I have asked Rich Marshall to host a couple of blogs. He is an internationally recognized speaker, trainer and author with over 40 years experience in bringing out peak performance in others. His clients are a virtual who’s who of corporate America. He has developed a new breed of corporate leadership training you will want to know more about. It’s called the E.P.I.C. Training System, a classic leadership development program and a remarkable proprietary system built on 7 foundational areas of human performance improvement. Now, here’s Rich…

Strategic Planning with the Holy Ghost - Part 2

Over the last several years I have had the privilege of working with dozens of enterprises in the planning process. Coming from a background of pastoring (I did this for 35 years) I was very accustomed to seeking help from the Lord, especially in asking the indwelling Holy Spirit to help. However I found that most executives, even Christian executives, do not take advantage of this competitive edge. For some reason, when it comes to planning most of it falls into one of two categories:

1.      A full reliance on the Holy Spirit; with lots of faith and prayer and trust involved. In most of these cases; there is little practical, commonsense and time tested and proven strategic planning ingenuity used. It is as if it would not be full of faith if good planning methods were employed.

2.      A full reliance on proven strategic planning methods; with much attention given to the planning process, using all of the most up-to-date methods available. In most of these cases; there is little or no input from the Holy Spirit. It is as if it would be “poor business” to include Him here.

Therefore I am encouraging Christian business leaders to integrate all of their business life under the heading: My business is my ministry. When we do that, we will be much more likely to include the Lord in all that we do; especially the planning process.

Here are some thought provoking ideas to assist you in the integration process.

• All that you do is a spiritual activity. Both business and church are ministry and both should be treated as a way of fulfilling your God given purpose in life.

• It is so easy to fall into presumption and call it walking by the spirit. In other words, we assume that since we are Christian and prayed in the morning, that everything that happens during the day has been orchestrated by God. I have found that Charismatics are probably most guilty. By the way: leaders are not exempt.
• Prov. 16:3 “Commit your work to the LORD, and then your plans will succeed.”
• Did this plan or strategy arise out of dependence on and hearing the voice of God during the process?
• Marketplace ministers need to watch out here. We are sometimes so intent on losing Christian-ese that we forget to use planning opportunities to engage the Holy Spirit.
• Consciously, from a place of dependence, invite God into your planning process. Don’t leave Him out.

NOTE: Join Rich and me Tuesday at 1:00 for an in depth discussion on how to integrate your leadership style with your core values, vision, mission and life purpose. Click here to register for the free call!

I have asked Rich Marshall to host the next couple of blogs. He is an internationally recognized speaker, trainer and author with over 40 years experience in bringing out peak performance in others. His clients are a virtual who’s who of corporate America. He has developed a new breed of corporate leadership training you will want to know more about. It’s called the E.P.I.C. Training System, a classic leadership development program and a remarkable proprietary system built on 7 foundational areas of human performance improvement. Now, here’s Rich…

Strategic Planning with the Holy Ghost - Part 1

I know it should not be this way, and yet I know that it is. For some reason many Christian business leaders have not come to full realization that God knows everything about business. Where do we get the idea that God can help with relationships, raising kids, understanding the “deep things” of life, but that He does not know about business? Where did we miss out on the fact that all “business principles” were “Biblical principles” before they were “business principles”?

OK, so I am not sure where the misguided idea came from, but I do have a few thoughts on the matter. You see, I come into the business world and its way of thinking from decades in the church world and its way of thinking. I was a Pastor, and I love pastors and support them and believe in them and all of that good stuff, so don’t think I am being overly negative on pastors. But here is what has happened. The pastor gives his testimony and it goes something like this: “I was working in that evil, bad, nasty, sinful world. And then God called me, and now I am in fulltime ministry.”

All good, all true, all intended to be motivating. The problem is not as much with what is said, as it is with what the businessperson hears. When they hear something like this, they conclude that one must leave the evil business world to go into full time ministry. They also hear that one who is truly “called” becomes a pastor. It leads to a mindset that thinks work is “secular” and church is “spiritual.”

So now, when this business person goes to work, he or she is already thinking this is my secular life. This is not spiritual, and therefore God must have nothing to do with my work. Therefore, I will live with a different set of rules here, and I will not engage God at work.

This is so far from the truth! God created us to work! God blesses us when we work. He has promised over and over again to bless the work of our hands. Work is a spiritual activity and should be seen as ministry, an event that God wants to be involved in at every level.

I love to teach people how to listen to God at work; to watch them engage with Him on a daily basis at work. It is a joy to watch what happens when we include the Holy Spirit in our planning and activities at work. In fact, one of the more popular offerings that we have in our list of services to business leaders is what we call “Strategic Planning with the Holy Ghost.”

NOTE: Join Rich and I Tuesday at 1:00 for an in depth discussion on how to integrate your leadership style with your core values, vision, mission and life purpose.  Watch your inbox for signup information.