Category: Blog

— by Jerry Meek

Peter Drucker once said, “There is no success without a successor.” 

So many businesses don’t have a successor, but it’s arguably one of the most important things any business leader can plan. I am blessed to say that my son, Jeremy, is more than just a successor. He is a faithful, qualified, and committed business partner at Desert Star Construction (DSC), and the two of us have been on a healthy journey of leading together. 

DSC was born out of the carpentry business started when I partnered with my dad at 19 years old. Instead of competing with each other, we completed each other. Having the right person as a business partner made all the difference. We worked long hours and remained focused on doing our best daily. This small carpentry business grew into a general contracting business that builds large estate homes for the wealthiest people in the world.

Since DSC has been a family business for three generations, I often hear the question, “How can you navigate a family and business relationship without problems?” 

Regardless of the size of your business, it’s possible to work well with a family business partner if you prioritize clear communication and a humble, Christ-like relationship. Here’s what I’ve learned over the years.

My Four Core Values for Working with a Family Business Partner

I believe that trust, communication, desire, and humility are everything when looking for the right business partner (family business partner or not) and are the main components that have led to the success of our partnership.

Trust

Trust must be the foundation of any partnership, especially when it comes to business partnerships with your family members.

Ultimately, trust has been at the foundation of our relationship. I had to trust Jeremy enough to believe he was the right business partner. I also had to trust him enough to let go of control and continue passing him responsibilities in our business. At one point, I had to get four surgeries around the same time, resulting in a three-month recovery period. Because of the trust that Jeremy had earned, he fearlessly led the entire time I was away. When I heard about how well the projects were going and how the team was on top of all of their projects, I recognized that my stepping away allowed Jeremy to lead more confidently.

Since then, I’ve set a clearly-stated boundary of trust. I know I don’t need to be a part of every team meeting but only part of the meetings where I can add value. It’s important to me that both Jeremy and the team know that I trust Jeremy enough to lead. We regularly talk about healthy boundaries and which meetings I should and shouldn’t be a part of. 

Communication

We’ve prioritized hard, uncomfortable conversations since the beginning of our family business partnership.

Before my son and I ever began to lead together, we charted a plan for what the business transition would look like. We talked through our differences, perceived nepotism, the tension of finances, and anything else that would be difficult to discuss before moving forward.

We continue to have necessary conversations through our monthly “legacy meetings,” where we only talk business, not family. These meetings have been a pivotal part of our success as family business partners because they allow us intentional time for essential training, difficult conversations, and continued succession planning. If work gets brought up during family time, we bookmark it and save it for the next “legacy” meeting.

Desire

We work well together because both of our hearts are in it.

When looking for a business partner, especially someone in your family, make sure they share the same passion and have the skill set to do the job with excellence. We never forced Jeremy to take over; he wanted to. He pursued multiple degrees that gave him the knowledge and experience he needed to work within our business and lead it to the next level.

I also think it’s essential to make sure you are choosing a family business partner you enjoy being around and having fun with. We spend so much of our time at work, it must be enjoyable.

Choose a partner or family member whose heart is in the business, and if you know you can’t have fun with them, I’d urge you to rethink your decision.

Humility

We view our partnership as two servants coming together to serve one another.

I want Jeremy to succeed more than ever before, and I want him to avoid the speed bumps I had to face on my journey. As faithful servants, we share our inheritance and don’t ignore the team members who aren’t blood. We make a place for them.

When we recognize that this business is not ours but God’s, we show up and steward it differently. We open every legacy meeting in prayer and don’t simply delegate to people; we develop people.

Are You Struggling to Work Well with a Family Business Partner? Here are Next Steps

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The Hero Model of Purpose

Most people in the western world—consciously or subconsciously—ascribe to a “hero model” of purpose. Life is a movie, and I want to be the star. The clouds part, a spotlight shines down from heaven, a drumroll rises from the deep, God waves a magic purpose wand, and in a great crescendo of trumpets and light, my purpose is revealed. The world sees me there on my pedestal, and behold, I am very good!

Sure, I want to make the world better for people, but if I’m being honest, I want some credit, too. And I want to be paid well. And I want it to be fun—and not too hard.

When many people talk about purpose, they’re talking about “that one thing”—that one pursuit or job that makes everything make sense and makes their lives fit together in perfect, harmonious bliss.

In the hero model, purpose is shaped in our image. We want purpose that…

Comes quickly and clearly

Makes us happy and comfortable

Wins us the admiration and respect of others

But purpose that fits all your wants and desires probably isn’t your deepest purpose. You can live with purpose today, but it may take years to unfold fully. It may be hard at times and even a little uncomfortable. It may not look very impressive to others. They may not notice at all.

Wait, doesn’t Jeremiah 29:11 tell us that God is preparing a future of perfect blessedness for us? Yes! But we forget that it’s a blessedness on God’s terms—not our terms. And “us” doesn’t just mean “me”—this passage wasn’t written to Bill in Babylon. It was written to the people of Israel in Babylonian captivity. And when we read verse 11, we like to skip over verse 10: “Only when Babylon’s seventy years are completed will I visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.

Jeremiah 29 probably didn’t sound like good news to the captives in Babylon because it meant they probably wouldn’t make it back to Jerusalem. Their children probably wouldn’t make it back. Ah, but their children’s children…

Something Better

None of this feels like good news if we want the magic wand of instantaneous, heroic purpose. But it is good news because there’s something better. It all starts with God’s purposes.

Scripture makes God’s purposes clear: to save the world…to draw a lost, broken world home into His arms. We see it in God’s covenantal relationship with Israel described in the Old Testament, and it finds full expression in Jesus. The opening chapters of the New Testament speak of Christ’s purpose: to embody God’s saving presence—to make it visible, tangible, and personal.

And it’s in Him that we find our purpose.

True purpose is shaped in the image of Christ. In Christ, we come alive, remade and set free…yes, from the power of sin but also for the power of purpose.

God is doing something big in and through you, after all. It just has nothing to do with what the world thinks is “big.” How much money do you make? How big is your house? How many social media followers do you have? Fruition has nothing to do with any of these things.

Your purpose has nothing to do with being celebrated by the world…nothing to do with maximizing your comfort and your sense of self-worth…nothing to do with building a lasting legacy in your name. In the grand scheme of things, your life is a breath—a vapor—here and gone (James 4:14). Your name will someday be forgotten to the world, and even if it weren’t, what good would that do you?

True purpose isn’t about all that. It’s harder and messier—and better.

True purpose has everything to do with becoming part of something bigger than you. God has a vision for the world, and He wants your help in making that vision real. God stitches you into community for the purpose of sharing life and faith. He calls you to sacrifice for the betterment of others. He gives you gifts and trusts you to put them to work.

Kingdom: A Beautiful and Mysterious Tension 

God has a beautiful vision for the world. Jesus calls it “the kingdom of God.” It’s what God wants the world to look like, and it’s a vision that WILL come to be.

This plan, which God will complete when the time is right, is to bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head. (Ephesians 1:10)

God’s vision has been planned since the beginning of time, but it’s not yet fully here. It will be completed “when the time is right.”

And yet…it is here. When Jesus Christ came to earth, kingdom—God’s beautiful vision for the world—came with Him. Jesus made this clear when He said to the Pharisees, “The kingdom of God is among you.” (Luke 17:20-21)

Everything Jesus did…everything He said…everything He was…demonstrated kingdom, and everything He touched—every life, every relationship, every tradition—echoed with the imprint of kingdom. He was “the Way,” meaning that He was both the roadmap for and the driving force behind kingdom building.

All creation will someday come together in the peace and wholeness of Christ. We long for that day. And this union is emerging, even now. Both can be true. And God’s purposes are revealed in both. God wants to build something, but God wants to build it a certain way.

This, then, is our destiny and our purpose: not to find our place in the spotlight…not to lift our names high but to be a small part of this unfolding process, rooting our purpose in God’s purposes and doing everything we can to lift high the name of Jesus.

The Fruition Model of Purpose

When we think of the word “fruition,” we think of the end goal, and that’s not wrong. But “fruition” also speaks to the process of getting there. Kingdom is both here now and coming soon, and this is also true of personal purpose. In fact, the emergence of kingdom and the emergence of purpose are connected.

We ask our God to make you worthy of the life he has called you to live. May he fulfill by his power all your desire for goodness and complete your work of faith. ­

– 2 Thessalonians 1:11

At the deepest level, your purpose is to glorify God by becoming a purposeful person. Yes, you will accomplish things. But ultimately, GOD accomplishes God’s kingdom purposes, so fruition isn’t just about what you accomplish. It’s about how you live and who you become in the process.

We invite you to stop worrying about “that one thing you’re supposed to do with your life.” Fruition is a way of being—in all aspects of life. It happens when you:

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Faith Driven Entrepreneur is an educational website hosted by Faith Driven Movements (501c6) and FDM Foundation (501c3) nonprofit corporations whose mission is to inspire, educate, and mobilize people to use their time, talents and other resources in the marketplace. Faith Driven Movements brings together leaders from around the world that seek to make a financial, social, environmental and spiritual impact through their business ventures. The website is intended to be an opportunity to exchange ideas for educational purposes. Faith Driven Movements is not responsible for the opinions, advice, statements, materials, presentations, data, images, videos, documentation and other information (collectively, the “Materials”) expressed or otherwise shared by guest contributors (including without limitation podcast guests, conference speakers, guest writers, participating companies and investment professionals). The Materials are for informational purposes only, and the statements, views and opinions expressed at any presentation or in any Materials are those solely of the presenter and not of Faith Driven Movements. Hosts and Guests may maintain positions in the companies and securities discussed. Further, Faith Driven Movements does not endorse or recommend any presenter, promoter, investment advisor, strategy, company or any views mentioned at any conference or in the Materials. Under no circumstances will Faith Driven Movements (or their respective trustees, directors, officers, employees, or agents) be liable for the accuracy, quality or reliability of any of the presentations or Materials, any defamatory, offensive, or illegal conduct of presenters, or any direct, indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages arising from any presentations or Materials. By visiting the site you agree to comply with the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and Code of Conduct.

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Over the past decade, I’ve participated in Kingdom collaboration in all of these ways, and there are some key mindsets that made these collaborations fruitful by the power of God’s grace.

Mindset #1: “I have no agenda other than God’s agenda.”

Laying aside our personal agendas in order to pursue God’s agenda for collaboration allows the Holy Spirit to move freely within our relationships with others. Instead of coming to a collaboration with assumptions and presumptions over what has to take place, how it’s going to take place, and what the collaborative relationship is going to look like, we can allow the Holy Spirit to flow and move in our hearts, to move in others’ hearts, and to move us toward the direction that’s on the King’s heart. Prayer is a powerful fuel for keeping the main thing the main thing within a collaboration as it helps keep hearts knitted together in a spirit of unity. 

Mindset #2 “I own nothing.” 

In the Kingdom of God, we’re not an owner, we’re a steward (manager) of what God has entrusted to us. We’re also called to be distribution centers, maintaining a posture that is willing and able to both receive and give so that God can get things to us, and God can move things through us. 

Mindset #3: “I sow into the Kingdom, and I reap from the Kingdom”

Often collaborative partnerships are looked upon as quid pro quo arrangements. An important truth is that in a Kingdom collaboration, you are sowing into the Kingdom, and you will reap from the Kingdom. This means that it won’t always look like an equal contribution or exchange of resources. It also means there are times when you’ll be the largest giver/contributor in a particular collaboration, but you will receive from a completely different collaboration with other people. There is freedom and progress when we realize that God is the Source, and everyone and everything else is simply a resource.

Mindset #4: “I am abundantly supplied. There is more than enough. My God is limitless.” 

Maintaining an abundance mindset, with an understanding that God Himself IS Provision (Jehovah Jireh) keeps us from comparing ourselves to others. It also eliminates our desire to compete with others or fail to contribute to partnerships in the way the Holy Spirit is leading based on a fear of personal loss. We can truly allow God’s perfect love to cast out our fears of being taken advantage of.

Mindset #5: I have something to offer and something to learn. 

When we value and eagerly esteem the God-given gifts of others, we receive the goodness that comes from them. It’s important that we come open-minded and open-handed in our engagements with others. No matter what table God has blessed us to sit at (literally or metaphorically) or to create ourselves, we will experience His best. But only when we are confident in what we carry by His grace and humble enough to admit that we don’t have all the solutions.

Collaborations will not always come together perfectly in the way that you hope. And they won’t always yield the outcomes you hope for. But I’ve found that it’s worth it to invest in connecting authentically with others, to be intentional about cultivating collaborative relationships, and to remain open to God’s divine orchestration. 

God is moving powerfully through the body of Christ in the marketplace, and I truly believe that just as we’ve seen in the scripture, when people of like mind and like heart come together, with the spirit of unity, nothing is impossible for them.

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Any culture requires its leaders to embody said culture. So, you may want to communicate that your money is where your mouth is. Don’t flaunt your gifts like the Pharisees, but try to take the first step when you can. Go visit the communities you claim to serve. Tell the personal story of why you founded the company. When donations cut into company profits, make sure to take a cut from your own salary before asking employees to bear the costs of your philanthropy.

Go Beyond Finances. Foster Talents

It’s no secret that corporate culture, especially in America, idolizes money. It equates a person’s value with their bank account, but this is wholly incompatible with God’s vision of humanity. Each of us has been given personal talents that we can use to serve in God’s kingdom. 

As you seek to create a culture of philanthropy, think of ways you can use people’s talents. Too many philanthropists think that if they throw enough money at a problem, they can overcome any obstacle. But as we’ve seen, people need more than money. They need love, meaning, and community, too.

Embrace an Abundance Mindset

It’s hard to be generous if we believe in a zero-sum, dog-eat-dog world. Unfortunately many businesses are run from that perspective. But faith driven entrepreneurs believe in an abundant God who bestows good gifts upon his children. 

The following has been excerpted from the unifying principles of the Faith Driven Investor: 

An abundance mentality allows us to be open handed as we look to share investors and deal flow. Further, while many that subscribe to an economy of scarcity might believe that the addition of a bottom line to financial return will come at the expense of the other, we believe that great financial returns are possible not at the expense of Biblical values, but because of them.

In order to create a culture of philanthropy at your company, instill an abundance mindset throughout the organization.

Love Others Through Agency and Respect

Philanthropy rarely works on a one way street. The givers cannot hold all the decision-making power. Wealthy donors who have no knowledge of a situation cannot expect to make lasting change by basing decisions off flawed assumptions. 

One of the best ways we can love others is to invite them into their own solutions. It seems obvious when you say it out loud, but many philanthropists have done more harm than good by “helping” in the wrong ways. Instead, let’s have open and honest conversations with others and find out how we might truly serve through education, resources, and equipping.

What about Tithing?

Tithing should be a central component of the faith driven entrepreneur’s life. In scripture, we see God asking his people to give 10% of their income back to the temple and priests. This could include grains, livestock, or other possessions. 

But while tithing is important, it shouldn’t be conflated with a culture of philanthropy. Tithing is often considered a personal attitude and gesture toward God. In some contexts, tithing refers to the money we give to our local church. A philanthropic culture, on the other hand, involves a community. Our generosity shouldn’t begin and end with us. Instead, we should think about how we can collaborate with our boards, employees, and customers to advance philanthropic missions.

Avoid Common Pitfalls When it Comes to a Culture of Philanthropy

Loving others is difficult. So often, entrepreneurs can be blinded by greed, worry, and ego. We must be careful not to let our focus slip, and the best way to stay vigilant is to pay attention to common pitfalls. After speaking with dozens of entrepreneurs who have tried to create cultures of philanthropy, here are some situations to avoid.

Ego Disguised as Philanthropy

Entrepreneurs have large egos. We want to prove ourselves to the world and our competitive natures can sometimes get out of hand. As we see in the gospels, this ego can spill into philanthropy as well. We want to give large monetary gifts to show everyone how great we are, how successful we’ve become. But these actions aren’t done out of love. Instead, they’re done out of ego.

We’ve created a Bible Reading Plan on the Entrepreneur Ego. If you struggle with pride, we invite you to take a look.

Disillusionment

Some might say that a business with a philanthropic bent is idealistic. To survive in this world, you need to make compromises and focus on the bottom line. Often, this perspective is rooted in disillusionment.

Peter Greer, author of The Gift of Disillusionment, defines disillusionment well: “The moment of disillusionment is when our expectations and reality collide, expectations of what it was going to be like, of the success that we were going to have, and reality that this is far more complicated, far more difficult than we initially thought.”

It takes great faith to continue forward through disillusionment. But we see this modeled so many times in the Bible. Joseph was unjustly thrown in prison. Jeremiah watched the invasion of his homeland. David cried out in the Psalms. Many great people have had to grapple with expectations versus reality. So, just because things are difficult, don’t give up on creating a culture of philanthropy. 

Unintentionally Destructive Philanthropy

Loving others well often means providing others with agency and respect. It means checking in and asking whether the help being provided is showing results. We see destructive philanthropy occur when Americans ship leftover clothing items to African countries. Some clothing CEOs might think they’re helping meet a need by shipping tons of clothes overseas (or they simply want a cheap way to dispose of excess inventory). But this system not only moves wasteful excess from point A to point B, it also guts the local clothing industry and puts people out of potentially meaningful employment.

Unsustainable Philanthropy

Money is a tool. Money is not evil. While Jesus condemned the love of money, he did not point his finger at wealthy individuals simply because they had money. If you have been blessed with some wealth, use it responsibly. If you have a business, don’t run it into the ground out of some unhealthy belief that self destruction leads to holiness. You don’t have to gut a thriving enterprise in order to donate to your local dog pound. This might be an exaggerated example, but we see this happen in the nonprofit world too often. Idealistic individuals start a foundation only to run out of money or lose all their top talent because they won’t make the necessary business decisions required to sustain their philanthropy.

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The Hiding Place, based on a book by Corrie ten Boom, tells how the ten Boom family hid Jews in their home in the Netherlands after the occupation of the Nazis during World War II. The heart of the story is the harrowing depiction of the experiences and resilient faith of Corrie and her sister Betsy when they were later imprisoned in the Ravensbrück concentration camp. However, we also see how Papa ten Boom proclaimed Christ, blessed his community, and discipled his own daughters while running a watch shop in Haarlem, Netherlands. The link below shows a flashback to Corrie’s childhood when her father taught her about how God provides sufficient grace for the moment.

Starring Ingrid Bergman, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness tells the story of Gladys Aylward, a British missionary to China. Despite significant license taken by the screenwriters and directors, resulting in numerous historical inaccuracies (Gladys Aylward herself reportedly disliked the film), it does capture many inspiring aspects of Gladys’s life and missionary service. Possibly best known for leading about 100 orphaned children out of China when Japanese soldiers invaded in 1938, Gladys also used her workplace to disciple others and transform the community. For instance, she used the platform of a guesthouse to teach the Bible, and the position of foot inspector to bring women freedom from the practice of foot-binding.

In the clip linked below, Yang, the cook in Glady’s guesthouse, tells Bible stories (with less than perfect accuracy) to the overnight lodgers.

It’s a Wonderful Life, directed by Frank Capra and starring Jimmy Stewart, has become a Christmastime classic that many families rewatch every year. If that is true of you, pay attention this year to the way transformation through business features so prominently in the film. While the movie does not include explicit Christian discipleship (despite the abundant Christian themes), it does depict how our choices, including how we run our businesses, impact our friends, family, and community. Instead of traveling the world, George Baily seems stuck in an insignificant position in a small town. In the end, he sees the impact his life made (by seeing what the world might have been like without him) and much of that impact came through the transforming influence of his business – a small savings and loan. This last clip shows a moment when George confronts greedy banker Mr. Potter.

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I started rattling off all kinds of thoughts: “Do I update my resume and get out of the company? Do I stick around for another company sale? Should I call other companies and look for a new job?”

Thoughts were running rampant through my head, both good and bad. Then out of nowhere, I heard an audible voice, or at least one that felt audible to me. Its message was very clear: “Stay.”

“God is that you?” I asked. “‘Stay’? Why? For how long? Are you sure? God, do you have any other words for me?”

I heard nothing else. Just the one word: “Stay.”

Now I had more questions than answers. However, a sense of peace came over me. The stress and frustration even began to settle. Even though I didn’t know entirely what the message meant in the long term, I felt that the obedient thing to do now would be to stay.

Over the coming months, our company’s owners directed us to downsize, in order to keep our company profitable as they contemplated what to do next. During this time, I remember employees, and even my wife, asking if I was going to update my resume and look for a new job. I told them “no” and said that I felt called to stay.

Ironically, after receiving that direction, I no longer sat around discouraged. I now felt that God had a plan. I would be lying if I said I never wondered when I would receive another word. But I made a choice to keep moving forward until I heard differently.

During the time I spent operating under the word “stay,” I had my good days and my bad days. I am sure this is how Paul felt in Acts 18:11 when he ended up staying in Corinth for a year and six months! Leading up to that moment, Paul had typically stayed in one place for a few days, or a few weeks at the most, to teach the Good News of Jesus before heading off to the next town. Paul had to be anxious at times during those eighteen months. I imagine he prayed something like, “God, if we are to spread this news, then I need to get to the next town. Haven’t these people heard enough?”

However, he stayed and was obedient as he waited for God’s next signal. During his time in Corinth, he continued to teach the gospel and impact many people who lived there. While Paul was waiting for the next signal, he was obedient and intentional.

HOW ARE YOU PREPARING THIS SEASON?

When we are in the waiting room of a doctor’s office, we can choose to waste our time or be intentional with it. We can sit there and scroll mindlessly on our phone as we wait for our name to be called. Or we can work on some emails, pray about our day, listen to part of a podcast, or even set up our online grocery order.

The same thing is true when we are in a season of waiting for what is next. We can choose to waste time and just do the bare minimum at our job, or we can be very intentional and make the most of the moment.

During my time in the “waiting room,” I doubled down on investing in my sales team. Not only did I work to help them meet their sales goals, I also taught them some of the life coaching skills I was learning, in order to help round them out as leaders. I also spent time investing in myself by exploring the idea of starting my own coaching and speaking business, by getting a few clients, and putting together content.

This continued for a few months. Then in August 2016 I was terminated from that job. However, I was not discouraged by this termination. God had already used that waiting time to prepare my mind and heart for the drastic change of leaving my corporate job, including my high salary and fancy title, and starting at ground zero of becoming a coach.

This transition was possible because God had softened my heart and helped break my reliance on both a corporate executive identity and a sense of financial security. I now realized instead that God was my provider. The truth is, I don’t believe I ever would have started the coaching and speaking business if I hadn’t been terminated and if I hadn’t had the time in the “waiting room” to prepare my heart and mind.

Do you feel you are waiting for the next thing?

If we are not careful, we can miss out on beneficial waiting room time by wasting time instead of being intentional. However, when we believe that God uses all seasons to better us, we can experience the waiting room as a place where He is doing work in us and preparing us for what is on the other side of this season.

ACTION STEPS

Spend five minutes thinking of ways that you can be intentional during this season in the areas of both your personal and professional growth.

Now spend five minutes thinking of ways you can personally invest in those you lead and help them grow, both at work and at home. We need to make sure we are intentional in our leadership so that those we’re leading are better for having had the opportunity to be led by us!

PRAYER

Lord, waiting rooms are frustrating, yet I know you use them for our good. I repent over the times I’ve gotten frustrated, and the times that frustration has turned into sloth- fulness. I will diligently spend my days investing in myself and those around me, so that we may grow closer to you and become better prepared to help you in your work. Amen. 

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— by Amanda Lawson

Do not despise small beginnings.

Zechariah 4 presents a prophetic encounter that theologians could write volumes on, but the gist is that God’s people were returning from exile and their new city would be beautiful and God would be there with His people and there would be amazing redemption and restoration. The man responsible for rebuilding the physical city in real time was Zerubbabel. “Not by might nor by power” but by the Holy Spirit, Zerubbabel would lead this restoration project of literal biblical proportions. Zechariah goes on to explain that the Lord told him not to despise “these small beginnings” because the Lord Himself rejoices to see the work begin. 

But I like big beginnings, explosive and powerful burning bush level moments and ocean waves that 6-foot surfers can stand up under. I’m not an overly patient person when I have a clear goal in mind. 

Yet, in my current position, the Lord has taught me a lot about not despising small beginnings. 

In April, the L.I.F.E. (Leading the Integration of Faith and Entrepreneurship) Research Lab at Miami University (OH) hosted the 2nd Annual L.I.F.E. Research Conference. Academics from around the world came together virtually to celebrate and explore research opportunities at the intersection of faith and work. It was a day full of deep discussion, provocative questions, and community building.

A keynote address by Baylor University professor, Peter Klein, kicked off the conference. Garry Bruton (Texas Christian University) and Jeff McMullen (Indiana University) presented a point-counterpoint discussion on the opportunities and challenges to including religion in entrepreneurship research. Panel discussions surrounding identity, economics and theology, international markets, social entrepreneurship, and more provided space for conversations with leading academics from Dartmouth College, University of Tennessee, Butler University, Oklahoma University, University of Missouri-Kansas City, and Virginia Tech. 

Prior to the conference, we distributed a call for research proposals by doctoral students who are working in this space and offered a chance to submit a plan and pitch to the audience in hopes of securing funding to finish their work. Three finalists were chosen to pitch live and attendees were given the chance to vote for the winner. Zanele Lurafu (Jönköping Business School) won the competition, earning $5,000 in research funding. Runners up, each receiving $2,500, were Andrea Sottini (Universita Católica del Sacre Coure) and Trevor Israelsen (University of Victoria). 

Later, an overview of the field of faith and entrepreneurship from an editorial team for the journal, Small Business Economics revealed a broad spectrum of topics in entrepreneurship that are deeply influenced by religion. The conference ended with an incredible discussion between Ali Aslan Gümüsay (University of Hamburg), Roy Suddaby (University of Victoria), and Scott Newbert (Baruch College, CUNY) on different theoretical approaches to studying and explaining the role of religion in entrepreneurship. 

When the conference ended, a co-worker asked how it went and all I could say in the moment was “Nothing went wrong. It could have gone better, but nothing went wrong.” I am a skeptic by nature, and while there was nothing inherently untrue in my response, it probably wasn’t the right response.

The reality was—and to an extent, still is—I don’t know how to measure success in this circumstance.  As soon as the conference ended—frankly, even in the days leading to it and during the various events—I sat and pondered what success in this conference would look like. Was it the number of attendees? The number of countries represented? Attendee feedback following the event? Was it about getting recognition in the business school at Miami for the work we put in? What about getting asked to co-author or co-chair future research endeavors? 

Now that some time has passed, I can confidently say that I still don’t really know if the L.I.F.E. Research Conference would be considered a success. Because everyone has different definitions, ranging from Zoom retention rates to post-conference surveys to ongoing conversations with new connections. The truth is, we live and work in a world that is dominated by numbers. And our attendance numbers for this year’s conference weren’t as good as last year’s. But our survey results were better. 

What I can also confidently say is that regardless of the success of the conference itself, our team succeeded. 

I’ve shared in the past (Fear and Trembling and Defining Success, Faith Driven Entrepreneur) that my overall definition of success has changed a lot in the past couple of years, that now it’s not a measure of data, but one of obedience to what the Lord has called me to. And I believe He called us to build and host this conference. 

Because while I believe obedience trumps results, the results point to the Lord. When people ask how we were able to do it, we get to give God the glory. When brilliant academics have a platform to an international audience and get to share their passion for studying faith and work, and even how their personal convictions steer them in the work, God is glorified. When we share about the conference at our department staff meeting and in department newsletters and media, literally thousands of people are able to hear or read about a growing network of college professors and researchers who are bringing faith back into the conversation around entrepreneurship—even at public universities. 

Even if our numbers are small. Even if some days “nothing went wrong” is all we feel like we can offer. Even when it seems like a small, two-person team is trying to push a boulder up an ever-rising mountain. We do not despise small beginnings. We’ve seen too much to doubt the Lord now. So instead, we press on, straining for the prize not out of a need to achieve a data point, but out of a deep gratitude for the opportunity and desire to glorify the Lord in all things. 

*A huge thank you to Brett Smith, Founding Director of the L.I.F.E. Program at Miami University for directing the conference and Bethany Allen for our technical support! 

*Video recordings of the conference are available on  our YouTube channel: L.I.F.E. Miami University

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— by Paul Michalski

“Just about anybody can make an organization look good for a moment, but the best leaders lead today with tomorrow in mind.” (John Maxwell)

The idea that a business leader should see herself as a “steward” of a business is not a new idea, and its not even a uniquely Christian idea.  The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation gives a “Best Corporate Steward” award.  They describe it in terms of “a company that conducts its business in a way that creates ‘shared value’.”

But the “stewardship” demanded of faith-driven business leaders is profoundly different than the “stewardship” urged by the world.  The world essentially sees stewardship as being a “good owner”.  God commands being a “steward” instead of an “owner”.

Although the operational stewardship that would earn a U.S. Chamber of Commerce award and the operational stewardship that would honor God’s command might look very similar in practice, there is a test of stewardship that is uniquely faith-driven.  It is the exercise of stewardship (or a default to ownership) when a leader decides to step down or step out.  

The world says “be a good steward while you own it, get the most money you can at exit, and let the next leader worry about winning the stewardship award” because the world’s version of stewardship is about being a good ”owner” while you own it. I believe the Bible requires stewardship not only in the operation of a business but also in the “hand-off” of the business, because the faith-driven leader never owned it.

The Biblical Basis for “Stewardship”

The Bible is full of passages reminding us that God owns everything.  For example, Psalm 50:12 (“For the world and its fullness are mine”) and Deuteronomy 10:14 (“Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it”),  Perhaps the most direct when it comes to wealth is Haggai 2:8:  “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts.”

But God didn’t just plop all of creation here without direction or purpose for His greatest creation–humans.  In Genesis 1:28, God gave what I will call the Creation Mandate (what some also refer to as the Cultural Mandate):

And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.

We are not just another species of animal created to co-exist alongside all others.  We are different and were given a commandment about our purpose on earth.  We are to “have dominion”.

Although that term sounds ominous and, on its face, seems to hold the potential to justify abusing the earth and its creation, theologians (which I do not claim to be) seem to be pretty confident that the term means “stewardship”.  We are to care for God’s creation as its stewards.

In case you were wondering how God owning “creation” relates to the business YOU started, organizations are CREATIONS that become part of God’s creation.   The Creation Mandate extends beyond merely putting together raw physical materials.  It includes “subduing” through the creation of culture and social structures such as organizations.

The Final Test of Stewardship: Succession or Secession

There are really only two basic choices when a leader who has shaped the purpose, values and culture of an organization no longer wants, or is no longer able, to continue to lead the organization—succession or secession.  But I am not talking about who fills the leader’s seat—I am talking about what happens to the HEART of the organization—its real WHY.

One only needs to watch a few episodes of the television series Succession or Yellowstone to see the difficulties and drama that can arise when a strong leader who has shaped a business realizes it needs to pass to the next generation.  The difficulties and drama are as old as King Solomon:

I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 2:18-19)

Merriam-Webster has these definitions most relevant for our discussion:

In talking about the options for the heart of the organization, this is what I mean by succession and secession.

Succession of heart: The leader passes leadership to a person or group of persons who share the leader’s commitment to the heart of the organization and are likely to be intentional about continuing to cultivate, curate and protect that heart.  The heart continues.

Secession of heart: The leader passes leadership to a person or group of persons who do not share the leader’s commitment to the heart of the organization and are unlikely to prioritize preserving that heart and may even take steps to change the heart of the organization.  The heart is withdrawn.

In speaking about legacy, John Maxwell writes:

Just about anybody can make an organization look good for a moment, but the best leaders lead today with tomorrow in mind. . . . Because a leader’s lasting value is measured by succession.

And the Bible suggests another potential legacy path:

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. (John 12:24)

The Succession Option

Succession of heart is even more difficult than succession of a leader. 

Succession of heart can be accomplished in a number of ways, but it requires intentionality.  Here are some examples:

A Succession Person: The simplest example of heart succession is finding a new leader who shares a commitment to the heart of the organization.  This might be a person groomed in the organization to take over under the same ownership or someone in the next generation who shares that commitment in a family business.  It is much more difficult if the leadership transition is accompanied by an ownership change.

A Succession Buyer: In a sale to a third-party, succession of heart would mean finding a buyer with that commitment. There are private equity firms whose stated business model is preserving the culture of the organizations they acquire (although it is unclear whether they would honor a faith-driven heart that is aligned with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities) and even a few (e.g., Sovereign’s Capital) committed to Biblically faithful leadership. If a leader/owner wishes to sell and is unable to find a third-party buyer committed to preserving the organization’s heart, it might be possible to arrange a full or even partial sale to the existing management group or employees (e.g., using an ESOP, which has a number of very interesting “stewardship” benefits) who have helped cultivate and maintain, and who value, the organization’s heart.

A Succession Contract: Contractually maintaining an organization’s heart following a sale is quite unusual but not unprecedented. The ongoing tension between Unilever and its Ben & Jerry’s subsidiary has been in the news recently.  When the founders of Ben & Jerry’s sold the business to Unilever, they insisted upon quite elaborate contractual provisions designed to preserve the unique culture of Ben & Jerry’s even while under the ownership of Unilever, including maintaining a subsidiary board outside Unilever’s control.

Of course, succession of heart works only for so long as those taking over continue to prioritize maintenance of the organization’s heart, not only while they are leading the organization but also upon the next change in leadership. Even private equity firms that are committed to preserving culture generally only hold that commitment during the 3-5-year period after which their commitment shifts to exiting the investment at the best price for their investors.

The Secession Option

Secession of heart is just as easy as succession of heart is difficult.  

Because the current of the world flows toward “ownership” and the world’s priorities (i.e., business as usual) rather than faith-driven stewardship, leadership transition without a commitment to preserve the organization’s heart will likely (or almost certainly) lead to secession of that heart—particularly a heart of faithful leadership in alignment with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities.

Here are a few ways it can occur:

A Secession Leader. Leadership transition to a person who lacks a commitment to the organization’s heart will lead to the erosion (or purposeful elimination) of that heart. One example is ServiceMaster, which was famously known for including “honoring God” in its mission statement and having a statue in front of its headquarters of Jesus washing feet. Bill Pollard was a successor leader committed to succession of the heart of the organization cultivated by its founder.  As Darrell Cosden writes in a paper titled Honoring God and Developing People: ServiceMaster, Bill Pollard and the Heart of the Corporation:

After Pollard’s exit from ServiceMaster God functionally became a much vaguer concept, and ultimately irrelevant to the business goals. . . . When utility reigns supreme, it is not a huge leap to conclude that profit really is the ultimate end goal, and people as well as God/faith can be a part of the means to that end pragmatically, even if optionally. This however is a complete undoing of the entire history, ethos and institutional identity of ServiceMaster.

The Bible is rife with examples of faithful kings and prophets being followed by unfaithful successors.  For example, one only needs to read the story of Hezekiah and his son Manasseh in the Book of Kings to see how quickly a faithful legacy can be unwound.

And [Manasseh] did what was evil in the sight of the Lord . . . .  For he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done . . . .” (2 Kings 21:2-3)

A Secession Buyer.  There are numerous examples of a faith-inspired heart of an organization disappearing following a sale to a business as usual buyer. You can read about companies with overtly faith-inspired mission statements and values only to go to their websites to find no trace of that heart. A little digging on the Wayback Machine website archive reveals when the website changed.  A little more digging online reveals a sale of the company shortly before the change.

A Secession Financing.  Taking a business public is a financing step (either financing for the company in a primary offering or an exit financing for owners in a secondary offering) toward secession of heart because ownership and control of a public company is always open to the highest bidder unless intentional steps are taken to preserve control in the hands of successor of heart owners.  For example, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, the largest independent Coke bottler in the United States, is listed on NASDAQ but the founding Harrison family retained voting control through a separate class of common stock.  Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated is a unique example of a public company that has been able to retain its overtly faithful heart because of the intentionality of its owners.

Succession or Secession: Which Is Better Stewardship?

You might be thinking, “Succession of heart is obviously better faith-driven stewardship than secession of heart”.  Well, not necessarily.

It is easy to idolize succession of heart–pridefully wanting to preserve a faithful legacy–when God might have a different plan.  Yes, as a general matter succession of heart is more often a better path of faith-driven stewardship than secession of heart, but succession can be poor stewardship!

I talk about the heart of an organization, but an organization doesn’t really have a heart.  An organization (including a business) is a platform that facilitates humans working together in relationship.   Those people have hearts about work, and the expression of those hearts forms the culture of the organization.

As part of creation, an organization belongs to God (just like everything else) and God’s plan may be for that particular platform to exist for only a season.  The job of a faithful-driven leader is to steward the organization in a manner consistent with the Creation Mandate, maximizing the flourishing of God’s creation.  In a broken world, the best stewardship of a particular organization at a moment in time might be secession of heart–it might be to allow the “grain of wheat” to die so that God can use it to bear “much fruit”.  For example:

If the hearts of the humans who have been working in the organization have been transformed to desire and pursue business in alignment with Biblical beliefs, principles and priorities rather than business as usual, God’s desire may be to lead those people out of the organization and sprinkle their hearts to transform the cultures of many other organizations.

If secession of heart yields the greatest economic value for an organization (e.g., selling at the highest price to a Secession Buyer), God’s desire may be for the faith-driven owners to extract that worldly value and steward it in ways that have an even greater positive impact on the flourishing of God’s creation.  Recall God’s command to the Israelites when they were leaving Egypt:

When he lets you go, he will drive you away completely. Speak now in the hearing of the people, that they ask, every man of his neighbor and every woman of her neighbor, for silver and gold jewelry. (Exodus 11:1-2)

Of course, choosing succession of heart or secession of heart requires prayerful discernment (ideally with trusted friends and counsel)–it must be intentional.   Just as it is easy to idolize succession of heart (and pridefully pursuing legacy), it is even easier to rationalize secession of heart (and selling to the highest bidder).

For example, transferring the business to an ESOP might be more complicated and might be less lucrative at closing than selling to a private equity firm, but it might be better faith-driven stewardship of what God owns.

It is not about what looks good to people who share our faith or what makes us feel good–it is about seeking God’s will.   In his book Why Business Matters to God, Jeff Van Duzer reminds us:

The same God who calls us to [fulfill the creation and redemption mandates in business] provides us with access to the discernment and power that will enable us to fulfill them.

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