In the story of Esther, Esther was forced into a beauty pageant, resulting in her becoming Queen. She likely thought she was only there for her beauty. As the story unfolds, however, we realize that God had planned an inside job. The Jews were about to be slaughtered and God needed someone to influence the king. In Esther 4:14, Esther’s ...
When you ask an entrepreneur why they started their business, most will say it was to make money. That’s not why Ryan Fee started Camel Culture. While volunteering at a refugee settlement, the Fees learned that what Somali refugees miss the most about their homeland is their camels and their camel’s milk. According to a story on hiiraan.com, out of ...
In this series, we’re discussing different approaches to leading a company through a recession. Some leaders are financially driven who try to limit risk; others are visionaries. When a recession is imminent, the financially driven will usually eliminate staff. But a visionary is different. After 9-11, the airline industry was devastated. Almost all major airlines began massive layoffs. Southwest Airlines ...
When we host events, we hope to host a large audience and to make a difference in our guest’s lives. Yet, we can get so wrapped up in the event that we lose sight of quantifying our desired results. That’s when I love hearing someone ask the simple question, “What would success look like?” The simplest questions are often ...
If I were to say to you, “St Patrick’s Day,” what are the first images that come to mind? If you’re like me, it might be something like “a parade full of drunks.” Yet, the first celebrations of this Irish priest were closer to a Holy Day than a drunken parade. How did the purpose of these celebrations stray so ...
In Harvard Business Review, Susan Peppercorn highlighted five questions to help you retain your employees. Today I want to talk about the second question, “Do you feel a sense of purpose in your job?’ Many employees do serve meaningful roles in your company. But if they don’t know how to connect their work to your mission, work likely feels like ...
Over twenty years ago, I helped start a school for learning disabilities. We struggled, but finally clarified our target audience. Recently, I referred a parent to that school. I was shocked when he informed me that they no longer serve children with his son’s challenges. Over time, the original mission of an organization can easily be highjacked, unless you define ...
Many companies have embraced tying their product to a noble cause by making charitable donations when their sales volume increases. Others have tied worker productivity to their philanthropy as well. Stephan Meier, a professor at Columbia Business School, however, has discovered that corporate philanthropy tied to worker productivity can sometimes backfire. An Economic Journal study discovered that when worker productivity ...
Many Christian business leaders believe if they are kind and do the right thing it will be enough to distinguish them as Christians, without having to share their faith. Other business leaders are kind and have integrity, but don’t embrace faith in Christ. It’s God’s Presence that makes the difference. In Exodus 33 Moses said to God, “If your Presence does ...
Pew Research tracks the percentage of people involved in religion. To highlight the dramatic cultural shift we’re experiencing, we can contrast 1990 to 2020. In 1990, only 7% of the population claimed to have no religion. By 2020, the nonreligious category had soared to almost 30%. This is greater than any one religion, including Catholicism! This opens the door for ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
