faith

Faith@work

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…)

0
Read More

Pivot to Purpose: Moving From Career to A Calling

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…)

0
Read More

Butterfly Faith

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

Copyright 2011 Priscilla Archangel

0
Read More

Leadership in the Midst of Tragedy

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 5th 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.

IStockPhoto

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.

Copyright 2011 Priscilla Archangel

Scriptures are New King James Version

0
Read More