Named one of Sports Illustrated’s Top 100 most influential black women in sports, Jasmine Bellamy is Vice President of Merchandising and Community...
Whether you work in management, customer service, as a teacher, or as a parent, the pressures of work can get to you...
Guest Sam Thevanayagam talks to us about God's work of re-creation and making all things new through our every day work.
The COVID-19 pandemic presented many organizations with levels of uncertainty that they had never seen before. How do you lead with faith...
Obeying God's call led to transformation for Edgerton Gear, a Wisconsin-based custom gear manufacturer.
Guest Bill Hendricks discusses the benefits of finding and being a mentor, and gives practical advice for...
ServiceMaster is one of the great corporate stories of the 20th Century. The company grew from a...
Resource Global interviews Katherine Leary Alsdorf, Theology of Work Project board member and co-author of Every Good...
Teach seminary students to rethink epistles for the modern worker.
Speaking up, especially when you’re not in a position of authority, is not easy. So, how do you know when to speak...
Paul's letter to Philemon can open conversations about rank and power in the modern workplace.
"Critical Choices" by Jim Grubs first appeared in the January 2014 issue of "Minding the Gap," a monthly newsletter about faith in...
A growing list of how innovative churches are integrating faith and work for the members of their congregations.
Magazines both print and virtual, from the Harvard Business Review to Lifehacker, offer tips to help us be more productive. We’re tempted...
Learn more about faith and work from these resources: from introductary books to bibliographies for advanced study.
This is an interview with Haddon Robinson originally printed in 1997 in Christianity Today / Leadership Journal. Leadership assistant editor Ed Rowell...
Exciting news! Here at The High Calling we've recently reached agreement to provide you every day with a daily devotional from Mark...
The emotional undertow started tugging at my ankles while I was mopping the kitchen. ...
His Work in Progress - A blog to encourage Christians in the workplace. ...
I was running afternoon errands and pulled into a parking spot between the Rockrimmon Library Branch and Safeway. First on the list...
John Brandon, Vice President, International at Apple, Inc. discusses when and why honesty at work is important, while also encouraging listeners to...
Jesus challenged his followers to be “good salt,” seasoning their lives and their relationships with a rich gospel flavor.
In the intimate setting of the secret Galilean trail and the privacy of the home, Jesus uses very direct language. There are...
Proverbs is a book of wise sayings, and this passage is a call to action for all who read it.
Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach was educated and later taught at the London School of Economics and then became dean of the City...
Kris Camealy reflects on her time at the High Calling, the truth about moving through change, and the gift of community—wherever we are. In 2011, when I first stumbled upon The High Calling...
Absalom’s name meant "son of peace," but his life was anything but that.
"God's simplicity reveals truth, while Satan's complexities hides lies," writes entrepreneur and author Kevin Cullis. Questions help us simplify--and ultimately, find our place in the Body of Christ.
"Questions fascinate me," writes contributing editor Dena Dyer. "Helpful questions give listeners the freedom to arrive at answers on their own. Jesus...
Henry Kaestner is Chairman of Sovereign Capital, an investment firm he co-founded in 2011 that focuses on...
People thrive when they feel secure, and employees work hardest for the leaders who work for them.
Israel couldn’t imagine a servant-king who would honor the reign of God more than worldly power.
Too many people think being ordinary is just another way to fail.
As an HR director, Jen Sandbulte endured tough conversations in which prayer made the difference. She writes, "Grace is addressing what happened--and loving the person in spite of it."
Our churches are always communicating to its daughters. Their value. Their worth. Their possibilities.
Are your church's volunteers experiencing burnout? Author and business owner Dan King encourages congregations to shift their focus from needs to gifts...
Who is your boss? Who gives you work to do? No matter who writes the checks or issues the orders, your ultimate boss is Christ. In Colossians, the Apostle Paul wrote encouraging words...
"We never had a CEO or somebody who was one man in charge. We were of one mind about the business." Jack McMillan began his career at Nordstrom as a women's shoe salesman...
I think most people embarking on careers in the market place, in the professional world, are fed or kind of come from...
It made no sense. Jim had worked at the company longer. He worked hard. And another guy gets promoted! What a blow. Jim gave himself time to stew … and, yes, he indulged...
I do not think that our faith at work necessarily has to be exclusively about evangelizing or kind of shouting the name...
As Christians, we are called to work towards "shalom"—comprehensive flourishing—in everything we do.
NYT Columnist David Brooks shares some leadership advice: Good leaders can step outside their own egos to understand the opposition.
Eisenhower knew something about being a leader. And he could be blunt in his definitions. He said: "You do not lead by hitting people over the head—that's assault, not leadership."
The most important decisions I make as a leader are how I treat people.
No one's career is a straight path; it's a more squiggly, circular, spirally type of path.
Ask anyone who works for anyone else: the best bosses are inclusive!
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them...
At the end of the day as leaders we shouldn't be doing things . . . we should be inspiring and developing...
One of the things that I have valued more than anything else, as an attribute of a manager, is transparency. It's the...
What are your hopes and fears for a particular project you’re working on right now?
As it turns out, almost every leader begins as a follower. The person eventually in charge of big things starts out as the person able and willing to do the small things—in the...
I’ve been wrestling lately with this whole idea of vision. Or perhaps more accurately, with the lack thereof. And it’s odd because...
When I approached Esther, the new twenty-something, beautifully blonde staffer for our Navigator campus ministry, I didn’t know exactly what it meant...
According to Ephesians 5:1, we are to "Follow God's example." The Greek underlying this imperative reads more literally, "Be imitators of God."...
At one time or another, I expect you've seen a mime. Perhaps it was on television or in a crowded square of a cosmopolitan city. It seems like every time I'm walking around...
Living beyond mediocrity is rooted in our identity in Christ. It also involves bringing our very best to our homes, our workplaces, our churches, and our communities. ...
I like the stories of the ancient Greek pantheon of gods. The Greeks developed elaborate stories, created temples, paid homage, and sacrificed to these gods who were usually all too human with...
Behind every successful person is a teacher, a coach, a mentor—someone who inspired, challenged, and instructed. Everyone needs guidance at some point...
The head of a large technology company felt nervous and stressed, but afraid to talk about it. If customers knew, he’d lose face. Employees must see his confidence, he thought. His peers couldn’t.....
A wise leader provides both a clear vision and the means to get the job done.
In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton set sail for the Antarctic. Was the mission a failure? Watch his story and decide for yourself.
We long for our work to be appreciated, writes author and speaker Leslie Leyland Fields on The Wordserve Watercooler. We send our...
When I was growing up in the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, I knew who the ministers were.
"Your career will be made on your ability to get things done, not your ability to answer emails immediately," says Elizabeth Grace...
Matt Barnes, Executive Director of Families Empowered, looks for leaders who excel both professionally and personally.
Laundry, errands, cleaning--those essential but non-paying tasks nag at our subconscious and can take focus away from deadline-driven work. One way to...
Being direct and transparent is often the best managerial technique. It's also, in my mind, consistent with the remit that we have...
In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton set sail for the Antarctic. He and his crew of twenty-seven men planned to be the first to trek across the frozen continent. One day's sail from Antarctica, the dream...
A senior executive has made a request, something impossible to achieve, born of a lack of understanding and rising frustration. It’s passed down until it lands in my email. ...
I recently spent a couple of hours thinking about my job instead of actually doing it. ...
Chronically late? Gretchen Rubin, bestselling author of The Happiness Project and other books, offers helpful advice for anyone who has trouble being...
Like most women, I wear many hats: wife, mom, friend, daughter, teacher, editor, author. So I read the latest entry on FulFill's...
Sandra was a bold, charismatic woman who easily dominated the room when I was co-teaching a Bible study in the women’s mod of Santa Ana Jail in Santa Ana, California. Like many of...
Narcissists are big idea people, but sometimes their ideas lead to serious consequences.
We've got 2,200 staff; I'll have seen everybody. Just being there and thanking them for what they do—coming from a leader is enormous.
In the article The Misery of Mentoring Millenials, BusinessWeek writer Marina Khidekel suggested, "For a new generation of workers, the idea of seeking out a single career confidant is…old...
Plato had Socrates. Helen Keller had Anne Sullivan. Timothy had the apostle Paul. ...
JB Wood says you don't need to know your calling before choosing a career.
Working together and encouraging one another will take us further than our going it alone.
Welcome to the Young Professionals (YP) channel at TheHighCalling.org. Our aim at YP is simple: ...
A farmer and his neighbor argued over a wandering cow. The neighbor stomped off—and the farmer kept his neighbor's cow. The two men quit speaking to each other. ...
How do we train the next generation of men and women to care well, to love well, to show justice?
Recently, the High Calling spoke with Boyd Clarke, Pharmaceutical and Vaccine Industry Consultant, about what qualities contribute to being an effective manager.
Another encouraging message from Howard Butt, Jr. about taking initiative to solve the problems we encounter, even if it's just a squeaky chair.
Recently, The High Calling spoke with Kimberly Renner, Owner of the Renner Project, about leading and facilitating individuals with their talent as...
Recently, The High Calling spoke with attorney Dwaine Massey about how he feels a responsibility to give back to the community and...
Some leaders seem to instinctively understand people: what motivates them, what frustrates them, what inspires them. Other leaders don’t.
Recently, The High Calling spoke with Tod Bolsinger, Pastor of San Clemente Presbyterian Church, about inspiring people on an individual level in...
Recently, The High Calling spoke with retired CEO of Rayco, Jack Willome, about how his faith has impacted him as a leader...
Recently, the High Calling spoke with Tod Bolsinger, Pastor of San Clemente Presbyterian Church, about the importance of a leader continuing to...
Tod Bolsinger says, "In Dad’s hands a simple kitchen instrument that just that morning had been instrumental in making PB & J...
“I’m not coming back! I know I say that every week, but this time I really mean it!” ...
"I would say one of the biggest challenges leaders face today is that they just find it very difficult to step off...
I once worked with an organization that was not quite as focused as it should have been.
Through your shrewd trading you multiplied your riches. But then you became proud of your riches. Ezekiel 28:5 About a decade ago...
Jim’s employees loved his availability. A project running late? Jim made time to help. Personal problem? Jim made time to listen. Middle manager in a quandary? Count on Jim to sit down and...
In the parking lot, walking into work, Becky heard a juicy rumor. By lunchtime, her department was humming. By close of business, the entire company was talking about it. Just one thing: the rumor...
I am a sucker for superheroes. Every summer, the theaters fill up with the latest Spiderman, Batman, or Avenger. Most of the...
Editor's Note: On Fridays we're hosting a series called Everything Matters, where guests share why the work of their particular vocational fields...
I need your help with a bit of culture creation . . . but first, let me give you some background. ...
...
"Point talented people toward a goal and get out of their way."
Isolation, pride, and arrogance can lead us to believe the "yes" people.
Every square inch where we have influence, we should act as the body of Christ.
If you don’t have to grow, it’s not leadership.
Transcript Sportswriter Tom Orsborn wrote about Chicago Bears Super Bowl coach Lovie Smith. He called Smith a straightforward coach. For instance, Smith says, "You don't have to downgrade guys. Treat 'em like men...
Transcript This is a tale of two bosses. Boss No. 1 sees information as gold to be hoarded. He shares on a...
I relished those first few years in the executive suite. Confident. Bold. That’s the image I wanted to project. But soon enough...
Anderson talked to Laity Leadership Institute Senior Fellow David W. Miller about the oath at a Princeton University Faith & Work initiative event.
Dale Jones is a vice chairman and partner at Heidrick & Struggles, one of the nation’s top executive search firms.
Ken Melrose is well known for employing a model of servant leadership to turn around the Toro company when it was on...
Jimmy Dunne is, by his own admission, a man who sees the world in black and white. In a time when shades...
When Laity Leadership Institute Senior Fellow David W. Miller was studying biblical Hebrew in seminary, he discovered a concept that would come...
I recently consulted with a colleague regarding the direction of a new business venture. My company had accumulated some cash, and I was hot for an acquisition. Or three. Kevin was good at...
Transcript “I need a volunteer,” the boss said. Like everyone else at the table, Peter inwardly groaned: high effort…short deadline…pressure. Who volunteers for that? Answer: Peter did…half-heartedly. Then his pride kicked in, and...
My management team got together the other day to review our progress on a major corporate initiative. About a year ago we had laid out a huge, exciting new vision, and we've been...
Right before I left for my Caribbean cruise earlier this month, I grabbed some magazines piled high on my office desk and stuffed them into my briefcase. I figured with all that potential...
Setting limits on ambition, being accountable to peers, and getting married are important contributors to career success.
Personal identity in the modern world is so fragmented that people often assume professional success and personal...
"Christians in public leadership would be wise to pursue their lives in ways different from the dominant culture."
People don’t believe it when an evangelical leader says, “My faith gives me a sense of meaning...
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 Part 5 | Part 6 |...
People of faith are called to use their influence and power to work toward the common good.
Last week I attended a Strategy conference featuring some fancy Harvard Business School professors at a swanky California seaside hotel. During one of the luncheons, I struck up a conversation with...
I once had a boss who told me that our company’s leadership philosophy was called “Mushroom Management.” “Mushroom management?” I asked, confused. I had not heard about it in any of the corporate...
An old man was forced to move in with his son's family. But he could not eat at the dinner table without making a mess. Annoyed, the son had his father eat alone...
Talk about achievement: Doc Rivers led his Boston Celtics to an NBA championship. Yet as the next season opened and a reporter asked how he liked coaching, Doc called his job "a miserable...
Susan was a Christian, and her coworkers knew it. But how did they know? She rarely mentioned her faith. Her work was top-notch, of course. But her coworkers were sharp too. It was something...
Last week I spoke to a group of men at my church on the subject of "Spiritual Engagement at Work."
Don't ask "What would Jesus do?" That's a bad question.
Psalm 72 is identified as a “psalm of Solomon” (72:1). This means either that it was composed by Solomon or in his honor. This psalm is a prayer for the king of Israel.
Do you remember Jesus' first miracle?
"Listen, Janet," Richard said in frustration, "this report is not acceptable. You need to redo it and have it on my desk...
God doesn't seem too concerned about what kind of job you have. Some have powerful jobs and others do not. What matters...
Nothing beats an honest day's work, so the saying goes.
In 1974, Dr. John Coleman was president of Haverford College. He had written several books on labor relations. That year, for his six-month sabbatical, instead of hitting the speakers’ circuit, Dr....
We live in the Age of Quantification. We want to know how many, how much, and for how long. When it comes to leadership, we like to grade skills and add up accomplishments.
Remember David and Goliath? Before David faced the giant, he talked with King Saul. The king was worried. "You're just a boy," he said.Finally, Saul was convinced. He gave David his own bronze...
Leadership is a hot topic. A recent study reported that two-thirds of Americans believe we're experiencing a leadership crisis. According to David Gergen, three-quarters worry about what will become of our nation if...
Steve was promoted into a top management spot at work. For the first time, he could help influence company policy and direction. Wow! This was exciting . . . and humbling. Steve prayed for wisdom...
No matter how many times my buddy takes his dog out for a walk, when they reach a certain tree, he goes around one way and his dog goes the other. The leash...
An executive coach guides leaders from the inside out. Wanting to know more about coaches and the executives they serve, we ventured inside the brain—both hemispheres—of Leslie Marquard. As one...
Transcript At the Washington Special Olympics, nine contestants, all physically or mentally challenged, assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash. As the gun sounded, eight runners sprinted from the line. But...
In the 1950s South, front bus seats were usually marked "whites only." Rosa Parks was not in the whites only section when she was told to give up her seat to a white...
Keith Lockhart conducts the Boston Pops. And as the successor of beloved conductors like Arthur Fiedler and John Williams, he knows something about patience. He has resisted the urge to remake the...
Here's a thought on leadership from the legendary coach Bear Bryant.
Bonnie Wurzbacher weighs in on the importance of women leaders in business and church.
When we think of Billy Graham, we tend to think of him as preacher and pastor. But Billy was also CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and he influenced many institutions. He...
As head of the Atlanta-based PR consultancy The DeMoss Group, Mark DeMoss trades in right words and good judgment. In The Little...
Transcript A scout troop on a weekend camping trip pulled a loaded van into the only remaining campsite. There followed a flurry of organized activity. Seven boys leapt from the vehicle and scurried...
Baseball Hall of Famer Casey Stengel managed the New York Yankees from 1949 through 1960. In twelve years, he led the team to seven World Series championships. Once, when he was asked about what...
A new leadership style is coming, and it arrived washing the disciples' feet. It is leadership that serves.
We have everything we need to be well. The church I serve came to this conclusion based on a scripture story about Jesus in John 5. Jesus walks up to an invalid of...
During the American Revolution, a man dressed in civilian clothes rode past a group of soldiers repairing a small stronghold. Their leader shouted instructions from his horse. The man asked the...
An Interview with Ken Melrose, Toro Company's former CEO.
Artist Madge Harrah recalls an incident when she was a young graphic artist and made a serious error in her work. Then she heard a customer berate her supervisor about the error. As...
A young lady once spent an evening at dinner with a world-famous politician. The following evening she dined with an international diplomat. Later she was asked what impressions these two...
Admiral Richard Byrd’s Antarctic polar expedition of 1939 and ‘40 had reached Sulzberger Bay—farther than any previous South Pole venture—when its small wooden ship, the U.S.S. Bear, became ice...
The people of Bayview, Virginia, lived in shacks, used outhouses, and hauled water from wells. Generation after generation stayed mired in grinding poverty. Then a longtime resident, Alice Coles...
Tugboats play an enormous role in a smoothly running port. But in one busy harbor, they had a special name for a certain reckless tug. They called her "Tug and Tag." She earned...
If you keep up with what is happening in the business world, “faith in the workplace” is becoming a significant topic in our day. Our reflex reaction when we talk about the workplace...
Weighing in at one mighty chapter, Philemon is the shortest book written by Paul and one of the shortest in the entire...
Onesimus has incurred a social and economic debt Paul is going to address in ways that are distinct from the way this situation would normally have been addressed.
Paul’s greeting to Philemon sets the stage for the delicate social negotiation he is about to undertake.
Paul’s way into his request will sacrifice his position of leadership as an example of what he is about to ask.
How does faith change work and leadership? Lessons on leadership beyond rank and power from Philemon.
Since God made us inherently relational, relationships are not just incidental to work; they are essential.
What Paul’s approach shows is that leaders need to be able to learn.
In what is called the Table of Nations, Genesis 10 traces first the descendants of Japheth (Gen. 10:2-5), then the descendants of...
The story of Joseph has many insights that apply to work today.
Genesis’s interest in Joseph’s management of the food crisis lies more in its effect on the family...
While on the journey from Egypt to Sinai, Moses reconnected with his father-in-law Jethro. This former outsider to the Israelites offered much-needed...
In Numbers 12, Moses’ brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam, try to launch a revolt against his authority. They appear to have...
Another challenge to Moses’ authority arises in Numbers 13 and 14. The Lord tells Moses to send spies into the land of...
Moses’ moment of greatest failure came when the people of Israel resumed complaining, this time about food and water (Num. 20:1-5). Moses...
Building a sustainable organization—in this case the nation of Israel—requires orderly transitions of authority. Without continuity, people become confused and fearful, work...
Prevention of harassment means not only creating a safe environment, but a productive one for those at...
Joshua is Moses’ successor as leader of Israel. While he is not a king, he does in some ways foreshadow the kings who will rule over Israel in subsequent centuries. He leads the...
The renewal of God’s covenant with Israel concludes the book of Joshua. The high point occurs in the very last chapter, when...
The best of the judges is Deborah. The people recognize her wisdom and come to her for counsel and conflict resolution (Judges 4:5). The military hierarchy recognizes her as supreme commander and in...
Gideon is a prime example of the paradoxical character of Israel’s judges and the ambivalent lessons they...
Saul Chosen as Israel’s First King God's first choice to be king is Saul (c. 1050-1010 B.C.), someone who looked the part—he...
After Saul's death, David is anointed king over the southern tribe of Judah, but not until much...
Sometimes God calls a woman to the highest level of leadership in a crisis moment. As the Israelites settled into the Promised...
David also suffers another failure that, to us in the 21st century, may seem strange. He takes...
In most cases, your work will continue after you have moved on.
Upon succeeding David as king, Solomon faces the vastness of his duties (1 Kings 3:5-15). He is acutely aware that he is...
Psalm 8 is an exception in Book 1, as it does not pertain specifically to David. Its concern is with all human authority, not only David’s rule. Although God created the entire universe...
Max DePree, Leadership is an Art (New York: Doubleday, 1989), 9.
In the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8), a poor, powerless person (the widow) persists in nagging a corrupt, powerful person...
Paul needs every ounce of courage because of the heavy sufferings he knows his work will bring. “The Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and persecutions are waiting for...
Most of all, Paul’s leadership is marked by his concern for others. He accepts the burden of leadership not to make his...
In this passage, Paul offers a definitive statement of what it means to be a leader.
Paul's letters to the Thessalonians highlight that God expects Christians to work, and to work with excellence.
Stephen Colbert on Faith and Humor Stephen Colbert discusses how his faith intersects with his humor and why humor is an appropriate...
What does this all mean for everyday life in the workplace? Revelation does not provide detailed instructions for best workplace practices, but...
Committees intersect with two social phenomena: leadership and group or meeting dynamics. Christian hesitations about the appropriateness of committees arise from both spheres.
Scripture, reflection questions, and prayer help you improve your leadership at work.
3 biblical tips to jump-start your management career.
A biblical perspective on influencing others when you are in a lesser position of power.
In week 8 Senior Pastor Steve Watson talks about risk taking and planning for a legacy using...
The letters of the New Testament offer many examples of modern workplace dilemmas. These letters can come alive if students are taught to see their current-day application. Here are some of the issues...
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