Steve and his partners lead a property management company for multifamily properties. One of their tenants committed suicide, shaking Steve and his partners to the core. Realizing that other tenants may also feel hopeless, the partners decided to do something about it. They partnered with a nearby local church to begin hosting periodic cookouts for their tenants. Their hope is […]

A study done in the 1970s by Darley and Batson recreated the Good Samaritan Bible story in a modern-day setting. These researchers tested two different groups’ willingness to stop and help someone in need. One group had a very tight time schedule before their next class, the other group had no time constraints. In their results, Darley and Batson concluded […]

Some business partners I know were professed Christians, but they kept having disagreements about how their faith should be reflected in their business. One partner was adamant that their faith should be separate. During a heated exchange, the one partner who was reticent about his faith blurted out, “My father taught me that business is business and faith is faith. […]

Recently, I heard Judi Bertels, CEO of African Vision of Hope, speak at a business meeting. She spoke about developing a culture fueled by its mission and values. Judi mentioned she values serving others above and beyond their expectations. Judi drives her staff to push past “good enough” in order to exceed the expected. Exodus 36:5 reads “The people are […]

Deborah Grayson Riegel writes in a Harvard Business Review article how to correct leadership mistakes in a healthy manner. Riegel encourages us to take three steps. The 3rd and final step is to, “share what you will do differently next time.” This step requires self-reflection. We need to pause and reflect on what part we had in the mistake and […]

In a Harvard Business Review article, Deborah Grayson Riegel writes about how to correct leadership mistakes in a healthy manner. Riegel encourages us to take three steps. The second step is “address what you need to do right now.” If you don’t identify what needs to be done to fix your mistake, your apology will seem meaningless. I once neglected […]

Deborah Grayson Riegel writes in a Harvard Business Review article how to correct leadership mistakes in a healthy manner. Riegel encourages us to have a conversation with ourselves then with the other parties involved, addressing three parts. The first part is to “Take Responsibility.” Years ago, I took an emotional intelligence assessment. One of the painful findings was that I […]

In a Harvard Business Review article, Deborah Grayson Riegel writes about the pain in making mistakes. But when a leader makes mistakes, the pain can feel more profound when you know others are following. When our mistakes cause others to question our expertise, our identity can be shaken. This often results in arguing, blaming others, withdrawing, deflecting accountability and/or digging […]

In January, Tom Phillips, former CEO of Raytheon, passed away. In his Wall Street Journal obituary, there’s a story of a Harvard undergraduate who asked Mr. Phillips if he believed there was a contradiction between his Christian faith and running a missile manufacturing company. Mr. Phillips answered, “We would like it to be a world where armies and weapons were […]

Some leaders refuse to admit their mistakes. Instead, they double-down and add another lie to the situation, holding fast to their original position. Sometimes, due to pride, leaders hold fast even with irrefutable evidence that they are lying. Over the years, I’ve learned that when I make a mistake, my best path to reconciliation is to own the mistake. If […]