Veterans Day is a day to celebrate those who served our nation honorably in the military―both the living and dead. Some voluntarily served, others were drafted and served involuntarily, but all still served and helped protect our nation. Some may have been less than model soldiers. Yet, we celebrate all veterans to honor them and their service. In business, most ...
My friend, Larry, has worked hard to build a significant lawn care and tree service business with hundreds of employees and multiple locations. Yet, rather than sit in his office commanding the troops, Larry frequently goes out in the field trimming trees or helping a young employee with a lawn care treatment. He has discovered that by working closely with ...
Recently, Pete Greig, author of Red Moon Rising, shared a personal story with me. Pete has a friend, I’ll call Tim. As a seasoned teacher, Tim’s pastor urged Tim to lead their Sunday School program. When Tim finally agreed, the pastor publicly prayed over Tim for surrendering to his call to teach youth. Tim was angry. He had faithfully taught ...
As Kathy, Jeremy, and I entered the diner we immediately observed chaos. The only waitress was the owner’s wife. She had 25 tables either full of people or empty dishes. After Kathy and I cleared a table for ourselves, I watched as Kathy went into action. She approached the owners and boldly said, “I used to be a waitress. I’m ...
Jeff was the new CEO of a chain of jewelry stores. As he reviewed the results of each branch with his executive team he became puzzled. The company’s best performing store had become the worst! When Jeff asked why, he was told, “Oh, that’s Tim’s store. He was our best operator until he found the Lord.” When Jeff met Tim ...
Years ago, Kathy and I met a family on the streets of Kansas City who were panhandling for money. They told a sad story that seemed believable, so we decided to help. We bought them some groceries, and then, I began helping this man to find a job. We developed a resume, I lined up an interview, and I even ...
Thanksgiving was originally designed to celebrate the fall harvest. Months after the farmer’s seeds are sown, there are no guarantees as to how big the harvest will be, or what price the crops will bring. So, when harvest time finally comes, the result is a reminder of God’s sovereignty and provision. For any farmer who has ever lost an entire ...
Tom Thibodeaux, a professor at Viterbo University, discussed servant leadership at a conference I participated in recently. Although he had many profound things to say, the one that stood out to me the most was this quote, “Service is love becoming visible.” In business, we discuss and work on improving our customer service, but few ever equate it to love. ...
In our world, a little dishonesty is okay if you can get away with it and it helps you get ahead. Businesses use puffery in advertisements to excite us into buying their products. Businesses lie about their markups and hours so they can squeeze a little more profit from us. We accept this and look the other way. If everyone ...
I received an email that reminded me that some people believe Paul’s “unequally yoked” principle, found in 2 Corinthians, doesn’t apply to business; while others take it to the extreme of avoiding doing business with even customers who don’t profess to be Christians. Twice in King Jehoshaphat’s life he formed alliances with other Kings known for their wickedness, and, suffered ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
