ESSENCE:  Integrity Ideas are specific actions a faithful leader can consider in leading faithfully through business a better way.

INTEGRITY IDEA: Encourage “Biblical EQ”

COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action):  Proclamation and Practices

COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt):  Overt

STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees, Customers/Clients, Owners, Suppliers/Vendors, Community, Kingdom

Most Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization.  “Encourage Biblical EQ” is about cultivating an organizational culture in which people understand the importance of, and are encouraged and supported in developing, “emotional intelligence” from a Biblical perspective.  It recognizes the importance to business a better way of pursuing the flourishing of humans (rather than Profit as Purpose) as the “end” to which the organization is managed, which means embedding Biblical concepts of relationships, community and human dignity into the organization’s culture.  “Encourage Biblical EQ” also recognizes the power of words to build up or tear down, the importance of “voice” to a culture of connection, and the importance of empathetic “listening” to giving someone a “voice”. For a faithful leader seeking to lead with faithful integrity, “Encourage Biblical EQ” requires an understanding of the importance of healthy communication and interpersonal skills to the functioning of an organization of humans and to the interactions of those humans with all the people the organization touches. It is helping people recognize the Imago Dei in others and live the commandment to love others as God has loved them. “Encourage Biblical EQ” is an opportunity to demonstrate how the concepts of “EQ” are not a recent development of psychologists–they have been embedded in Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities for thousands of years.  It is also an opportunity to demonstrate that the world’s version of “EQ” is “good” but not the “best”, because it is missing a third dimension–“God awareness”.

Integrity Ideas are specific actions a leader can consider during the Re-Align step of Integriosity^®–actions that will begin to Re-Align the organization with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities.  You can find more Integrity Ideas at Integrous | Integrity Ideas (integriosity.com)

Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization.  We believe some are critical (and necessary) steps in the RENEW/RE-ALIGN/RE-IMAGINE/RESTORE process.  Others are just ideas to be considered if they feel like a good fit based on what leaders prayerfully discern is best for stewarding the organization toward its WHY.

“Encourage Biblical EQ” falls into the “if it fits” category.  While leading a business with faithful integrity through business a better way requires cultivating a culture that reflects and prioritizes Biblical concepts of relationships, community and human dignity, “Encourage Biblical EQ” contemplates a more overt proclamation of the Biblical source of communication and interpersonal skills and the importance of a third God-dimension to “EQ”.

In two recent posts, we explored how the concepts embedded in the phrases “diversity, equity and inclusion” and “environmental, social and governance” have aligned with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities long before the terms “DEI” and “ESG” were coined.  This seemed like a good time to tackle another secular acronym that has firm Biblical roots–“EQ”

“Encourage Biblical EQ” is an opportunity to proclaim the intrinsic wisdom of Biblical ideas and faith in the God of the Bible.

INTEGRITY IDEA: Encourage “Biblical EQ”

“Encourage Biblical EQ” is about cultivating an organizational culture in which people understand the importance of, and are encouraged and supported in developing, “emotional intelligence” from a Biblical perspective.

It recognizes the importance to business a better way of pursuing the flourishing of humans (rather than Profit as Purpose) as the “end” to which the organization is managed, which means embedding Biblical concepts of relationships, community and human dignity into the organization’s culture.  “Encourage Biblical EQ” also recognizes the power of words to build up or tear down , the importance of “voice” to a culture of connection, and the importance of empathetic “listening” to giving someone a “voice”.

For a faithful leader seeking to lead with faithful integrity, “Encourage Biblical EQ” requires an understanding of the importance of healthy communication and interpersonal skills to the functioning of an organization of humans and to the interactions of those humans with all the people the organization touches.  It is helping people recognize the Imago Dei in others and live the commandment to love others as God has loved them.

“Encourage Biblical EQ” is an opportunity to demonstrate how the concepts of “EQ” are not a recent development of psychologists–they have been embedded in Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities for thousands of years.  It is also an opportunity to demonstrate that the world’s version of “EQ” is “good” but not the “best”, because it is missing a third dimension–“God awareness”.

Power of Words

We have emphasized the power of words in many posts.  Here are two quotes we particularly like:

Words are sacred.  If yot the right ones in the right order you can nudge the world a little. (Tom Stoppard)

Words can not only create emotions, they create actions.  And from our actions flow the results of our lives.  (Tony Robbins)

The Bible is even more clear about both the power of words and the difficulty of “taming” our tongue.  Words have the power to create (Genesis 1:3); Hebrews 11:3), to effect change (Mark 11:23), to give life or bring death (Proverbs 18:21), to build up or corrupt (Ephesians 4:29), to being health (Proverbs 16:24) and to destroy (Proverbs 11:9).  But James 3:6-8 warns about the challenge facing humans:

For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue.  It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Biblical Basis for EQ

The “emotional intelligence” model developed by Daniel Goleman has five aspects: empathy, social skill, self-awareness, self-regulation and motivation.  When you consider Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities–the foundation of faithful integrity and business a better way–it is clear that God invented “emotional intelligence” a long time ago.

Consider these these passages:

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Col 4:6)

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.  (Psa: 19:14)

Since Integrous is a law firm, let’s consider it using the mnemonic “LAWYER” (empathy is certainly a skill lawyers who profess a Biblical faith need to learn!!):

• LISTEN:  The word “answer” means someone else spoke first.  That means we must learn to “listen”.  It is a key to “other-awareness”–a key to empathy.  “Listening” is a skill to be developed.  The word “meditation” reminds us that we need to “listen” to God.  That is a key to “God-awareness”—the distinguishing characteristic of “Biblical EQ”.

There’s a lot of difference between listening and hearing. (G.K. Chesterton)

Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply. (Stephen Covey)

• AUDIENCE:  The words “each person” means we need to tailor our speech to the “other” in the present situation.  We need to understand them (by “listening” and asking questions).  The words “your sight, O Lord” is a reminder that God is our primary audience and the source of our primary motivation–our WHY–which is to glorify God in all we do (Isaiah 43:7).  That includes communication.

• WHO:  The word “heart” is a reminder that our heart is the source of our words.  We must honestly examine our motivations in the communication to ensure they are coming from a WHY that aligns with faithful integrity.

But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart. (Matthew 15:18)

“Each person” is also a reminder that we need to understand the “heart” of the other–through “listening”.  In a culture of business a better way, we must start with the recognition that they were created in the image of God and reflect God imperfectly, just like us.

• YIELD:  The word “acceptable” tells us that our communication must be acceptable to God.  For that to be the case, we must choose our “O”–obedience or outcome.  We have a post devoted to that choice.  The kingdom of the world is focused on “outcome”–results.  That leads to manipulative conversations.  God’s Kingdom is focused on our “obedience”–leaving the outcome to God.  That leads to empathetic conversations motivated by love, justice, righteousness and mercy and characterized by humility.

• EMPATHIZE:   The words “gracious, seasoned with salt” point us to empathy, which is at the heart of “EQ”.   The path of LISTEN, AUDIENCE, WHO and YIELD opens a door to understanding and empathy, which is the path to grace.

These words are also a reminder that Biblical EQ requires grace seasoned with truth–not truth seasoned with a little grace.

GRACE: “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up.” (1 Thess 5:11)

SALT: “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” (Prov 27:17)

• RESPOND:  The words “my rock and my redeemer” are a reminder that God will be with us as we “respond” in alignment with Biblical expectations rather than “React” in accordance with worldly ones.

Know this, my beloved brothers: Let each person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. (James 1:19)

A gentle answer turns away wrath. (Proverbs 15:1)

Here is the difference between Biblical EQ and Worldly EQ.  Worldly EQ is “good”–we believe Biblical EQ is “best”.

Importance of Biblical EQ for Business a Better Way

Leading faithfully through business a better way requires cultivating an organizational culture that prioritizes relationships, community and human dignity.  You may recall one of our most-used quotes from James Hunter:

To manage a business in a way that grows out of a Biblical view of relationships, community and human dignity before God has divine significance, irrespective of what else might be done from this platform.

Healthy, empathetic communication is critical to raising those three priorities to their “best”.

We have also talked about the importance of creating a culture in which people feel engaged and connected. In his book Connection Culture: The Competitive Advantage of Shared Identity, Empathy, and Understanding at Work, Michael Stallard identifies Vision, Value and Voice as three keys to creating a culture of connection.   We believe communications that reflect Biblical EQ help immeasurably in helping people feel Valued (because it prioritizes understanding before seeking to be understood) and in helping people feel they have a Voice (because it prioritizes listening and understanding).

CONTINUUM: Proclamation and Practices

The Integriosity model organizes “heart change” along six Covert-Overt Continuums.  There is nothing magic about these categories, but we believe they are helpful in thinking about practical execution of a Re-Imagined Purpose, Re-Imagined Values and a Re-Imagined Culture.  The Continuums are Prayer, Proclamation, Policies, Practices, Products, People.

Each Continuum represents an area in which leaders can begin to think about, plan and institute Re-Alignment changes to the heart of the organization.

Like “Embrace Biblical DEI” and “Embrace Biblical ESG”, “Encourage Biblical EQ” is on both the Proclamation and Practice Continuums.  Proclamation involves actions that share Biblical faith messages with those who may not have a Biblical faith.  Practices reflect, and at the same time help shape and reinforce, an organization’s culture.  Purpose and values define the culture of an organization; the culture shapes the behavior of the people in the organization; and the behavior of the people drives the results of the organization.

On the Practices Continuum, “Encourage Biblical EQ” embodies Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities that an organization must seek to embed in its culture if it is committed to operating with faithful integrity through business a better way.  “Encourage Biblical EQ” is on the Proclamation Continuum because it contemplates openly sharing: that the organization is committed to a Biblically-based vision around communication and interpersonal skills and their importance to a culture that prioritizes relationships, community and human dignity; how those concepts align with Biblical values; and how “Biblical EQ” differs from what has is the more common worldly understanding of “EQ”.

COVERT-OVERT RATING: Overt

The Integriosity model breaks the Covert-Overt Continuums into six gradations–from Highly Covert to Highly Overt–that we believe are helpful in beginning to pray and think about what is most appropriate for an organization at a particular moment in time.

Most Integrity Ideas will have one place on the scale.  Some can vary depending on how they are implemented.  “Encourage Biblical EQ” is at the Overt end of the Continuum because it contemplates an element aspect of Proclamation.  Whether it is Overt (An overtly faith-based action known generally within the organization), Very Overt (an overtly faith-based action involving suppliers, vendors or customers) or Highly Overt (“an overtly faith-based action involving community, website, sales/marketing materials) depends upon how widely it is explained.

STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees, Customers/Clients, Owners, Suppliers/Vendors, Community, Kingdom

When we categorize faith-based actions, we also consider the stakeholders principally impacted by the action: Employees, Customers/Clients, Owners, Suppliers/Vendors, Community and Kingdom.

“Encourage Biblical EQ” has a broad impact because it impacts how the organization’s humans interact with each other and the world.  It serves employees, customers/clients, owners, suppliers/vendors and the community.  They benefit from being touched by an organization with a WHY of maximizing the flourishing of people and being touched by humans who have been encouraged and supported in developing their communication and interpersonal skills.  “Encourage Biblical EQ” serves the Kingdom to the extent the organization proclaims what it is doing, why it is doing it, and how what it is doing is different in action, implementation and motivation from more common worldly concept of “EQ”.

IMPLEMENTATION

Every faithful leader seeking to lead with faithful integrity through business a better way should be praying and thinking about how to encourage and support the development of Biblical EQ in the humans they lead.  In that context, a Biblically-aligned approach to emotional intelligence is simply part of cultivating an organizational culture that Humanizes People, Beautifies the World and Glorifies God.

This will likely require providing thoughtful resources or making available third-party training.  One resource we can recommend is Relational Wisdom 360, which has been developed by our friend Ken Sande.  Ken was also the founder of Peacemaker Ministries. They describe “relational wisdom” as:

Relational wisdom, in essence, is the desire and ability to obey Jesus’ timeless command, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart … and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37-39). In modern terms, relational wisdom may be defined as your ability to discern emotions, interests and abilities in yourself and others, to interpret this information in the light of God’s Word, and to use these insights to manage your responses and relationships successfully.

A faithful leader seeking to grow the “emotional intelligence” of those they lead will need to consider choices such as: what resources to utilize; to whom should they be offered; whether to make the training mandatory or optional; if optional, whether it is offered during work hours or as a resource to be used during personal time; and if mandatory, how to accommodate people who are uncomfortable with the Biblical element.

The challenge for a faithful leader is the Proclamation aspect of “Encourage Biblical EQ”–explaining to employees, and possibly vendors, suppliers, customers and the world, that the organization believes in a critical third dimension to “emotional intelligence”–the importance of Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities and God-awareness.  It may be met with resistance.  John 16:33 says “In the world you will have tribulation.” “Encourage Biblical EQ” is part of seeking the BIGGER Kingdom in a broken world.

Turning once again to one of our favorite James Hunter observations:

To enact a vision of human flourishing based in the qualities of life that Jesus modeled will invariably challenge the given structures of the social order. In this light, there is no true leadership without putting at risk one’s time, wealth, reputation, and position.

It is a decision that must be taken prayerfully, remembering the faithful leader’s duty to steward well the organization God has given them to lead.  Although prayer can take many different forms, depending on the discernment of the leader and the existing culture of the leadership team and the organization, the same God who calls leaders to lead with faithful integrity through business a better way will be present to guide, equip and protect those who are called.

Proclamation (and the extent of Proclamation) must come from a spirit of faithful obedience rather than a spirit of pride.  If the faithful leader discerns through prayer that obedience calls for the Proclamation aspect of “Encourage Biblical EQ”, then as we have written many times, the faithful leader must trust.  The Bible should never be used to cloak a prideful gesture.

John 16:33 assures us that we can have “peace” and that Jesus has “overcome the world“.  Leading an organization with faithful integrity through business a better way in the face of resistance requires faith, and faith requires trust in God.  Trust in God is trust in His sovereignty and promises and trust in His commands.  He is faithful.

PERSONAL NOTE (from PM):  This topic was inspired by a talk I was asked to give on August 9, 2023, at the KILN (Kingdom International Legal Network) Conference in Kenya.  In fact, I am preparing to head for the airport!  Thank you to Nelson Ashitiva, a Kenyan lawyer of great skill and integrity, for the invitation.

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Photo credit: Original photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash (photo cropped)