Research. Research. Research. It’s tedious, but necessary in a book like, “How to Lead by THE BOOK.” After all, I have 74 business challenges to find supporting scriptures, quotes, analogies, and real-world examples for.
I’m still committed to paring the number of strategies down to an even 70, so I will combine some of them.
How do you do research for 74 different topics? It’s simple. I log each strategy under its own heading in a document on my computer. Then I begin to file what I know about each strategy under the appropriate heading. I include quotes, scriptures, personal experiences, and the like. The strategy headings without much, or anything, filed under them require the most research. As I read, listen, study, and research, certain points will stand out as being a good fit for this or that strategy. Once the research is done, I begin writing and tie it all together. Fortunately, I’ve already assembled very good information for nearly half the strategies. The quality of the examples, supporting scriptures, and real world application ideas will greatly influence the quality of the message that shows up in the book. It’s either garbage in, garbage out, or insightful material in, high-impact writing out!
Here’s a common dilemma: Large companies are often accused of putting profits ahead of their people. What happens when the leaders value money, perks and possessions more than employees and/or customers? Matthew 8 and 9 shed some insight. Jesus had just left Capernaum for the Gadarenes district, across the Sea of Galilee. Upon arriving, He’s met by two exceedingly fierce, demon-possessed men. Jesus casts out their demons who, enter into a herd of pigs, run into the sea and drown. The local people, not at all pleased about what has happened, despite the fact that two tormented souls had been freed, ask Jesus to leave them. They were far more concerned with their pigs, than with what Jesus had to offer people. Jesus obliged and returned back across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, where He got on a roll and performed six consecutive miracles: healing a paralytic and a woman who had been afflicted for 12 years, restoring life a dead girl to life, restoring sight to two blind men, and curing a man who was mute and demon-possessed.
The moral of the story? Wherever people place profits (pigs) ahead of people, Jesus will not be welcome there. And when He is not welcome, He will leave–and take his blessings and miracles elsewhere! I’ll elaborate on this concept and the strategy for remaining “bless-able” in your business, in the book.