Kingdom Tag

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...

INTEGRITY IDEA: Develop a "Daniel Plan" for Decisions "Develop a Daniel Plan for Decisions" is not about dieting.  It is about putting in place practices to ensure that important decisions and responses to critical or sensitive situations are made with "prudence and discretion" by an organization's leaders, following the example of Daniel when King Nebuchadnezzar ordered all of the wise men...

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...

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...

INTEGRITY IDEA: Strengthen Your Cord "Strengthen Your Cord" is about joining groups or organizations that gather faithful leaders to support each other in pursuit of faith/work integration, in navigating faith/work integration in an increasingly secular culture or in protecting the religious freedom to pursue faithful integrity through business a better way through Biblical flourishing. It provides a source of counsel from...

INTEGRITY IDEA: Seek Horizontal Counsel "Seek Horizontal Counsel" is about a faithful leader actively seeking counsel from faithful advisors as well as from the people they lead.  It is rooted in humility and requires a leader to understand who they are in relation to others and to recognize that that they do not have all the answers. "Seek Horizontal Counsel" affirms...

INTEGRITY IDEA: Seek Vertical Counsel COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Prayer COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Very Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees, Customers/Clients, Owners, Suppliers/Vendors, Community, Kingdom "Seek Vertical Counsel" is about a faithful leader praying, either privately or with a small group of other leaders in the organization, for wisdom and guidance in every decision. It...

INTEGRITY IDEA: Cultivate Customer Kindness 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, Community "Cultivate Customer Kindness" is about implementing practices that create opportunities for customers to engage in acts of "kindness" toward employees and the community.  It recognizes that "kindness" is an expression of the "first-order beliefs" God...

INTEGRITY IDEA: Choose the Better "T" of Trust (vs Track) COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action):  Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees In 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...

Regardless of what is posted on a website or promulgated in policies as an organization's formal purpose, values and culture, stakeholders will experience, and respond to, what they perceive to be the real purpose, values and culture of the organization.  A recent news story exposed real culture seemingly out of alignment with stated culture at a major financial institution. Aligning the...

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...

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 Hill COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action):  Proclamation COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Overt STAKEHOLDERS 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: Do a Devo COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action):  Proclamation COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Overt STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees This has nothing to do with the American new wave band popular in the 1980's.  "Do a Devo" is about periodically providing a Biblical devotional message to employees (and other stakeholders) who "opt-in".  It is not about bringing...

INTEGRITY IDEA: Energize External Generosity 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, Community, Kingdom Generosity 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...

Business has the potential to beautify the world--or uglify it.  “Beautiful” was clearly God's design when he created everything and declared it "very good", and “beautiful” is the word that comes to mind as you read the description of the New Jerusalem that is coming--God's Kingdom on earth. In between the beauty of a garden and the beauty of a...

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 Winning 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, 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 Gaps COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action):  People COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Overt STAKEHOLDERS 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: 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...

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: 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. ...

INTEGRITY IDEA: Recall Your Faithful Purpose COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert or Highly Overt STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Kingdom Most Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization. "Recall Your Faithful Purpose" is implementing practices to remind your stakeholders about your WHY--your organization's Re-Imagined Purpose...

INTEGRITY IDEA: Take Steps to PPP COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices 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. “Take Steps To PPP” is about taking steps to Protect your Purpose from Profiteers. Part of implementing a bigger...

INTEGRITY IDEA: Thank Your Temps 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.  "Thank Your Temps" is about acknowledging the contributions of, and thanking, your temporary and freelance workers at year-end.  It's not complicated--theologically or...

While you were paying attention to Time naming Taylor Swift their "Person of the Year", you might have missed Merriam-Webster's naming their "Word of the Year 2023"--Authentic.  "Authenticity", both at a leadership and organizational level, is a key aspect of leading with faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing.  An organization pursuing faithful integrity through business a...

Over the last four 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 and toward Biblical flourishing.  It is time to pause, take a breath and look back over the last 200 posts as we did after 100. We hope this is a...

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 Humanizing People, Beautifying the World and Glorifying God, properly positioning profit as a necessary means to that end. When we talk about flourishing,...

INTEGRITY IDEA: Tear Down Those Walls 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.  "Tear Down Those Walls" is not about Ronald Reagan, the U.S. border, dismantling offices, or moving to open-plan seating.  It is about...

A faithful leader who wants to lead with faithful integrity in alignment with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities must avoid "doing an Ahaz".  You might be asking, "Who was Ahaz?"  The better question is "What's 'doing an Ahaz'?"  The best question is "How do I avoid 'doing an Ahaz'?"  Ahaz was one of those "did not do what was right...

The first step on the ancient path from the "as usuals" of business as usual, work as usual, and faith as usual to "a better way" is RENEW, and the first step of RENEW is reordering disordered priorities to "Keep First Things First".  The last of the four first principles embedded in the word Integriosity is Humility, and it is the key to understanding the...

INTEGRITY IDEA: Fortify Family COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action):  Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees/Community/Kingdom Most Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization.  "Fortify Family" is about adopting practices and benefits that are specifically designed to encourage and support healthy employee families. It recognizes that God created...

ESSENCE:  Integrity Ideas are specific actions a faithful leader can consider in leading faithfully through business a better way. INTEGRITY IDEA: Provide "Plain" Pricing COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action):  Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Customers Most Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization.  "Provide Plain Pricing" is about...

Don’t worry--this is not about the U.S. Southern border, Eastern European borders or Middle Eastern borders.  It is about the border between the kingdom of the world and the Kingdom of God.  Kingdom border protection is trickier than geographic border protection because a faithful leader resides in both kingdoms and the border exists in the heart of the leader and...

ESSENCE:  Integrity Ideas are specific actions a faithful leader can consider in leading faithfully through business a better way. INTEGRITY IDEA: Adopt a "77" Policy COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action):  Policies COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt):  Overt STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees Most Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization.  "Adopt a 77 Policy" is...

The first step on the ancient path from the "as usuals" of business as usual, work as usual, and faith as usual to "a better way" is RENEW, and the first step of RENEW is reordering disordered priorities to "Keep First Things First". If a faithful leader or an organization is committed to "seek first the kingdom of God" (Matthew...

The first step on the ancient path from the "as usuals" of business as usual, work as usual, and faith as usual to "a better way" is RENEW, and the first step of RENEW is reordering disordered priorities to "Keep First Things First". The Bible says unequivocally that "Righteousness" is one of the "First Things" we are meant to...

The first step on the ancient path from the "as usuals" of business as usual, work as usual, and faith as usual to "a better way" is RENEW.  It is the start of a four-step process called Integriosity® to help a faithful leader navigate the journey on the ancient path toward leading faithfully with faithful integrity through business a better way. Each step...

You are probably wondering "What is an RYR?" "RYR" stands for a "Rich Young Ruler".  Don't stop reading just because you are not "rich" or not "young" or not a "ruler"--being an RYR is not about status or circumstances. It is about your heart as reflected in your primary identity.  "Are you an RYR?" is a question every faithful leader must...

Integrous Founder Paul Michalski was a guest speaker at the biennial conference of the Kingdom International Legal Network (KILN).  The 2023 KILN Conference was organized in partnership with the Kenya Christian Lawyers Fellowship (KCLF) and drew lawyers from across the globe, including Australia, Germany, Ghana, Kenya, Fiji, Nigeria, Rwanda, Singapore, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, the United Kingdom and...

ESSENCE:  Integrity Ideas are specific actions a faithful leader can consider in leading faithfully through business a better way. INTEGRITY IDEA: Catalyze "Kindness" 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 Most Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization.  "Catalyze Kindness"...

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...

ESSENCE:  Integrity Ideas are specific actions a faithful leader can consider in leading faithfully through business a better way. INTEGRITY IDEA: Embrace "Biblical ESG" 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...

ESSENCE:  Integrity Ideas are specific actions a faithful leader can consider in leading faithfully through business a better way. INTEGRITY IDEA: Embrace "Biblical DEI" 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, Suppliers/Vendors, Kingdom Most Integrity Ideas are practical actions toward implementing a bigger WHY for the organization.  "Embrace Biblical...