Honor God by Honoring Your Manager
Posted inExecutive Insights

Honor God by Honoring Your Manager

In 1 Timothy 6.1-2, we read the following: “All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. 2 Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow...
November 26, 2020Posted inExecutive InsightsTags: , , ,
Best Practices for Hiring an Interim CEO
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Best Practices for Hiring an Interim CEO

Having run several businesses, I'll say that the process to being a successful CEO in an interim situation includes attention to several key areas. But the change for the owner who is hiring the interim CEO is significant. This article outlines the foci of an interim CEO and also lays out the best practices for the ownership group. People There is a plethora of relationships that need...
November 26, 2020Posted inExecutive InsightsTags: ,
Top Ten Things Owners Do to Demoralize Their Employees
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Top Ten Things Owners Do to Demoralize Their Employees

Drawn from my experience of working with business owners in my consulting work at the Platinum Group, I've developed the top ten things that business owners do that drives their staff crazy and eventually, drives them out of their business. #10: You're a moving target You'll tell your staff to focus on task A this week and then blow your stack that they didn't focus on task...
November 1, 2020Posted inExecutive InsightsTags:
Eight Responsibilities Which Christian Business Owners Cannot Delegate
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Eight Responsibilities Which Christian Business Owners Cannot Delegate

I have found that some responsibilites cannot be delegated to others when I'm serving in the role as CEO. I'm most successful as a leader when I'm highly focused on the things that only I can do within the organization. When I focus on the things listed below, I find my swimlane that best compliments what others do in the organization. So, here are eight responsibilities which...
September 29, 2020Posted inExecutive InsightsTags: ,
Turnarounds
Posted inExecutive Insights

Turnarounds

In business, from time to time you’ll hear the word turnaround, as in “this business is a turnaround.” You might be wondering what a turnaround is and why they take professional help to be successful. If so, you’re not alone. In this post I’ll discuss turnarounds and the things you need to know do avoid one in your own business. What is a “Turnaround”? I define a turnaround...
September 29, 2020Posted inExecutive InsightsTags: ,
Posted inExecutive Insights

The Emotional Price Business Owners Pay When Their Business is Failing

The companion podcast is here.The companion videocast is here.The companion PDF slides are here. No one said building a company is easy. But small business owners find it difficult to be honest about how brutal it really can be and the emotional price so many of them secretly pay. At one time or another most small business owners will find themselves on the brink of financial ruin....
September 19, 2020Posted inExecutive InsightsTags: , , ,
Twelve Warning Signs Your Business is Headed for Disaster
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Twelve Warning Signs Your Business is Headed for Disaster

Most entrepreneurs have several characteristics – among the more prominent is a level of confidence – some would say arrogance – that enables them to believe they can beat the odds when taking a risk and win. Most of them are pretty good at what they do – they are competent at a trade, skill, craft or they have a novel idea that can be monetized. In the early...
September 19, 2020Posted inExecutive InsightsTags: , ,
Posted inExecutive Insights

Considerations for Selling Your Business

If you own a business, there’s only three ways you can leave it: A) liquidate (go out of business), B) Die or C) sell. Obviously, the best option in most situations is to sell your business – to convert the value of your business to cash. When buyers come knocking on your door, they are going to be looking for any number of things, including (but not...
September 19, 2020Posted inExecutive InsightsTags: ,
Is There a “Christian” Way to Fire an Employee?
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Is There a “Christian” Way to Fire an Employee?

I’ve yet to meet anyone who likes terminating employees. It’s never fun, never easy and never routine. I’ll also answer this question directly: No, there isn’t a “Christian” way to fire an employee. However, there are better and worse ways to terminate employees – ways which will impact your Christian witness in the marketplace. I’ve met a number of well-meaning Christians in business who can’t bring themselves...
September 19, 2020Posted inExecutive InsightsTags: , ,
Posted inExecutive Insights

Tenaciously Committed or Foolishly Stubborn

Commitment and Stubbornness look rather similar on the surface. Commitment happens when you have a sense of dedication or loyalty to a cause, activity or person. Stubborness is more of a dogged determination not to change your attitude or position in spite of good arguments or reasons to do so. Commitment is not the same as stubbornness. Commitment requires tenacity to see something through. Stubbornness can often...
August 13, 2020Posted inExecutive InsightsTags: , , , , ,
Every Business Needs a Strong Banker
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Every Business Needs a Strong Banker

I’ve met my fair share of Business Owners who are skeptical of lawyers, bankers, accountants and/or financial planners. When it comes to bankers, I’ve known some who give some information to one banker and other information to another banker but never give the full story to any single banker. Others view bankers as necessary evils – when you need a loan, make nice with them - but...
August 12, 2020Posted inExecutive InsightsTags: , , ,
The “Opt-Out” Method Finds Great Employees
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The “Opt-Out” Method Finds Great Employees

As I write this post, I have a group of candidates taking an assessment for an open sales position in my company. This assessment is part of a larger process that I call the “opt-out” interview process. I didn’t come up with this idea. A colleague of mine explained it to me and I’m sold on this method. Opt-out is not the right method for every position...
August 10, 2020Posted inExecutive InsightsTags: ,
Hiring Good People not Fools
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Hiring Good People not Fools

(Download the Screening Tool here.) Ecclesiastes 10.5-6 says: There is an evil I have seen under the sun, the sort of error that arises from a ruler: Fools are put in many high positions while the rich occupy the low ones. This passage clearly teaches is that hiring a fool for a position of management and/or influence in your business instead of a non-fool (called “rich” in...
August 9, 2020Posted inExecutive InsightsTags: , ,
Posted inExecutive Insights

The Price of Taxing the Rich Too Much

Probably one of the most insightful articles on why governments have such a hard time during recessions - they tax the rich so much that when the rich's income varies, so does the revenue of the government. The summary is that they have relied too much on the rich to provide too much of their revenue base. Since the rich have the most volatile incomes of anyone in the nation,...
August 8, 2020Posted inExecutive InsightsTags: , , , , ,
Best Practices for Hiring an Interim CEO
Posted inExecutive Insights

Best Practices for Hiring an Interim CEO

Having run several businesses, I'll say that the process to being a successful CEO in an interim situation includes attention to several key areas. But the change for the owner who is hiring the interim CEO is significant. This article outlines the foci of an interim CEO and also lays out the best practices for the ownership group. People There is a plethora of relationships that need...
July 16, 2017Posted inExecutive InsightsTags: , , ,
Scalability, Power, Control and Risk
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Scalability, Power, Control and Risk

Along with his wife, Mark is co-owner of a $1.8M retail establishment that they built from the ground up by investing their own monies and getting two SBA (Small Business Administration) loans. One is a "7A" loan designed to make initial investments into the business. Of the initial $320K, after 2.5 years, Mark still has $220K of that money sitting in a bank account. Mark has a...
July 4, 2017Posted inExecutive InsightsTags: , , , ,
Christian Business Owners Never Stop Learning and Growing
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Christian Business Owners Never Stop Learning and Growing

Proverbs 8.10-11 says this: 10 Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, 11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her The command is pretty clear: choose instruction and knowledge over money and wealth, because the wisdom that you gain from instruction and knowledge is more precious than any wealth you can accumulate. There are many things worth...
April 8, 2017Posted inExecutive InsightsTags: , , , , , ,
A Business Owner’s Need for Reflection
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A Business Owner’s Need for Reflection

In working with stressed businesses (those that are having cash problems, can't pay their bills on time, have unending conflict and so forth), I have learned that nearly every stressed organization has a leader who rarely takes time for quality reflection. I choose to use the word "reflection" as opposed to the more common notion of "margin" because reflection indicates margin with a purpose and focus. Times...
June 21, 2016Posted inExecutive InsightsTags: , ,
In Conflict Resolution, Focus First on Reaching an Agreement
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In Conflict Resolution, Focus First on Reaching an Agreement

“It’s about fighting for fair and equitable treatment”, said T. Boone Pickens recently about the $700 million in damages he is seeking for future losses related to bids that his wind power company, Mesa Power (web site is offline), lost in wind power auction in Ontario recently. Mr. Pickens contends that NextEra, a Florida energy company, made $18,600 in donations to the ruling Labor Party in Ontario...
October 19, 2015Posted inExecutive InsightsTags: , , , ,
73 Undeniable Truths of Business Ownership
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73 Undeniable Truths of Business Ownership

The longer I'm in business, the more convinced I am that certain truths exist when it comes to leading a business.  What follows is a list of the Undeniable Business Truths: Starting, growing, and building a business is part of “subduing the earth” Genesis 2.18 God calls some to own businesses. Your business is an entrustment from the Lord, to be used for His glory and the benefit...
September 22, 2015Posted inExecutive InsightsTags:
Managing Office Politics in a God-honoring Way
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Managing Office Politics in a God-honoring Way

Here's an understatement for you: office politics sucks. The reason its' an unpleasant experience is because we experience it before we think about it. We often can't explain the particulars of our situation, but we know our emotions are swirling and we sure would like to let someone know about it. Office politics is nearly always the result of unresolved conflict. Officee politics can have a number...
July 22, 2015Posted inExecutive InsightsTags: , ,
Revenue or Profit?
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Revenue or Profit?

I was meeting with an energetic entrepreneur this morning. As part of our conversation, he mentioned that sales should not be focused on revenue. Instead, they should be focused on profits and customers. I think he is right. One of the mistakes I made as a business owner in the early years of my business was focusing on top-line revenue. My senior leadership team did the same...
May 22, 2015Posted inExecutive InsightsTags: , , ,
The Value of “Paying it Forward”
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The Value of “Paying it Forward”

I just got off the phone talking with a representative of an industry research group whose research I'm interested in. This was a scheduled, introductory call in which I was asking questions about their organization and how I might use their research in my new business, Elevate. Our conversation went well for the first 15 minutes. Then I inquired about their cost because I was interested in...
January 20, 2015Posted inExecutive InsightsTags: ,
A Man of Understanding
Posted inExecutive Insights Theology and Business

A Man of Understanding

"Seek to understand before being understood" is a phrase I've heard repeatedly in my 12+ years as a Christian Business Owner. It's good advice, frankly, because when you can understand what the other person is saying or understand the "why" behind their actions, the root of the problem or the core issues can be more clearly understood. "Man of Understanding" in Proverbs In Proverbs, the Bible refers...
November 15, 2014Posted inExecutive Insights, Theology and BusinessTags: , , , ,
Partner Principles for a Better Business
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Partner Principles for a Better Business

In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Chris Myers outlined 3 Principles for Managing a Co-Founder Relationship: Seek out complimentary skills Clearly define roles Work with someone you trust, respect and admire These principles are well and good, but incomplete. Much can go wrong even when these three principles are followed. Hence, I'd like to add a few more principles to help you better select a partner...
October 7, 2014Posted inExecutive InsightsTags: , ,