Excerpt
From Introduction
Leadership is a gift from God. If you are a leader, you have been blessed with a special gift and you do not walk alone. You are in the partnership of the Almighty who created the heavens and the earth and whose timeline is eternal. This is the central premise of A Grander Vision Becoming Gods Leader in the Workplace.
The purpose of this book is that you might see the Godly connection in your life as a leader no matter how large or small your assignment. And to fully realize that you are Gods partner. While I write this book primarily through the lens of my thirty plus years in business, I also write through the lens of my involvement of almost 15 years in our local church and the multiple leadership positions I have held there. As I wrote, I tried to continually think beyond my corporate experience and to process learnings also through the lens of entrepreneurial, non-profit and faith-based institutions. I have aspired to make A Grander Vision applicable to leaders in these settings as well.
My ultimate intent in writing this book is that after you have read it, you too will have a grander vision of your life and your leadership assignment in Gods kingdom. And last but most importantly, my hope is that you will spread the word to the next generation of leaders.
From Chapter 9 BEST PRACTICES OF GODS WORKPLACE LEADERS
Most Christians go to work each day searching for that Godly connection they had on Sunday yet wondering how it dissipated by lunchtime on Monday. From personal experience I know it does not need to be this way.
I have wrestled with this issue for most of my thirty years in the working world. I continuously asked and struggled with the answer to the question, What does it take to be Gods leader in the workplace? Beyond my leadership experience in the business realm, I am also drawing on experiences from my leadership positions in the military, local politics, government, and from my church. I believe the best practices are relevant and applicable whether your environment is in the profit or non-profit world.
I have attempted to capture all of these experiences and interactive observations into The Five Best Practices of Gods Workplace Leaders. With an understanding of these best practices, you can be well on your way to becoming Gods leader in the workplace.
Best Practice #1: Seeing Gods Hand in every aspect of your life including your work.
God made everything! He made you and me, our universe and the sustenance on the planet that we seek and produce via our work. It is critical to understand that our work is important to God and God expects us to work. Work is not some kind of downtime in your spiritual life and journey. As a matter of Biblical fact, God commands us to work both before the fall (Genesis 2:15) and after the fall (Genesis 3:17-19). Beyond these dimensions, Rick Warren in his massive best-seller The Purpose Driven Life, imparted to me the concept that we will also have a special job to work when we get to heaven! So work is not some anti-spiritual entity. Work is a key part of our being, who we are, what we do and our very existence.
Gods workplace leaders understand that there are not compartments of Gods time and work time but that all time belongs to God including those hours we spend at work. So by starting with this understanding, the committed Christian goes forth into the work world with the mindset of, What does God expect of my attitudes and behaviors on the job. How can I live a reflection of my faith? How can I serve others with all the gifts and talents with which I have been uniquely blessed?
Best Practice 2: Praying continuously, earnestly and specifically for God to unveil to you that special vision of your faith at work.
It can be a tough road becoming Gods leader in the workplace particularly if you think you can do it by yourself. You can only do it in partnership with God and the way to cement that partnership is through prayer. Pray specifically in asking God what does he want you to do with your time and talent in the workplace.
At one point in my career, I wrestled with entering seminary but it just did not feel right. The conflict was how do I fully serve the Lord if it is not as a full-time, black-robed ordained minister? My senior pastor of our church advised me that God needed people like me out in the workplace 24/7 to be salt and light. This could be part of my calling. Additionally, I had achieved what the world would consider success as president of a business division of a large global healthcare company. My pastor said this gave me a currency of credibility out in the world that he could never achieve from the pulpit. If a minister proclaims the gospel of Christ from the pulpit, the normal reaction of people is we expect that; he is a minister. But if someone with a position of secular achievement and success proclaims the gospel of Christ, the reaction of people is often whats going on here?
This conversation with my pastor took place about 10 years ago and as a result, I embarked on a focused regimen of prayer asking God for clarity around his vision of my mission as one of his leaders in the workplace.
Best Practice 3: Trusting God to equip and deliver you to that vision for which you are called.
Best Practice #4: Stepping out in faith not fear in all work situations.
Best Practice #5: Living a credo of: People First. Results Always!
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