For a while, I worked for a banker who had a fierce competitive rivalry with his cousin. There were seasons when the rivalry was more intense due to their personal conflict. My peers started realizing that if they had a loan prospect who was also getting a bid from our rival bank, they could stir up the rivalry to their ...
As a young banker, I learned a lot about leadership by watching the many different styles of bank presidents I observed. In my role doing bank examinations at that time, I interacted with a lot of front-line people like tellers and loan clerks. The reactions and interactions these people had with the bank president were typically a truer reflection ...
Given the stress, uncertainty, and discomfort of modern business travel, it’s important to recognize how the travel experience can test our faith. A friend recently left a job that had required weekly travel. He loved the airline and hotel loyalty points he accumulated. But once he was no longer on the road every week, he was stunned to realize ...
As a teenager, I worked on my uncle’s farm. In his small town there was a grocery store, a gas station, a lumber yard, a grain elevator, a restaurant, and three churches. This town only has 130 people now with no downtown businesses remaining. There is hope, however. My cousin breeds a specialty type of cattle and has leveraged ...
A young budding entrepreneur contacted me recently about a new business she is working to start. Her first step towards entrepreneurship, however, was somewhat surprising to me. Rather than researching her potential customer’s needs and why they would pick her product over the ones they currently use, she formed a corporation. She could have waited years before incorporating. In ...
Bezalel was a craftsman who modeled enduring work. In this series we’re discussing the different attributes that made Bezalel’s work so lasting. The final attribute is knowledge. My mother’s nursing home called about my mother’s medications. I asked Kathy to speak to her, because I didn’t understand what she was talking about. Had the nursing home called about mom’s ...
Politics can be a vicious sport. When one party wins an important election, there’s traditionally an acceptance speech that declares and celebrates the victory. However, it’s not uncommon after the victory for some members of the winning party to begin to gloat publicly about their opponent’s defeat. Unfortunately, this happens in business at times as well. Some people are so ...
Years ago, our son’s psychiatrist forewarned us that Jeremy would likely struggle during Daylight Savings Time. Jeremy, like many young adults with autism, struggles emotionally in the fall with time changes and allergies. By being forewarned, it was easier for us to be patient and to help Jeremy navigate the oncoming fall season. In our workplaces, it’s likely that we ...
In the 1990s, I competed with banks that were violating banking laws to secure more loan customers. Many borrowers were being threatened, or even blackmailed, into doing business with these other banks. As a competitor, it was frustrating to lose deals because of illegal or immoral practices of other banks. Eventually, bank examiners shut down these banks for unsafe lending ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
