INTEGRITY IDEA: Pay Caesar"Pay Caesar" is about faithful leaders resisting the business as usual temptation to reduce their organization's tax obligations through arrangements that undermine the bigger WHYs of leading with faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing—Humanizing People, Beautifying the World, and Glorifying God. A recent New York Times article described a Malta-based strategy used by...
INTEGRITY IDEA: 86 the 1099"86 the 1099" is about faithful leaders resisting the business as usual temptation to replace W-2 employees with 1099 independent contractors primarily to reduce labor costs, shift risk, and increase managerial flexibility. ("86" is an old slang term for getting rid of something, and "1099" refers to the IRS form used, among other purposes, to report...
ESSENCE: From time to time, current events lead us to revisit—albeit from a slightly different angle—a topic we have covered in a prior post. This is one of those times, and the topic is priorities. The current event is a New York Times investigative piece about the transformation of a law firm that prided itself on “doing well and doing...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Practice Three-Dimensional Speech"Practice Three-Dimensional Speech" is about a faithful leader turning upward and inward before speaking outward, pausing to pray to God, asking the Holy Spirit to guide the response, and examining the motives and emotions within their heart before speaking to another image-bearer. It recognizes the power of words to build up or tear down—particularly words from...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Transform Through Titles"Transform Through Titles" is about a faithful leader ensuring that the job titles and department titles used in the organization reflect and reinforce the pursuit of faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing, rather than silently undermining that goal. It recognizes that words have power, and titles can be powerful words. A title can...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Support Sweet Sleep at Work"Support Sweet Sleep at Work" is not about encouraging employees to sleep on the job—it is about implementing workplace practices that encourage and enable employees to get adequate and restorative sleep at home. It recognizes that sleep deprivation is a chronic problem in the United States, that work practices can be a major contributor,...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Celebrate Accomplishments"Celebrate Accomplishments" is about a faithful leader cultivating an organizational culture in which team accomplishments are celebrated with all those who contributed. It recognizes the importance, in the pursuit of faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing, of not rushing past accomplishments in pursuit of the next objective. It follows the example of Nehemiah...
ESSENCE: As a faithful leader pursuing faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing, you do not want your organization to be a Biblical "but," and you certainly do not want to be one yourself. Scripture gives us powerful illustrations of what that means in its evaluation of the kings of Judah. Some of the saddest evaluations of...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Don't Water the WineIn the famous Biblical story of the wedding at Cana, Jesus performed his first miracle by turning water into fine wine when the wedding wine ran out. The master of the feast was particularly impressed because it was better than what had been served earlier, turning on its head the custom of serving inferior wine...
ESSENCE: You may be asking, "Why is Integrous promoting becoming a workaholic?" As we have shown in the past, adding the qualifier "faithful" or "Biblical" to a cultural word can turn it on its head, and Jesus loved turning the world's thinking on its head. What we are calling a "faithful workaholic" is not someone addicted to work, productivity, achievement,...
On June 18, 2026, Integrous Founder Paul Michalski was the featured guest author in the U.S. Christian Chamber of Commerce's weekly newsletter. ...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Harness Parking PowerFor organizations that provide parking, "Harness Parking Power" is about a faithful leader prayerfully discerning ways to use choice spots to recognize, honor, reward, or support stakeholders. It is not about saving the best spaces for the most senior staff, as is sadly common in both corporations and churches. Nor is it about virtue signaling by...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Ask for an Autograph"Ask for an Autograph" is about faithful leaders implementing practices that make the people behind an organization's products visible. It is about finding ways to allow customers to learn about the humans whose skill, care, and labor went into the creation of a product they purchased—not as a marketing gimmick, but as an act of...
ESSENCE: Oswald Chambers asks the question, "Suppose God tells you to do something that is an enormous test of your common sense, totally against it. What will you do? Will you hold back?" It is a challenging question for a faithful leader of an organization because business as usual—business in the way of the kingdom of the world—is often the...
ESSENCE: If you don't follow legal industry news, you probably missed a recent and rather extraordinary court order that sanctioned a prominent law firm and detailed how the culture of an organization can blind people to the point that they convince themselves something clearly wrong seems right. The purpose of this post is not to shame, judge, or expose the...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Faithfully "Applefy" Your CultureFollowing the announcement that Tim Cook would be stepping down as CEO of Apple, the Wall Street Journal asked him what advice he would pass down to his successor. Cook’s answer offers two leadership principles that are worth receiving—but also worth redeeming. "Faithfully Applefy Your Culture" is about a faithful leader taking steps to implement...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Don't Fake It to Make It"Don't Fake It to Make It" is about faithful leaders resisting the pressure and temptation to mimic, adopt, or rationalize business as usual practices in order to "succeed" personally in their career or for the organization they lead to "succeed" in the marketplace. It recognizes that fear and wisdom are very different motivators,...
AI is constantly in the news, and this will be our third post in an "AI trilogy". It is inspired by a deeply disturbing conversation recounted by Elon Musk in which Larry Page reportedly called Musk a "speciesist" for taking the side of humanity over AI in a scenario of AI wiping out humanity. The story highlights a tension at...
We have had other topics in the wings, but news in the last week brought us right back to the relationship between "humanity," technology, and God's purpose for work and organizations. The inspiration for this post came from two articles--one about using technology to verify that someone is "human" and another about using technology to capture human behavior so that...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Banish the BurnRecently Fast Company published a series of articles on a growing crisis of manager "burnout". "Banish the Burn" is about a faithful leader putting in place practices to identify potential manager burnout, understand its sources, care for managers experiencing burnout, and cultivate an organizational culture designed to minimize the causes of and proactively protect against burnout. ...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Pour a FoundationA few people have asked if we were planning something special for the 100th Integrity Idea. We weren't. What arrived, though, may be the most important of all 100. Integrity Idea 100 is about when a faithful leader should ignore the first 99 Integrity Ideas–at least for now. "Pour a Foundation" is about pouring a foundation...
Anecdotally, it seems that more people began using the term Resurrection Day this year instead of Easter. It helpfully and meaningfully moves attention away from colored eggs, chocolates, and the Easter Bunny. More importantly, it makes us think about "resurrection living," which includes "resurrection working." We’re going with it. Does Resurrection Day give you hope for the purpose of your...
In a world increasingly shaped by machines, faithful leaders must prayerfully discern not just what they produce, but how—and by whom. In a world of AI and robotics, the real question is not what we produce—but who we become. As AI and robotics make it cost-efficient to replace human labor, and Profit as Purpose drives increased replacement, many people are...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Take a WalkOur last two posts focused on communications by faithful leaders that prioritize relationships, community, human dignity, and flourishing—saying "Good Morning" and "I'm Sorry." "Take a Walk" is an equally free way to facilitate informal communication. It is about a faithful leader taking the time to walk around the workplace—whether it's a store, office, or factory—to listen,...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Ace ApologiesIn our last post, we talked about faithful leaders taking the time to say, "Good Morning". This post is focused on an equally free and even more important communication. "Ace Apologies" is about a faithful leader saying, "I'm Sorry." A sincere apology is not as simple as a sincere greeting, and the consequences of a bad apology...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Morning Manners Matter"Morning Manners Matter" is about as simple—and free—as an Integrity Idea can get. It is about a faithful leader taking the time to say "Good Morning" to employees they encounter when arriving at work. "Morning Manners Matter" recognizes the power of words and embraces the power of encouragement. It says to people, "I see you", "I...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Choose Counselors with CareEvery leader receives counsel. The only question is whether that counsel reinforces conviction or erodes it. "Choose Counselors with Care" is about ensuring that a faithful leader is getting advice and counsel from people who have the wisdom to offer sound judgment, the integrity to give disinterested guidance, the courage to speak hard truth, and...
For any patriotic American, this past Sunday was an exciting day watching the United States men's hockey team win a gold medal--the first in 46 years. When Jack Hughes set aside NHL rivalries to play for Team USA, he showed the power of knowing whose team you are on. A faithful leader can't understand the WHY or HOW of faith/work...
In a moment when boards demand momentum, markets demand optics, and disengaged employees seek connection, "servant leadership" can be seen as an attractive management strategy. Servant leadership is popular among faithful leaders because it is the type of leadership modelled by Jesus, and it is the kind of leadership Jesus called his followers to model. It is also a management...
ESSENCE: Everyone who watched the Super Bowl faced decisions--some harder than others. Decisions that flow from identity and conviction--like cheering for the Pats when you are a diehard Pats fan--are "easy" to make. In the pursuit of faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing, hard decisions don’t disappear because leaders get smarter or braver. They become easy...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Flip the Tip"Flip the Tip" is about faithful leaders changing their business model to "flip" tipping, returning it to an opportunity for customer generosity rather than an expected customer subsidy for inadequate wages. It recognizes that it is the employer's Biblical obligation to ensure that employees are fairly compensated and that the current model of tipping in the...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Be a Barnabas"Be a Barnabas" is about a faithful leader prayerfully and intentionally looking for opportunities to encourage those they lead. Encouragement says, "I see you," "I see something in you," and "I see something beyond you." It recognizes the power of words to lift people past circumstances, over fears and doubts, and out of discouragement, to help...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Listen to the Silent Screams"Listen to the Silent Screams" is about a faithful leader putting in place practices to understand how employees really feel about their work and their jobs. At a time when hashtags like "Great Resignation", "Quiet Quitting", "Great Detachment", "Quiet Cutting", "Job Hugging" and "Resenteeism" have filled social media--and U.S. employee engagement and wellbeing is...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Celebrate Lives"Celebrate Lives" is about a faithful leader implementing practices that intentionally remember, honor and celebrate members of the organization who have died. It recognizes the Imago Dei in those departed--dignity that does not end at death--as well as the importance of relationships built in the workplace. In doing so, it reflects and reinforces a business a better...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Adopt One Small Beautiful Act in 2026"Adopt One Small Beautiful Act in 2026" has nothing to do with what you might be thinking. It is the start of a new Integrous tradition--a January reminder that "beautiful" doesn't require "big". In fact, "big" can be intimidating and lead to doing nothing--which isn't "beautiful". "Adopt One Small Beautiful Act in...
New Year's Eve is a time usually focused on the hope and possibilities of the year to come. It is a day that tempts us to focus only on putting the past behind. But faithful leaders seeking to lead with faithful integrity in alignment with Biblical beliefs, principles, and priorities need to resist the urge to look only forward. It...
In our last post, we urged faithful leaders to get more overt about their faith at Christmas. In keeping with our Christmas "reindeer dust" tradition, this post is about going deeper than surface overtness in 2026--because overtness is not a proxy for faithfulness. Sometimes good-intentioned faithful leaders sprinkle faith "reindeer dust"--overt faith symbols and practices--believing it is all that is...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Go Beyond a Tree at Christmas"Go Beyond a Tree" is about faithful leaders displaying tasteful faith-inspired objects, such as a nativity scene or Advent wreath, in the workplace at Christmas rather than just a Christmas tree. It recognizes that the Christmas has been widely secularized and neutralized, symbolizing a season of consummation rather than contemplation. It also recognizes...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Goldplate Your Offboard Auto-Replies"Goldplate Your Offboard Auto-Replies" is about applying the Golden Rule when creating policies for the form of e-mail auto-reply used when a human being is "offboarded"--leaves an organization, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. A simple auto-reply may feel trivial, but small acts accumulate into a culture. It recognizes that faithfulness in little things matters, and that...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Encourage "Pinocchio Marketing"Confused? Don't worry--we are not advocating deceptive marketing that causes a faithful leader's nose to grow. "Encourage Pinocchio Marketing" is about faithful leaders cultivating a marketing culture with a heart for the qualities that allowed Pinocchio to become a real boy--bravery, truthfulness and unselfishness--and a nose capable of detecting potentially deceptive or manipulative marketing before it...
We are continuing our Thanksgiving tradition of "Turkey/Profit" reflections (with a new mashed potatoes twist this year). What would the turkey--the centerpiece--represent if your Thanksgiving celebration were a business? Our conclusion: the turkey is usually profit, but it shouldn't be. Profit should be the oven (or the smoker or deep fryer) and the gravy. The true centerpiece should be Biblical...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Whisper, Just Don't Dilute"Whisper, Just Don't Dilute" is about a faithful leader being courageous in sharing as TRUTH (and not merely as "wisdom" or "tradition") the faith that informs their leadership and inspires the bigger WHY of the organization, even if the leader has discerned that it is wiser stewardship for the organization to "whisper"--operate at the covert...
Mathematically, 996 ≠ 666. Spiritually they can be uncomfortably close—it doesn't take much to flip two digits. We are talking about a new "996" workweek (9:00 AM – 9:00PM, 6 days) that is reportedly "gaining momentum across the U.S., especially in certain industries." It is a big shift from Dolly Parton's "9 to 5", but does it equate to "666"—is...
Over the last six 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 300 posts as we did after 100, 200 and 250. We hope this...
ESSENCE: "Faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing." It is by far our most repeated group of words. Particularly for readers new to this journey, that phrase deserves unpacking: what does it really mean? As we reach post #300, it seems fitting to do a little refresher on the three key concepts embedded in that phrase. The word...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Re-Align LoyaltyLoyalty is usually seen as a virtue, but the brokenness of business as usual can misalign loyalty--attaching allegiance to the wrong objects, the wrong purposes and the wrong priorities. "Re-Align Loyalty" is about implementing practices to ensure that the overriding allegiance of leaders, managers and employees is to principles rather than people--toward the bigger WHY of the...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Support the Supporters"Support the Supporters" is about implementing practices to support, care for, and recognize the employees who keep "stars" looking good, keep initiatives moving forward, and keep teams working together. They are the account managers, program coordinators, team leaders, service partners, mentors, encouragers and connectors who may never seek the spotlight but without whom the lights would...
On October 8, Integrous Founder Paul Michalski was the guest speaker in the Workforce Ministries Purposeful Leader Speaker Series. The title of his talk was "My Abrahamic Moment: Finding Faith and Purpose in the Workplace"....
On October 8, Integrous Founder Paul Michalski was the speaker in the Workforce Ministries Purposeful Leader Speaker Series. The title of his talk was "My Abrahamic Moment: Finding Faith and Purpose in the Workplace"....
INTEGRITY IDEA: Purge Profanity"Purge Profanity" is about implementing policies and practices that discourage employees from using vulgar, obscene, or profane language while working or representing the organization. The Bible is very clear in warning against profanity, but this is not about purity, prudishness, or legalism. It recognizes that words have power to bless or curse--the power to give "life" or...