INTEGRITY IDEA: Shun Sorcery in Business"Shun Sorcery in Business" is about faithful leaders looking to prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in making decisions, including hiring decisions, rather than turning to modern "sorcery". We are not talking about consulting Ouija Boards and Magic 8 Balls in the boardroom. The temptation to rely on astrology, numerology, handwriting analysis, psychics,...
A recent Wall Street Journal article about workforce reductions highlighted the dehumanizing effect of Profit as Purpose. It highlighted leaders boasting about workforce reductions. We suspect that those leaders are not actually proud of eliminating "people". They are proud of eliminating "headcount". Terms like "headcount" and "full-time equivalent" turn people into numbers. Once people are dehumanized into numbers, it is...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Provide Praiseworthy Packaging"Provide Praiseworthy Packaging" is about delivering your products and services in packaging that glorifies God. It’s about making packaging more intentional. It recognizes that how you deliver your product or service can speak as loudly as what you deliver. "Provide Praiseworthy Packaging" recognizes that one of the most straightforward commands in Scripture is to do everything...
When King Josiah’s eyes were opened to the truth of God's commands, he didn’t respond with mild reform or token gestures. He responded with wholehearted action. He "turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might". That same posture is needed today by faithful leaders whose eyes have been opened to the...
When you read the question, "What kind of impact investor are you?", you might be thinking "I'm not one of those people." A truth many faithful investors overlook is that if you invest, you are one of those people, because all investing is "impact investing". The important questions for an investor who professes a Biblical faith are what kind of...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Start a Bank (a "Leave Bank")"Start a Bank (a Leave Bank)" is about creating a "leave bank" into which employees may deposit unused PTO (and the organization may make matching or supplemental deposits) either to be drawn by co-workers facing an emergency or disaster or donated to charity. It recognizes that many workers do not fully utilize their...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Don't Settle for "Gold""Don't Settle for Gold" is about cultivating an organizational culture in which people are motivated and equipped to go beyond the Golden Rule in human interactions. It is helping people recognize the Imago Dei in others and live the commandment to love others as God has loved them, not merely as they would like to...
With release of "Wave 1" results from the massive Global Flourishing Study, "flourishing" has been in the headlines. We think that's exciting, because Integrous "helps faithful leaders lead with faithful integrity toward Biblical flourishing". Our belief is that the bigger WHY of an organization aligned with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities should be to maximize flourishing (rather than profit) by...
The news has been filled with stories about institutions (e.g., universities and law firms) being forced to examine and act upon their priorities. The priorities of an organization's leaders will shape its behavior, which means understanding those priorities should itself be a priority for a faithful leader seeking to lead with faithful integrity through business a better way toward...
Does Easter give you hope for the purpose of your work, business, and investing? Easter should be a source of hope 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 rooted in God's Restoration plan for His Kingdom....
Leading with faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing requires getting across four "gaps": Sunday/Monday, Sacred/Secular, Knowing/Doing and Safety/Surrender. Unfortunately, because of business as usual pressure and faith as usual detours, many well-intentioned leaders get stuck, never "hopping" or "leaping". The first three are "wisdom" gaps, and the journey across those "gaps" starts with RENEW--renewing the faithful...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Whisper, Just Don't Hide"Whisper, Just Don't Hide" is about a faithful leader being willing to share and explain the faith that informs their leadership and inspires the bigger WHY of the organization, even if the leader has discerned that the organization's pursuit of faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing is best done at the...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Implement Human AIAlthough "Implement Human AI" may sound like an oxymoron, we recently learned about a type of "AI" that appears to be both humanizing and consistent with the pursuit of faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing. It doesn't involve powerful computer chips, large data centers, massive energy consumption, or the threat of robots...
ESSENCE: Fasting is one common Lenten practice, and Pope Francis has written "Fasting involves being freed from all that weighs us down." "Give Up Sinatra" is about faithful leaders (and the employees they steward) being freed forever from the burdens and brokenness of business in accordance with the lyrics of Sinatra's famous song "My Way". "Give Up Sinatra" is about...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Be Quiet"Be Quiet" is about a faithful leader of an organization setting aside quiet time each day to listen for God's guidance in how to faithfully steward the organization in alignment with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities. It is also about encouraging others in the organization to set aside quiet time and putting in place practices to facilitate...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Seek Moses Managers"Seek Moses Managers" is about implementing promotion, recruiting, hiring, selection, and training practices for managers that prioritize the qualities Moses used when recruiting chiefs in Exodus 18:21-24. It is about prioritizing Biblical excellence, Biblical diversity, cultural fit, and character. "Seek Moses Managers" recognizes the importance of good managers to employee engagement and flourishing, to the implementation...
Integrous Founder Paul Michalski was interviewed by Preston Poore on his P³ podcast. The episode was released on February 25, 2025, and the topic was "Rethink Your Priorities"....
In the words of the Wall Street Journal, a recent Presidential Executive Order "put the brakes on a law that forbids U.S. companies from bribing foreign officials" as a matter of national security. For faithful leaders of organizations operating internationally, the bait has been placed and the trap has been set. An organization pursuing faithful integrity through business a better...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Grow Gratitude "Grow Gratitude" is about implementing practices to help employees experience feelings of gratitude. It recognizes that feeling gratitude has been shown to enhance flourishing and wellness in people, which should be a priority in an organization pursuing faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing. In a world filled with negativity that promotes...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Set Some Ebenezers"Set Some Ebenezers" has nothing to do with Ebenezer Scrooge. It is about the faithful leader of an organization following the example of Samuel and creating tangible reminders of times God has helped the organization and its people. It recognizes that most people easily forget (and some people never even know or comprehend) God's interventions and...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Share the Spoils"Share the Spoils" is about prayerfully considering compensation and recognition practices that recognize the contributions of all employees to the success of the organization. It is following the example of King David when he defeated the Amalekites, following their raid of the city of Ziklag. "Share the Spoils" recognizes that senior executives, top salespeople and big...
We have written about the cultural phenomena dubbed the "Great Resignation" and "Quiet Quitting" and how they were reactions to the de-humanizing effect of business as usual. Recently, a new "quiet" hashtag was born--"Quiet Cutting". We believe it is de-humanizing in its own way and reflective of the "heartless hustle" of business as usual--business in the way of the kingdom...
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 matters. As 2025 kicks off, it seems like a good time to remember the right...
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 one initiative in their organization that "adds to the beauty" of the world. One of...
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 making positive cultural changes but stopping short of true heart transformation. It is not the...
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 an entree rather than as dinner guests.) In God's design, work is a vehicle 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 are less fully human when not reflecting our God-given creativity and productivity through work that...
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 is usually profit. In business a better way aligned with the beliefs, principles and priorities...
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 the last 250 posts as we did after 100 and 200. We hope this is...
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 call to lead with faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing,...
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 most important of all. We call it the Safety/Surrender Gap, and it is a "heart"...
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 right reasons, without even thinking? There are two key aspects to the meaning of "integrity"--one...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Choose the Better "T" of Trust (vs Track)COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): PracticesCOVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly CovertSTAKEHOLDERS SERVED: EmployeesIn a world that has shifted to increased remote and hybrid work, "Choose the Better 'T' of Trust (vs Track)" is about cultivating an organizational culture in which employees can be trusted...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Prioritize EmployeesCOVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): PracticesCOVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly CovertSTAKEHOLDERS 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 Rule and the commandment to love your neighbor, both in its application and its results. ...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Recognize "AvoDay" (not Labor Day)COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): PracticesCOVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): OvertSTAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees"Recognize AvoDay (Not Labor Day)" is about using the U.S. national holiday of Labor Day as an opportunity to speak life into work by referencing the work-affirming word "Avodah" rather than the work-devaluing word "Labor". It...
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 situations arise that the policies are intended to address. We believe leading in alignment with...
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". They argue that diversity will be a natural by-product of MEI. For leaders...
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 physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness. It recognizes that an organization pursuing faithful integrity through...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Fortify FitnessCOVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): PracticesCOVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly CovertSTAKEHOLDERS 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 that an organization pursuing faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing should...
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 recognizes that an organization pursuing faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing...
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 retaining a Biblical vision of "environmental, social and governance" and "diversity, equity and inclusion" matters...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Climb a HillCOVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): ProclamationCOVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly OvertSTAKEHOLDERS 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 through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing. It is based on the Biblical...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Energize External GenerosityCOVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): PracticesCOVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly CovertSTAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees, Customers/Clients, Community, KingdomGenerosity is such a foundational Biblical principle to operating with faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing that it is embedded in our word Integriosity®, which combines integrity and generosity. "Energize...
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 business is necessary for good stewardship of the business, which means it is necessary for...
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." We call the other option business a better way — business aligned with Biblical beliefs,...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Discourage WinningCOVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): PracticesCOVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly CovertSTAKEHOLDERS 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 "encourages mutuality" in negotiations--looking for "win-win" results that take into account the needs and objectives...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Close the GapsCOVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): PeopleCOVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): OvertSTAKEHOLDERS 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 can keep them from experiencing work as God intended it and that can make it...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Be TrustworthyCOVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): PracticesCOVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly CovertSTAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees, Customers/Clients, Owners, Suppliers/Vendors, Community, KingdomAmericans trust in institutions, including businesses, has declined. "Be Trustworthy" is about putting in place policies and practices to ensure that the organization's stakeholders feel they can trust the organization and its people. ...
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 rooted in God's Restoration plan for His Kingdom. Believing that Easter is the beginning of...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Clean Your ChainCOVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): PracticesCOVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly CovertSTAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees. Customers/Clients, Owners, Community, KingdomMost Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization. "Clean Your Chain" is about putting in place policies and practices to ensure that your supply chain does not...