During an interview for a grant, a committee member asked me, “How can people share their faith at work without violating regulations?” “Many people,” I shared, “mistakenly believe we can’t say anything about our faith at work. We do need to be sensitive, but in this country we are able to legally share when the opportunity arises.” The key principle […]

God’s work in our life is often an encouragement to others, if we remember to share our story. A friend reminded me of that as he recounted God’s provision for his business. In a company tied directly to the real estate industry, my friend’s situation seemed hopeless. With only $19 in his account, and payroll for his eight employees coming […]

Partnerships can be a blessing or a curse. A couple I know had a choice. They could pay $35,000 for a franchise and start a store from scratch or they could partner with an existing franchise owner and open a satellite location for only $5,000. Their potential partner was my concern. The existing franchise owner didn’t have a faith in […]

Ted was a bank president who was becoming irritated with the arrogant behavior of his loan officer. Rather than address his subordinate’s frequent issues, Ted avoided conflict by giving the loan officer a great review and a raise! Then one day the loan officer was treating one of Ted’s customers with disrespect. Ted lost control. He exploded with anger in […]

As a new commercial loan officer, one of the first loan applications I received was declined by our loan committee. I was terrified to have to tell this bank customer, “No.” When we met, I gently tried to tell him, “No”. The next day I realized I had a problem when the customer called and said, “Okay, so when can […]

In 2001, a local CEO noticed his parking lot virtually empty at 5:00 pm and became incensed. He rashly sent an email to his executive team ranting about their poor performance. He believed that the parking lot should be half-full on Saturday mornings and on most evenings. His email demanded that the work ethic of the company improve or otherwise […]

Many years ago, a bank I worked for was being sued and I was a key witness! As our attorneys prepped me for a deposition, I discerned that their advice applied to life in general. These attorneys shared that when I was asked a question, I was to only answer the question, no more or no less. They highlighted that […]

As an introvert, I have conversations in my mind that should be shared more frequently with my staff. Sometimes I assume they know more than they do. But as my wife, Kathy, likes to remind me, “Silence is not good communication.” Some time ago, I wrote a document about my dreams for Integrity Resource Center to share with a team […]

Before placing anyone in a leadership position, discover their One Thing. Their One Thing is the foundation everything else is built on. Once I find my One Thing, I know who I am. My personal One Thing is my connection with Jesus. That’s the only scalable, sustainable One Thing I’ve found that’s worth living and dying for. Paul taught in […]

An old friend’s life had taken a dramatic turn from our last conversation. He had sold his business and began using his persuasive personality to convince others to be generous. As we talked, he stunned me by pointing out God had used me in his transition. He went on to say, “Had I not met you, and the people you […]