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.
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.
“Good is the enemy of great!” Voltaire. Several years ago as I read Good to Great by Jim Collins I was reminded of this Voltaire quote and realized how true it is. How many times have you been to a restaurant with great food but the service is lacking, have they settled for good over great? We all have our favorite restaurant, car dealer, furniture store that just seem to get it. You always walk away thinking that was a great experience. First let’s look at what the Bible has to say on the subject, there are many passage but here are a few of my favorites on the subject. “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” Colossians 3:17 NLT. If we are called to be representatives of Christ, should we strive for excellence?
“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!” Revelations 3:15-16 NLT. I think the message is clear on this one, don’t you?
“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” Colossians 3:23. Once again we are called to work as to the Lord, with excellence!
So let’s look at excellence practically and consider how it leads to being great. Aristotle said “excellence is what we rapidly do, thus excellence is not a skill but a habit” I agree. Moving from good to great starts with you and a strong set of core values. Without a strong set of core values that keep you focused on what defines you and your commitment to being great, you will be like a ship without a rudder!
Here are some additional points to consider to be great:
Set an example by striving to be great in all your dealings with employees and customers.
Clearly set high standards for customer service and product delivery.
Do what you say you will do and exceed customer expectations.
Admit mistakes and take extraordinary measures to correct them.
Treat everyone with courtesy and respect.
Stay connected to your client base, set the example.
Be relentless about quality in your products and services.
Have an attitude of gratitude!
At the end of the day there is a fine line between being just good and being truly great, but it’s the attention to detail and your commitment to being the best in your given field.
Here is a final thought for you to consider from 2 Peter 1:10…“So, dear brothers and sisters,work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.”
Be great!
For team members to be inspired, the leader must be clear about why the company exists and where he and his team are going. Our people are all volunteers—they have lots of choices of where to invest their time, talents and heart. We must have an important purpose, cast a compelling vision and stand firm in our values if we’re to capture their hearts in addition to their hands. Mission
A great mission statement for a Christian-led company answers the question, "Why does this company exist?" and reflects both temporal and eternal purposes. It should be short, concise and easy to memorize. It should inspire you, and many others, to invest time and talents to accomplish it. It should be used as a tool with which your team makes decisions.
“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21).
Vision
Your vision is a clear and grand proclamation of what you desire to become or accomplish—it’s your dream for the business. As a Christian business owner, your goal should be to seek your God-given vision, not one supplied by your own imagination. Bobb Biehl says, “A team without a dream isn’t a team at all.” Andy Stanley defines vision as, “A mental picture of what could be, fueled by a passion that it should be.”
Your vision should be captivating and inspiring to motivate you and powerfully attract your team. As a Christian leader, it should start from an understanding of “Who is God?” (His character) and then relate to you personally, “Who is God to you?” Once those are clear and you’re coming from a place of awe, gratitude and humility, answer the question, “What do you think God wants most to accomplish through you and the company over which He’s given you stewardship?”
“Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, but happy is he who keeps the law” (Proverbs 29:18).
Core Values
Your values are the moral and unchangeable foundational principles that support everything you do. Your values must be instructive and biblically-based, able to handle the weight of whatever you build. People long to truly believe in something. Choose no more than five core values if you want them to be memorable and used by your team as a code of conduct.
“I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1).
Communication
After defining your mission, vision and core values, be strategic in your methods and the frequency of communicating them. Be sure people understand why your company exists. People are self-motivated if they’re compelled by your "Why," want to go to the same place you do and want to get there by living the same set of values. In order to gain inspired followers, the leader must communicate, communicate, communicate the mission, vision and core values.
What’s one thing could you do differently to help capture the hearts and minds of the people you lead and influence? What steps will you take to make that happen?
