We have emphasized in many posts that simply doing the right thing is not enough. Faithful leaders pursuing faith/work integration must continually examine their hearts to ensure they are doing the right thing in the right way and, most importantly, for the right reasons. WHY...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Plant a Tree in 2025 "Plant a Tree in 2025" is not about literally planting a tree. It is inspired by a quote frequently (and apparently inaccurately) attributed to Martin Luther. It is about a faithful leader committing to make one change or take...
Sometimes good-intentioned faithful leaders sprinkle faith "reindeer dust"--overt faith symbols and practices--believing that it is faith/work integration. It isn't bad, and it can be very good, but by itself it falls into the category of what we call "religious stewardship"--incorporating faith activities into work and...
Recent headlines have highlighted a number of organizations that we think have been operating "in the Twilight Zone" of business as usual--business in the way of the world. (Our reference is to a famous TZ episode in which aliens were exposed as wanting people for...
Gallup recently announced that we are in the middle of what they are calling "The Great Detachment". Like the Great Resignation, we believe at the heart of the Great Detachment are organizational cultures that are dehumanizing. God made us to flourish through work, and we...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Stop the Rot "Stop the Rot" is about putting in place practices and procedures to identify and address behavior by stakeholders that undermines the organization's Re-Imagined Values and Re-Imagined Culture. It recognizes that one toxic employee, customer or vendor can begin a corrosive effect...
We are continuing a tradition with a silly but hopefully meaningful analogy. If Thanksgiving was your business, what would represent the turkey--the centerpiece of the table? In business as usual aligned with the beliefs, principles and priorities of the kingdom of the world, the turkey...
Over the last five years, we have been laying out and expanding on a model for moving toward what we call Integriosity®--leading with faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing. It is time to pause, take a breath and look back over...
You could call this post the third in a "Safety/Surrender" series. It is about encouraging faithful leaders to trust God enough to answer the call of stewardship, and embrace fully the potential, of the Creation Mandate by crossing the Safety/Surrender Gap. We believe it is...
A faithful leader seeking to lead an organization with faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing must remember "DDD"--"Don't Do a Demas." You might be asking, "Who is Demas?" The better question is "What's 'doing a Demas'?" The best question is "How...
In prior posts, we have talked about three "gaps" a faithful leader must cross in the journey toward leading with faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing. These are "wisdom" or "knowledge" gaps. There is a fourth, and it is arguably the...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Strengthen Your Cord "Strengthen Your Cord" is about joining groups or organizations that gather faithful leaders to support each other in pursuit of faith/work integration, in navigating faith/work integration in an increasingly secular culture or in protecting the religious freedom to pursue faithful integrity...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Seek Horizontal Counsel "Seek Horizontal Counsel" is about a faithful leader actively seeking counsel from faithful advisors as well as from the people they lead. It is rooted in humility and requires a leader to understand who they are in relation to others and...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Seek Vertical Counsel COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Prayer COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Very Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees, Customers/Clients, Owners, Suppliers/Vendors, Community, Kingdom "Seek Vertical Counsel" is about a faithful leader praying, either privately or with a small group...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Cultivate Customer Kindness COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees, Customers/Clients, Community "Cultivate Customer Kindness" is about implementing practices that create opportunities for customers to engage in acts of "kindness" toward employees...
Is the word "integrity" enough to guide a faithful leader on the ancient path to aligning the purpose, values and culture of an organization in a way that leads the organization and its people to do the right things, in the right ways, for the...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Choose the Better "T" of Trust (vs Track) COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees In a world that has shifted to increased remote and hybrid work, "Choose the Better 'T' of...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Prioritize Employees COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees "Prioritize Employees" is about recognizing the importance of caring for employees for the right reasons. It is grounded in Imago Dei, the Golden...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Recognize "AvoDay" (not Labor Day) COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Overt STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees "Recognize AvoDay (Not Labor Day)" is about using the U.S. national holiday of Labor Day as an opportunity to speak life...
Leading with faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing should include implementing policies about when the organization will "speak up" or "shut up" about controversial social and political issues. A recent news story highlights the importance of having policies in place before...
Integrous Founder Paul Michalski recently joined the inaugural Advisory Board of Cities Project Global ("CPG"). CPG is a non-profit organization committed to helping leaders identify their unique position in God’s story and fully integrate their faith and work lives, enabling them to impact their communities and cities...
Leading with faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing should include living the Golden Rule consistent with good stewardship by paying employees for their work, paying refunds to customer/clients, and paying suppliers/vendors promptly. It requires cultivating a "Should We" rather than a...
Regardless of what is posted on a website or promulgated in policies as an organization's formal purpose, values and culture, stakeholders will experience, and respond to, what they perceive to be the real purpose, values and culture of the organization. A recent news story exposed real...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Foster Financial Fitness COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees "Foster Financial Fitness" is about adopting practices and benefits that are specifically designed to encourage and support the financial literacy and fitness...
With an increasing number of organizations and leaders pulling back from, abandoning, or coming out "against" worldly DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) initiatives, the search for an alternative acronym to embrace and be "for" has led to some highly visible leaders promoting MEI--"merit, excellence, intelligence". ...
Integrous Founder Paul Michalski recently joined the Board of Scripture@Work, Inc. ("S@W") to serve as its new Chairman. S@W is a non-profit organization committed to serving workplace communities by facilitating Biblical learning that encourages marketplace transformation....
INTEGRITY IDEA: Waken Wellness COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees "Waken Wellness" is about adopting practices and benefits that are specifically designed to encourage and support the total wellness of employees, including...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Fortify Fitness COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees "Fortify Fitness" is about adopting practices and benefits that are specifically designed to encourage and support the physical fitness of employees. It recognizes...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Nurture Nutrition COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees "Nurture Nutrition" is about adopting practices and benefits that are specifically designed to encourage and support the nutritional health of employees. It...
ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) and DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) initiatives remain in the news, but most recently it has been because organizations are dismantling (or at least disguising) their ESG and DEI programs. "Keep the ESG/DEI Baby (and Your Nose)" is about faithful leaders...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Onboard with Intention COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees "Onboard with Intention" is about designing an onboarding process for new employees that introduces, reflects and reinforces the most important elements of...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Climb a Hill COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Proclamation COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Overt STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Kingdom "Climb a Hill" is about faithful leaders accepting, seeking and even creating opportunities to share publicly about their organization's pursuit of faithful...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Do a Devo COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Proclamation COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Overt STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees This has nothing to do with the American new wave band popular in the 1980's. "Do a Devo" is about periodically providing a...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Energize External Generosity COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees, Customers/Clients, Community, Kingdom Generosity is such a foundational Biblical principle to operating with faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical...
Business has the potential to beautify the world--or uglify it. “Beautiful” was clearly God's design when he created everything and declared it "very good", and “beautiful” is the word that comes to mind as you read the description of the New Jerusalem that is coming--God's...
Does faith/work integration require Overtly faithful practices? Leading an organization with faithful integrity in alignment with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities toward Biblical flourishing requires a continual prayerful balancing of the call to be Courageous through Overtness and the need to be Wise through Covertness. Both the...
A life of faith is a life of choices. For a faithful leader, one of those choices is the "O" that drives their leadership. There are two options--obedience or outcome. It is a choice between the kingdom of this world and the Kingdom of God....
It is impossible to talk honestly about the WHAT, WHY and HOW of business in alignment with Biblical beliefs, values and priorities without addressing how profit fits in. Profit is NOT bad, and the creation by business of economic prosperity is good. Profit in a...
As a faithful leader seeking to lead faithfully, you face a foundational choice between two starkly different options with profound implications. One option is business as usual — business in "the way of the world" or, more precisely, according to "the kingdom of this world."...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Discourage Winning COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees, Customers/Clients, Suppliers/Vendors "Discourage Winning" may be counter-cultural, but it is not about "encouraging losing". "Discourage Winning" is about cultivating an organizational culture that...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Close the Gaps COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): People COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Overt STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees "Close the Gaps" is about organizing or facilitating study groups, or making available resources, that help employees get across the three "gaps" that...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Keep Controversy Within Your Mission COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Policies COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Kingdom We don't mean that an organization should have a controversial mission. "Keep Controversy Within Your Mission" is about putting in...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Be Trustworthy COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees, Customers/Clients, Owners, Suppliers/Vendors, Community, Kingdom Americans trust in institutions, including businesses, has declined. "Be Trustworthy" is about putting in place policies and practices...
Does Easter shape the WHY of your work, business and investing? Easter is important for every worker, business leader and investor who follows Jesus because it serves as a vivid reminder of a bigger WHY and a sacred relevance for our work, business and investing...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Clean Your Chain COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees. Customers/Clients, Owners, Community, Kingdom Most Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization. "Clean Your Chain" is...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Terminate with Gold COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees Most Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization. When we say "Gold", we are not talking...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Re-Imagine the Box COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Owners, Employees, Customers/Clients Most Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization. "Re-Imagine the Box" is about re-imagining...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Create a Cue Card COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees Most Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization. "Create a Cue Card" is about literally...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Give "Horizontal" Thanks COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): People COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees Most Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization. While faithful leaders should always give "vertical" thanks...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Don’t “Toolify” Humans COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): People COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees Most Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization. “Don’t Toolify Humans” is more fundamental, because it...