Kathy and I returned from a beautiful morning on the beach. The sun was shining, the wind was gentle, and the day looked like it would bring more of the same. Then we received the call. We were told that Hurricane Helene was headed in our direction and that we needed to evacuate the island. The situation seemed surreal. The ...
When Brian was appointed to a new management role at work, he applied his customary leadership approach to the new organization. However, he quickly received feedback that the new team didn’t know how to take him. His casual and sometimes sarcastic approach was such a departure from previous managers that employees hesitated to follow his lead. Paul told the Corinthians ...
A recent Gallup poll1 found that 42 percent of employees who voluntarily left their organizations reported that their manager or organization could have done something to prevent them from leaving. Follow-up research found that managers could have made a difference if they had engaged employees in discussions about their job satisfaction, performance, or future with the organization. Managers can’t always ...
My cousin, Jack, negotiated with a hotel manager to host our family reunion. The manager agreed to waive the banquet room rental fee if enough of our family rented hotel rooms. Unfortunately, we didn’t meet his expectations. The manager was inclined to waive the fee anyway, until one of his investors demanded that we get charged for the room. Although ...
This week I’ve been teaching on the 4 C’s of Hiring. After you’ve investigated someone’s character and discovered whether or not they’re called and passionate about your mission, then it’s important to select the most competent. Competence is third on my list because many skills can be taught if they have strong character and passion. Nevertheless, finding and hiring ...
Upwork’s Freelance Forward 2023 Survey found that 38% of the U.S. workforce performed freelance work last year. A staggering 52% of all Gen Z workers operated as freelancers. This trend is dramatically impacting the way work is done. Leaders in today’s workplaces not only have to manage their in-house employees, now they also must navigate how to lead remote ...
Scooters Coffee franchisee, Tracy Bouwens, shared with our network about her transition from being a stay-at-home mom to owning her first Scooters store. She hired a new employee, gave her a Scooters uniform, and instructed her to start work on Monday. On Monday, the employee arrived but wasn’t wearing her uniform. Tracy considered possible reasons for her disobedience and ...
Kathy and I recently moved to a new home. Due to a basement remodel, the chaos of moving was made even worse. My anxiety rose as I desperately wanted to unbox things and put everything in its proper place. From the looks of my desk, it may be hard to tell that I appreciate order, but my need for ...
Henry Blackaby speaks regularly about developing “Spiritual StatesPeople.” In his book, “God in the Marketplace” he writes, “Christian business leaders must refuse to be self-centered, politicizing profiteers. Instead, they must allow God to elevate their lives and their leadership to that of statespersons.” Our business world desperately needs spiritual statespeople. Psalm 1:1-3 describes such a person when it says, “Blessed ...
A Harvard Business Review article entitled, “Where Religious Identity Fits into Your DEI Strategy” provides seven practices to help companies embrace religious diversity. The sixth practice noted is to offer ongoing religious diversity skill-building opportunities. Sixty percent of companies in North America offer regular diversity training for their employees, but few include a robust focus on religion. Small businesses may ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
