Integrity Tag

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...

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...

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 Loyalty Loyalty 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...

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...

INTEGRITY IDEA: Nurture Nathans While many Biblical characters remain obscure, Nathan is pretty well known. He was the friend who courageously spoke truth to King David and held him accountable. But Nathan served several other important roles in David's life.  "Nurture Nathans" is about a faithful leader identifying and empowering trusted friends and advisors who will speak truth to them--holding them...

INTEGRITY IDEA: Start a "Relevant" Bible Study While all studies of the Bible are "relevant", because the study of God's Word is always relevant for the lives of his image-bearers, some can be more relevant for guiding us in certain aspects of life. "Start a Relevant Bible Study" is about faithful leaders starting, facilitating or encouraging a Bible study that is...

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...

ESSENCE: We trained ChatGPT on Integriosity® and asked it to write a short story about the journey of Faithful Leader in the spirit of The Pilgrim's Progress, focusing on the seven Side Road detours of what we call faith as usual.  Here is ChatGPT's summary: Faithful Leader’s journey is the call of every leader entrusted with work under the reign of...

When a faithful leader's eyes have been opened to the truth of God's purpose for work and business and that leader turns with all their might to transform the heart of the organization they lead through the pursuit of faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing, the forces of the kingdom of the world will try to turn...

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...

After last week's post about horses (and chariots), you might be wondering if we are starting an animal series.  We aren't. This post is about choices, and it is inspired by Jesus casting demons into a herd of pigs and then being asked to get out of town. Faithful leaders of today can learn from the business choices found in...

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...

INTEGRITY IDEA: Color Your World (With Intention) "Color Your World (With Intention)" is about enhancing the wellness of employees through the intentional use of color in their workspace. It recognizes that color is powerful and, in workspaces, can have a positive impact on employee well-being. It also recognizes that an organization pursuing faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical...

INTEGRITY IDEA: Let There Be (Better) Light "Let There Be (Better) Light" is about enhancing the wellness of employees by taking steps to improve the quality of the light in which they work. It recognizes that the light in which people work can have a positive or negative impact on their health and well-being and that an organization pursuing faithful integrity...

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...

In prior posts we have emphasized that leading with faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing requires a continual balancing of the call to be courageous and the need to be wise in determining "HOW" to integrate faith and work, with the most faithful balance being courage tempered by wisdom.  "Wait, Just Don't Delay" is about the...

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 AI Although "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...

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...

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...

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,...

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 do I avoid 'doing a Demas'?"  Demas was a Biblical character who didn't finish well. ...

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: 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 place policies and practices to ensure that the organization is prepared to take positions on...

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 to ensure that the organization's stakeholders feel they can trust the organization and its people. ...

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 about putting in place policies and practices to ensure that your supply chain does not...

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 about money. "Terminate with Gold" is about taking extra care in applying the Golden Rule...

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 the traditional "Suggestion Box" by putting in place practices to ensure that the ideas, wisdom,...

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 creating a pocket-sized card that helps employees remember values, principles or practices critical to ensuring...

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 to God, "Give Horizontal Thanks" is about faithful leaders taking the time to express their...

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 is a reminder of the most important priority shift needed for an organization to align...

INTEGRITY IDEA: Set Integrity Boundaries COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Policies COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Kingdom Most Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization. "Set Integrity Boundaries" is about faithful leaders identifying, establishing and communicating the integrity lines the organization will not cross in how...

INTEGRITY IDEA: Identify Your Beauty COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action):  Products COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Owners, Employees, Customers/Clients, Suppliers/Vendors, Community Most Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization.  "Identify Your Beauty" is about identifying and communicating to stakeholders how the organization's products and services Beautify the World. ...