Issuu

Learn Faster. Lead Further. Executive Guide For Christian CEOs

Developing a Community Impact Plan

RETREAT ROADMAP Kingdom Impact: Hidden Treasure

Executive Guide: Developing a Community Impact Plan

Investments Every Company Can Make and Expect a High Return

Biblical Principle: Investing in the Right Places in Your Communities

Endnotes

Next Level Leader: 4 Commitments Leaders Make To Advance The Company

Bonus: The Four Attentions of a Great Leader

Additional Resources

CEO Tools

Kingdom Impact Notes

ceoexperience.com

Kingdom Impact: Hidden Treasure

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:44-46

The New Testament Gospels introduce us to the kingdom of God, or—as Matthew described it—the kingdom of heaven. When reading of the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God, it is best for the reader to think of both terms as synonymous.1 What can be of even more interest is how the kingdom relates to the Gospel message. The gospel writers explain that the kingdom itself was good news! Among other things, it was the gospel of the kingdom the Lord taught in the synagogues and proclaimed in the cities and villages. It was the gospel of the kingdom that would be announced throughout the world as a testimony to all nations.2 Despite its being “good news,” the kingdom of heaven wasn’t a concept readily grasped by most people when Jesus used these terms. Perhaps that’s because Jesus explained what the kingdom was like using parables, which were difficult for many to fully understand. Today, modern Christians have a fuller picture than the original audience and can learn more about this heavenly kingdom by considering what the Bible teaches as it pertains to kingdom citizens, kingdom principles, and a kingdom perspective.

Experience Question: The Gospels record Jesus telling many parables about the kingdom of God or heaven. Why do you think it was important for Jesus to speak about the kingdom? What can Christian business owners today learn from this example?

Kingdom Impact: Hidden Treasure The Scriptures reveal many attributes of the kingdom. One example would be that only those who enter are those who are born again and do God’s will in producing its fruits. These kingdom citizens willingly endure hardship as a cost of entry.3 They understand their king is God Himself, and their purpose is to do His will. They carry out His will through embracing and promoting the values and fruit that are integral to the kingdom. The citizens of the kingdom are the ones who find it, discover its incredible worth, and give all they have to obtain it for themselves! The two parables from Matthew 13:44-46 refer to the kingdom’s worth and the willingness of those who discovered it to invest all they had to acquire it.

Experience Question: What do the two parables above have in common? What differences do you see? What was Jesus revealing about the kingdom through these parables?

“

He is no

fool who gives up what he

cannot keep to gain that which he

Given the kingdom’s incredible worth, investing in it would be the wisest course. In the first parable, the man who found the pearl knew its value. He went and sold everything he had to buy the field because he knew that he would be able to get a more significant return on his investment. The leader in the second parable knew where to invest and did not think twice about it.

cannot lose. JIM ELLIOTT

”

Experience Question: How do you feel about your kingdom investments? Do you have time for God’s kingdom and what might God be saying to you about your investment with Him?

Developing a Community Impact Plan

BIBLICAL BUSINESS PRINCIPLE: MAKE WISE INVESTMENTS ROBUSTLY AND APPROPRIATELY

The right business investments can provide significant value to the business. Because of their value, it is wise for the steward leader to evaluate each investment with great attention. Where companies choose to spend their resources today can greatly impact their tomorrows. Successful businesses understand the value of profits, people, and products. Lee Iacocca, who orchestrated Chrysler’s revival in the 1980s, once said: “In the end, all business operations can be reduced to three words: people, product, and profit. People come first.”1

“FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE YOUR HEART WILL BE ALSO.” Matthew 6:21 Invest wisely. Don’t forget to invest in yourself. Make the right investments to help the business to grow. Invest in your people. Invest to grow your commitment and your passion. Find your inner strength

Others have come along with revisions to these “3 Ps,” including Iacocca’s protégé, Marcus Lemonis—host of CNBC’s The Profit. Lemonis replaces profit from the original list, choosing to go with people, product, and process instead. If a fourth were added, says Lemonis, it would be passion: “You have to have passion and belief and purpose for what it is that you’re doing. If you don’t, nothing else matters.”2 At CEO Experience, we believe that every great business is built on the 5 Ps of Purpose, People, Profit, Products, and Processes. Passion and purpose go hand in hand. The purpose of business often improves when closely associated with the passions of the leader and its people. Passion is a reference to the desires of the heart—in other words, the center of the whole being.3 Passion isn’t something you manufacture. Rather, it’s the deepest expression of the heart’s desire. Whatever the heart wants, it will be passionate about getting. That passion will control where you spend your time and money.

Developing a Community Impact Plan Jesus gives insight into the idea of passion when He teaches in Matthew 6:21: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” This statement gives the steward CEO insights into the place where they can invest if they desire to build a business that honors God. The leader with a heart for God will invest in Jesus Christ as the real treasure, believing in Him and having His purpose as their passion. Investment is another term for treasure. Leaders are called to lead with passion and with all of their heart. Leaders are called to invest wisely and robustly. Business stewards make many investments pertaining to their time and resources. A leader must make use of the resources of the company to make the right investments in the business, people, and infrastructure. When companies make wise investments, the business will grow. Good investments set the direction and the path of a business to ensure its growth and development. When a business is neglected, it is doomed to shrink and die. When the Lord becomes the treasure of the leader, then their hearts are invested in ways which increase their knowledge of Him (Philippians 3:8: “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ”) and advance the things which are important to Him (Mark 12:28-31)—loving God and others. When Christ Himself becomes the treasure, the steward leader truly begins to experience what the Bible reveals when it states that the Christian is already residing with Christ in heaven (Ephesians 2:6). The heart is the center for investing wisely. When the heart of the business is wrong, the leaders and their team members will invest poorly and in the wrong places. These decisions will lead to a downward spiral, which can lead to a company’s shrinkage and ultimate death. However, when the heart of the company’s CEO and other leaders is right, then wise investments are placed in the right places, setting the direction and path for the company to grow and succeed. <<< CEO Experience © All Rights Reserved 2019 >>>

“

I consider

everything a loss because of the

surpassing worth of knowing Christ.

”

PHILIPPIANS 3:8

ceoexperience.com 9

Developing a Community Impact Plan Experience Question: What investment in your infrastructure should you make in the next 6 to 12 months?

“

The

fundamental reason

corporations exist is to create value for its customers. KEITH PIGUES

”

ceoexperience.com 12

INVEST IN KEY INITIATIVES: CEOs and business owners are at their best when they set direction and build the confidence of their teams. Leaders who cast a vision for key initiatives enlist buy-in from their key people. One initiative that business owners should consider each year involves customer acquisition. Customers are the lifeblood of any company. Without customers, there is no business. The strategy behind gaining customers often has to do with assessing the value of existing customers as you target the ones you want for future business. Such efforts lead to marketing strategies and sales initiatives, which attempt to gauge customer demand and what products or services can help you gain enough market share to reach profit goals. An important aspect of your product or service strategies should consider the value those items supply to your customer. Knowing why your customer buys from you, as well as the actual value experienced by your customer, can help you discover better ways to deliver that value at a higher margin. In the book, Winning with Customers, Keith Pigues discusses the work of Bob Harlan, director of business insights at Owens Corning. Harlan states that they have utilized loyalty programs in the past, “but when it comes down to why customers buy from Owens Corning, it’s because we help them make money. Therefore, rather than do loyalty surveys, we’ve discovered the best approach is to simply talk to them about how to make more money for them.”8 Such thinking led to a corporate objective, which made all employees accountable for the value they create for their customers. The company made the point simple enough for all employees to grasp by emphasizing to everyone in the organization: “The fundamental reason corporations exist is to create value for its customers.”9 <<< CEO Experience © All Rights Reserved 2019 >>>

Developing a Community Impact Plan Experience Question: What would you say is the primary value your customer receives from doing business with you? Are there ways you can leverage that value toward providing more services or products to them?

“

investment in process

INVEST IN IMPROVEMENTS: An investment in process improvement can often provide the most significant amount of freedom for the business owner and benefit to the customer. Choosing the systems that your business runs on—the operating procedures, technology, and communication channels that move your product or service forward to your customer—are typically determined according to what a business owner feels works best for them. When considering processes, thoughts frequently center on finding solutions that improve quality, reduce time, or save money. However, getting to “good, fast, and cheap” has more to do with the people that use the process than the process itself. When introducing new improvements, the key to their success lies not in the selection, but how those affected by the change respond. To ensure a positive response, consider the change from their perspective. Not every employee is as enthusiastic as management when it comes to making changes that boost profitability. But nearly every employee is appreciative of changes that benefit them. When making changes, focus first on what helps the employee—such as ergonomic improvements, higher quality of finished work, how this process eases the work of others, or how the change eliminates or dramatically reduces frustrating errors. Introducing methods that enable employees to derive greater fulfillment from their work, along with training to back up changes in process, will make all the difference in successful implementation of an improvement.

improvement can often provide the most significant amount of freedom for the business owner and benefit to the customer. CXP CEO EXECUTIVE GUIDE

”

Next Level Leader

ceoexperience.com 19

4 Commitments Leaders Make

Next Level Leader: To Advance The Company

Every company wants team members who perform at a high level. Traditionally these are employees who are committed to areas which will advance both the company objectives and their own leadership influence. Next Level Leaders understand the importance of commitment and are willing to invest themselves deeply in these four important areas:

A COMMITMENT TO LOYALTY: It may seem counterintuitive, but great leadership requires exceptional followership. The willingness to shed personal agendas for the sake of corporate ones, along with an unwillingness to compromise your moral values for the sake of groupthink 1 will advance your leadership influence regardless of your position. Your influence is the key to your leadership, and that influence is related to your character, which shows up in how loyal you are to your leader, as well as the company mission and values. Moreover, nothing will destroy your influence quicker than undermining your leader or being disloyal to the mission and values of your company. Napoleon Hill, in his book, Think and Grow Rich wrote, “Lack of loyalty is one of the major causes of failure in every walk of life.”2 Great leaders avoid failure by being committed to loyalty while building the same in others.

Experience Question: How have you dealt with disloyalty among team members or coworkers in the past?

Experience Question: What are one or two ways you can demonstrate loyalty to your leader?

Executive Guide For Christian CEOs

Focus Wheel MONTH

Learn Faster. Lead Further.

Give yourself a score in each area below from 0 to 10. Starting with 0 in the middle and 10 as the outer rim. The higher the rating the better you feel about that area for the last 30 days. This wheel is designed to help you know where to focus your actions and behaviors in the next 30 days to see a better performance of your life and leadership.

PAS S

L E AD E RS

Y ERG EN CO M

LTH HEA MI ND

N TIO RELA

IP SH

MOST IMPORTANT SCORE TO IMPROVE

Pathway To Improvement

Take-Away

HI P

HIP

FOLL OW ER S

ESS SIN

BEST SCORE

LOWEST SCORE

Take-Away

Executive Guide For Christian CEOs

Win List MONTH

GOALS

Learn Faster. Lead Further.

DREAMS

PRAYERS

FOLLOWERSHIP

ENERGY

COMPASS

RELATIONSHIPS

MIND

PHYSICAL HEALTH OR FITNESS

LEADERSHIP

BUSINESS

Ken Gosnell 240.396.7671 â€˘ kengosnell@ceoexperience.com

ceoexperience.com

CXP CEO Executive Guide for Christian CEOs