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...
Leading with faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing should include implementing policies about when the organization will "speak up" or "shut up" about controversial social and political issues. A recent news story highlights the importance of having policies in place before situations arise that the policies are intended to address. We believe leading in alignment with...
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...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Foster Financial Fitness COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees "Foster Financial Fitness" is about adopting practices and benefits that are specifically designed to encourage and support the financial literacy and fitness of employees and their families. It recognizes that financial instability, difficulties and stress can negatively...
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...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Fortify Fitness COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees "Fortify Fitness" is about adopting practices and benefits that are specifically designed to encourage and support the physical fitness of employees. It recognizes that an organization pursuing faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing should...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Nurture Nutrition COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees "Nurture Nutrition" is about adopting practices and benefits that are specifically designed to encourage and support the nutritional health of employees. It recognizes that an organization pursuing faithful integrity through business a better way toward Biblical flourishing...
INTEGRITY IDEA: Onboard with Intention COVERT-OVERT CONTINUUM (six Continuums for action): Practices COVERT-OVERT RATING (several levels from Highly Covert to Highly Overt): Highly Covert STAKEHOLDERS SERVED: Employees "Onboard with Intention" is about designing an onboarding process for new employees that introduces, reflects and reinforces the most important elements of the organization's Re-Imagined Purpose, Re-Imagined Values and Re-imagined Culture. It recognizes the importance of first...
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...
Does faith/work integration require Overtly faithful practices? Leading an organization with faithful integrity in alignment with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities toward Biblical flourishing requires a continual prayerful balancing of the call to be Courageous through Overtness and the need to be Wise through Covertness. Both the idolization of Overtness and the fear of being Overt may lead to poor stewardship. Wisdom...
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 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. ...
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: 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: 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...
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...
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...
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...