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,...
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...
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...
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: 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...
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: 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...
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...
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...
"Don't Bet on Horses (or Chariots)" is not about the Kentucky Derby or the Roman Coliseum. It is about faithful leaders aligning with the declaration in Psalm 20:7, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." The world and business as usual teach organizational leaders to trust in what...
"Slippery slopes" are rarely considered a good thing to be sliding down unless you are skiing or sledding (in control). An organization can face various slippery slopes, but we are talking about the slippery slope of a "Can We" culture. This is an organizational culture in which ends justify means and ethics or the law are seen as the only...
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...
In our most recent post, we urged faithful leaders to cultivate an organizational culture in which people are motivated and equipped to go beyond the Golden Rule in human interactions. We believe Jesus raised the bar with the "new commandment" in John 13:34 to love others as God would love them. The Golden Rule and the New Commandment are "do...
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...
The FTC's new "Junk Fee Rule" went into effect this week. Although originally proposed with a broad scope, the final rule applies only to live event tickets and short-term lodging. Although all other industries are effectively "exempt" from the rule, it should be irrelevant to the faithful leader seeking to lead with faithful integrity. The pursuit of...
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...
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...
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...
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: 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...
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...
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: 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 KindnessCOVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): PracticesCOVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly CovertSTAKEHOLDERS 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): 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...
Leading with faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing should include living the Golden Rule consistent with good stewardship by paying employees for their work, paying refunds to customer/clients, and paying suppliers/vendors promptly. It requires cultivating a "Should We" rather than a "Can We" culture. A recent news story paints a picture of a major retailer that...
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...
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...
A life of faith is a life of choices. For a faithful leader, one of those choices is the "O" that drives their leadership. There are two options--obedience or outcome. It is a choice between the kingdom of this world and the Kingdom of God. It is one or the other--business as usual or business a better way. It is...
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: Keep Controversy Within Your MissionCOVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): PoliciesCOVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly CovertSTAKEHOLDERS SERVED: KingdomWe 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 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. ...
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...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Terminate with GoldCOVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): PracticesCOVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly CovertSTAKEHOLDERS SERVED: EmployeesMost 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: 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...
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...