ESSENCE:  The process of Integriosity^® should not (actually, cannot) be rushed.  The first step of RENEW is not about knowledge–it is about “mind-shifts” that lead to “heart-change” that leads to “culture-change”, and heart-change and culture-change usually doesn’t happen overnight.  The second step of RE-IMAGINE–prayerfully dreaming up a Re-Imagined Purpose, Re-Imagined Values and a Re-Imagined Culture that align with Biblical beliefs, values and priorities–could take a long time (even Biblically long time!).  But it is the third step of RE-ALIGN–particularly implementing a Re-Imagined Culture–where Patience (and its first cousin perseverance) really comes into play.  Organizational Culture develops and changes over time through many small steps and intentional decisions by many people–Patience (and persistence).  Organizational Cultures do not change unless the leaders are committed to continuing to live out the Re-Imagined Culture–no matter what–Patience (and persistence).  Faithfully “doing right” through business a better way is “playing the long game”, and that takes Biblical-sized Patience (and perseverance). 

In the last seven posts (#086, #087, #088, #089, #090, #091 and #092), we began to explain the first four of the five key ingredients for executing a Re-Imagined Purpose, Re-Imagined Values and a Re-Imagined Culture–a Flexible Approach, Intentional Leaders, Trust in God and Prayer. This post will consider the fifth–Patience.

Re-Align Ingredient #5:  The Importance of Patience

It is difficult to read the Bible and not walk away feeling woefully impatient.  God’s story is full of people who patiently waited and persevered (the first cousin of patience) a LONG time–a VERY LONG time.  Remember Abraham (waited 25 years for God’s promise of a son to come to fruition), Jacob (worked and waited 14 years to marry Rachel), and the most Patient of all, Moses (spent 40 years in exile and then 40 years leading the Israelites through the desert).

There are also stories of characters who got impatient and tried to short-circuit God’s timing (and God was not pleased).  Remember Sarah (Abraham’s wife Sarah lost patience with God’s promise of a child and convinced Abraham to have a child with her servant Hagar–that child was Ishmael, and he was NOT the the fulfillment of God’s promise) and Saul (he got impatient waiting for Samuel to show up to bless a battle and offered the burnt offering himself–NOT a blessing after all).

There are also numerous Biblical passages about Patience, which is one of the nine “fruits of the Spirit”–here are just a few:

Let us run with patience the race that is set before us.  (Hebrews 12:1)

For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. (Hebrews 10:36)

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.  (Galatians 6:9)

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!  (Psalm 37:7)

There are also some quotes we love about Patience (which, with perseverance, are aspects of the Cardinal Virtue of Fortitude):

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. (John Quincy Adams)

Trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit.  (Moliere)

Re-Align Ingredient #5:  The Importance of Patience in Integriosity

We believe the process of Integriosity^® should not (actually, cannot) be rushed.  It must be done with intentionality and commitment, with each step in the process requiring Prayer (the topic of our last post) and divine guidance.

• RENEW.  The RENEW step of Integriosity could be rather short or it could take some time, depending on the background and beliefs of the leaders.  RENEW is not about knowledge–it is about “mind-shifts” that lead to “heart-change”, and heart-change usually doesn’t happen overnight.  It is one thing to hear the “mind-shift” that God prioritizes people over profit, but it is quite another to truly embrace the organizational heart-shift required for profit to be put in its proper place as a means rather than an end.  Here is the difference:

Mind-Shift:  “I now understand that God wants my business to be about serving people not maximizing profit and I am committed to doing it (so long as it does not have an adverse impact on profit) because I believe putting people first will be even better for profit, either through people being incentivized to work harder or because God will bless my business.”

Heart-Shift:  “I now understand that God wants my business to be about serving people not maximizing profit and I am committed to doing it because it reflects God’s priority and purpose for my business (recognizing that part of stewarding my business is ensuring that it generates sufficient profit to properly serve investors and remain sustainable).”

But we believe that without embracing the five key “mind-shifts” and the heart-change required for each, proceeding to the RE-IMAGINE and RE-ALIGN steps is “birthing an Ishmael”.  For some leaders, it may take time to overcome what we believe to be the bad theology behind faith as usual Placebos and Side Roads.

• RE-IMAGINE.
  • Re-Imagined Purpose and Re-Imagined Values.
    • It might not take very long for an organization to Re-Imagine its Purpose and Values.  Leaders could gather and be divinely inspired.  A Re-Imagined Purpose and Re-Imagined Values can be declared and posted on websites and walls–shouted from the rooftops.  Or coming up with a Re-Imagined Purpose and Re-Imagined Values that align with Biblical beliefs, values and priorities could take a long time–even an Abrahamic or Mosaic long time!
    • Back in post #074 (Re-Imagined Purpose-Vision), we shared the story of Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, the largest independent Coke bottler in the United States.  CEO Frank Harrison says “Our purpose is our culture and our culture is our purpose.”   After Coca-Cola Consolidated got purposeful about their purpose, it apparently took 17 years to settle on what they have today:  “At Coca-Cola Consolidated, we believe our purpose is to serve others, to pursue excellence, and to grow profitably. Above all, we strive to honor God in everything we do.”
    • While a Re-Imagined Purpose and Re-Imagined Values can simply be declared by a leader (or group of leaders), it will only translate into a Re-Imagined Culture if it is embraced throughout the organization.  We also explained in post #074 (Re-Imagined Purpose-Vision) that “ownership” throughout the organization can happen through a “top-down” approach of leaders announcing Re-Imagined Purpose and Re-Imagined Values and then methodically and consistently living it out and reinforcing it over time.  But the “top-down” approach is likely to require more Patience (and perseverance) than one that seeks “buy-in” throughout the organization from the beginning.  Obviously, this will be more challenging in large organizations.  A McKinsey report described one large bank that did the work:  soliciting the views of over 7,000 people over a period of six months, including through 1,500 “coffee-corner” discussions.  This is front-loaded Patience (and perseverance).  McKinsey concluded “Connecting purpose with the heart of your company means reappraising your core . . . . That’s hard work, and you can’t do it without deep engagement from your top team, employees, and broader stakeholders. But there’s no substitute.”
  • Re-Imagined Culture.  Re-Imagining Culture is fun–it is dreaming about and planning what could be.  It should be done thoughtfully and prayerfully, but with Culture the real test of Patience comes in the execution.

• RE-ALIGN: 
  • While it may be easy to begin Re-Imagining the Culture that will align with a Re-Imagined Purpose and Re-Imagined Values, it is the implementation of a Re-Imagined Culture in the RE-ALIGN step of Integriosity where Patience (and perseverance) really comes into play.
    • Organizational Cultures do not change overnight.  Organizational Cultures can’t be changed with a website declaration or  posters on the walls. Organizational Culture develops and changes over time through many small steps and intentional decisions by many people.  Patience (and perseverance).

• • • Organizational Cultures do not change unless the leaders are committed to continuing to live out the Re-Imagined Culture–no matter what.  Patience (and perseverance).

A commitment, from the top, that this place is going to be different. The commitment is open-ended. It involves leading and showing up and keeping promises, for months and years into the future. . . . This is going to take a long time, and it’s not going to be the cheapest path.  (Seth Godin)

• • • In his book For Goodness Sake , Chris Houston says it takes “a host of small yet intentional decisions made by extraordinary leaders, yes, but also by every rank-and-file member of the organization that accumulate to produce a cascade of movement in a positive direction.”  This is years and decades, not weeks and months.  Patience (and persistence).
  • But it is worth the effort (and the Patience and persistence).  Remember the saying (often attributed to management guru Peter Drucker), “Culture easts strategy for lunch”, and keep in mind the words of Seth Godin (emphasis added): “Change the culture (slowly and persistently) and you can change everything.”  

Faithfully “doing right” through business a better way is “playing the long game”, and that takes Biblical Patience (and perseverance).  It is the “long game” because it requires “heart-change” throughout the organization.  One appeal of many of the faith as usual Side Roads is that they avoid or delay the hard work of “heart-change”.  But the price is the missed purpose for organizations, the missed calling for leaders, the missed flourishing for people and the increased misery that was explained in post #036 (Placebos–The Problem).  We believe business a better way is worth the effort.

SPOILER ALERT:   It is time to move on to the fourth and final step of Integriosity–RESTORE.

PERSONAL NOTE (from PM):   The last three posts have been about Patience, Prayer and Trust.  I know something about these (particularly how hard they are).  I left my Wall Street legal practice in 2009 following Prayer and based on Trust.  I had to learn Patience.  Integrous has been an exercise in all three over an extended period.  While I have traced the 50+year journey of Integrous (see the link below), it only began to take shape in 2014.  The years 2014-2021 have seen a series of redirections and refinements–Prayer, Trust and a new-found Patience.  I read several devotionals each morning, and I note in a journal the passages that particularly speak to me.  I have lost count of the number of messages on “waiting” that have found there way into that journal.  Integrous belongs to God.  My job is to Pray, Trust and keep moving forward each day–and be Patient.

One suggestion–if someone is being Patient “waiting” for God to move in a situation, don’t tell them about how long Abraham, Jacob or Moses waited.  It just isn’t helpful.

Copyright © 2021 Integrous LLC.  Integriosity is a registered Service Mark of Integrous LLC.

Photo Credit: Original photo by Duane Mendes on Unsplash
(photo cropped).