Hello gang, it’s Bradley J. Moore here.
Last year I made a big stink about appearing as a guest speaker at an event that I eventually referred to simply as “The Event.” If you were there, you know what I’m talking about. If not, allow me to enlighten you. It was the Leadership & Spirituality program at Princeton’s Theological Seminary, where an incredible cross-section of business and church leaders came together last May to discuss what it means to connect a spiritual purpose to their careers. We became an instant community.
If you missed it last year, then you are in luck. The Event is coming back again to Princeton, this time on April 11- 12, and I have the inside scoop on what promises to be a bigger and even more exciting program, with more speakers, more group interaction, and more terrific content relevant to our spirituality at work. This year’s program is entitled, “Leadership and Spirituality: Finding our Greater Purpose.” The platform for our discussion will be based on three very fundamental questions, which are good questions to think about regardless if you plan on attending.
1. Do you believe that you are completely safe, secure and unconditionally loved by God in your leadership role?
When we are driven by external factors, such as greed, insecurity, image or status, it is reflected negatively in our actions and behaviors at work. We become self-centered, insecure, anxious and controlling. Unfortunately, the competitive and unforgiving nature of the marketplace and organizational politics can often throw us headlong into these altered states of spiritual uncertainty and confusion. Instead of trusting God, we grab at everything else around us to build up our confidence and competence.
The source of our leadership should come from trust in our loving God that, no matter what, he has prepared a path for us and that he will ultimately lead us through. How would you approach work differently if you truly relied on God’s unconditional, infinite love for you? Think about it: you’d be calm, confident, at peace, not anxious. Not controlling and insecure. And probably a much more effective leader.
2. Are you able to release your true and authentic self at work in response to God’s love?
Once we are able to rest completely in the security of an infinite, loving God, it frees us up to become our truest self, releasing our greatest good serving those around us. Rather than posing or politicking, we can operate from a place of humble authenticity which ultimately accelerates our effectiveness and influence.
Each of us has unique gifts and talents that no one else in the organization can replicate or replace. Even in the midst of chaos and conflict, God’s mysterious grace is at work in us and through us to achieve his purpose.
How would your attitude at work change if you were operating as your truest, most authentic self? Are you tuned in to your unique talents, and abilities? Have you released those gifts to serve others?
3. Are your work activities aligned with the highest and greatest good of those you work with?
Think about where you are right now at work, what you are working on, and who you are working with. If you are operating out of the security of God’s love and are deeply true to your authentic self, the natural result is to effectively employ those gifts to the situation around you. Rather than being weighed down with frustration or paralyzed with fear, you can take action, trusting that the Holy Spirit will reveal the pathways for you as you go.
Take that next step. Stop by that person’s office. Make that call. Prepare a new strategy. Identify the next opportunity. Take initiative, knowing God’s grace will cover you, and in time the results will follow.
What steps will you take today to bring the highest and greatest good to your organization, and the people that you work with? Where do you need the Holy Spirit’s guidance to lead you there?
Which of these questions resonate with you and your leadership role?
If you happen to be a working professional living in the Northeast, I would love to meet you at this event on April 11! To find out more, or to register, click here.
Post written by Bradley J. Moore of Shrinking the Camel.
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Brad… first of all, congrats on getting back to Princeton again this year for The Event! I’m really glad that people like you have the kind of influence (and/or blessing) to get a platform like that. Really cool dude…
For me, your third question here resonates the most with me. I think that (again, for me) the first two come fairly easy. But the third one seems much more intentional, therefore requiring more discipline on my part to make it happen. I’d like to think that I can easily answer that question with a resounding ‘YES’, but if I am honest, then I know that I cannot say that 100% of the time.
Thanks dude!
“.. the competitive and unforgiving nature of the marketplace and organizational politics can often throw us headlong into these altered states of spiritual uncertainty and confusion…”
This is a most provoking statement. We need to rise above the world with truth. We need to find a way to live out our faith in a way that stands in stark contrast to what is going on around us.
David
Red Letter Believers
http://www.redletterbelievers.com
“Salt and Light”
Brad, I like to think of each of your points or questions this way:
– I am confident, secure, and unconditionally loved by God in my leadership role.
– In my leadership role, I use my unique gifts and talents to help guide employees to be the best they are.
– I help employees to be their best as I take the initiative to ___________, stop by _______’s office to ____________, and help _______ to ____________.
The statements become a kind of mantra or meditation or, stated another way, each question becomes intention becomes action. The action becomes second-nature. The power of positive thinking is at work with God’s grace and blessing.
Maureen – I really like your idea here. I am actually going to pass this suggestion on to the leader of the program. This makes it more tactical, as a prayer to say as we go about our day.
Bradley,
Recently for me it has been the first question that I have struggled with. In my role God’s love is central to all that I do, and all that I seek to share. I know that his expectation of me is simply that I be myself and do my best, and rely on him for anything more than that. God will never give up on me, or make me redundant.
Unfortunately, that is not necessarily true of the people whose money actually pays my bills. I may occassionaly meet God’s expectations, but meeting the differing expectations of the members of a congregation is a different matter entirely. The trouble is, they can, and quite possibly one day will, give up on me and make me redundant. In the face of that, it is hard to always rest in God’s love alone.
Tony – I think the distinction you bring up is the whole point of this first question… If we are secure in God’s love , then we stop worrying so much about “the people who pay my bills,” knowing that we will be okay no matter what happens. Maybe the more we worry about trying to control the outcome of something that we don’t necessarily have control over, the worse our behavior and performance spins out of control. That’s the anxiety we’re talking about there.
So what if they think you’re redundant? Wouldn’t you get another position somewhere else in due time? Maybe a better position, where you are better able to use your gifts. I don’t think we can let our employers wield so much power over our identities and sense of self-confidence.
But, yes, I’ll be the first to admit that this is difficult for most of us to balance that level of confidence with the realities of our work environment.
I wouldn’t worry about “the people who pay my bills” if they weren’t Christians, who are supposed to be doing what God has called them to as I do what he has called me to. How often do pastors leave churches because leaders or other members of the congregation want to play God – to tell the pastor exactly what his/her gifts are and exactly how “God” wants them to be used. I don’t want to be in control, but I don’t want anyone other than God to be in control either.
We often think that a person’s title defines the person as a leader. It doesn’t. It might define expectation that the person act as a leader, but a title is no guarantee of leadership. Some of the most effective leadership I’ve run across in the work place didn’t have an executive title attached to it. And it’s a kinf od leadership that all of us can relate to and exercise — when as you point out here, what you do is aligned with the highest and greatest good of those you work with.
No. Yes. Yes.
Mine is — “1. Do you believe that you are completely safe, secure and unconditionally loved by God in your leadership role?”
I LOVE this post because there are so many “leadership” posts out there on the blog that talk about secular leadership – confidence from within oneself. But, if we’re any different– and we are — our source is so very different.
We look to God in us – and brave ourselves forward in leadership. It is a humble posture of trusting we are loved as we are, warts and all. Because leadership requires being open to criticsm – at least the true kind that affects changes and marks a new path — and so our security in God is key to continuing putting ourselves on the ledge.
He is our edge in leadership.
Can you tell? .. I liked your post, Bradley.
LOL.
It’s tough for some of us to take that humble posture as leaders… we don’t want to blow our cover! Many of us are suffering from that “imposter syndrome” for years, where you think you have to keep fooling everyone about your skills and capabilities. It’s tough, like Tony says, when you think, “Well these are the people who are paying me!” But God is our source and security, and I like the way you say it – allows us to accept criticism, grow, and march forward on the path.
It’s interesting to consider how working on-line (ahem : ) feels different than working in the workplace. I feel very grounded, here in my own space. Maybe partly because I also am keenly aware of other titles I hold here (Mommy, friend, lady next-door, book club leader, hon : )
Maybe I shouldn’t be so influenced by geography/architecture, but I do think that the lack of a cubicle and my pick of the corner offices (and the closet ones on a bad day : ) actually relate to my sense of autonomy/well-being. I know, not so godly sounding. (What would an office Jesus made look like? I remember how at one corporate job our chairs and chair backs were different heights…. colors different too… that’s just weird.)
I remember one work place where you could tell someone’s grade level by counting the number of ceiling tiles in their office.Andyou could tell whether they were a director or senior director by the absence or presence of a silver water carafe set on their credenza.
LL – Lucky. Livin’ the dream.
bradley j.
you can knock me over with a feather!
with each post, it seems like you are taking another step into your faith walk with an air of readiness for where God is leading you.
the thing is, that i appreciate your views, because i can still relate with some of what you say in my own life.
also, i find that i am learning some of what goes on in workplaces from you and from your commenters. it helps me to understand what some people go through and still hold to their faith, through all of their mistakes and difficulties, and still try to Love God and Love others in their life.
i think that anyone that relates with others and is resposnible to someone can be encouraged by your posts, even though they are written with leadership in mind.
Thanks for the encouragement, Nancy.
That’s right, because you were there last year, following my live tweets from the Event! So you have seen growth in me? Wow, that is flabberghasting. And to think people wonder if this online community thing is real or not.
I do notice quite a few people read and comment on my posts that are from various walks of life, other than corporate management. I agree that anyone who has responsibility and relates to others is in some form of spiritual leadership. That would probably be all of us, then.
Great post Brad.
My wife and I are in the midst of switching provinces, and responsive thought is at a minimum. This conference looks like it’ll be great; these topics are incredibly valid.
A
Mahout: Lateral Thinking Writ Large
Excellent post. Thank you for bringing up this connection.
donovan
editor
spiritnewsdaily.com
I have had too many experiences with people who proclaim to be christians and yet thier work ethics and work practices contradict thier christian statement of belief. What I have found is that, usually on the way to work, people lose thier belief and when they walk in the door, god is left outside.
I have found that most managers feel they have to abuse the power given, thus abuse the employees to be a good manager to thier bosses. Many managers are there simply because of their technical or product knowledge base, not that they would be a good manager and have even sat in a seminar where the speaker simply stated “YOU HAVE TO LET YOUR EMPLOYEES KNOW WHO THE BOSS IS ” . I have seen managers make thier employees cry, seen them make good employees quit, fire good employees, curse and threaten them. And yes, I have experienced just those type.
Now have I had good bosses, yes, but they never seem to stay, becuase of bad upper management, and then bring up those that are NOT qualified by virture of office politics. Trickle down bad management.
Ok, for management to change this behavior, they have to be of the highest christian practices, that alone shows thier belief witout ever speaking a word and has to start with the CEO and his top staff must be of the same fiber.
This will take years of change in the industry and with the current trend of Religion out of EVERYTHING, its going to be harder if not impossible to do.
However, I pray to god he will move others to change the belief to leave god outside the workplace. And for that matter, need christians back into government.