Kathy and I recently viewed the Napoleon exhibit at our local art museum. One of the themes that stood out to me was Napoleon’s extreme efforts to shape the people’s perceptions of him and of his kingdom. At five foot four inches, and being bullied as a child, Napoleon was believed to have had an inferiority complex. Napoleon invested tremendous ...
In a 2017 IRS Study, 88% of Americans agreed with the statement that it is not acceptable to cheat on their taxes. Since they were responding to the IRS, we need to discount their responses. However, according to an article by The Atlantic, America’s voluntary compliance rate still scores higher in tax compliance than most nations. Taxes are paid when ...
Manufacturing is the essence of creating something from nothing. Stephanie grew up around the hubbub of hitting production numbers. She also watched the magic of making something meaningful and useful out of something useless and as meaningless as parts. Manufacturing is about creating value. We were given value as God formed us and breathed life into our nostrils. He made ...
As a young loan officer, I was presenting a difficult loan proposal to the bank’s loan committee. During my presentation, the bank’s CEO pronounced my deal as approved, but I continued promoting the loan. Our Chief Lending Officer said, “Your loan’s approved! I recommend you quit talking before we change our minds.” In Genesis 24, Abraham’s servant experienced success when ...
Imagine having two employees. One employee seems to ignore your every command. The other employee, however, is just the opposite. The 2nd employee obeys every directive, every policy and always listens to your instructions. Then, they follow those directions as best as they can. When review time comes, which of these two employees are going to most likely be blessed ...
Twenty-three years ago, Kathy overheard three mothers talking about starting a school for children with special needs, and she volunteered me to help. Although I tried to escape this new calling, I sensed God wanted me to help. Last month, I co-chaired the 20th anniversary celebration of Horizon Academy. Over 800 children with learning disabilities and their families have been ...
A Harvard Business Review article by Weldon Long pointed to a research study that discovered an amazing truth. 48% of business to business sales reps are afraid of making “cold calls!” There were two primary reasons Long noted for this fear. The first is the fear of sounding like a sales person, and the second is a fear of failure. ...
A study done in the 1970s by Darley and Batson recreated the Good Samaritan Bible story in a modern-day setting. These researchers tested two different groups’ willingness to stop and help someone in need. One group had a very tight time schedule before their next class, the other group had no time constraints. In their results, Darley and Batson concluded ...
Some business partners I know were professed Christians, but they kept having disagreements about how their faith should be reflected in their business. One partner was adamant that their faith should be separate. During a heated exchange, the one partner who was reticent about his faith blurted out, “My father taught me that business is business and faith is faith. ...
Deborah Grayson Riegel writes in a Harvard Business Review article how to correct leadership mistakes in a healthy manner. Riegel encourages us to take three steps. The 3rd and final step is to, “share what you will do differently next time.” This step requires self-reflection. We need to pause and reflect on what part we had in the mistake and ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
