Faith Based Investing

A Debate for the Ages

So much of our time is occupied by earning a living. It is difficult to keep our priorities straight. Someone expressed the dilemma in these terms: “You can’t win. If you run after money, you’re materialistic. If you don’t get it, you’re a loser. If you get it and keep it, you’re a miser. If you don’t try to get it, you lack ambition. If you get it and spend it, you’re a spendthrift. If you still have it after a lifetime of work, you’re a fool who never got any fun out of life.”

Here is part 6 of the 7 part series on “How to be a better leader”.

From the Global Leadership Summit

Lesson Twelve: Be open and candid

Jack Welch, the former powerhouse at General Electric, whose book “Winning“ is a classic, set the tone in the afternoon session.

1. Be authentic.

Jack shared how so many pretend to be something they are not. People pretend or try to play a character instead of being who they are. Be yourself, be passionate, but most of all be authentic!

2. Have energy
Make sure people feel your passion. The leader has to have the fire if he expects others to feel it. When you believe in the journey it is much easier to sell. You can get people to connect and see the bigger picture. The job of a leader is to draw out the intellectual capital around you. When you see people buying in, you try to rally more to your vision. When people share experiences they tell others. Give people a reason to have energy and excitement.

3. Speak the truth.
Be candid! Jack says we need to get everything on the table. Less meetings more honesty. Jack separated employees and treated and paid them accordingly. Top 20 percent, middle 70 percent, and bottom 10 percent. This system, like a professional sports team helped GE become a global winning team for decades while Welch was at the helm. Jack always gave feedback: here’s what in like that you’re doing and here’s what needs improvement. He met regularly to give feedback. Above all, always be candid!

4. Act swiftly.
Jack says his biggest mistakes were acting too slowly. He says just go, make the tough decisions, and just do something!

Lesson Thirteen: be passionate!

T.D. Jakes, Chief Pastor at The Potter’s House in Texas. He is a pastor, author, singer, movie maker, you name it, but above all he loves the Lord!

Church leadership is unique as they come to follow Jesus and get stuck with the leaders at the church. Bishop Jakes jokingly calls this “bait and switch”. People commit to Christ but often give up on a commitment to their church because of a lack of passion.

If the church lacks passion, it is difficult to move people. People don’t like a cheap imitation of something bigger. You have to be filled with passion. There needs to be a fire! Whether this is in business or a church setting people are not drawn to a copy. They want an original. People follow those who take action, take risk, and live for something beyond themselves!

Use you God-given “divine” passion.
Your job is to make sure the light doesn’t burn out. What you envision has to be able to be passed without being diluted or polluted.

Challenge people
Keep the carrot in front of them. Stretch people but don’t rip them apart. In other words, give tasks to people who can handle the task and not become overwhelmed. If people feel defeated, the vision burns out in that person.

Deliver on your promises.
You want to make sure the team delivers on the promise your organization makes. Use divine inspiration to advance God’s will. If you are at the end of yourself, God will make up the difference.

You need builders and bankers.
Builders have ideas and start stuff. They can grow business. But you also need bankers – those who can keep the business going (operations). Surround yourself with people who are different from you. People that can handle what you cannot… Good teams complete you, they do not compete with you.

Have supporters
Know the difference between:

Confidents: those who are for you. These are people you are transparent with.

Constituents: those who are for what you are for, not for you. They are for you cause but not someone on your side.

Conrads: those who are against you. These are the ones who fight you ever step of the way.

Be honest
If you are looking to lead people for Jesus, you need to show your wounds and be transparent. Let people see who you really are. People learn as much from your struggles as they do from your success.

GO TO PART 7

What a great day yesterday at the Global Leadership Summit!

Here is part 4 of the 7 part series on “How to be a better leader”.

Lesson Eight:  Turn to God always, but especially during difficult times

Jeff Manion, Senior Pastor of Ada Bible Church in Michigan, who just wrote a great book called, “The Land Between: Finding God in Difficult Transitions”, started the morning off.

God does some of His best work in the darkest times, when we are boken hearted, and feel alone. This “land between” whether you are facing or going through unemployment, divorce, foreclosure, poor health, or bleeding financially. Whatever the dire circumstances, God is there! He can heal and restore us.

This “desert season” of life is preparing you for something. We may think not much grows in the desert. It is fertile land. It can grow complaints, frustrations, bitterness, and other unproductive attitudes. We grow sick of our circumstances. The desert is fertile ground for emotional meltdown. Look at Numbers chapter 11 where Moses breaks down and cannot carry the burden anymore. He reached the point of breaking! He was at the end of himself. When we are worn out, exhausted, and tired, God helps us carry the burden so we won’t carry it alone.

The desert is also fertile ground for His work. Instead, it can build character, develop perseverance, and grow us closer to Him. He provides patience, strength, the will to carry on. An unexpected phone call, sermon, email come at the the exact perfect time. God loves to provide! Why do we as humans question God’s goodness and competence? Are His arms too short?

The desert is also fertile ground for discipline. No child likes discipline yet it is necessary to rescue them from something. God loves us so much that He uses discipline to correct our path. We are naive to believe we are immune to correction.

Above all the desert is fertile ground for transformational growth. This land in between is where we learn to truly trust God. We need God during this time to know God provides and keeps His promises. We learn to pray, cry out to Him, and let Him carry our burdens. He provides food, water, and all we need. This time determines who we will be in the future. We can either let our faith die here or grow . Trust evicts complaints. The space in your life you resent most is the soil where God is producing the greatest crops. May God bless you in the land between. May He redeem you, restore your joy, reshape your heart, and show you the way out of the desert!

Lesson Nine:  Be a better team player

Terri Kelly headed up a session on collaboration and team building.  As President and CEO of W.L. Gore and Associates, Terri runs a multi-billion dollar enterprise that isprofiled as an example of unique leadership. Often in our world of self-centeredness we believe the world owes us something. Many live with an entitlement mentality. Even those who claim to be Christian can take on an attitude that the church or even God owes them something. It can take on the mantra, “what’s in it for me?”

Terri talked about collaboration and a sense of personal relationships. Instead of personal success, what about team and business success? The major point: what if we worked together as a team for the better common good
? It is about a collaborative effort. Every one member on the team plays a vital role in the success of the team. Think about the kingdom of God: He uses ordinary people collaboratively to accomplish extraordinary things! Alone it is tough to gain ground, but as a group of individuals with a common purpose, this can change the world!

At W.L. Gore, Terri chooses to allow employees to run with their passion. They have a common belief and value system – a foundation. They give the associates the resources and tools and let them work together is small teams for the good of the company. Financial success, though important, is not the only end goal. They focus on innovation, making a greater impact, and employee satisfaction.

This unique method of leadership is working. The common goals and values are driving success across their corporate culture. Their hiring process is essential. They use behavioral interviews to make sure the candidate fits the value system of the company. The leaders within the company influence teams but don’t have a rigid list of do’s and don’ts. They encourage freedom to try and fail but reign in employees by making sure new ideas don’t damage the company’s reputation or finances.

What about you? Do you care only about what’s in your best self interests? Or are you looking to make a bigger difference? Do you take calculated risks as a leader?

GO TO PART 5

This is part 3 in a 7 part series on “How to be a better leader”

Continuation from the Global Leadership Summit

Lesson Six:  Stay true to your Christian values. They are your best key to economic success…

Dr. Peter Zhao Xiao started the next session and discussed China’s transformation with the cross. For those who don’t know him. He is the leading Chinese economist. He was commissioned to study the success of America’s economy. He started as an atheist and communist, but a desire to find the truth. Through his research, he found that the key to America’s success was it’s moral foundation and Christian values. He concluded that Christianity was the primary reason for America’s economic prosperity. Along the way, Dr. Xiao read the Bible and converted his life to Christ.

Dr. Xiao brought his research back to China showing the impact of Christ on business and he is getting those in China, an area where Christian persecution is prevalent, to listen to his call for “open faith” and speed of Christianity to promote economic success. China will continue to play a bigger role on the global stage so we should pray for people like Dr. Xiao who can help China’s influence to be a blessing.

This is interesting as I have spent the past five years helping others keep Christ first in their finances. Dr. Xiao’s research has shown what I have long believed, which is the desire to find morally conscious investments is not just about feeling good about how you invest but that it is a key ingredient to economic success. Biblical principles work!

Though many think Christian values in business are rare. This is simply untrue. Though they may not be overly “Christian” companies, many have Christian leadership, biblical business practices, and support Christ’s mission to help the poor and under-privileged. If we spend time researching where we invest, we can uphold His principles and potentially benefit financially. Don’t have time to do the research? Check out Faith-Based Investor

Lesson Seven: Use pressure and tension to your advantage

Last on the schedule for the day was Andy Stanley, Senior Pastor at North Point Church in Georgia. Andy’s topic was how organizationsand leaders can overcome obstacles and conflicts. We have pressure and tension every single day. If leveraged correctly, this can move your organization forward. This type of progress can be healthy.

How to solve or manage problems: ask three questions!
1. Does this problem keep resurfacing?
2. Are there two mature advocates for both sides?
3. Are the two sides really interdependent?

Some problems should be solved, others managed. We need to decide which makes more sense after asking these three questions. The role of the leader is to learn to leverage tensions to make progress. This can be done by carefully analyzing if this problem will harm or help progress.

Those that will harm your organization find solutions now. If they are healthy tensions and make your team stringer to “naturally work it out” manage the tension and allow the situation to work itself out. Give value to both sides. Don’t be too biased and pit one side against the other. Instead see value and encourage each side. Understand the upside of the other argument and the downside of your point.

Overall, what a powerful day and a ton of key takeaways! I am excited about tomorrow’s leadership line up and will continue sharing some key points from the Summit!

GO TO PART 4

This is part two in a seven part series on how to be a better leader.

Picking up where we left off at The Global Leadership Summit…

Lesson Four: Don’t mistake hours for productivity

Next up was Tony Dungy, Former Head coach of the Indianapolis Colts and current football analyst. His new book “The Mentor Leader” describes his style of leadership. Craig Groeschel, pastor of LifeChurch.Tv in Oklahoma interviewed Tony of how his faith played a central part as a leader. Tony used biblical principles of nurturing his players without yelling.  He was described as not tough enough and too soft on the players. He believed in his players and showed care.  Tony says half jokingly, “stubbornness is a virtue if you are right!”

Tony proved the Bible never fails. His biblical approach lead to 10 consecutive playoff appearances and a NFL Superbowl Championship. But Tony, in true Christ-like fashion measured his success not on the field but instead the difference he made off the field- in his family and in the life of those around him.

Tony learned from mentors in his life. As a Christian he knew that a person’s spiritual life and being a family man was far more important than winning. He went out of his way to make sure the players and coaches had life balance to encourage family time. Tony chose to lead by example. Tony’s motto is “Don’t mistake hours for productivity.”

Tony is also big on mentorship as this made him who he is today. When God has blessed us with knowledge and experience we should give willingly to others. Jesus has been the biggest mentor in his life. Christ to him is about a relationship and making a difference in the lives of others.

Lesson Five:  Resist sin and temptation in your life

Next up was Adam Hamilton, Pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Kansas who gave a tough talk on when a staff member fails. He took a biblical approach on sin, struggles, and temptation.  He used John 8 to describe the Pharisees and how we often stone people for their sins yet we don’t point fingers back at ourselves. We live in a broken world and cast stones at others, but the grace of God gives us second chances.

If you don’t handle a situation openly and with grace, rumors blow up and the enemy sets in. Instead if we show Christ’s love, grace, and mercy, and allow God to do His work. Accountability and boundaries help provide tools to help those before they fall.

5 “r’s” to resist temptation:

1) remember who you are – a leader for God
2) recognize the consequences – will I be proud or ashamed
3) rededicate yourself to God – stop, drop, and pray
4) reveal your struggles to a friend
5) remove yourself from the situation

I will give you notes from the final session today later this evening….

GO TO PART THREE