Recent accusations against Justice Clarence Thomas is a good reason to discuss conflicts of interest. Conflict of interest policies are prevalent for board members, and in many industries, such as government roles, banks, and nonprofits. It’s important that there be clear policies, and transparency related to those policies, so that we are confident that self interest doesn’t undermine the public’s ...
Recently, I received a call from a peer whom I had not heard from in years. He quickly launched into a rant of anger against an email I had written to others that he received secondhand. He misunderstood the facts resulting in anger and frustration on both our parts. Later, God reminded me of times my brother and I would ...
While doing research on “Servant Leadership,” I stumbled across a quote credited to a seminary professor named, J. Carla Northcutt. She stated, “The goal of many leaders is to get people to think more highly of the leader. The goal of a great leader is to help people to think more highly of themselves.” The Apostle Paul understood this ...
If you’ve ever been hurt or disrespected by a peer at work, your feelings can be deeply hurt. Out of this hurt, many people seek revenge. A different approach is how David handled Saul’s attacks. Even though David had been a faithful servant to Saul, Saul became jealous and continually worked to kill David. David eventually found Saul unprotected. Rather ...
Previously, we discussed the Federal Trade Commission’s desire to eliminate most noncompete agreements. There are usually two primary reasons for noncompete agreements: protecting customers and/or protecting trade secrets. To protect the loss of customers, you might use a non-solicitation agreement instead of a noncompete agreement. Non-solicitation agreements prevent former employees from pursuing your customers after they have left your employment. ...
Thirty-nine states have now legalized marijuana in some form. This has increased the business community’s risk. In these states, employees can now legally smoke a joint on break. The difference from cigarettes is that marijuana alters people’s judgment and behavior. This can put employers at risk, especially if your employees are high when driving a company vehicle, or even making ...
My wife, Kathy, loves the study of people. One condition Kathy often discusses with me is narcissistic personality disorder. The Mayo Clinic describes this disorder as, “a mental condition in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for excessive attention and admiration, troubled relationships, and a lack of empathy for others.” Research shows, ...
When each employee feels like their role in the company matters and that their work helps advance the mission of the organization, tremendous benefits are unleashed. A 2021 study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology, asked participants to rank their answers to five questions related to how much they believed their work mattered. The researcher’s conclusion was that mattering ...
While Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts have swept corporate America recently, religion is often overlooked. Brian Grim, Religious Freedom and Business Foundation’s CEO, recently said in a washingtoninformer.com article, “As companies find all diversity helpful, even to their bottom lines, the same can be found with making faith a part of corporate DEI.” Faith oriented groups are becoming more ...
In this series, we’re pondering the Ten Commandments. The seventh commandment, when violated in the workplace, can have a devastating effect on so many lives and even on the business itself. Recently, Dan called me for prayer and counsel. One of Dan’s managers had hired a temporary worker, and then almost immediately he had sex with this employee! Both Dan’s ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
