Every person you know has a story occurring at the center of their identity and their progress that is too often expressed as an unanswered question: How do I connect my driving purpose to what I am doing every day? We ask it in different ways, but at the core of who we are as human beings is the question that connects the invisible pieces of our hearts with the visible pieces of our actions.
True leadership requires the courage to let go of what’s good in order to receive what’s better. Whether it’s possessions, positions, or plans, holding loosely allows us to lead with open hands, ready for transformation, collaboration, and God’s greater purpose.
You did it! You started a business with nothing more than a dream and a willingness to roll up your sleeves. You worked hard, really hard, and the business grew. You didn’t know what you were doing half the time, but you figured it out. You made it up as you went, and now you’re leading your very own multi-million dollar business.
The fastest way to lose sight of your business is to stop listening to your customers. What you think is happening inside your company and what your customers are actually experiencing might be two completely different stories. Too often, leaders rely on assumptions instead of real feedback—and that gap can cost you growth, loyalty, and trust.
In this post, Convene Chair Mike Edwards shares how to check in with your customers in meaningful, non-intrusive ways—and how to turn their insights into quick, high-impact improvements.
Are business growth and your faith opposed? Christian leaders often find themselves at a crossroads, seeking to balance ambition with their faith-based values. The desire to scale operations and achieve greater impact can sometimes feel at odds with the principles of service, integrity, and stewardship that underpin their beliefs.
Yet, scaling a business and adhering to Christian values are not mutually exclusive. In fact, by integrating biblical wisdom with sound business practices, Christian leaders can unlock a path to sustainable growth that aligns with their faith and honors God's purpose for their endeavors.
I’ve been thinking about learning… the lifelong kind. The kind that says, "I’m not too old to learn something new". The kind that says, "I should listen when people want to tune me up a bit because I have a blind spot". The sage who wrote Proverbs in the Bible tells us that if we teach people who are already wise, that they will be wiser still. “Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still” Proverbs 9:9. Don’t you want to be that guy?!
The term “coaching” in today’s world has gotten very complicated and misunderstood. In my youth, a coach was the guy who yelled at you from the sidelines if you were in any kind of sport. Today, we hear about coaching in a wide variety of areas, such as sports, music, relationships, spiritual development, executive and even “life coaching” in general.
My wife and I were at Canlis Restaurant in Seattle for dinner. I must confess, I’m usually content with Waffle House, so I was happy to catapult to the #7 restaurant in the U.S. I was secretly wondering, however, what it was that I was about to experience. My first clue should have been the New York Times review that noted, “A Canlis Salad, when properly prepared, is a revelation.” - Sam Sifton, NYT. A salad? A revelation? About that time, Wanda, our server who had been a team member at Canlis for 33 years, came up to our table and greeted us.
