My trip to Florida was canceled at the last minute yesterday. Sadly, the chairman of the company I was to speak for passed away. To conduct a series of training events during the week of his funeral, amidst widespread mourning, would have been unproductive and inappropriate.
Statistics show that on average, 155,000 people die each day in the world. Another 110,00 are aborted. These somber numbers should give us renewed appreciation for the day we have before us, even the “bad” days. Actually, when you consider the possible alternative, there aren’t really any “bad” days, are there?
I read yesterday where a group of American atheists conducted a ceremony to “de-baptize” their members with hair dryers. The leader used the words, “come forward now and receive the spirit of hot air that taketh away the stigma and taketh away the remnants of the stain of baptismal water.” It is one thing to be an unbeliever, it is quite another to be hostile to the Gospel. God is not mocked. Learning to lead by biblical principles and applying them in the workplace is not always easy in today’s secular culture. But just because it isn’t always easy or popular is no reason not to do it.
I read Matthew 5, 6 and 7 this morning. Each time I study these chapters I’m reminded of how important it is to outline clear core values for one’s organization. Jesus established His values early in His ministry, so that He could demonstrate how to live them and put them into practice. I’ll discuss core values in, “How to Lead by THE BOOK.” I’ll also explain the differences between values, vision, and mission. They are often confused, but have separate and essential roles in every organization. The Bible offers excellent examples of each of the three components of clarity and demonstrates how they will create a culture that influences the behaviors you want to see from your employees. Environment dictates behavior, and behavior determines results. Thus, improved results are deeply rooted in the environment you create for your people. Your core values become a centerpiece of your environment. Every organization has a set of values. The questions are: “Are they spoken or unspoken and do they elevate or devastate?”
In “How to Lead by THE BOOK”, I’ll present the five core values we have in our company, how they benefit us, and how we bring them to life. I’ll share one example in tomorrow’s posting.