In a Harvard Business Review article titled “The Power of Mattering at Work,” the authors make a distinction between belonging and mattering. The authors contend that we may desire to belong to a group, but we have a more fundamental need to matter. They define belonging as feeling welcomed and accepted in a group, while mattering is feeling significant to ...
Wheaton College’s Center for Faith and Innovation performed a multiple-year research project to explore how faith manifests itself in business. The researchers categorized faith activities into three distinct categories: Embodied Faith, Operationalized Faith, and Internalized Faith. Let’s begin this series with Embodied Faith. According to businessasmission.com, Embodied Faith is the most visible form of faith. It includes mission statements that ...
A windstorm destroyed an entire wall of our deck. Kathy was adamant we needed to hire Christy’s company to build a new one. After contracting with Christy, I was concerned to learn that Christy’s husband recently had a major health event. Christy’s husband and his associate were supposed to perform the labor. But I quickly learned that Christy, a vigorous ...
During my last semester in college, the University of Missouri hosted a recruiting event for many of the largest CPA firms. Some firms were not willing to interview anyone with less than a 3.5 grade point. This left me with less options than some of my peers, so I needed to somehow set myself apart. So, when I sent a ...
I think laughter can be a powerful spiritual tool. In my book about work and faith, I opine that it’s foolish for Christians to get too serious about work in this world when our destiny resides in another. So, see the humor in our work challenges and laugh. Scripture cites many examples of joy as an expression of our relationship ...
The book of Exodus offers many examples of Godly leadership within its 40 chapters. One important lesson for leaders is spending time with God. “Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.” Exodus 24:18. Just as Jesus did after he was baptized, Moses spent 40 days ...
Among its leadership lessons, the Old Testament book of Exodus reminds leaders today of the value of seeking God’s strength in our weakness. When God called him to leadership, Moses immediately began listing his shortcomings, from lack of credibility to poor speech. Yet God assures Moses that God will be with him. “The Lord said to him, ‘Who gave human beings their ...
Leaders can find themselves losing patience when team members invariably act like the humans they are. The Old Testament book of Exodus reminds leaders that God hears our frustrations and gives us the strength to be patient. The Israelite’s grumbling for water pushed Moses to the brink, and he expressed his frustration to God. “Then Moses cried out to the Lord, ...
The Theology of Work Bible Commentary describes how the Old Testament book of Exodus highlights work. The book opens with the Israelites working for the Egyptians, then chronicles how God frees the Israelites to do a new kind of work under his care. The book’s leadership lessons can guide us today. God paints a picture of this new work when ...
Praying for the teams we lead might not be a leadership tactic in many secular management books. But it is an important leadership responsibility that Moses demonstrates in chapter 34 of the Old Testament book of Exodus. After the Israelites demonstrated their disobedience, Moses recognized that the people needed God’s forgiveness. “Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. ‘Lord,’ ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
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