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.
Over the years, I’ve spent more than one night on a sailboat in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. GPS makes it pretty easy to chart your course and get to your destination, even when it’s dark and you can’t see much. Before GPS, sailors had to guide their ship using the stars. The north star was always the place to start when you were uncertain or needed to re-orient.
In the very beginning, your leadership team is you. Every single business starts with a person, and that person has the responsibility to dream and to do because he or she is the only one around.
Then the business grows, you hire some staff, and in a way, your whole staff feels like your leadership team. You hire someone to help with phone calls, emails, and scheduling, and he’s your Office Manager. You hire someone to help with packaging and shipping products, and she’s your Head of Operations.
The pressure of leading a team in the workplace may seem challenging. Yet a critical part of leadership is caring for people as well as accomplishing the needed business goals. In fact, the best leaders are those who put the needs of their people as a priority. You may feel the most pressure to meet your goals at work, but in order to promote a healthy work environment and accomplish the needed goals, it is imperative to be aware of the physical and emotional needs of your employees.
The unemployment rate of 3.6% is near the lowest in 50 years while the number of job openings is near an all-time high. There are more job openings (6.8M) than unemployed persons (5.8M). This tight labor market is a top concern of CEOs and business owners. According to the Conference Board, “The global challenge in acquiring and retaining talent requires companies to be more strategic – knowing not only what qualities and skills to recruit for, but also how to recruit more efficiently and effectively.”
In Tom Peter’s 1982 book, In Search of Excellence, he teaches that the best leaders spend time managing where the work and workers are. An hour spent daily in MBWA (managing by wandering around), may well be your best time spent. I adopted this method while leading in the public company world in the factory where I worked making aircraft parts and employed around 600 people. What I quickly learned was that MBWA was a great way to help my team win and effectively connect with my workforce.
