Richness. No Sorrow. That's the Leadership Promise

Proverbs 10:22 (AMP) The blessing of the Lord--it makes [truly] rich, and He adds no sorrow with it [neither does toiling increase it].

Quite a promise when you think about it: riches with no sorrow; wealth without anxiety.

And why does not work (toiling) increase it? Seems counter- intuitive. Could it be about riches that have eternal value - not temporal value? Richness that are paid in the coin of the Kingdom?

No worrying about who might take it away; or how you might loose it; or the tax burden because of it; or the misunderstandings about you because you have it in you care.

Clean the "temple." Get rid of the idols. Burn those high places. Chop down those Asherah poles. Get rid of ANYTHING that enslaves you. Blessings from the Lord are freeing, not enslaving.

So, just whom does the Lord bless? Those that worship him at work, at life, each in holiness that glorifies God and builds truth into your character.

Those who are diligent to know Him so as to be like Him; to bless others as He did; and, to obey Him - do so knowing that they will enjoy Him forever.

They do this without a hint of "ownership" or self-centeredness; rather, those folks are committed to stewardship - investing well for the owner those things that have given to their care.

• Are you building His kingdom by leading from an attitude of humility?

• Do we lead so our strategics focus upon the Creator - not the creations? {what glorify God with this transaction}?

• How will other see Christ in us, the hope of glory if we take this or that course of action?

• Are we making decisions to make us look good, or God look good? Hopefully, our answer is congruent.

I’m challenged. Are you?


Copyright ©2010 by P. Griffith Lindell

Leadership Foundation

Proverbs 5:1-2 (NIV) My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight, that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge.

Successful businesses serve well the needs of their customers in an environment where employees thrive and are rewarded in words and deeds.

Employee and customer needs fulfilled in such a way that the investor’s financial needs, and the community that surrounds the business, profits from the enterprise.

Biblical wisdom supports each of these activities of a business. To name just a few:

• Meet the needs of other first.
• Treat employees with honor and fairly.
• Pay your debts.
• Your actions impact the world.

Your source of wisdom when leading determines – well, everything.

Business ethics adheres to the underlying principle that there is bedrock truth upon which you must build your thought life and behavior. Solomon of old never assumed that truth was relative and that morality was a function of personal choice: his worldview drove his wise proverbs.

Do you pay more attention to what God teaches or the situational, shifting ethics of man?

Are you grounded in Wisdom? If not, wise up!


Copyright © 2010 P. Griffith Lindell

10 Additional Ways to Influence the Workplace

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11. Practice being open to others by actively listening to them and not “telling” them

12. Daily prepare your heart so you are not seduced by subtle ethical distinctions – subtlety has a way of sneaking up – ambushes work on the ill prepared – be prepared.

13. Develop your personal purpose statement (Why were you created - born? What are you meant to accomplish?) and lead from it (and we all lead no matter our title)

14. As a person thinks so is he – therefore, practice Phil 4: 8-9 “Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable – if excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.

15. Be present in all your business conversations – connect with the person speaking – listening is an active activity – passive listening does not honor the speaker

16. Develop inner contentment – joy is accepting the circumstances with an understanding that our loving Father wants what is best for us in spite of the stuff happening around us. The peace of God is directly related to our anxiety.

17. Remember – you are a steward of this company, this team, this project, this business idea, this family – you and I own nothing.

18. Make all business decisions with integrity remembering that wealth is not a goal but a consequence

19. Idle words are dangerous – practice clear, concise, encouraging, edifying conversation

20. Understand what drives you (how God wired you) and then understand how God has wired others and communicate with them in the style that best meets their needs – not yours.


Copyright (c) 2010 by P. Griffith Lindell

Leaders Know For Whom They Work

Proverbs 23:4-5 (NLV) Do not work hard to be rich. Stop trying to get things for yourself. When you set your eyes upon it, it is gone. For sure, riches make themselves wings like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.


Former President Bush (43) warned Congress in 2001 that what “looked good” at Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac, was not. He was ridiculed. Ignored. The reaction of those in Congress reminds me of the mythological story of Icarus who, in his exuberance with successful flight, flew too close to the sun and melted the wax in his wings, falling to his death. Our economy, riding on the back of our Icarus-Congress is falling also.

Working hard and achieving success is generally good. However, according to J.L. Badaracco, Jr., a professor at Harvard Business School, in his book Questions of Character he writes, "The basic problem with the flow of success is that life can look very good when it really isn't.”

Working hard for the right things is always best. Work – no matter the job -- is really a mind-game; it is an attitude that must flow from seeking “first the kingdom of God" to living life with the core value of stewardship, not ownership. Like the example of Abraham of old, who possessed nothing, not even his son, stewardship must define how we think and act about what we have.

The daunting challenge for many leaders is, paradoxically, the very thing we aspire to achieve - a successful life and career and all that comes with them -- can be fleeting if we find we are working for the wrong reasons.

Who are you working for – God or yourself?



Copyright © 2009 by P. Griffith Lindell

Christian Business Owners Are Clear About Ownership

Proverbs 9:6; (NIV) Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.


How well do you and I really understand that “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever” (Westminster Catechism)? Enjoying God while the economy is hurting? While your business is adjusting? In the midst of weak sales, less and less customers? YES! One way of “walking in the way of understanding” is to get who owns your business. As one writer posited, "...the goal of a business is not profit. It is stewardship. Profit results from good stewardship."

I like that for it says to me that even the business is something that is not "mine.” It is His and how I run it should reflect the owner: How I treat my staff; How I nurture customers with exceptional customer service; How I deal with the bank in integrity; my face to the public. All should reflect my “understanding.”

Even for a CEO of a public company - the business is "owned" by shareholders and the CEO is responsible for being a steward of the assets of that company. Those assets are not for him/her. Someone else is always the owner!

Who owns you and your business?


Copyright © 2009 by P. Griffith Lindell