As a
young girl, I used to walk from my house to my friend’s house down the street.
On my way, one of the sidewalks was badly cracked and the cement was breaking
into pieces. I used to sing the song, “Step on a crack, and you’ll break your
mother’s back” as I hopped and jumped and skipped my way through the mess of
broken cement. I would do everything I could to avoid stepping on a crack and
from breaking my own neck over the large chunk of cement sticking up out of the
ground.
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“A leader’s job is to look into the future
and see the organization, not as it is, but as it should be.” Jack Welch.
These words struck a chord with me. The reason why we were experiencing the
issues, the cracks and the broken pieces was not because of the people, but
because of its leader. I was focusing on the wrong things. I was focused on the
cracks and not the reason for the cracks.
If
you were asked to do something would you not need someone to show you how to do
it? If you were given a task, would you not want to know how to accomplish that
task? If your leader asked something of you, would you not want to know how to
do it to please them? If we, as leaders, do not communicate with those who work
for us or serve with us what we desire for the future of our companies, or our
ministries, then how are they to know what they are working for? If we do not
communicate our vision, how then are they to see where to walk, what to do or
when to do it? It is up to us, as leaders to see our organizations as what they
can be, what they should be and then communicate that in such a way that those
who work and serve with us can help us achieve it.
I had
laid a foundation, but unfortunately, I hadn’t made it strong enough. I had not
used wisdom in the thickness of the path that had been laid. That is when I
began to cry out to my Lord for wisdom, for guidance, and for understanding. I
needed a stronger foundation then the one that was laid. I needed to strengthen
and fix the cracks that had appeared and make this way safe again. I knew there
were cracks, I needed His help to fix them.
“O LORD, who shall
sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks
blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not
slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a
reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors
those who fear the LORD; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; who
does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the
innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.” Psalm 15 ESV
All
of us want to live right before the Lord. There is a desire in the depths of
every one of us who claim the name of Jesus to live our lives pleasing to the
Lord. I desire to build and lead this company God has given me in a manner
which pleases Him and Him only. But how do I get those who work for me, who
serve and labor beside me to want to do the same? This is the challenge that I
found before me. As a leader, it is our responsibility to not only teach, lead,
guide and direct. But we must also build a sidewalk for them that is not full
of cracks. We have been given a path to walk, and the Lord, in His great love
makes our way straight, so we, as leaders must be willing to do the same.
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Within
the verses of Psalm 15 I found the foundation this company needed. In His Word
was the wisdom to pour out a solid, crack- free way for this company and all
who work in it to follow. To be a success in life, in business, or even in
ministry, you must know where you want to go and you must be willing to
sacrifice what you must to get there. That is when I came up with the 7 Pillars
to Our Success. Each one is a desire and a commitment that I have made to my
company, my clients and to those who work for me. These are also the standards
to which we will operate day to day and the standard to which I, as a leader,
will hold all others accountable, and to which they must hold me accountable.
We must, for the sake of those we serve, commit to be all that God has called
us to be.
I don’t
know where you are today, whether you are in business, in ministry or just
struggling to find a way in life. I do know that if we do not seek to please
God and live right before Him in everything we do or think than our walks will
have cracks. They will become broken and we will find ourselves skipping and
hopping around the uprooted cement walkways of our lives. We will stumble, we
will fall and we will fail. There is no way around it. But we don’t have to
keep walking on that broken sidewalk. We must be willing to hold ourselves accountable
and fix the cracks that are before us. We can’t skip around them and hope they
go away. As a leader, as a servant of
the Most High God, may we see the cracks before us and find the strength to
smooth them out.
The
7 Pillars of Our Success
1.We will deal with integrity towards our clients, one
another, those whom we do business with, and those within the community we serve.
Integrity is that which is complete or entirely in accord with truth and fact.
We will choose to do the right thing and deal truthfully, in every instance,
and in every circumstance, no matter the cost to our business, nor our personal
lives.
2.We will respect our clients, one another, those whom
we do business with, and those within the community we serve. We will not speak
against anyone falsely, nor make false accusations. We will not slander any
person, entity, corporation or those whom we deem to be competition. We will
strive to support, encourage and assist others where they may be in need. We
will not treat others shamefully or disrespectfully; but will treat others
better than we treat ourselves.
3.We will not tolerate insubordination, dishonesty,
contempt for one’s peers, slander, disrespect nor intentional harm done to our
clients, one another, those whom we do business with, or within the community
we serve. We will not tolerate hate.
4.We will seek the betterment and good of all our clients,
one another, those whom we do business with and the community we serve. Our yes
will be yes and our no will be no. We will, even to our own hurt as a company
and as a people, will choose to do the right and honorable thing, no matter the
cost or the consequences.
5.We will be consistent and truthful in all our
interaction with clients, one another, those whom we do business with, and the
community we serve. Our promises will be true and sure.
6.We will be wise and faithful stewards of all our profits,
increases, resources and finances God sees fit to provide us with. We will seek
to be a blessing to our clients, one another, those whom we do business with,
and the community we serve. We will not deal falsely with the government, nor
the governing laws regarding our business. We will not deal falsely with our
clients, one another, those whom we do business with, nor the community we
serve in regards to finances and/or the trade in which we deal.
7.We will treat everyone with honesty and sincerity.
We will not discriminate based on religion, sex, race, or any other difference.
We will see, recognize and accept each other as children of God, whether black
or white, male or female, Christian or not. We will deal fairly and will not
show favoritism nor will we promote unjust competition within the foundation of
this company.
These are the 7 Pillars to our Success. As a Company,
as an individual and as a whole, we will stand upon these Pillars before God
daily. We will answer to His Authority every day and will strive to uphold
these Pillars to the best of our ability.
Amen. (*Taken from Psalm 15)
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