Is joy an underrated asset in your leadership? In our latest article, Matt Rusten explores why joy, much like humor, plays a vital role in building a thriving company culture. From increasing team engagement to fostering resilience, joy can transform workplace dynamics and inspire purpose-driven work. Discover three key ways to cultivate joy in your organization and why it’s essential for leaders who seek both results and fulfillment.
‘Do not worry.’ We’ve read Matthew 6:25-34 in the Sermon on the Mount, but what does that look like on a day-to-day, minute-by-minute basis? God knows our every worry, fear, and concern – and He can handle it. Many thanks to Darrell Passwater, Convene Forum Team leader, for his encouragement to think about how our lives might be different by truly living out this scriptural principle.
Got a quick minute to chat? I’ve been wanting to share something with you as you lead in the midst of the election cycle in the USA or when your political election takes place in your country. When the dust settles on the election and the new country leader is declared, one thing will still be as true as it is right now. You’ll still be the one leading your firm the day after the election. Your team members will still come to work the day after the winner is declared. They’ll still be looking to you for leadership, for a paycheck, for a sense of community at their workplace.
What do they want most that only you can deliver? It’s meaning. That meaning they’re looking for begins with you and your leadership. To be sure, what Washington DC does actually can impact your business significantly, however, the president of the United States or the leader of any country does not lead your firm. You do. It’s an enterprise entrusted to you to lead as a steward. It’s a place where people look to you for answers, where people want to be part of a team that cares about them and where people want to be valued, appreciated, and loved. The next president of the country will not show up this week at your office to encourage your team, fix a broken piece of equipment, hire the next team member, sell a big account, or cast a bold vision about how your team will reach your goals and impact the culture.
As we find ourselves mid-October and a blink away from a new calendar year, it is an opportunity to prepare for how we view transitions. Transitions allow for reflection and renewal, for letting go and beginning anew, and for learning from the past and creating the future. Instead of laying out trends for the next year, I would like to comment on a fundamental enabler of any transition: hope. Leaders who want to improve, CEO’s who work toward excellence, HR professionals who aspire to deliver more value, and employees who seek well-being all achieve their transitions by realizing hope.
Hope integrates many of the positive traits that shape transitions for others and matter to me personally: learning, patience, service, faith, humility, optimism, gratitude, and so forth. I send hundreds of formal and informal e-mails every month to invite people to programs, to thank people for attending programs, to check in on those I mentor, and to stay connected to those I care about. I begin almost every one of these notes with “Hope you are well.” Hope is one of my personal desires, tag lines, and biases and an enabler of any transition.
If I could implant one trait in my family, friends, and colleagues who are undergoing continual transition, it would be hope.
‘Do not worry.’ We’ve read Matthew 6:25-34 in the Sermon on the Mount, but what does that look like on a day-to-day, minute-by-minute basis? God knows our every worry, fear, and concern – and He can handle it. Many thanks to Darrell Passwater, Convene Forum Team leader, for his encouragement to think about how our lives might be different by truly living out this scriptural principle.
In business, our success is often measured by profit margins or growth metrics, but many leaders find themselves searching for purpose that is deeper than financial prosperity. This deeper purpose can be found by integrating your professional success with your faith. Convene’s members are proof that integrating your faith with your business practices can lead to better results both in business and life. Do your employees and customers know God’s hand in your life? Can you deepen your impact in God’s Kingdom by bringing your Christian values to work?
The Power of Purpose-Driven Leadership
Leading with a sense of purpose that aligns with your Christian values and beliefs can offer newfound fulfillment you may be searching for in your work. Have you intentionally incorporated values like integrity, compassion and stewardship into your everyday business practices? Is your company culture tethered to your faith? By integrating your faith with your business practices, leaders can create a work environment that fosters trust, respect, and long-term success.
Most all of us know someone who is a recent college graduate. While we can give advice, sometimes it’s better received when it comes from the professionals! ‘5 Financial Planning Tips for Recent College Graduates’ from our partner, Ronald Blue Trust, is practical, biblical and wise advise you can pass along to the recent grads in your life. It’s also sound advice for anyone seeking to be disciplined and intentional with the money they steward – because it’s always the right time to implement sound disciplines around money.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart shall be also.” (Matthew 6:21)
We all interpret and apply that verse a little bit differently. But have you thought about that verse and its intersection with the conversations we greatly anticipate during our Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings with your kids/grandkids?
Russ Crosson, Executive Vice President and Chief Mission Officer of Ronald Blue Trust shares his personal insight about creating a line item on your budget for a ‘posterity investment’ - and the great alternative investment it is in Gen 2 and Gen 3.
