during the good times they ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
