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.
A common but wholly bewildering problem founders face is apathy among their employees.
As a successful founder, I’d be willing to bet you are wired to drive forward. No one without that wiring would be daft enough to start their own company, which has an 80%+ chance of failure. No one without that wiring would be able to endure the hardship of building something from nothing.
It takes money to make money, so the saying goes. Even for businesses that get started with little or no direct contribution of cash, there is always an investment of time, expertise, and other resources that can be traced back to money. But what about the self-made millionaire who pulled herself up by her bootstraps? Great! Where did she get the money to buy her first pair of boots with just the right straps for pulling? Were they given to her? By whom and how much did they pay for them? For those looking to start a new business, or leaders of existing businesses looking to do something new, it is a useful reminder that investments of time and resources are always required. But what if the idea of needing money to make money actually obscures a more important point? What if there is actually a condition that must be satisfied, or decision that must be made, before resources are invested?
Culture is what you communicate, celebrate, and compensate. Culture is not your cleverly word-smithed statement or aspirational values or wall art or a well paying corporate job for your local screen printer. It is not some credo crafted at an offsite convention. Culture is much less glamorous and much more relevant than that.
Return on investment is perhaps the most foundational key performance indicator (KPI) in use today. The deceptively simple formula, (Earnings - Cost) ÷ Cost, defines a flexible indicator that leaders regularly use to assess multiple aspects of their business such as overall profitability, marketing effectiveness, pricing suitability, and profit on inventory. It is also frequently used with scenario analysis to choose between multiple options and understand whether it makes financial sense to make investments in new properties, plants, or equipment.
How is the “vertical tug” on your life? Are you doing everything in your company and leadership under your own wisdom, wit and power? Can everything on your “to do” list be done without inquiring of God? If so, you could be in danger of experiencing the “Gibeonite ruse”. Convene Board of Directors member Os Hillman reminds us that we must inquire of God before we act in our own strength.
