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.
The Foundation: Aligning with God's Purpose
Before embarking on a journey of scaling, it is essential to align your business with God's purpose for its existence. God created each individual with unique talents and callings. Businesses are just collections of those people aligned on a common goal. The beautiful thing is that the more defined that purpose is, the better the talent and processes will be that surround it.
Proverbs 16:3 tells us, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans." This verse underscores the importance of seeking God's guidance in every aspect of our lives, including our businesses.
To align your business with God's purpose, start by asking yourself:
Who do I want to serve?
What problem does my business solve?
What values do I want to uphold in my business operations?
By thinking about these questions, you can see the circumstances God has placed you in, as well as the gifts he’s given you, and use those to develop a purpose. You likely have a story from your past that has drawn you to a specific group of people or a problem to solve. Reflect deeply on that situation and consider how your work benefits that type of person. Are there more individuals who need your help? There probably are, and you are well-equipped to assist them.
Building a Strong Team: Investing in God's People
A strong team is the backbone of any successful business. As Christian leaders, we are called to invest in God's people, nurturing their talents and empowering them to reach their full potential.
Ephesians 4:11-12 reminds us, "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up." This passage highlights the importance of leadership development and equipping others for service.
To build a strong team that reflects Christian values, consider the following:
Hire for character and values: Look for individuals who share your commitment to integrity, service, and excellence. If you can build a team that understands your vision and wants to serve the people you want to serve, you have something great on your hands.
Invest in leadership development: Provide opportunities for your team members to grow their skills and leadership abilities. How are you growing those who God has placed in your care?
Foster a culture of collaboration: Encourage teamwork and mutual support among your team members. There can’t be dishonesty here. You need maximum empathy and maximum truth to really make this work. Most importantly, you have to lead by example through vulnerability.
Empower your team to lead: Delegate responsibilities and trust your team to make decisions. They will make mistakes. Have their back and coach them on the lessons learned.
By investing in God's people and creating a supportive work environment, you can cultivate a team that is not only productive but also reflects the love and values of Christ.
The Scalable Business Framework: A Roadmap for Growth
The Scalable Business Framework™ is a powerful tool that can guide Christian leaders in their scaling efforts. It is based on three core principles:
Processes: Streamlining operations and creating efficient workflows.
Automation: Leveraging technology to automate repetitive tasks and free up time for higher-value work.
Visibility: Gaining insights into business performance through data analysis and reporting.
These three principles work together to create a system that is scalable, sustainable, and aligned with your values.
Processes: Order and Efficiency
Proverbs 21:5 tells us, "The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty." This verse emphasizes the importance of careful planning and execution in achieving success.
By implementing well-defined processes, Christian leaders can bring order and efficiency to their business operations. The best process for this is a top-down and bottom-up approach. Commit to working with your team each year to review your processes and redefine them based on front-line feedback. If you serve your team in this way, they will develop a better overall process that’s well adopted. This not only improves productivity but also creates a more predictable and sustainable business model.
Automation: Leveraging Technology for Good
Technology can be a powerful tool for scaling a business, but it is important to use it in a way that aligns with Christian values. Automation should not be seen as a way to replace human connection but rather as a means to free up time for higher-value work that requires human interaction and empathy.
Matthew 25:14-30 presents the Parable of the Talents. The principle here is that we each have received “talents” and are expected to use them effectively. One of these “talents” is our time. This is where automation can change our perspective. Automation serves as a tool for effectiveness rather than merely efficiency. If we establish strong processes, automation will yield significant results faster. The tasks we choose to automate are predictable and repeatable, but that’s not where our team delivers the most value. Prioritize the human element. Where is your team contributing the most value? What automation can you create around that to enhance that value and minimize time spent on mundane tasks?
By automating repetitive tasks, Christian leaders can empower their teams to focus on work that requires creativity, problem-solving, and relationship-building—activities that truly reflect the image of God in us.
Visibility: Data-Driven Decision Making
Proverbs 11:14 states, "Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety." This verse highlights the importance of seeking wise counsel and making informed decisions.
Visibility, through data analysis and reporting, provides Christian leaders with the insights they need to make informed decisions about scaling their business. By tracking key metrics and analyzing trends, leaders can identify areas for improvement, anticipate challenges, and make strategic adjustments to their processes to ensure sustainable growth.
Many leaders aren’t doing enough to consolidate data, eliminate delays in reporting, provide their teams with actionable insights, and ensure quality through data capture. Focusing on these items allows you to learn and iterate, which is the secret to scalable systems.
Scaling with Integrity: A Testimony to God's Faithfulness
As Christian leaders, our scaling efforts should be a testimony to God's faithfulness and our commitment to ethical business practices. We are called to be good stewards of the resources entrusted to us, ensuring that our business operations are conducted with integrity, transparency, and fairness.
Proverbs 11:3 reminds us, "The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity." This verse underscores the importance of upholding integrity in all our dealings, including our business practices.
By scaling with integrity, Christian leaders can build a business that not only thrives but also serves as a beacon of light in the marketplace, reflecting the values of the Kingdom of God.
Conclusion: A Legacy of Faith and Impact
Scaling a business God's way is about more than just achieving financial success. It is about building a legacy of faith and impact that honors God's purpose for our endeavors.
By aligning with the purpose God has placed in us, investing in people He’s given us, and implementing the Scalable Business Framework, Christian leaders can unlock a path to sustainable growth that reflects their faith and creates a positive impact on the world. Living out their purpose and magnifying the impact through scale is incredibly fulfilling.
As you embark on your scaling journey, remember the words of Matthew 6:33: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." By prioritizing God's Kingdom and His righteousness in your business practices, you can trust that He will bless your efforts and guide you to success that is both meaningful and lasting.
If you want more information about The Scalable Business Framework™, including Michael to come and speak, you can find additional information here: https://www.fastslowmotion.com/scalable-business-framework/
About the Author
Michael Johnson
Director of Growth at Fast Slow Motion
Michael Johnson is an executive speaker, podcast host, author, and the expert every entrepreneur wants on their team when it’s time to grow their business. He has worked in the trenches of marketing, sales, e-commerce, and technology, leveraging his experience to help hundreds of businesses across dozens of industries build scalable systems using CRM technology.
In his current role as Director of Growth at Fast Slow Motion, Michael is one of FSM’s chief evangelists, on a mission to help businesses grow and scale using CRM platforms. With an engaging, personable style, he draws on his in-depth expertise to help audiences understand how good processes coupled with strong technology can help their businesses thrive and grow.