INTEGRITY IDEA: Take a Walk Our 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 Apologies In 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 Care Every 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...
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...
From time to time, it is useful to return to the basics, and the most basic and most important idea in the pursuit of faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing is organizational heart change. In the ancient world, frankincense was a prized trading commodity, yet in Jeremiah 6:20 God rejects it as useless. But it wasn't...
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...
This is the third and final post in our theme of "turning". The first message was to turn with all your might to God when your eyes have been opened to the truth of God's purpose for work and business. The second was about not getting turned back to business as usual or faith as usual by the forces 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...
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...
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: 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...
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: 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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Stop the Rot "Stop the Rot" is about putting in place practices and procedures to identify and address behavior by stakeholders that undermines the organization's Re-Imagined Values and Re-Imagined Culture. It recognizes that one toxic employee, customer or vendor can begin a corrosive effect that spreads like the rot on a bad apple in a barrel. It also recognizes...
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"...
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...
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): 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...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Prioritize Employees COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS 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): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Overt STAKEHOLDERS 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...