Faith Based Leadership

Faith@work

January 3, 2018

Faith@Work

Does faith have a place at work? CEOs at some major corporations think so.

John Tyson, Chairman of Tyson foods doesn’t believe that faith needs to be checked at the door when you come to work. He believes that “(His) faith is just an ongoing evolution, trying to understand what faith in the marketplace looks like, giving people permission to live their faith seven days a week…If people can talk about the football game on Monday, why can’t they talk about their faith?”¹ Tyson Foods employs chaplains to provide support to employees of all faiths, whether Christian, Jewish or Muslim.²

Conrad Hilton, founder of Hilton Hotels had a deep devotion to God that permeated his business decisions and personal life. Upon his death, he left most of his fortune to a Catholic charity with the statement that “There is a natural law, a Divine law, that obliges you and me to relieve the suffering, the distressed and the destitute.”³ (more…)

Pivot to Purpose: Moving From Career to A Calling

December 6, 2017

Priscilla Archangel

Change, Coaching, Consulting, Faith Based Leadership, Leadership, Process, Purpose

Pivot to Purpose: Moving from a Career to a Calling

What were you doing as a teenager that really excited you and that you continue to do today?

A speaker asked this question years ago while talking to a group about understanding their strengths and passions in life. Several years later, when I was at a pivot point in my career, trying to decide whether to take the “safe” route, which required less faith, or the “risky” route, which required a lot of faith, it helped me make my decision. I recognized four key things I did during my teens that I was passionate about and how I continued these themes later in life.

Writing – When I was about 14, I decided on my own to read 1 and 2 Corinthians in the Bible and write down, chapter by chapter, what it meant to me. I was analyzing and trying to understand it and relate it to current life. Thirty years later, I continued that theme by writing a book of insights reflecting a faith- based approach to leadership. And I’ve followed that by writing a monthly commentary for individuals, teams and organizations focused on development of successful leadership skills. For me, the creativity of writing is intellectually stimulating and has become a passion and a priority in life. (more…)

Do You Tebow?

December 23, 2011

Priscilla Archangel

Character, Faith Based Leadership, Leadership

Do You Tebow?

By now even non-NFL fans (like myself) are very familiar with Tim Tebow, the University of Florida Heisman Trophy winner and quarterback for the Denver Broncos, who is well known for his public confessions of faith. Tebow is credited with helping the Broncos to win seven of their last eight games with breakthrough fourth quarter plays, until they fell to the New England Patriots this past weekend.

Tebow was born in the Philippines where his parents were missionaries, and home schooled along with his siblings when they later moved to Florida.As a result of a new Florida law providing home-schooled students with equal access to high school sports, he played football in Ponte Vedra Beach then attended the University of Florida where he helped the team win two college football national championships.While there, he used his developing fame to raise money for charitable organizations, and spent his free time volunteering with the poor and needy, and with prisons.

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He was a first round draft pick in 2010, and in his short career with the Broncos, has many critics of his playing style and capabilities. But he consistently proves them wrong as he performs better than expected in each game. He is one of the most talked about NFL players each week, not only for his exploits on the field, but because of how he interjects his faith into his sport. While he claims that God really doesn’t care who wins the game, after every touchdown, he points toward the sky, and drops a knee on the field in prayer. He begins post-game interviews by thanking his “Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”, and closes them with “God bless”. Tebow is also known to write words like John 3:16 and other Bible scriptures in the black paint under his eyes while playing, so that when the camera focuses on him, he’s able to share the Word of God.

While other athletes also invoke the name of God, or point a finger upward at various times, Tim’s commitment to bowing in prayer while on and off the field has made him somewhat of a phenomenon, and this physical posture is now called “Tebowing”. While some other players now “Tebow” as a form of mockery when he misses a play, it went viral when another fan set up a website (www.tebowing.com) filled with pictures submitted by people who “Tebow” in various places around the world. Whether mocking him, copying him, or committing like him, “Tebowing” is well known as a form of acknowledging God. (more…)

God – The Revealer Secrets

December 10, 2011

Priscilla Archangel

Faith Based Leadership

God – The Revealer of Secrets

Imagine going about your daily routine, when suddenly you have a visitation. Now you may not believe in visitations, but you don’t know what else to call it when suddenly a man appears in front of you. His appearance is unlike any you’ve ever seen. It’s indescribable, as if he’s glowing inside and out. When he opens his mouth to speak, the sound of his voice is melodic yet strong. There’s something intimate about the way that he extends himself to you, yet you’ve never seen anyone like him. As awestruck as you are, you’re not afraid. In fact, you’re spellbound, as you stand there transfixed by his gaze.

He opens his mouth, calls you by name, and reaches out his hand to you. You are drawn to him as you respond with your outstretched hand, and he beckons you to sit with him. He then proceeds to speak to you, ever so sweetly, telling you about your future; the things you will accomplish, the people you will meet, the experiences you will have. His words are spell-binding. What he’s saying is so different from your current reality, that you almost can’t comprehend it. He points with his finger into the distance, and as if on cue, your visual field is filled with images of your future. You can see yourself doing the things he said you would do. Like watching a movie, you can see yourself in ways and places that are new and different to you.

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As the vision fades, you turn back to look into his eyes again, to ask him what all of this means. But just as suddenly as he appeared, he vanishes. You’re left there, alone but not lonely, because your spirit is filled with the words he spoke to you. Your mind is filled with the visions he gave you. Your heart is filled with the warmth he left you. But what does it all mean? He shared with you a deep understanding of your future that you never dreamed of. This mesmerizing man just shared a secret with you; your own personal secret that was for you and about you.

You sit there for what seems like forever, replaying the vision over and over again in your mind. As time passes, the vision becomes more and more real to you. Fearing that no one will believe you, you decide to share this secret only with one or two of your most trusted friends; friends who will come as close as anyone to understanding; friends who will hold you accountable to moving toward it.

Most of the secrets we share or know are about a person’s past or present. They’re regarded as juicy bits of gossip, generally negative in tone, because the really positive news is often shared openly. But secrets about someone’s future are more difficult to understand or ascertain. Generally, they are a prophetic word; simply put, telling the future. They’re not for everyone to know because not everyone can handle them, not everyone is poised to receive them. Some secrets are meant to stay hidden, others are meant to be revealed at a set time. The fact that this information is a secret speaks volumes about its power. That power can be used for good or for ill, to enlighten and uncover, reveal and release.

God is a revealer of secrets. He has information about our future. His secrets are not kept from us, they are kept for us. God, the revealer of secrets prepares the moment so that we will be ready and able to handle the secret He has for us. When we’re ready to receive it, He will reveal it and begin to show us what to do with that information.

God uses angels and mankind to reveal His secrets. Thousands of years ago, an angel appeared to a young virgin whose name was Mary, and told her a secret about her future, that she would become the mother of Jesus. Though she wondered how it all would come about, the angel assured her that with God, nothing was impossible. Mary accepted the secret about her future, and said “let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38 NKJV) Only Joseph, her fiancé, and Elizabeth, her cousin seemed to have any inkling of this marvelous truth.

Daniel called God the revealer of secrets because God used Daniel to reveal to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon the content and meaning of his dream. At that time he was one of the bright young Israelites, held captive in service to the king. Yet God chose someone of low stature in man’s eyes, to foretell the future to a man of high stature.

Today, leaders still want to know secrets about their future. They guess, speculate, negotiate, and leverage the future based on their knowledge of the past and present. They plan, strategize, predict and communicate the future based on previous experience and current circumstances. Their stakeholders demand that they meet future performance targets, and so they try to understand and control their secret future.

Your future may be a secret from others, but it’s a secret for you. Knowledge of your future secret enables you to act with confidence, like someone pointing the way forward to you. You gain this knowledge by asking the revealer of secrets about your future. You spend time with Him, believe in His great power, believe that whatever He says, no matter how different it may be from where you are now, He can bring it to pass. If you feel stuck right now, not knowing where to turn or what to do with your future, wondering where you’re going and what God wants you to do, know that He’s the revealer of secrets. He knows your future and wants to reveal it to you at the appointed time when you’re ready to receive it. So seek God, the revealer of secrets.

The Gift the Keeps on Giving

November 19, 2011

Priscilla Archangel

Faith Based Leadership

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

What do you give the person who seems to have everything? You give something that costs you little.

What do you give the person who seems to have nothing? You give something that costs you much.

That’s what Warren Buffett, Bill and Melinda Gates, and 65 other billionaires have decided to do. They’ve pledged to give half of their net worth to philanthropy.In June 2010, Buffet and Gates started the Giving Pledge where they challenge billionaires across the world to sign a pledge committing to give half of their money to charity during their lifetime. For Buffett, this focus on giving started when he was in his 20s studying wealthy industrialists such as John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and J. P. Morgan, and their prolific giving to science, arts and culture. (See Wall Street Journal article for more info.) Now that Buffett has long been established as a billionaire, he is doing the same. He and others are using their wealth to make a difference in every area of life across the world.They are leveraging the fruit of their talents to impact the world.They’ve realized that after a certain point, wealth and riches mean nothing if you can’t use it to help others who may be less fortunate.

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Buffett and Gates’ initiative is admirable because they’ve made it a priority to lead others in giving. Specifically, they established themselves as ACEs, and you can do the same.

Accountability – They challenged other billionaires to be accountable to each other on how they use their wealth. You can identify others who, like you, have an abundance of resources. This shouldn’t be hard, because like attracts like. The people who are your closest friends, with whom you have the most in common, probably have similar resources. Challenge them, hold them accountable to use those resources to make a difference in the lives of others who are less fortunate.

Change – They believe that their wealth can create change for the good. What unfortunate situations seem to pierce your heart the most? Is it poverty, sickness, children who lack the benefit of music, art or sports in their educational system? These issues weigh on your spirit for a reason; so that you can do something to make a difference in that arena, using your resources to bring about change.

Expectation – They created an expectation that their giving makes a difference in the future of others. You too can expect that your gift will change the lives and environment of others. You can create your own self-fulfilling prophecy that you expect good results from your investment.

Since very few of us are billionaires, does that mean that we can’t have an impact in the world? Does that mean that we can’t use our comparably limited assets to help others? We each have an abundance of resources in the form of our time, our talent or our treasures which we can give freely to others.

Our time represents what we value most. Take a look at how a man or woman spends their time each day, and you’ll know what’s most important to them.
Our talent represents the abilities, skills and knowledge we possess that we can share with others. Freely sharing our talent will reduce expenses and costs to others.
Our treasure represents financial resources that we’ve earned or inherited that can fund the good works of others.

One person’s time, another’s talent, and yet another’s treasures all working together are essential to improve the lives of people on every continent. So don’t wait for the government or someone else to allocate resources to a problem, or to make it a priority. Determine how you can make a difference. Determine how you can lead others to give extraordinary things in extraordinary ways.

“We have a choice. We can make our kids billionaires and it will ruin them. Or we can realize how blessed we are and try to spread those blessings around. My view has always been that success unshared is failure.”John Paul DeJoria, founder of the Paul Mitchell hair-products empire who grew up homeless. (The Biggest Gift In The World, WSJ Magazine, November 2011, p. 104)

“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”(2 Corinthians 9:6-8) King James Study Bible

Water and Trust – Priceless

November 4, 2011

Priscilla Archangel

Faith Based Leadership

Water and Trust – Priceless

What is your most valuable and powerful commodity? Many of you might say money, your home, or investments. As important as those are, I believe your most valuable commodity is water. This may surprise some of you, but think about it. If you live in America, you are rich in this natural resource because you generally have access to clean water, and use it constantly throughout the day.

I admittedly use water like I have an unlimited supply. I take wonderfully long hot showers, I run the water constantly while performing tasks like brushing my teeth or rinsing off dishes. I put small loads in the washing machine. During the summer I water my lawn at least every other day. I buy bottled drinking water because I like the taste. I pay for all of this water usage, but the cost is easy to rationalize because of its importance to me. Yet, I take the availability of water for granted.

Over 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by water, however, millions of people in underdeveloped or war torn nations lack access to clean drinking water, and suffer from sickness and diseases as a result. Water is basic need and a common commodity throughout the entire world, but uneven supply and cultural differences in demand result in great variability in the cost of obtaining it.

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Trust

Thinking about the value of water to the environment led me to focus on organizations as an entity or environment, and to ponder the most basic yet valuable thing needed to make them function. It occurred to me that trust is that fundamental element. Trust is the foundation upon which all positive relationships are built. Steven M. R. Covey, author of The Speed of Trust (2006, CoveyLink, LLC) describes trust as a requirement for the credibility and empowerment of organizations, financial systems and human interactions.

Like water, we sometimes take trust for granted in how we communicate with our employees, our customers, our shareholders or our stakeholders. There are plenty of examples in the past decade of corporate CEOs and financial leaders who abused the trust of the people they served, and many paid for it with their jobs, their bank accounts, their freedom, or their health. Organizational leaders may wrongly assume that their employees will remain loyal and inspired to put forth extra effort for the success of the team, in spite of failure to acknowledge the employees own needs.

Like water, we sometimes use trust as if there’s an unlimited supply, until one day we find ourselves in a crisis of short supply. The cistern of trust, like a cistern of water, is depleted because it’s constantly being used without being replenished.

Like water, lack of trust may result in organizational sickness or malfunction. Low trust breeds insecurity, instability and incapability. Ultimately the inner glue that binds a team together dries up, and it falls apart.

Like water, trust is a basic human need. It’s used to build relationships and connections between people as a basis for accomplishing goals and objectives.

Like water, trust can be gained by gathering it. The steady consistent drip of a faucet will ultimately fill a bathtub. The steady consistent actions of leaders will build a reserve of trust.

Like water, trust is a precious commodity. A certain amount of it must be saved and preserved for a drought or time of need.

Like water, that same pool of trust can quickly dissipate. Strike a big hole in the side of a container of water and it splashes out onto the ground never to be gathered again. Similarly, a single significant despicable act can destroy trust forever.

Building A Reservoir of Trust

How do you build trust in your organization? Do you fully recognize its value and treat it as a priceless commodity, or do you take its existence for granted? Building trust requires the active demonstration of care and sincerity between people. It provides refreshment to the soul, and like water it lubricates and smoothes the rough patches in our daily interactions. Trust overlooks inadvertent slights and missteps. Trust looks for the good, and assumes the best. What’s the trust level in your organization?

Butterfly Faith

October 21, 2011

Priscilla Archangel

Faith Based Leadership

Butterfly Faith

In the early 1960s, meteorologist Edward Lorenz presented his scientific findings that a “small change at one place in a nonlinear system can result in large differences to a later state”[1]. This became known as The Butterfly Effect, or the law of sensitive dependence on initial conditions. Put simply, the theory is that a butterfly flapping its wings on one side of the earth can cause a hurricane in another part of the earth. Like a domino effect, the flapping of its wings sets wind currents in motion, which coupled with its position and a myriad of other factors and atmospheric conditions, can impact in the weather thousands of miles away. This small movement is barely enough to create a breeze felt by a human being, yet significant enough to create wind currents. A motion casually made, often taken for granted, yet it has a powerful impact.

The Butterfly Effect

I first learned about The Butterfly Effect from reading a short book of the same name written by Andy Andrews, a New York Times best-selling author. His point was to convey how much each person’s life matters, because of the impact it has on others. An action, a spoken word, a decision, that I perceive to be insignificant can have a ripple effect on millions of people, either positively or negatively.

Come to think of it, some of the most powerful and controlling forces are also the smallest ones. The rudder on a ship is a small flat plane that directs the flow of water past it which in effect turns the ship

[2]. The tongue is a small part of our bodies, but when it speaks, it can start a war between nations, or kindle a great love between two people.A mustard seedis only 1-2 mm in diameter, yet Jesus said, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can speak to a mountain and cause it to move (Matthew 17:20).Each are small objects, but with a powerful outcome. Well if each of these objects can have such a major impact on its surroundings, how can you use even a little bit of faith to impact your environment?Faith is “confidence or trust in a person or thing; belief that is not based on proof”[3].It’s the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

The Ripple Effect of Faith

As a faith centered leader, how can you exert your faith for a business goal, an organizational objective, or a team priority. How can you focus your thoughts, your intangible ideas and abstract wanderings, on a desired outcome with sufficient confidence that it will indeed come to pass? It’s simply a matter of perspective. Too often we’re caught up in the moment of a seemingly insurmountable challenge; our scope of sight is too limited; our belief in the future too vague. We fail to grasp the significance of the impact of our faith; mountain moving, hurricane creating faith.

My prayer for you today is that God will open the eyes of your spirit, granting you understanding and insight to see a future positive potential in yourself, your team, and your organization that you’ve never before grasped. That you will no longer accept what is, but you will instead believe what can be. That your faith will be as vast as the wind currents created by the rippling of a butterfly’s wings. That your faith will be strong enough to move mountains. That your faith will multiply your present resources. My prayer is that you will have the faith of a butterfly to set in motion actions that will cause a tsunami of blessings to people that you will never know, but by their very act will create a brighter future.

[1]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect

[2]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudder#Trim_tab

[3]www.dictionary.com. October 18, 2011

Photo courtesy of IStockphoto

Perseverance

October 4, 2011

Priscilla Archangel

Faith Based Leadership

Perseverance

“That can’t be done.”

“It’s impossible.”

“I’m sorry, there’s nothing more we can do.”

“You’ll have to learn to live with this.”

“We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”

Hopefully these words aren’t familiar to you, but they are to too many people. They’re all words of hopelessness. They’re used when people accept failure, living with limitations, or dealing with less than God has planned for them.But here are two stories of men who displayed perseverance in the face of hopelessness.

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Failure is Not an Option

Consider the story of Sean Maloney.Sean was positioned to become the next CEO at Intel when he suffered a paralyzing stroke in 2009.According to a recent article in Fortune Magazine, Intel’s Sean Maloney: The man who couldn’t speak, Sean was a workaholic, who balanced a grueling travel schedule, with the demands of his job, his wife and children (including a newborn with health problems), and his love of extreme sports, particularly racing his scull.The stroke left him unable to talk or fully utilize the right side of his limbs. He began rowing his scull again just days after leaving the hospital, though at first he simply rowed in circles because his right arm was very weak. He was determined to prove to Andy Grove and others at Intel that he could recover and resume his normal duties, and thus began the grueling process of training the right side of his brain to control his speech, normally a function of the left side of his brain.Ten months after his stroke, he returned to work, but his speech is still “slow and robotic” as if he has to think harder about each word before he speaks.

While Sean continues to work toward regaining his full capabilities, he’s probably come farther faster than people expected that he would.Before the stroke he pushed himself and others hard, and that set the pace for him to continue that after the stroke.Sean was recently appointed as chairman of Intel’s China operations.When I finished reading this article, I was most struck by his perseverance in the face of a seemingly impossible challenge.

Bravery over Safety

Marine Cpl. Dakota Meyer exhibited similar perseverance when he “saved the lives of 13 U.S. troops and 23 Afgan soldiers” in 2009 in Afghanistan.USA Today reported on Medal of Honor recipient saved 36 lives during battle. He and his team went into the Ganjgal Valley to meet with leaders of the local village, and were ambushed by Taliban insurgents. Meyer and his comrade had been assigned to remain at the mouth of the valley with several vehicles. Once they saw their colleagues being attacked they defied orders and drove into the valley in a Humvee with Meyer manning a grenade launcher in the turret.Five times they drove into the valley rescuing solders, and bringing back the bodies of those who died.Later Meyer said he fully expected to die…it was only a question of when, not if. He calls this the worst day of his life, but without his act of bravery and perseverance, many more would have died.As a result, he was recently awarded a Medal of Honor by President Obama.

Never Give Up

Maloney and Meyer exhibited perseverance when all odds were against them.They were in life or death situations, and yet possessed the attitude, drive and determination to attempt what others thought was impossible.Whether they recognized it or not, God gifted them with these traits, then developed and positioned them for their defining moments.

That level of perseverance can extend to any situation that we face. When naysayers tell us that something can’t be done, we can choose to accept their words, or to redefine our own reality. Leaders have a particular responsibility in this area, because their decisions affect not only themselves, but the team of people that they lead. Teams who think that they can accomplish the seemingly impossible achieve far more than those who assess a problem and their capabilities, and determine that they can’t.

What about you? As a leader, the perseverance that you exhibit can change the lives and the future of many people around you. Had Maloney or Meyer paused to complain “why me?”, pondered their chances of succeeding, or examined their capabilities, they could have missed a valuable leadership opportunity. Instead they repeated specific behaviors over and over again until they got the result that they desired.

Perseverance is your God given combination of:

Attitude – If you think you can, then you will.

Determination – Unwavering focus on the goal.

Repetition –Repeating productive behavior over and over and over and over again.

He freely gives us these gifts to use for the benefit of ourselves, our families, our teams, and our communities. So what are you persevering to do today, and tomorrow, and the next day?What seemingly impossible feat are you attempting to accomplish? Join hands with Christ, and be all that you can become.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.Philippians 4:23 NKJV

[God]… is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to his power that is at work within us.Ephesians 3:20 NIV

NKJV – New King James Version

NIV – New International Version

Visionary Leadership

September 22, 2011

Priscilla Archangel

Faith Based Leadership

Visionary Leadership

Steve Jobs recently announced that he was stepping down from the role of CEO of Apple, the company he co-founded in 1976. Given his ongoing and unfortunate health challenges, this may not have been a surprise to employees, shareholders, and customers, but it was certainly a disappointment. Jobs has been the creative force behind successful technology including Macs, MacBooks, IMacs, iPod, iPads, iPhones, and iTunes. His latest is the iCloud, which according to a September 8, 2011 article in Fortune Magazine is “a set of online services designed to tie all of Apples products together and make it easier for millions of people to access music, photos, files, and software across devices”. A short time ago he unveiled plans for a new headquarters for Apple in Cupertino, CA that will house 13,000 employees. The building’s ring shape design has led some to call it the iSpaceship. He also created Apple University as a tool to train mid to senior level managers on their management principles, vision and way of doing things. Thus employees have no doubt what Apple stands for.

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Jobs created a legacy that has impacted the way millions of people across the planet communicate and interact. He utilized technology applications to enhance the way individuals live and work. He is quite literally a visionary. Though well known for his demanding and somewhat aggressive personality, he has the ability to communicate his image of the future in a manner so compelling that others rally around it. His creativity is undeterred by naysayers, and his focus is uninterrupted.

Traits of Visionary Leaders

As I reflect on the visionary leadership of Steve Jobs and others like him, they have several traits in common.

Visionary leaders have faith in their ability to create a different tomorrow.
Visionary leaders see a future that is unlike the present.
Visionary leaders convey a compelling picture of the future to others.
Visionary leaders push the boundaries of the expected into the unexpected.
Visionary leaders motivate people to perform beyond their normally demonstrated capabilities.
Visionary leaders listen to their inner voice of confidence, and ignore the external voices of doubt.
Visionary leaders see new products, processes, people and perspectives.
Visionary leaders have strongly held beliefs, determination and focus.

Are YOU A Visionary Leader?

In a similar manner, God has a vision for our future that is far greater than what we could attain on our own. He sees a future for us resplendent with blessings as we walk in His way to achieve His great plans for our lives. You can be assured that God’s vision is accompanied by the same creative powers He displayed when He formed the universe.

Each of us may have an aspect of our lives where we have the potential to become visionary leaders. Whether the vision is for our children, our spouse, our organization, our community, our business, our government, or our selves; God can give us the vision to see far into the future and visualize possibilities that others might consider almost improbable. The question is, will we glimpse that future and fall back in fear, or look boldly forward and step toward it. Will we meditate on our lack of _______ (fill in the blank) to accomplish that vision, or will we move forward undeterred by all the signs that point against it.

Just as Steve Jobs vision impacted the lives of millions of people, God’s vision for you can change lives as well. Whether it effects a few or many people, it’s no less important. So seek God’s vision for your life. His vision, His eye is guiding you into His greatness.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Psalm 32:8 NKJV

Leadership in the Midst of Tragedy

September 4, 2011

Priscilla Archangel

Faith Based Leadership

Leadership in the Midst of Tragedy

One decade ago at the age of 44, Jimmy Dunne reports that he was the “happiest guy in the world”. Sandler O’Neill, the boutique investment firm he ran with two partners, one his mentor and the other his best friend, was very profitable. Their office in the World Trade Center employed 171 people. An avid and skilled golfer, he was on the golf course and contemplating his exit from the business when an airplane hit their building. SandlerO’Neill’s Journey From Ground Zero in the September 5^th issue of Fortune Magazine describes how Jimmy, as the only surviving senior leader of the company, moved through this difficult period and exhibited profound leadership in the midst of tragedy. He focused the remaining 60% of the members of his team on rebuilding a stronger company. Though he lost many of his key staffers along with their institutional knowledge and all of the firm’s data, he was able to convince experts from other firms to join or support him in regaining their professional footing. Sandler O’Neill’s annual revenues and profits have now multiplied and staffing has doubled since that time.

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Tragedy That Transforms

How you respond in the midst of a tragedy, particularly one of epic proportions can mean the difference between life and death for individuals and organizations. Survivors of 9/11, those who narrowly missed being in their normal place at the wrong time, and family members of those who were killed, have told stories of how the experience changed their values, their work, and their family relationships. Some married the love of their lives, others discovered their true calling and changed careers, and still others started businesses based on discovering the things that they loved to do. Many found ways to give of themselves to others. They found ways to do good by doing well. These are the people who were able to constructively move forward, learning from the experience, reflecting on their past to build a more relevant present and future. Others sadly were frozen by the experience, as it shattered their core and covered them with guilt for escaping when others did not.

Individuals who were able to survive a tragedy like this, to regain their footing and re-build on their life altering experiences took specific actions.

Focus – They identified a goal and worked toward it. They threw their energy into repairing what was broken, restoring what was lost, and recreating a new future for those around them.
Future – They acknowledged the past but didn’t live in it. They permitted themselves to move beyond grief to growth.
Family and Friends – They reexamined values and drew closer to family and friends, building stronger relationships, and caring for others more.
Faith – They renewed their faith in others and in God.

In short, they led themselves and others forward with bravery and boldness. If someone had told one of the survivors that they could achieve more by pushing through tragedy, no one would not have signed up for it. No one would have ever wished for such tragedy in their lives. But realistically we all will have tragedy of some sort in our lives. The question is what we do as a result of it, and how it shapes us.

God’s Love in the Midst of Tragedy

Romans 5:3-4 reminds us, that tribulation in our lives “produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Withstanding tribulation, tragedy, persecution or burdens will result in patience, endurance, and fortitude. This strength in turn builds a measure of character that can only come from experience. That experience builds confidence and a pleasurable expectation of hope for your future. And that hope is founded in the certain knowledge of God’s love for us.

Faith Centered Leaders bring others with them on the journey of learning from tragedy and building a stronger future. The more life changing the tragedy, the greater opportunity for growth. None of us are promised smooth sailing throughout our lives. We are however promised that the love of God will carry us through any tragedy that may occur. Romans 5:5 tells us that we won’t be disappointed as we experience the love of God poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, our Comforter.

Whatever tragedy you may experience in your life, step up and lead yourself and others through it, to experience God’s amazing love.

Scriptures are New King James Version

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