TwoTen Issue 10 - Q2 2015 by TwoTen Magazine, Inc.

Thoughtful Perspective Ben Watson of The New Orleans Saints

Dr. Henry Blackaby Founder of Blackaby Ministries International

Sadie Robertson of Duck Commander

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A Mission Driven Team Serving with a Purpose

Contents

Cover Story

Features

Thoughtful Perspective

Carrying On The Leadership Tradition

Revival In The Marketplace

Into The Deep

2nd Quarter

New Orleans Saints tight end Ben Watson seeks success in God’s eyes rather than the world’s. He’s constantly learning.

Sadie Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame doesn’t seem to mind the spotlight, because she knows and likes who she is.

Henry Blackaby urges business leaders to see what God is already doing around them and join Him in radical obedience.

One of the world’s leading cancer surgeons, Bert de Vries receives a terminal diagnosis and charts a new course in life. Table of Contents

50 68

58 54

VOLUME 3

ISSUE 10 Q2 2015

Columns & Departments Welcome 06

Nothing Happens If Nothing Sells! – TwoTen Magazine's founders provide an overview of issue ten.

A Leadership Lesson From A Child – Phyllis Hendry shares a simple story that delivers a powerful lesson.

Articles 40

The Joy Conundrum – Why you may not be experiencing the joy that every Christian should have.

Purveyor Of Business Wisdom – The Bible is a trove of wisdom that benefits business leaders.

Columns & Departments 50

Dave Ramsey On Business – Dave Ramsey busts myths of leadership with a dose of reality.

The Four Pillars Of Success – Al Robertson talks about the values that keep us on track and focused.

Twelve Practical Ways To Live Out Your Faith At Work – A biblical perspective from Charis Hillman Brown.

Culture Victory! – When employees live out your mission, they may just challenge you.

Love All Of It – Jon Gordon explains that sometimes the answer to tough situations is very simple.

When Violence Visits The Workplace – Dr. Mark Cress shares how leaders must prepare for the possibility.

76 The Golden Rule Of Teamwork – Chris Hogan discusses loyalty being a two-way street. How are you doing? 78

Do Younger Employees Have Less Of A Work Ethic? – Prepare for a few surprises from Dr. Paul White.

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NOTHING HAPPENS IF NOTHING SELLS! The above axiom, often quoted by our mentor, grounds and informs many of our prayer-filled decisions at TwoTen Magazine. Without revenue, it’s hard to pay the expenses. Thankfully, our God has cattle on a thousand hills and loves to provide graciously for His children, us. With those foundational truths, we are excited to present the 10th issue of TwoTen Magazine. John and I desire to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ through the marketplace in healthcare, media, government, finance, retail, manufacturing, technology, education, entertainment, sports and service industries in America. It is our intent that you’ll use TwoTen Magazine as a practical ministry tool in your workplace to challenge and encourage your team and professional sphere-of-influence to live their lives from an eternal perspective. We’ve dedicated nine full-pages to chronicle Benjamin Watson’s platform in the NFL, which has enabled him to glorify God and influence his children, wife, fans, teammates, and community. As one of the most intelligent players in the league, Ben shares how his faith gives him perspective under the national spotlight of professional sports and media attention. TwoTen Magazine caught-up with teenage entrepreneur, reality television star, author, athlete, singer, and hunter Miss Sadie Robertson. Through it all, she strives to promote her faith in Christ alone. In a rapid-fire, question and answer session, Sadie’s personal style and motto to ‘live original’ framed her thought-provoking responses. Our beloved and passionate forerunner in the movement, Dr. Henry Blackaby imparts four watershed observations about ministry in the marketplace. We go into deep waters with Dr. Bert de Vries and learn how his terminal diagnosis radically clarifies his purpose to glorify God.

2nd Quarter

One of America’s most-trusted voices, Dave Ramsey debunks common myths about employee retention and advice on how to be a great business leader. The enterprise-level purveyor of wisdom, Phil Clements dispenses knowledge to his clients and preaches optimism from an eternal perspective. From bologna sandwiches to international notoriety, Alan and Lisa Robertson of Duck Commander expand upon Old Testament wisdom that outlines modern pillars of success. Directed to our millennial readers and those young at heart, Charis Hillman Brown, blogger and author of TGIF, Today God Is First NEXT GEN, delineates a manifesto to live out our faith at work. Colorado outdoorsman, father, husband, author, and executive coach Jeff Spadafora distills the mysteries about attaining a joyful, healthy, and significant life. Nothing Happens If Nothing Sells!

Printed in the U.S.A. A publication of TwoTen Magazine, Inc. 33838 Americana Ave. • Dade City, FL 33525

Office: (855) 4 TwoTen | team@twotenmag.com | @twotenmag John Faulkner

Founder & Editor in Chief

Founders of TwoTen Magazine, John Faulkner and Richard W. Hayes.

Mark Whitaker Executive Editor Julie Faulkner Features Editor George Cline Associate Editor Chandler Hayes Copy Editor John H. Rains, III General Counsel Miranda Faulkner-Smith Operations Manager

Richard W. Hayes Founder & Publisher

Chris Whitten Creative Director Luke Haydel Project Manager Paul Tejera Technology Director Mike Glesenkamp Web Manager Robin Stafstrom Production Manager Nicole Armas Distribution Manager

Contributors We are thankful to have our regular contributors, who deliver transformational tips. Business owner and author Chris Hogan gives us five fresh keys to unlock the golden rule of teamwork. Dr. Mark Cress, founder of Corporate Chaplains of America, challenges TwoTen Magazine’s readers to create a safe environment for our employees. Dr. Paul White, psychologist, consultant, and author, explores the subject of work ethic and how to positively impact the next generation of workers in your business and community. Best selling author Jon Gordon summarizes the secret to life and strategies to overcome fear. Georgia auto dealer and blogger Chris Patton conveys a personal and emotional lesson on how our business’s culture impacts morale, our community and eternity Thank you for investing yourself and striving to be the leader that God desires for you to be. We at TwoTen Magazine are here to serve you and use the power of story to transform lives together. Keep the faith, fight the good fight, and be serious and intentional about your vital work as an evangelist. VICTORY

Alan Robertson Dr. Paul White Jon Gordon Sheila Dolinger

Founding Contributors Dave Ramsey Jordan Raynor

Ken Blanchard Edward L. Flom

About TwoTen Magazine The TwoTen brand was inspired by the New Testament Bible verse Ephesians 2:10, which says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Our Mission is to inspire, encourage and equip business leaders with Christian principles to make an eternal, positive impact on everyone that God has entrusted them to serve.

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Cover Image provided by: Alix Drawec/NFL

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John Faulkner

Jeff Spadafora Chris Patton Chris Hogan Dr. Mark Cress

Jessica Burchfield Phyllis Hendry Charis Hillman Brown

© 2015 Two Ten Magazine, Inc. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. The articles appearing within this publication reflect the opinion of their respective authors and not necessarily those of the publisher and/or TwoTen Magazine. The contents of advertisements and advertorials are entirely the responsibility of advertisers. No responsibility is taken for unsolicited submissions and manuscripts.

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A LEADERSHIP LESSON FROM A

CHILD BY: PHYLLIS HENDRY

When it comes right down to it, some of the most profound leadership lessons I’ve ever learned are made simple through the eyes of a child. For more than a decade, I was responsible for delivering children’s sermons for my home church. There’s one particular story I loved to share, because it illustrated a profound concept in a simple way. The story goes like this… 8

2nd Quarter

A Leadership Lesson From A Child

young boy was wandering through his family’s orchard when he recognized a small chrysalis resting on the leaves. His mind swirled with the possibilities. What a magnificent creature must be waiting inside! He scooped up the tiny treasure and sprinted to his father’s office. There, he slowly and meticulously unwrapped the silky barrier, anxious to uncover the life form inside. The boy could hardly believe his eyes…A butterfly! A beautiful butterfly! It was all he’d imagined and more. It wasn’t long, though, before his excitement evaporated into concern. After the slightest flutter of its wings, the butterfly lay motionless on the desk. The boy quickly summoned his father, who didn’t take long to assess the situation. “I’m afraid this butterfly will not survive,” he said, tenderness in his voice. “You see, a butterfly’s wings become stronger as it works itself out of his chrysalis. Without the struggle, it will never be strong enough to fly.” Wow. Isn’t that the truth for all of us? When I look back at the greatest times of growth in my life, they didn’t come during the times of joy or simplicity. No, my leadership skills were honed, and my faith was made stronger in the midst of trials and struggle. I imagine you would probably say the same. So if we know this to be true, why is it that we are so quick to lift those we lead out of the struggle? This may happen in any number of ways. It happens when we prematurely swoop in for the rescue…or we avoid confrontations…or we lower our expectations so that the pathway won’t be so difficult. And while our motives might be pure, they are often misguided. We want to save those we influence from heartache, pain, and difficulty, but ultimately we may end up doing more harm than good.

“

As we allow Jesus

to work in us and through us, our influence can create profound change in the lives of those we serve.” – Phyllis Hendry

produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” (Romans 5:3b-5) Leading like Jesus means filtering every decision through this question: What is the most loving thing to do? It seems to me, the most loving decision is always to help those we influence grow from where they are today, to where God would have them to be. And more often than we realize, the most loving decision is to have difficult conversations, to hold those we lead to accountability, to set high standards and expect that they will be upheld. These are not interruptions in their path toward growth. Rather, these are crucial moments where we can teach them to “fly” through transformational lessons about perseverance, character, and hope. The key is to approach these moments with pure hearts… prayed up and ready to love. As we allow Jesus to work in us and through us, our influence can create profound change in the lives of those we serve. VICTORY

PRAYER FOR TODAY... Father, empty me of me today, and fill me with You. May all my conversations reflect the power of Your love and truth. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

In his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul wrote, “We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering Phyllis Hendry serves as the inaugural President and CEO of Lead Like Jesus, a global leadership ministry headquartered in Augusta, Georgia. Under her visionary leadership, the organization has grown exponentially since its founding in 1999, equipping and empowering thousands of leaders throughout the United States and around the world to lead as Jesus led. Previously, she served for 11 years as President of the National Science Center, Inc., in Augusta, a partnership with the United States Army. For More Information about Lead Like Jesus or to bring Phyllis Hendry to your organization as a speaker, visit www.LeadLikeJesus.com or call 800.383.6890.

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THOUGHTFUL PERSPECTIVE BEN WATSON, TIGHT END FOR THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS BY JESSICA BURCHFIELD Images provided by: Images of Grace Photography

"MY SON, DO NOT FORGET MY TEACHING, BUT LET YOUR HEART KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS, FOR LENGTH OF DAYS AND YEARS OF LIFE AND PEACE THEY WILL ADD TO YOU. LET NOT STEADFAST LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS FORSAKE YOU; BIND THEM AROUND YOUR NECK; WRITE THEM ON THE TABLET OF YOUR HEART. SO YOU WILL FIND FAVOR AND GOOD SUCCESS IN THE SIGHT OF GOD AND MAN." PROVERBS 3:1-4

rafted 32nd overall in the 2004 NFL draft by the New England Patriots, tight end Ben Watson earned a Super Bowl ring in his rookie year. In 2007, he assisted the Patriots into an undefeated season by catching a career-best six touchdown passes. Currently playing for the New Orleans Saints, the 2003 University of TwoTenMagazine.com

Georgia finance graduate is known as one of the most intelligent players in the league based upon his score of 48 out of 50 on the Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test given to all NFL athletes. But career victories and Super Bowl rings are not where Ben Watson finds his fulfillment. TwoTen Magazine

An Audience of One “A man is successful when he is in God’s will,” says Ben. “Success in God’s eyes isn’t necessarily success in the eyes of the world, nor is His will determined by what man accounts as successful.” According to the world, success is measured in dollar signs and stock options, but to Ben, success isn’t about signing a new contract with an NFL team; it is living an upright, moral life in front of his peers, his competitors, and his family. “Scripture gives us examples on how to live our lives,” he says. “It teaches us how to successfully keep our lives on a moral course, how to love our spouses, how not to provoke our children to wrath. His will is for us to follow these principles and to perform our best with the talents that He has given us. We need to take the opportunities to bring Him glory wherever we are. Sometimes our thoughts of success conflict with His plans for our success; sometimes they are the same. When we follow as close as we can to what we know God would have us do, we are pursuing perfection and striving for godly success.”

A Godly Upbringing “I was born in Norfolk, Virginia, the oldest of six kids,” said Ben. “I lived there most of my life, but moved to South Carolina in high school. My father and mother were both godly Christians who met at the University of Maryland where he was a football player and she was a synchronized swimmer. Growing up, my father was always involved in some type of ministry; he served as an assistant pastor at two different churches, taught at Fellowship of Christian Athletes camps across the county, and found ways to impact our community through athletics. I remember piling in the car and driving across country to an FCA camp where dad was the speaker for the week. I knew about the Bible and was taught Christian values and morals at home. My parents were wonderful examples, but there came a time when I had to make a spiritual decision for myself.”

explained my sin and my need for a savior. At that moment, it clicked. I realized that I was born a sinner and I needed to turn from my sin to Jesus for forgiveness. From that point on, I began to learn what it meant to be a Christian.” His maturity developing over time, Ben began to figure out what it meant to die to self and live for Christ. Growing up in a home with great talent, his parents helped to mold him into a man that would glorify God with his abilities, not just pursue fame and glory. “Early in life, I had to come to terms with pursuing perfection both on and off the field,” he said. “Even though I believed that I had all the chances in the world to glorify God with my abilities and talents, I knew that I could never do enough to earn my salvation—that’s why God sent His son, Jesus.” Playing football at a large, athletic-minded high school put Ben on an early path to learning the basics of the game, while sharpening his physical acumen. Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, SC, is known for producing well known athletes signed on to professional football and soccer teams, including Derek Ross and Cordarrelle Patterson. The training Ben received in high school prepared him for the intense college football atmosphere at the University of Georgia. But it was in the midst of the extreme pressure to succeed at college that Ben learned to balance his faith and his career. He said, “At the University of Georgia we had a chaplain and a coach who encouraged us to grow in our faith. It was college, I was a long way from home, and I needed to learn how to take a stand. There were times when I wanted to be a part of the crowd and experience everything, to try this and that, and to see

At five or six years old, living in Virginia Beach, VA, Ben Watson came face to face with the reality of his need for a savior and placed his child-like faith in Jesus Christ. “Every night, my father and I would box before I went to sleep,” Ben said. “He would get behind this huge teddy bear and we’d go at it. One night after he beat me, I yelled for him to bring teddy bear back for a second round, and I won! Falling on my bed, basking in victory, I remember my father specifically asking me what I thought about life after death. He read John 3:16 and

2nd Quarter

Ben Watson, holding his newborn son.

Thoughtful Perspective

if there was any fulfillment outside of the Bible and how God commands us to live. I quickly realized that I was made to follow God closely. Nothing could possibly fill the void like God. There were times when I fell away, but I really grew in my faith during college. I married my college girlfriend, Kirsten, and God put certain people at the university to encourage me in my Christian walk. That’s the awesome thing about being a Christian; once you have the Spirit of God indwelling you, He’s not going anywhere. Even if you try to do things contrary to His will, He’s still there.”

Adding Value In the business world, employees are evaluated based upon the value that they bring to a company; it is no different in the NFL. Players are assessed according to the success they bring to the franchise. By operating upon the biblical principle found in Colossians 3:23, Ben Watson has made himself an invaluable asset to his team.

The Watson family walking through downtown New Orleans, Louisiana.

TwoTenMagazine.com

“

Scripture

gives us examples on how to live our lives...

His will is for us to follow

these principles and to perform our best with

the talents that He has given us.

We need to take the opportunities to bring Him

glory wherever we are.”

– Ben Watson

“

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."

– Jeremiah 1:5

PURPOSE “The call of God is not just for a select few but for everyone. Whether I hear God’s call or not depends on the condition of my ears, and exactly what I hear depends upon my spiritual attitude.” - Oswald Chambers -

...meditate on these things.

“The NFL is a business,” said Ben. “Everyone has to perform. When I went to the New England Patriots, it was a huge change from college ball. Physically, I was as strong as anyone, and I was in the best condition of my life. When a college kid comes in to the locker room for the first time, all the seasoned players take note! I was strong, fast, and ready to play. Mentally though, it was a different story. In the NFL, you have to perform perfectly every single day. You have to play through injuries because, if you sit on the bench too long, someone will take your spot.”

Ben and Kirsten Watson.

In order to bring value to his team, Ben was conscientious to take care of himself physically and mentally, as well as to become an example for others to follow. A huge part of becoming irreplaceable within any company is to consistently model excellence, in front of both leadership and fellow employees. Ben found this to be true in the NFL, as well. “Once you start receiving a paycheck, you have to demonstrate value to your company,” said Ben. “Being an NFL player simply means that you have to come in prepared to perform when it’s time to perform, in practice and at the game. You have to take care of your body, your mind, and your weight. You have to sleep. You have to watch your nutrition. You have to work out in the off-season. You have to bring value to your employer by leading in the locker room. I was taught so much in New England. I was taught how to practice and how to build technique. Today, as an older player in New Orleans, I bring value to my team not only by continuing excellence, but also leading. I’ve been where these rookie players are. It is my responsibility to lead. I have to show them what it’s like to win, what it’s like to lose, and how to be selfless instead of selfish. I have to perform as a team player, not as an individual.”

An Average Ben Watson Day Similar to every other American businessman, Ben Watson juggles both a regimented daily routine at work and a freestyle family life at home. With four children under the age of 5, most days begin with a Bible study, a breakfast with the kids, and a little family time before practice. At practice, the team studies game films of the upcoming opponent and work on game plans to reinforce the fundamentals, improve weaknesses and enhance strengths of the team. On Thursdays, Ben and a fellow player host a 30-minute Bible study to promote unity and help answer spiritual questions from fellow teammates. After that, the freestyle begins. “Once I pull up in my driveway at home, I’m in Daddy mode,” said Ben, as he described his far-from-normal family routine. “A former linebacker with the Patriots gave me a piece of sage advice that I have followed every day since: When you walk in TwoTenMagazine.com

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Ben Watson playing for the New Orleans Saints.

2nd Quarter

Ben continues to lead by example on and off the field by bringing people together in the face of conflict. He penned this post on Facebook in the wake of the Ferguson verdict:

At some point while I was playing or preparing to play Monday Night Football, the news broke about the Ferguson Decision. After trying to figure out how I felt, I decided to write it down. Here are my thoughts: I'M ANGRY, because the stories of injustice that have been passed down for generations seem to be continuing before our very eyes. I'M FRUSTRATED, because pop culture, music and movies glorify these types of police citizen altercations and promote an invincible attitude that continues to get young men killed in real life, away from safety movie sets and music studios. I'M FEARFUL, because in the back of my mind I know that although I'm a law abiding citizen I could still be looked upon as a "threat" to those who don't know me. So I will continue to have to go the extra mile to earn the benefit of the doubt. I'M EMBARRASSED, because the looting, violent protests, and law breaking only confirm, and in the minds of many, validate, the stereotypes and thus the inferior treatment. I'M SAD, because another young life was lost from his family, the racial divide has widened, a community is in shambles, accusations, insensitivity hurt and hatred are boiling over, and we may never know the truth about what happened that day. I'M SYMPATHETIC, because I wasn't there so I don't know exactly what happened. Maybe Darren Wilson acted within his rights and duty as an officer of the law and killed Michael Brown in self defense like any of us would in the circumstance. Now he has to fear the backlash against himself and his loved ones when he was only doing his job. What a horrible thing to endure. OR maybe he provoked Michael and ignited the series of events that led to him eventually murdering the young man to prove a point. I'M OFFENDED, because of the insulting comments I've seen that are not only insensitive but dismissive to the painful experiences of others.

I'M CONFUSED, because I don't know why it's so hard to obey a policeman. You will not win!!! And I don't know why some policeman abuse their power. Power is a responsibility, not a weapon to brandish and lord over the populace. I'M INTROSPECTIVE, because sometimes I want to take "our" side without looking at the facts in situations like these. Sometimes I feel like it's us against them. Sometimes I'm just as prejudiced as people I point fingers at. And that's not right. How can I look at white skin and make assumptions but not want assumptions made about me? That's not right. I'M HOPELESS, because I've lived long enough to expect things like this to continue to happen. I'm not surprised and at some point my little children are going to inherit the weight of being a minority and all that it entails. I'M HOPEFUL, because I know that while we still have race issues in America, we enjoy a much different normal than those of our parents and grandparents. I see it in my personal relationships with teammates, friends and mentors. And it's a beautiful thing. I'M ENCOURAGED, because ultimately the problem is not a SKIN problem, it is a SIN problem. SIN is the reason we rebel against authority. SIN is the reason we abuse our authority. SIN is the reason we are racist, prejudiced and lie to cover for our own. SIN is the reason we riot, loot and burn. BUT I'M ENCOURAGED because God has provided a solution for sin through the his son Jesus and with it, a transformed heart and mind. One that's capable of looking past the outward and seeing what's truly important in every human being. The cure for the Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice and Eric Garner tragedies is not education or exposure. It's the Gospel. So, finally, I'M ENCOURAGED because the Gospel gives mankind hope.

“

At this point in my career,

I’m not a starting tight end anymore, but I still perform

and contribute. At 34, I’m closer to the end of my career than I am the beginning, but this only encourages me to leave a lasting mark upon this business of football... I know that God still has me on the field so that I can be a mentor to the young guys coming in. There is a play in motion outside of football; I want to leave a legacy of pursuing perfection.” – Ben Watson

Ben and Kirsten Watson.

2nd Quarter

your front door, let work go. Even if I have to sit in my driveway for 20 minutes to decompress, I have to let it go. When I walk in that door, I’m Daddy, and I’m only with them for a couple hours a day. After bedtime, it’s mommy and daddy time! In our early years of marriage, I wasn’t good at decompressing from work. If I had a bad day, I’d be depressed; if I had a good day, I’d be overwhelmingly happy. I was allowing too much of myself to be tied up with what I did on the field. The latter half of my career has been more balanced, and I’m happy for the transition, because it’s better for the people that live in the house with me.” Ben is invested in becoming a better player, a better father, and a better husband. He recognizes that balance is needed between his vocation and his personal life. He finds that balance in the strengthening of his Christian walk and makes a conscious effort to continue growing in favor with God and man. From his standpoint, success is only achieved by finding this balance. “Faith gives me perspective,” said Ben. “I have to live with eternity in view. To be a faithful steward of the talents that God has given to me, I have to give the best of my effort and ability to both my career and my family. Because of my faith, I work harder and I live better! I’m not happy all the time; if something bad happens, I’m going to be upset. If I lose a game or play poorly, I’m very upset. At the same time, I understand that this life is temporal and that there is a much larger picture." “At this point in my career, I’m not a starting tight end anymore, but I still perform and contribute,” he said. “At 34, I’m closer to the end of my career than I am the beginning, but this only encourages me to leave a lasting mark upon this business of football. I want to leave a legacy in the locker room, with the owner of our club, and at the gym. I’m constantly thinking of what kind of impression I’m leaving on people. I don’t know how much longer I have left in the NFL, but these last couple years I’ve been transitioning into a mentorship role. I know that God still has me on the field so that I can be a mentor to the young guys coming in. There is a play in motion outside of football; I want to leave a legacy of pursuing perfection.”

A Plan for the After As with many professionals, retirement is an exciting possibility looming on the horizon for Ben and his family. Although he possesses a finance degree, Ben isn’t looking for a 9 to 5 commitment; rather, he anticipates time with his children, his wife, and his ministry.

but other than that, I’m pretty open to whatever God has in store for me! One thing I have learned in my career is that God uses willing people. We have all types of different arenas to spread the Word. I have one more year with the New Orleans Saints; we’ll see what door God opens after that. All I know is that He’s not done with me yet!”

“

Through my

high school, college, and professional careers, I

have begun to understand

God’s grace.

I can look back at that time when I was five years old that I accepted the divine payment for my sin and placed my trust in Christ. This maturity has grown over time. I’m constantly learning

what it means to

be a Christian.

I am pursuing perfection both in my career and my personal life.” – Ben Watson VICTORY

Jessica

Burchfield

freelance writer and photographer based out of Clearwater, Florida. Offering writing services

“I have a strong interest in broadcasting,” he said. “I want to stay close to the game, but I have no desire to be away from my family. I’d love to work with some type of sports ministry, TwoTenMagazine.com

to global businesses, Jessica enjoys revitalizing corporate images through creative copy for marketing and advertising initiatives.

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SADIE ROBERTSON:

CARRYING ON THE

LEADERSHIP TRADITION By: Mark Whitaker Images provided by: Duck Commander

Did the producers of A&E’s Duck Dynasty know how prophetic the title would be? Whether or not they knew it at the time, a dynasty has certainly developed. Starting with the Duck Commander founder, Phil Robertson, the whole family boldly and graciously promotes their faith in their own ways. Now, the third generation of Robertsons has taken flight and is already making an impact in their own right. The most outspoken duckling is 17-year old Sadie, the oldest daughter of Duck Commander CEO Willie Robertson and his wife Korie.

he burst into the national spotlight as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars last year and displayed her family’s infamous competitive spirit by nearly winning the competition. In the finals, she scored 118 points out of a possible 120 to finish second to actor Alfonso Ribeiro. Throughout the competition she maintained a positive attitude and never missed an opportunity to promote her faith.

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Additionally, she has collaborated with leading women’s fashion designer, Sher ri Hill, to develop her own line of young women’s fashion wear. To introduce her new line, Sadie walked the r unway during fashion week in New York City with the top names in the fashion industr y. Last fall she also released her first book, Live Original: How the Duck Commander Teen Keeps It Real and Stays True to Her Values. She makes no secret about how impor tant her family is to her and wanted to inspire TwoTen Magazine

teen girls to treasure the time that they have with their own families and to develop their own relationships with God. Another business venture she has developed is a line of faith-based school supplies. The products include items such as binders, journals, folders, book bags, etc. to help kids reinforce their connection to God with cheerful and inspirational messages and scriptures.

TwoTen

family. What did you learn about Leadership from

you were on DWTS. How did you decide to do it?

The entrepreneurial gene runs deep in your your family?

Sadie Robertson

Our family is full of leaders on both my mom and dad’s side. The biggest thing I take from them is not worrying

about what people are saying about you, because if people aren’t stopping you, then nothing can.

TwoTen

You seem so well grounded in your faith. Has your

family taken any special measures to protect you and

your siblings from all of the distractions and the lure of fame and fortune?

Sadie Robertson

I think the beauty of my family is not what they protect us from but the way that they lead by example. They are

open and honest about their faith and about the mistakes they have made. They teach me so much by the way the live their lives.

TwoTen

I understand you are designing prom dresses

that pass the Dad test and also have your own

lines of school supplies. How did those business

ventures begin? Will you be expanding into new

markets? What is the mission and vision of your business with Sheri Hill and Dayspring?

Sadie Robertson

We had an episode of “Duck Dynasty” where I went shopping for prom. After that episode, Sheri Hill

contacted me, and I was so thrilled! I love being a part of their team. They are such loving people. I feel the same

about Dayspring. They really capture the concepts of living original.

Even at the young age of 17, Sadie maintains a gr ueling schedule. From filming for Duck Dynast y and speaking at women’s events across the countr y to promoting her business ventures, it’s hard to believe she is still in high school. Sadie took the time from her busy schedule to share some of her insights as a member of one of America’s most famous and loved families.

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You were an incredible model of Christian faith when You had to leave the comfort of your home and your support system and go where people were different from you. How did you remain true to yourself and

to God during your time there? How was it behind

the scenes? What surprised you about the experience? Would you do it again?

Sadie Robertson

I am a Christian wherever I go. It doesn’t matter where I am, whom I am with, or who is watching me, I am child of

God. I cannot just pick and choose when I want to live it.

Because of this, when I was asked to be on Dancing with

the Stars, I didn’t have to think, “Who am I going to be?” I knew I was just going to be me. If I could give advice to anyone going on the show, it would be not to let people define who you are going to be at the beginning. That’s where, in my opinion, celebrities get “lost.” They allow

their fans to decide who they are. If I could do it again, I think I would. However, it was very hard work. I was surprised at how many hours we practiced for a minute-

and-a-half-long dance. I felt like America could relate to

me, which made it even more fun. It was an all-around great experience. I’m really glad I was able to do it.

TwoTen

When you need advice and wisdom, who do you go to?

Sadie Robertson That’s easy; my Mom!

TwoTen

What are the advantages and disadvantages of growing up a “Robertson?”

Sadie Robertson

I don’t think growing up in the Robertson family has any Sadie Robertson: Carrying On The Leadership Tradition

“

I am a Christian

wherever I go. It doesn’t matter where I am, whom I am with, or who is watching me, I am child of God. I cannot just pick and choose when I want to live it.”

TwoTenMagazine.com

- Sadie Robertson

TwoTen Magazine

“

When you find yourself

surrounded by the world, instead of trying to make your way, allow God to make the way. Sometimes you can’t do it all by yourself. Seek God. Also, I think it is so important to have friends that have the same morals. It just makes the tough moments a whole lot more manageable.” - Sadie Robertson

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disadvantages. We are just a normal family, like any other family. The advantages would be how close we all are

to each other and how everyone is so supportive of one another. Honestly, though, I don’t even feel right to use the word “advantage” because any family can be like that just by keeping God on top. We are very blessed.

TwoTen

What would you like most people to know about you?

Sadie Robertson

I kind of feel like America knows everything about me. I guess something that I never want Americans to forget is I am just a normal teenager growing up in a great family.

I enjoy getting to live my life out with America. It is

actually pretty fun. I feel like in a way we are all family, and I hope Americans feels the same way about me.

“

If you want

your kids to be Godly, then be kind, be patient, be prayerful, be loving, be joyful, and use encouraging words. The more they see you acting it out, the more natural it will be for them. Also, be approachable. That is one of the biggest things I admire about my mom. She is a mom and a friend.” – Sadie Robertson

TwoTen

What advice would you give to parents who are trying to raise Godly children?

Sadie Robertson

I would say my main advice is to live out what you want

your kids to live out. If you want your kids to be Godly, then be kind, be patient, be prayerful, be loving, be joyful,

and use encouraging words. The more they see you acting it out, the more natural it will be for them. Also, be

approachable. That is one of the biggest things I admire about my mom. She is a mom and a friend. I have the

utmost respect in the world for that woman, and I can tell

her anything and know I will get her help, not hate. Your

kids need to know they can come to you without fear of judgment.

TwoTen

What advice would you give to other young Christians

TwoTen

You’re about to turn 18 years old, a time when young

men and women are at a crossroad in their lives. Do you have any long-term plans?

Sadie Robertson

Two years ago, I could never have guessed I would be in the position I am in right now. I am just going to pray and wait to see what new doors God opens for me.

TwoTen

We have to ask; do you hunt ducks?

Sadie Robertson

Not very much. I prefer to hunt deer.

VICTORY

when they find themselves surrounded by the influences of the world and trying to make their way?

Sadie Robertson

When you find yourself surrounded by the world, instead

of trying to make your way, allow God to make the way. Sometimes you can’t do it all by yourself. Seek God. Also, I think it is so important to have friends that have

the same morals. It just makes the tough moments a whole lot more manageable.

TwoTenMagazine.com

Mark Whitaker is the Executive Editor of TwoTen Magazine. He is inspired daily by his God, his wife Kim and his three daughters Hannah, Sarah, and Rhea.

TwoTen Magazine

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Revival In The Marketplace: Mentoring The Mentors

REVIVAL IN THE MARKETPLACE:

MENTORING THE MENTORS

Henry Blackaby, President Emeritus of Blackaby Ministries International BY: JESSICA BURCHFIELD Images provided by: Blackaby Ministries International & Lifetouch ®

“If Christians around the world were to suddenly renounce their personal agendas, their life goals, and their aspirations, and begin responding in radical obedience to everything God showed them, the world would be turned upside down. How do we know? Because that's what first century Christians did, and the world is still talking about it.” - DR. HENRY BLACK ABY -

or over five decades, Dr. Henry Blackaby has stood in the gap as an ambassador for spiritual leadership and biblical mentoring. A ThD graduate of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Blackaby has served in numerous ministry positions, not limited to pastor of churches in California and Canada, music director, education director, special assistant to the presidents of the TwoTenMagazine.com

International Mission Board and LifeWay Christian Resources, and the founder and president emeritus of Blackaby Ministries International. He also served on staff at the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Winning the Gold Medallion Award for his devotionals, Experiencing God Together and Experiencing God Day by Day, his books have encouraged thousands of men and women. With the 2008 release TwoTen Magazine

“

I suppose one of the most rewarding and surprising fields of service God invited me to serve Him in was the marketplace. I learned as a pastor that worldchanging ministry could not consist of merely preaching good sermons on Sunday at the church building. It would mean equipping my people to be salt and light as they entered the workplace on Monday morning." – Dr. Henry Blackaby

of God in the Marketplace, co-authored with his son, Richard Blackaby, he is now a frontrunner in the movement towards spiritual leadership within the business world. Dr. Blackaby’s books have inspired countless men and women to lead from a biblical perspective rather than a secular pursuit. “Several years ago, God raised our awareness of His activity in the marketplaces of America,” says Dr. Blackaby. “In the Gospels and the Book of Acts, Jesus called businessmen to ‘seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness’ in their work places, and trust Him to ‘add everything’ to them. God has uniquely positioned us to train and equip the top Christian CEO’s across the nation to be ‘spiritual statesmen’ in corporate America. Richard and I have designed nine courses, and we have been teaching many of these CEOs in several cities. We have spoken many times to various Marketplace Ministries conferences, and I teach a God in the Marketplace Bible study every month in South Atlanta. As many of these resources as we have, we want to make available to others.” With over 55 years of service under his belt, Dr. Blackaby has seen his ministry morph from a small, local assembly into a vibrant, international outreach to the Christian business leaders across the world. As a pastor and an author, Dr. Blackaby has broken down multiple passages in the Word of God, one of which has become a banner for his ministry to workplace professionals.

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Blackaby Ministries International endeavors to operate upon the principles found in Ephesians 4:11-15:

"And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ."

In conjunction with his book book God in the Marketplace, written specifically to encourage businessmen and women, Revival In The Marketplace: Mentoring The Mentors

Blackaby Ministries International has revolutionized global corporations from the top down. “I suppose one of the most rewarding and surprising fields of service God invited me to serve Him in was the marketplace. I learned as a pastor that world-changing ministry could not consist of merely preaching good sermons on Sunday at the church building. It would mean equipping my people to be salt and light as they entered the workplace on Monday morning (Matthew 5:13-16). Too many pastors view their people as merely a means to enhance their ministry. I learned that the people were my ministry! My job was to equip them so they were acceptable instruments in God’s mighty hand in their workplace.” According to the BMI website, the goal of spiritual leadership is to help Christian leaders. In conversations with hundreds of discouraged men and women who were ready to resign their leadership positions, BMI mentorship training helped rekindle the heartfelt desire to serve God effectively within the business world. By focusing on vocational, workplace ministry, businessmen and women benefit from the truths discussed frankly in the leadership courses. Not exclusive to business professionals, but geared toward the individualized concerns and pressures of the workplace, BMI’s spiritual leadership courses instruct Christian businessmen, physicians, educators, politicians, and more, that each person, no matter what their profession, is called to be a spiritual leader. More and more people in “secular” occupations are taking their calling as spiritual leaders seriously, and are impacting the world and extending God’s kingdom. “Only when we understand leadership in light of God’s calling on our lives will we be equipped to lead effectively,” said Dr. Blackaby. “According to the Bible, God is not necessarily looking for leaders, at least not in the sense we generally think of leaders. He is looking for servants. When God finds men and women willing to be molded into his servants, the possibilities are limitless. People are looking for someone to lead them into God’s purposes God’s way. They need leaders who truly believe God will do what He says. People will follow spiritual leaders who understand God’s agenda and who know how to move them on to it.”

How God Works in the Marketplace “Over the years, my son Richard and I have had the privilege of discipling Christian CEOs of major companies in America,” said Dr. Blackaby. “We have spoken in numerous marketplace TwoTenMagazine.com

Dr. Henry Blackaby and his wife, Marilynn.

gatherings around the world. We have consulted with Christian businesspeople as they implemented the enormous ministries God was leading them to initiate. I must say that such efforts have been some of the most rewarding and fulfilling ministries I have ever been involved with.

HERE ARE A FEW OBSERVATIONS I WOULD POINT OUT FROM MY YEARS OF MINISTRY IN THE MARKETPLACE: God delights in using businesspeople to accomplish His work. When God began to initiate His redemptive plan to establish a people for Himself, He called Abraham, a businessman, to adjust his life to His activity. Jesus bypassed the seminaries and called fisherman and businessmen to be His disciples. Paul was a tentmaker. Sometimes businesspeople tell me, "Well, I’m not a pastor; I’m just a businessman!" To which I’ll respond: TwoTen Magazine

"Then you are exactly the kind of person God has chosen to use throughout history to accomplish His greatest work!" God doesn’t limit His callings to ministers; rather, He enables the professionals to become ministers of His grace within their chosen field.

God will use your business skills and contacts to accomplish His purposes. When Moses explained to God why he was unfit to serve Him, God asked Moses what he had in his hand. It was a rod. God told him to cast it to the ground, and it became a serpent. God didn’t tell Moses to go and obtain new skills so he could be of use to Him. God took what was already in his hand and used that. Jesus didn’t tell Peter, Andrew, James, and John to forget everything they knew about fishing for fish. On the contrary, He said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." If you have construction, accounting, entrepreneurial, medical, business, or computer skills, assume God led you to obtain them for a purpose, and wait to see how He uses them to build His Kingdom. Dr. Henry Blackaby speaking at a recent BMI bible study at First Baptist Church Jonesboro

The fact that God can bring character development and personal growth out of any situation is conditional on people's willingness to submit to God's will. God is sovereign over every life, but those who yield their will to Him will be shaped according to His purposes. When God directs a life for His purposes, all of life is a school. No experience, good or bad, is ever wasted, and truly, all things work together for his or her good and God’s glory. God doesn't squander people's time; He doesn't ignore their pain. He brings not only healing but growth out of even the worst experiences. Every hardship can be God's instrument to mature a person's character and further his or her ministry.

Seek first God’s Kingdom. I once had a chagrined businessman confess that he had spent the greater part of his adult life building a big company. He said, "But, while I was expanding my company, I neglected God’s Kingdom.” He committed to make the building of God’s Kingdom his primary goal, just as Jesus had commanded in Matthew 6:33. Just because you are not a full time pastor does not mean you are exempt from seeking first God’s Kingdom, and His righteousness.

Look for revival in the marketplace. I believe revival is coming, and it may well begin in the marketplace. Sadly, many pastors spend little time praying with and networking with other pastors and churches. Few reach out to other denominations. Many megachurches are Revival In The Marketplace: Mentoring The Mentors

“

This is a wonderful time

to be serving the Lord! Where there is great need, there is great opportunity! When society is at its darkest, it is the best time to be a light! We live in an increasingly darkened time...But I want you to know something: God is working all around you! Open your spiritual eyes so you don’t miss it! The key is not what people are doing;

the key is what God is doing!”

– Dr. Henry Blackaby

a kingdom unto themselves. But I am seeing that Christian businesspeople are networked. Just as Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea joined efforts to minister to Jesus in John 19:3842, so today’s Christian businessmen and women know how to network for the greater good. They have contacts with people from numerous denominations. They have practical skills and pragmatic approaches that maximize getting the job done. I am afraid that if God sent revival to a lot of churches today, the revival would never leave the walls of that church; but, if revival erupted in the marketplace, it would quickly spread to every denomination. A New York City layman, Jeremiah Lanphier, launched the last great awakening in America. Estimates are that 1/30th of the American population was converted. I pray daily that God will raise up another American businessperson who is determined to see revival come to America, once again.”

TwoTenMagazine.com

Passionate about workplace ministry, Dr. Blackaby is excited to see the next spiritual awakening within American businesses and corporations. “This is a wonderful time to be serving the Lord!” Dr. Blackaby affirms. “Where there is great need, there is great opportunity! When society is at its darkest, it is the best time to be a light! We live in an increasingly darkened time. The news media regularly informs us of what evil is doing. But I want you to know something: God is working all around you! Open your spiritual eyes so you don’t miss it! The key is not what people are doing; the key is what God is doing! And, I assure you; God is working in a magnitude that is unprecedented in human history. My prayer is that people would embrace their calling to be salt and light in the marketplace, just as the early Christians did. And if they do, there is no power on earth that can stop the advance of God’s kingdom.” Embrace your ministry within your profession; become the spiritual leader God intends you to be; fulfill the Great Commission in your professional circle, no matter how large or small. Be the next leader for spiritual change within your workplace. VICTORY

"Throughout my life, my philosophy has been simple: Be faithful in a little and God will give me more. Who could have imagined all God’s 'more' could entail!" – Dr. Henry Blackaby -

For additional information on Henry Blackaby's Legacy and Celebration go to www.blackaby.net.

TwoTen Magazine

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Bert de Vries:

INTO THE

DEEP BY SHEILA DOLINGER

Images provided by the National Christian Foundation

Bert de Vries has always loved the sea. But now he is sailing into uncharted waters. With a terminal diagnosis of ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosiscommonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease), Bert is headed into a storm of suffering. Accompanying him on the journey is his wife, Christine, his friend, Roy Moore, and many other close friends in their tight-knit community of Fort “ Lauderdale. They all know that inevitably Bert must go where they cannot follow.

But for as long they can, Bert’s loved ones will make sure he has a way to get there...on his own terms...in his own graceful way. As the son of a missionary physician, Bert de Vries’ life seemed set on a steady course. With a foundation of faith, a mind for medicine, and a steady hand, Bert was destined to become a talented surgeon. One of his teachers even remarked that Bert had one of the most gifted sets of hands that he’d ever had the opportunity to train. In time, Bert became one of the world’s leading cancer surgeons, president of the medical staff of one of New York City’s biggest hospitals, and a board member of TwoTen Magazine

a prominent corporation that oversaw 400 physicians taking care of New York City’s poor and indigent. But this kind of success didn’t come without a spiritual price. Bert explains, “The career that I had certainly came with worldly rewards, and I enjoyed them. I was working to a higher and higher level, so I could get the bigger boat, and the faster car. All the while I thought I was doing God’s work, never fully realizing the treadmill that I was on.” Life sailed along smoothly until Bert developed a tremor in his right hand. He explains, “When the symptoms started, I hid them from everybody. One of my talents is my intellect and my gift as a surgeon, so rather than admit what was going wrong, I was able to show off and do surgery with my left hand.” Eventually, Bert’s condition deteriorated to the point where he was no longer able to perform surgeries. His career as a surgeon was over, and he was forced to seek a diagnosis. His fears were confirmed when he received the news that he had ALS. Ironically, Bert’s pastor was preaching on the book of Job during this time, and extraordinary things started to happen in his faith. Bert says, “Christine and I were walking out of church one day, smiling and almost skipping, if that’s possible. We looked at each other and said, ‘Thank God for ALS.’ That was a real transcendent moment for us.”

Bert's Boat As the months passed, Bert’s muscles weakened to the point that he couldn’t get around on his own without a wheelchair. He was unable to continue his practice, and the income that had supported the lavish lifestyle of him and his wife was gone. Christine hadn’t worked for many years and now was his fulltime care giver. They were forced to dramatically change their lifestyle to live within their means. Christine had no way of transporting Bert in his wheelchair, so they began to look for an economical, no-frills van that could transport him. Already feeling like he was placing a large burden on Christine, Bert struggled with the idea of seeing her lug him in and out of a van like a piece of luggage. They simply couldn’t afford a van equipped with an automatic lift and features to easily allow loading and unloading of him in his wheelchair. But God had other plans. Businessman Roy Moore heard Bert give his testimony at an event sponsored by a local ministry where they live in Fort Lauderdale, the National Christian Foundation of South Florida. Soon after, Roy stepped in with a

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Bert and Christine de Vries, and Roy Moore.

“

Christine had no way of transporting

Bert in his wheelchair, so they began to look for an economical, no-frills van that could transport him...They simply couldn’t afford a van equipped with an automatic lift and features to easily allow loading and unloading of him in his wheelchair.

...But God had other plans.”

Bert de Vries entering his fully customized and accessible van, donated to him and his wife, Christine, by their friend, Roy Moore.

Bert de Vries and Roy Moore, who donated a fully accessible van to the de Vries.

generous offer to purchase a top-of-the-line, specially equipped van that would allow Bert to easily maneuver in and out in his wheelchair. With more expensive features, this van would give Bert much more freedom and independence when traveling, and considerably reduce the physical burden on Christine. Roy explains, “I was thinking about buying a boat at the time. When I heard Bert speak, it was like God said, ‘There’s your boat.’ I knew Bert enjoyed being out on the ocean, so I felt like he needed a land boat. I didn’t want it to be something he could get by with. I wanted it to be a true blessing and a real testimony.” Bert and Christine were not prepared for such an extravagant gift. Bert admits that his old prideful nature got the best of him at first. He says, “I knew that I needed it, but it was really hard to accept. We were already planning on buying a standard van.”

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That’s when Bert’s close friend and mentor, Stephan Tchividjian, President of NCF South Florida, told him something he will never forget: “You can’t stand in the way of someone called by God to do something. Relax and be humble in accepting a gift that you don’t think you need or deserve. When you accept this gift, you will then be freed to give generously in new ways to others.” Christine adds, “When Roy offered this special van, the change in Bert’s outlook was so positive. It’s hard to accept such an amazing, gracious, large gift. It moved me so deeply. After two weeks of choking back tears as I watched my husband in a wheelchair for the first time, I found myself saying, ‘God, I can’t believe how much you love me. You called a servant who answered our deepest need so quickly and graciously. We don’t deserve a van this nice for any reason at all. But God, you’ve shown us how much you love us, because you’re going to give us something so magnificent.’ ” Bert de Vries: Into The Deep

“

I have no more

special gifts

or skills to offer.

If the chief purpose of man is to glorify God,

at this point, that’s

all I have left.”

- Bert de Vries

As an added blessing, the National Christian Foundation (NCF) helped Roy facilitate the gift through their partner ministry, Helping Hands. A solution was developed that allowed the gift to qualify for a tax deduction and provided a way for the van to eventually be passed on to another ALS patient. Christine says, “What a blessing to think how many people are going to be blessed by this. We have made so many friends with ALS who say they can’t go anywhere. I’m so grateful NCF helped us find a way to make this gift bigger than us and that the van will continue to bless many for years to come.”

THE ANCHOR OF FAITH With each passing day, Bert pushes deeper into his challenging voyage with ALS. Those around him can see that his faith grows deeper still, taking him to a place of peace that few of us can understand. “This disease has taken me from a place where I knew God and knew He was in control of my life to the place where I need God and have given up control of my life,” says Bert. “I have no more special gifts or skills to offer. If the chief purpose of man is to glorify God, at this point, that’s all I have left.” Bert’s testimony lives on, and he takes comfort in the strength of Christ when we are weak, as the Apostle Paul wrote in the following verse:

2 Corinthians 12:9-10: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” VICTORY

Based in Atlanta, GA, Sheila Dolinger is a communications consultant and contributing writer for the National Christian Foundation

(NCF),

the

world’s

largest

grant-making ministry for Christian givers.

Bert and Christine de Vries.

TwoTenMagazine.com

For more information, visit: www.nationalchristian.com.

TwoTen Magazine

THE JOY

Conundrum By: Jeff Spadafora

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The Joy Conundrum

I coach Christians who are discontent with their life. Interestingly, they’re mostly folks who have–relatively speaking–a pretty good life. Far from perfect, but far, too, from disastrous. When it comes to work, marriage, parenting, health and finances, the clients I work with are more blessed than challenged. And yet something significant is still missing in their lives.

hat is it that their hearts crave? At the most basic and foundational level, what does your heart crave? The answers I most often hear are “purpose” and “meaning.”

But sometimes I probe just a little deeper and ask: “Why do you want purpose and meaning? What do you hope to have then?” The answer I get most frequently is “joy.” In any economically developed nation, once a person has food, shelter and clothing, joy becomes the need that most drives thinking, behavior, and decisions. Most people know what joy is. For instance, they all know happiness is dependent upon circumstances, while joy is independent of them. The challenge is that they don’t know how to attain joy. It’s a huge mystery to them.

TwoTenMagazine.com

People who are discontent will turn to all sorts of things to ease the pain: materialism, drugs, alcohol, career success, pornography, bucket lists, etc. This is true for Christians and non-Christians alike. Those without faith in their lives may start seeking spiritual solutions to their discontentment problem. But the people my organization helps are already Christians: They’ve prayed the prayer, got the ticket to heaven, and have earnestly tried to live what they personally define as “the Christian life.” The discontent problem they are wrestling with is particularly vexing for them because they know from scripture that Jesus came specifically to give them an abundant life (John 10:10), a joyful life (John 15:11), and a peaceful life (John 14:27). And so they are left scratching their heads, wondering why they aren’t experiencing what they assume everyone else is experiencing. The truth of the matter is that they aren’t alone: Most Christians view their faith as a moral code and lifestyle to live

TwoTen Magazine

“

Most people know

what joy is. For instance,

they all know happiness is dependent upon circumstances,

while joy is independent of them.

The challenge is that they don't know how to attain joy. It’s a huge mystery to them.” – Jeff Spadafora

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The Joy Conundrum

by instead of a supernatural transformation of their hearts and minds and how they see and experience the world. And so they are stuck: discontent and confused. Until one day—when the pain finally gets high enough–they decide to take bold action to snap out of their malaise. The typical thought pattern that kicks in at this stage is incredibly common: “My discontent is a result of my disobedience. If I can just get my life fully aligned with my faith–start living selflessly and more lovingly–God will bless my disciplined, others-centric effort.” They are correct in this assumption–partly. Obedience most surely leads to blessing. Leveraging the skills that we are good at

and that energize us on issues that we (and God) are passionate about will most surely be a huge step in the right direction toward joy. But the danger is that the emotion fueling this effort to “do good” is either selfishness (“I’m willing to jump through hoops for God if it will lead to me getting my joy”) or guilt (“I need to perform for God to earn His love and be blessed with His joy”). Both are dangerous dead ends that lead to performanceoriented faith, legalism, and Christian volunteerism. This style of Christian living is a surefire formula for anger and exhaustion. The trick to joy is to focus on “What am I going to Do?” and “Who am I going to Be?” The Doing question is a practical issue while the Being question is a spiritual issue.

THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS WHY CHRISTIANS OPT TO LEAN INTO THE ‘DOING’ AND TURN A BLIND EYE TO THE ‘BEING’: 1

Doing is active, visible, and tangible. Being is soft, passive, squishy, and mysterious.

Most Christians think they’ve got the faith thing all figured out. They know the Bible, they pray, they go to church. The wrongly assume they have tapped out on all the joy their faith has to offer them. In my experience, what’s really happening here is that they know a great deal about God, but they haven’t broken through to a next level of spiritual growth to actually experience God.

A third reason people don’t lean further into their faith to solve their discontent problem is that the road to joy travels through some pretty difficult places. We must deal with things like pride, fear, anger, lust, greed, insecurities, and pain from the past to break through to joy. Most people only experience faith as theology, a belief system, or morality and not transformation. It’s easier to just go do something for God’s kingdom than deal with that stuff! The problem is that that’s the stuff Jesus came to free us from. He’s not just trying to get us to heaven. He gives us so much love that we can move past, stop caring about, and stop being held captive to our pride, fear, anger, lust, greed, insecurity, and pain. Perfect love blows all those things out of the water (1 John 4).

So real joy comes not from either Doing or Being. It’s both. In parallel and simultaneously. The beauty of this approach is that getting guidance on how to take your faith to the next level not only fuels you with the love and energy to go Do, but your new self-awareness will inform you of what specifically to Do and who to Be. In our experience, once a person starts to get healed and whole, then we can shift gears to coach them on the practical aspects of managing their life in a healthy way. You’ll find that getting back into the kingdom-building game becomes as easy as breathing. You move from volunteering to true calling. True joy. VICTORY TwoTenMagazine.com

Jeff Spadafora is the Director of Global Coaching Services at the Haltime Institute (www.halftime.org). This article is based on his forthcoming book Finally Fulfilled: From Smoldering Discontent to Lasting Joy. He lives in Evergreen Colorado with his wife Michelle and 3 teenage children. He enjoys fishing, hunting, skiing, mountain biking and everything else the great outdoors of Colorado has to offer.

TwoTen Magazine

P H I L

C L E M E N T S

PURVEYOR OF

BUSINESS WISDOM By: Mark Whitaker

Images provided by: Sarah Crutchfield

One of the many ironies of the bible is the fact that King Solomon, with all of his infamous wisdom, wrote numerous proverbs on how to gain wisdom. The secret; seek the wisdom of others! Solomon knew that even HE didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know it all and sought the wisdom of others. Even today, professional athletes, who spend most of their lives training for their particular sport and get paid millions of dollars to be the best of the best, are still mentored and coached to improve their skills and knowledge. 44

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Phil Clements: Purveyor Of Business Wisdom

Business Fundamentals Phil Clements is a purveyor of wisdom in the world of business and is the Managing Director of Cathedral Consulting Group; wisdom is their business. Cathedral Consulting Group helps business owners identify areas of their business that need improvement and provide solutions to overcome them. Phil explains, “I spent the majority of my career working in large corporations, including Coopers and Lybrand, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Standard and Poor’s. At the large, corporate enterprise level, there are finance departments, human resource departments, marketing departments, real estate departments, etc. and all of the resources that go along with them. Small and mid-sized companies have the same technical needs but don’t have the same resources to address them.”

Following God’s Direction A born-again believer since the age of seven, Phil has walked with the Lord practically his whole life. He has been married for 36 years and has three grown daughters and a grandchild. With such a deep-rooted spiritual foundation, it was only natural for Phil to incorporate his faith into his business. Phil started his career in the fields of accounting and tax law after receiving a Master of Laws in Taxation from New York University Law School. His career was soaring when, in 2004, he was fired from Standard and Poor’s after a new president took over the company. While weighing his options and prayerfully considering the direction that God had in store for him, he started receiving calls from the owners of small companies seeking advice on various aspects of their businesses. Realizing that this was a legitimate need in the business community, he formed the Cathedral Consulting Group as a technical resource for businesses in need of advice and direction. Oftentimes, it’s the business owners that must address financial issues, human resource issues, and all other aspects of running a business. It’s rare that a business owner is proficient in all of these fields. Trying to perform them all single-handily can actually be detrimental to the company. The wise business owner seeks help in the areas where he or she lacks expertise. That’s where Cathedral Consulting Group comes in. They help to identify aspects of your business model that need help and provide solutions to rectify areas of weakness, allowing business owners to focus on what they do best. Phil said, “Business owners needed a way to get advice that was set up in a way that they could understand and implement. Advice that cannot be implemented is worthless.” TwoTenMagazine.com

“

There is no

policy that insists that our clients or staff have

to be Christian.

We welcome the opportunity

to share the Truth

with people

who may have never heard it before.” - Phil Clements

The Cathedral Way He and his team invested a lot of time developing a series of platforms that they refer to as “The Cathedral Way.” He said, “It allows our consultants to be very technical in their approach to a solution, very similar to the way a good CPA approaches an accounting project. We focus on areas of marketing, accounting, business structure, human resources, cash management, product mix, etc. We’ve designed training for our people so that they can be very technical in identifying issues and advising clients. After stepping back and looking at what we had developed, it was clear that what we had created was a new profession.” The Cathedral Consulting Group went on to develop the Certified Small Enterprise Advisor program. It consists of a seven-year curriculum to train participants from entry level to partner. It is now available as a three-level professional development program available to the market at large. Phil explained, “We describe ourselves as Christian-centric. Our practice is anchored in the principles that you’d find in the Christian faith. There is no policy that insists that our clients or staff have to be Christian. We welcome the opportunity to share the Truth with people who may have never heard it before.” TwoTen Magazine

Sterling Clay, an Associate at Cathedral Consulting Group, and Phil Clements.

“We bring Christian theology and Christian passages into our discussions. There is great wisdom to be found in the Bible and we will bring up Proverbs or a parable that may be applicable to a situation to illustrate the fact that these principles are thousands of years old and still hold true today. We want to anchor ourselves in well-tested principles such as those found in the bible. In all the years that we’ve been in business, we’ve had very little push-back when bringing our faith into discussions.” Just as the Bible says in Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Phil applies this principle to his business to always produce excellent work, saying “That’s just good business!”

The Center In addition to Cathedral Consulting, Phil is also Managing Director at the Center for Christian Business Ethics Today. The “Center” is a sister company to Cathedral Consulting Group and functions as a think-tank for what Cathedral helps clients apply every day. In 2004, Jack Templeton of the Templeton Foundation, challenged Phil to read a book called Culture Matters: How Values Shape Human Progress, by Samuel P. Huntington. The book, based on Harvard studies showing global impact of the Protestant faith, presents the case that the Protestant faith

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affects the way that commerce is conducted and creates the highest flourishing economies among all the nations. Phil said, “I found the book very interesting and having run companies all over the world and sitting on the boards of large companies, we never talked about these things.” He enrolled at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte and obtained a Masters in Theology to increase his biblical knowledge and came to the same conclusion. The Bible holds a great deal of profound wisdom that is applicable and useful today, from our national economy down to the individual business owner. Phil coordinated with the Westminster Theological Seminary and held a conference in 2010 on the impact that faith has on economies. There were a host of influential speakers and the concept was very well received, drawing 250-300 people; it was the launch pad for the Center. The Center helps to triangulate what the bible says about marketing, capital structure, and other aspects of a business organization in the context of the Ten Commandments. They then show how those principles connect and apply to what businesses do on a daily basis. An accomplished author, Phil has written several books on business, as well as books about relating biblical principles and concepts to global and national economies. He is an Adjunct Professor at Rutgers University and has been a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Business at The King's College, New York City. He has also been a guest lecturer at Wheaton College, teaching real-world business and accounting principles. Phil Clements: Purveyor Of Business Wisdom

“

We have adopted

and incorporated a key principle: Love. Our job is to love our clients. I like to refer to the description of love found in 1 Corinthians 13. If God brings us a client,

we will serve them in love. It’s a much different discourse than the normal business strategy of

‘ W h a t ’s i n i t f o r m e ? ’ o r ‘What’s the profit margin?’ Our clients need encouragement to get back in the game tomorrow,

to keep pressing on.” – Phil Clements

Leading with Love Through his endeavors with Cathedral Consulting Group, Phil’s calling has been greater than to just offer sound business advice. He says, “We have adopted and incorporated a key principle: Love. Our job is to love our clients. I like to refer to the description of love found in 1 Corinthians 13. If God brings us a client, we will serve them in love. It’s a much different discourse than the normal business strategy of ‘What’s in it for me?’ or ‘What’s the profit margin?’ Our clients need encouragement to get back in the game tomorrow, to keep pressing on. The battle of business is weathering the storms and persevering through all of TwoTenMagazine.com

the daily hardships and challenges. Providing that encouragement is just as meaningful as the technical advice that we provide. There isn’t a week that goes by where we don’t have a client in our office that is in tears over their business. It’s very emotional. They often come in with a sense of hopelessness and a sense of loss. Our consultants help them to see a way out and give them courage to keep going.” For Phil Clements and the Cathedral Consulting Group, their mission is to build something greater than just the individual or just the paycheck. It’s about making an eternal impact. VICTORY TwoTen Magazine

“

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

– Micah 6:8

PERSPECTIVE “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. ” - Mark Twain -

...meditate on these things.

Dave Ramsey

ON BUSINESS 50

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Dave Ramsey On Business

BUSTING THE MYTHS OF LEADERSHIP The great statesman Benjamin Franklin once said, “When you are finished changing, you’re finished.” And even though it’s been 200-plus years since he uttered those famous words, they still hold true — especially in today’s business world.

Long standing ideas about how to lead a team are no longer viable. Workers won’t stick around for a bad boss these days, no matter how much they’re paid. They want to be motivated and inspired. So, how can you ensure that you’re functioning as an awesome leader? Start by avoiding these common, but mistaken, leadership beliefs.

The Myth. They’re inspired by their paycheck. As the

owner of your company, you have the power to change lives. After all, you’re the person signing the paychecks. Everyone should be happy, and even grateful, to do their jobs with no questions asked.

The Truth. Great leaders know that power comes from persuasion, not position. Simply offering a paycheck, or intimidating workers by holding their jobs over their heads will not make them more productive or creative. Leaders who take the time to communicate, support, and encourage earn loyalty and respect from their teams.

The Myth. You can’t find good workers anymore. Today’s

generation doesn’t listen. They lack initiative, and they never show up on time. They want the world handed to them.

The Truth. You’re probably not good at finding and

recognizing talented, responsible workers. Think there are no young people who are willing to do an awesome job? Look at Chick-fil-A. The company has thousands of them. Part of being a good leader is knowing how to hire. You have to be willing to wait for the perfect person–one who shares your values and work ethic. At Dave Ramsey’s company, team members are interviewed four to six times, and the process can take three or four months.

“

Winning organizations

have a culture of communication. Your team wants to know what’s happening and why...Make a habit of over-communicating.

Your team will respect you for it even more.” - Dave Ramsey

The Myth. No news is good news. Your team doesn’t

need to know when something bad happens. If sales are down, they’re going to become scared and maybe even leave. As a matter of fact, they can’t be trusted with any sensitive news– good or bad.

The Truth. Winning organizations have a culture of

communication. Your team wants to know what’s happening and why. Sure, there’s some information you can’t share. But when you have the right team members on board, you can trust them with almost anything. Make a habit of overcommunicating. Your team will respect you for it even more.

TwoTenMagazine.com

Becoming A Great Leader Is Not Easy It’s a skill that needs to be developed, and it’s one that takes time, patience, and a willingness to learn and improve one’s self. But if you’re willing to put in the hard work, you’ll find yourself with a team full of talented, passionate people — a team willing and able to slay dragons right alongside you, and do whatever it takes to win. It’s definitely worth the wait!

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ENHANCE COMMUNICATION WITH YOUR TEAM “What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate!” You might remember this quote from the movie Cool Hand Luke. While it’s one of the most popular and often-quoted lines in movie history—and it might even make you smile—there’s nothing funny about a lack of communication within your organization. As a leader, it is your responsibility to intentionally and deliberately create a team culture where there is consistent communication at all times.

Communication is the grease that keeps the gears of your company moving, and without it team members feel detached and insecure. When they feel like they’re being left out, they can start to feel like they aren’t involved in a worthwhile venture. Just as bad, they begin to question their value to the company. With that in mind, here are five practical steps you can take to create a culture of good communication within your business:

Foster Unity. A team isn’t a team unless it has shared

goals and visions. Create a mission statement, and have everyone memorize it. Personal mission statements help ensure what you’re doing is consistent with your life and career goals.

Practice Thoughtfulness. Avoid knee-jerk reactions,

and never try to communicate with your team when you’re angry or upset. Also, communicate in ways that will ensure people are educated and enlightened, not harmed or embarrassed. Remember the Golden Rule? Handle issues the way you’d want your own issues addressed. Otherwise, people will lose respect for you and question your integrity.

“

Communication

is the grease that

keeps the gears of your company moving.” - Dave Ramsey

Avoid “Mushroom Communication”. People want to

know what is going on and why things are happening, even when situations are going badly. Still, many leaders use what I call mushroom communication. This means they leave their team in the dark, and feed them manure. Bad idea!

Overcommunicate. When it doubt, share more!

The greatest problem in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished. Communication should be attempted early and often, and should be an everyday requirement on all levels in the workplace! VICTORY

Establish Predetermined Goals. Make sure your team

understands goals and expectations laid out by leadership. Accountability is a great motivator, so put things in writing, and require regular reports of their progress. Remember, a culture of uncertainty creates fear. And fear develops quickly when good communication is missing. Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business. He’s authored four New York Times best-selling books: Financial Peace, More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover, and EntreLeadership. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 5 million listeners each week on more than 500 radio stations. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at: daveramsey.com

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Dave Ramsey On Business

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SUCCESS THE FOUR PILLARS OF

BY ALAN ROBERTSON

“

He has told you, O man,

what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God.”

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— Micah 6:8 The Four Pillars Of Success

WHEN I WAS A PASTOR my wife and I were the celebrity couple of the church; we were the “front men” for our local assembly of believers. Our children were scrutinized more than other children of the church; our marriage was looked at as the example for how to live in harmony with a spouse; our lives were on display for the community.

In that capacity, we had to decide what was important. We had to learn how to live with eternity in view; we had to strive for marital harmony, because we knew that not only did our family deserve to see a biblical marriage, but also the people of our church. We had to employ biblical principles in our home because we knew that we were setting the example. Today, we’re not just a small town pastor and his wife— millions of people know who we are! We didn’t plan on being a household name, but if we had not had the foresight to employ Scripture into our family at the start, we never would have been prepared for the success of Duck Commander. My Dad once said, “If we don’t know who we are going into this business, we won’t recognize who we are on the other side of fame and glory.” Walking by faith is the only way to grow a family, a church, or a business. In the corporate world, there is a great risk in entrepreneurship: success or failure, profit gain or loss; prosperous venture or failed attempt. Because we serve a greater Master than the almighty dollar, at Duck Commander, as in our individual families, we do not measure our success based upon how much money we make in a year. Our success is measured in something far greater than revenue. In this article, I want to share with you the pillars of our family and business success. I believe that God has unlocked a treasure trove of wisdom through a single verse in the Old Testament. By following its principles, you will see how we have built our empire upon four basic truths. TwoTenMagazine.com

THE PILLAR OF UNIT Y T R U T H

# 1

We are a family business. Whenever a big order comes in or goes out, we work together as a team to complete the job. In the early days of Duck Commander, we would put out the call to our church members to help with distribution and organization. We would spend four to five hours on an assembly line and end with a huge steak supper, cooked by Dad, himself. He figured that the best way to get things done was to have a good product, some good fellowship, and a good meal. It took unity to make our business work. “Team work makes the dream work” isn’t just a pithy saying, it is our corporate lifestyle. A peaceful work environment fosters productivity and inspires quality assurance. When a business is built upon unity, pressures and cracks only promote teamwork, rather than dissension. Unity is vastly different from uniformity. Diversity is a key aspect of a quality product and a successful company. Our business is built upon duck calls. While each call is built in a similar fashion, every call has a singular purpose. The Duck Commander website offers over 40 types of duck calls, each of which were created to appeal to a specific cross-section of duck hunters. Whether you are using the Miss Priss, the CommanderTwoTen Magazine

N-Chief, or an acrylic, wood, or reed version of the basic duck call, we aim to please a variety of interests. The foundation of a relationship should be no different. When there is a peaceful unity within the home, burdens are lifted, and work is shared.

THE PILLAR OF HONEST Y

TRUTH

T R U T H

For by the grace given

to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think.” — Romans 12:3a

In other words, don’t assume you’re all grown up until you’re invited to sit at the adult table. God has a funny way of exalting His children; He makes all things beautiful in His time. In my personal life, I try to let neither praise nor criticism stick to me; I try not to believe either one. As a preacher, a husband, a businessman, I know that I have a job to do. As long as I continue doing my job to the best of my ability, I know that I will please my heavenly Master. In a relationship, when both parties remain humble, they allow each other to share in both the successes and the failures. When faced with adversity, they remain strong and are able to

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Humility is not a requirement for success, as many successful CEO’s and entrepreneurs lack the character trait, but if an eternal impact is to be made upon a family, a business, or a society, humility must be present.

THE PILLAR OF HUMILITY Humility is one of the easiest things to lose when a company or an individual becomes a celebrity. When the world is clamoring for your product, it’s easy to think that you’re invincible, that you’re on top of the world, and that nothing can bring you down. Those are the moments when humility is tantamount to your survival.

“

deal with pressures from without and from within.

# 3

Let’s face it: people do dishonest things. Dishonesty creates dissension; dissension creates chaos. Business owners and managers, as well as family members and spouses, cannot maintain unity without honesty. In our family, and consequently, our business, we have learned to be upfront and honest with each other, no matter how much it hurts. Operating upon hidden agendas and he-said-she-said mentalities kills relationships which, in turn, kill companies. Honesty works two ways: giving and receiving. In order to maintain long-term goals, a peaceful environment at work and home, and ultimately, success, honesty must be emphasized both ways. If a man is honest in his relationship, it helps clear the air, but if he, in turn, does not receive honesty in a humble and gracious manner, honesty will breed contempt. If we cloud up like a thunderstorm every time someone is honest with us, it will not inspire that person to be honest with us. Honesty is a basic tenet of a solid relationship, but if we can’t receive the honesty being given, what good is it? In the workplace and at home, it is not enough to give an honest answer; we must not overreact to honesty. Be upfront; be honest; receive honesty; deal with problems; inspire solutions.

THE PILLAR OF ACCOUNTABILITY T R U T H

# 4

Accountability is the twin brother of honesty. By helping others be better, by being upfront and sincere in the giving and receiving of honesty, we promote accountability. Accountability then inspires success. When I am willing to hold a brother accountable, I assume that he will return the favor. The Four Pillars Of Success

local communities, when we glorify God, we will succeed. If we make millions or simply make a living, God will be glorified. At Duck Commander, we did not always have celebrity status. We started out with a lot of fishing, a lot of duck calls, and a lot of fried bologna sandwiches. We didn’t start as a global brand recognizable by our facial hair and southern charm; God built this empire—we were just along for the ride. Our lives are ugly. We have warts and sometimes our feet stink. Some days we’re on top of the mountain enjoying the view, and others are spent trudging through the swamp trying to get ahead. My wife, Lisa, and I have been through the war. We have lost many skirmishes and fought countless unwinnable battles, but our God is greater than our failures. Through His sovereign grace and providence, we can look back and see how doing justly, loving kindness, and walking in humility have brought us the victory. Most people run away from accountability, both the giving and receiving of such. As Christians, it is our duty to hold each other accountable! When you invite Christ into your company, your family, your church, you bring accountability and honesty into your personal and professional walk. Accountability is a system of checks and balances that can be applied to the workforce, an athletic team, a classroom, and the family. It is an essential component of success. In our perspective, Duck Commander has made celebrities of our family. It would be easy for us to wall ourselves off and put ourselves on a pedestal, but when you’re up so high that others can’t reach, who will keep you accountable? Every person, every businessman, every CEO needs an inner circle. Whether it is family, close friends, or other business leaders, it is important to tap into a local community of accountability.

DO JUSTLY, LOVE KINDNESS, WALK HUMBLY WITH GOD Our four pillars can be boiled down to fit quite nicely into the framework of Micah 6:8: when we do justly, we operate upon the twin pillars of honesty and accountability; when we love kindness, we inspire unity and camaraderie within the workplace and home; and when we walk humbly with our God, we embrace humility and show honor to our colleagues and our spouses.

Our new book, A New Season: A Robertson Family Love Story of Brokenness and Redemption, tells all about our personal journey to biblical success. There has been good stuff over the years, but there has been a whole lot of ugly, painful failures. We had to learn how to put the pillars of success into practice in our family before we could ever be a part of an international success story such as Duck Commander. The purpose of our book is to give God glory and to give people hope. Allow God to get to you. Allow Him to control your life and your career. Do justly, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God by building your empire upon unity, humility, honesty, and accountability. Praise Him in the calm; praise Him in the storm. Give God the glory and enjoy the ride! VICTORY Alan Robertson is the oldest son of Phil and Kay Robertson. He helped build the foundation of the family business, Duck Commander. Recently, Alan has returned to the family business after serving in full-time ministry for more than 25 years. Alan plays a vital role in the family’s commitment to spreading the gospel of Christ through their love of hunting

When we live our lives in accordance with these simple truths, God blesses the fruits of our hands. By putting Him first in our businesses and families, we can’t help but succeed. Whether that success comes on a national scale or whether it is within our TwoTenMagazine.com

and the great outdoors. Alan and his wife, Lisa, are parents of two grown daughters and proud grandparents to two granddaughters and a grandson.

TwoTen Magazine

T W E LV E PRACTICAL WAYS TO

LIVE OUT YOUR

FA I T H AT

WORK BY CHARIS HILLMAN BROWN

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Twelve Practical Ways To Live Out Your Faith At Work

“WHATEVER YOU DO, WORK AT IT WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AS WORKING FOR THE LORD, NOT FOR HUMAN MASTERS, SINCE YOU KNOW THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE AN INHERITANCE FROM THE LORD AS A REWARD. IT IS THE LORD CHRIST YOU ARE SERVING.” COLOSSIANS 3:23, 24

’ve been working with my dad at a non-profit organization he started in 1994 for the past 7 years. Throughout this time I’ve gone through many paradigm shifts in my own spiritual journey. One of those has been a very basic principle that we teach, and it is that your work matters to God. I knew the gist of this idea when I started working there, but it didn’t become a revelation to me until a couple years ago when my heart began to break over the thought that there were people who didn’t understand it. I said to God, “God, how do we change the culture around us and bring heaven to earth if people spend all their time and focus at church?” At this point, information became revelation as I realized how important the idea of faith at work really is–a way to bring the kingdom of God to earth, one person at a time. TwoTenMagazine.com

HERE ARE SOME PRACTICAL TIPS YOU CAN APPLY TO HELP YOU LIVE OUT YOUR FAITH AT WORK

Put God first. Putting God first seems like a simple idea. If we put God first in everything we do, then we’re doing it with the right intention–to please Him. But often our own motives come into play. What about my achievements? What about financial security? What about that big house? God doesn’t mind that we have these things, but He wants to be first, so that our own desires don’t consume us. Is God first in your life?

STUDY VERSES: “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.” 1 John 2:16 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 TwoTen Magazine

Start your day with gratefulness. When we begin our days by being thankful, we can focus on what’s right in our world versus what’s wrong. It’s been said that you get more of what you focus on, so it makes sense to be thankful! Also, gratefulness removes entitlement, because by being thankful we’re practicing contentment. Each of us can cite at least one thing we’re thankful for–and that is salvation through Jesus Christ!

“

If we

work hard for our employers,

then we both prove our trustworthiness to them, and we set an example

for our coworkers.” – Charis Hillman Brown

STUDY VERSES: “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” 1 Timothy 6:6

Treat others with love and respect. This is a tough one, and there are times when I struggle. But at the end of the day, only love remains. So then this becomes our goal: how much can we love others before we leave this world?

STUDY VERSES: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 “But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:44,45 60

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Work hard. This is probably one of my biggest pet peeves–seeing a lazy Christian! If we work hard for our employers, then we both prove our trustworthiness to them, and we set an example for our coworkers. Conversely, if we’re lazy or we fail to do the job at hand, then we become a bad example, and we lose our credibility. Are you a hard worker?

STUDY VERSES: “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.” Proverbs 13:4 “Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you.” 1 Thessalonians 2:9 Twelve Practical Ways To Live Out Your Faith At Work

Be honest. Let’s face it: many of us wonder about the honesty of those in government and people who work on Wall Street–and for good reason. Studies have shown honesty is the number one trait people look for in a leader. A recent Wall Street poll revealed that 70% of the public feels those in business are dishonest and greedy.

STUDY VERSES: “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.” Proverbs 12:19 “The godly are directed by honesty; the wicked fall beneath their load of sin.” Proverbs 11:5

Be encouraging. No one wants to be around a downer. As Christians, our lives should be attractive to unbelievers! The Bible exhorts us to be encouraging and full of joy.

STUDY VERSES:

Share your faith when asked, but don’t argue. There is a fine line when it comes to sharing our faith at work. Many companies have policies in place about proselytizing. But, if we live our lives in such a way that people ask about our beliefs, we are definitely allowed to share them!

STUDY VERSES: “Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people.” 2 Timothy 2:23, 24 “And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!” 1 Peter 3:15-17

“Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” Ephesians 4:29 “When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! John 15:10, 11 TwoTenMagazine.com

TwoTen Magazine

“

...When we’re faithful

in the small things, we can be trusted with even greater things. The small things are a test to see if we can be trusted with the responsibilities God wants to give us.” 8

Be faithful in the small things.

Pray without ceasing. God calls us to “pray without ceasing.” If we’re in a constant posture of prayer, who is to say that we won’t receive strategies, ideas, and solutions from heaven?

But, when we’re faithful in the small things, we can be trusted with even greater things. The small things are a test to see if we can be trusted with the responsibilities God wants to give us.

Likewise, we should be willing to pray for anyone in our midst who needs prayer, whether they know of our prayers or not.

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” Luke 16:10 “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’” Matthew 25:23

I think this one is tough for most people. We don’t want to wash the dishes or clean the toilets when we’ve been called to great things!

STUDY VERSES:

– Charis Hillman Brown

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Once I was working in management at a major department store, and one of our employees had a headache. He was a Christian, and I asked him if I could lay hands on him and pray for him. He said yes, and so I did. We prayed, and a little while later he was feeling better! You never know what prayer can do.

STUDY VERSES: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Colossians 4:2 “Never stop praying.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Twelve Practical Ways To Live Out Your Faith At Work

10 Keep an eternal perspective.

STUDY VERSES:

We must keep in mind that everything we see will fade away. Every day, we have to ask ourselves the question, “Am I storing up treasures in heaven?”

“Then He said, ‘Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!’ So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.” John 21:6

Even in our work, God can use us to be a light in the world, as we learn to seek Him and listen to His voice. How will He use you to draw others into the kingdom? He can use you where you are, right now.

“Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die.” John 11:26

STUDY VERSES: “Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.” Matthew 6:20 “All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:25

11 Solve problems. Everywhere Jesus went, He solved problems. From Peter’s fishing problem to eternity, Jesus provided a solution. He solved the problem of feeding 5,000. He told Peter how to pay his taxes: catch a fish, and find a coin in its mouth. He saved the life of a prostitute from being stoned. In almost everyone he encountered, he solved a problem before he spoke about their spiritual condition. TwoTenMagazine.com

12 Work for God, not for people. We will often work for or with difficult people in our lifetime. But if we can stay focused on God throughout, we can glorify Him in all we do.

So, what does this mean for us? God has called us to work and His Great Commission in Matthew 28:19 exhorts us to spread His word and make disciples in all nations. It is through our work that we have the greatest opportunities to reach people and live out our faith so that others can see Him through us! VICTORY

Charis Hillman Brown is passionate about raising up the next generation of leaders. She writes and speaks to the young adult age group to help them see their work as ministry, and has a passion to see people succeed in every area of life. She works with her dad, Os Hillman, who is an internationally recognized leader on faith and work. (www.MarketplaceLeaders.org) Charis is married to her best friend Justin, and they live near Atlanta with their cat, Mick Jagger. She blogs regularly at www.the17graceconnection.com.

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CULTURE VICTORY! BY: CHRIS PATTON

Ever y once in a while, something happens that really catches my at tention and gets to my hear t. Recently, this ver y thing happened in our company and validated the culture we are tr ying to create. I feel I have to share, especially since it actually relates back to my last two ar ticles ! 64

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Culture Victory!

Background We see our community as a critical part of the answer to the question, “Why does our business exist?” Our answer to that question, also our mission statement, is that our business exists to honor God by impacting the lives of our employees, customers, and community. One example of how we attempt to create a culture of impacting the community is hosting monthly car wash events to benefit local, faith-based organizations.

Blanket Drive About a week or two after our last car wash event for the year (due to the weather getting colder!), we held an employee blanket drive for Emmaus Women’s Shelter, a local homeless shelter for women and children. With the cold weather quickly approaching, they had a need that we wanted to help meet. In order to deliver the 100+ blankets we collected from employees, we enlisted the help of one of our Clean-Up department employees, Joe(not his real name). He was eager to help and the blankets were delivered without incident, or so I thought!

Surprise Twist The next day, Joe came to me and asked if he could have a minute to share something. I quickly agreed. What I heard was incredible to me! He told me that he had helped to deliver the blankets to the shelter and was shocked to find children there. He could not believe there were so many children that were homeless. Keep in mind that Joe is in the most “entry-level” position in our company and has more financial needs than most. He went on to tell me that he could not get the children off his mind, wondering what they were going to do for Christmas. He said he wanted to help make sure they had gifts at Christmas. He then asked if we could do another car wash event where we asked people to bring toys instead of paying for the car wash. I then asked him who would actually work the event, washing the cars, since that was typically the job of the organization we were helping. He said he would get other employees to volunteer their time (their Saturday off) to do it.

Another Car Wash? My first reaction (transparency here–it wasn’t culture!) was to think about the cold weather (this was mid-November) and TwoTenMagazine.com

“

My first reaction

(transparency here – it wasn’t culture!)

was to think about the cold weather...and

many other reasons it would not work. I really did not think we would have many employees volunteer

to give up their time off

to do it.” – Chris Patton

many other reasons it would not work. I really did not think we would have many employees volunteer to give up their time off to do it. I am not knocking them, but that is a big deal when they work so hard during the week. To check his commitment level, I gave Joe a test. I told him to go create a sign-up list and see how many employees he could get to volunteer for this car wash event. I told him we would talk further when he came back. Less than 90 minutes later, he was in my office with a list of 25 employees willing to staff the event! I was shocked!

Not the Best Conditions I have to tell you, I still did not know what to do. Thanksgiving was less than two weeks away and people were not going to come out in droves for a car wash. It could be snowing that day (it’s possible!) or raining and cold. TwoTen Magazine

“

I still get emotional

thinking about the impact that one guy had on so many people.

He had the least to give, but produced amazing results.”

– Chris Patton

My mind continued to flood with excuses. The problem was that I had a very committed employee in front of me, and whether he knew it or not, he was calling me on my commitment to real ministry.

The end results amounted to roughly $1,200 raised along with a truckload full of toys donated! Joe ran the entire event and delivered the toys and the money. He was on cloud nine (and deserved it).

I told him it was a done deal. We would hold the event on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, hoping that the natural shopping traffic would help our cause. We posted details about the event on Facebook and our normal channels.

He single-handedly motivated 25 employees to volunteer their time washing cars in the cold weather and provided Christmas for a crowd of homeless children. In fact, when we later recognized his efforts with a “Lightning Strike” award at the company Christmas party, everyone in attendance gave him a standing ovation!

Not satisfied, Joe got another employee to create a paper flyer for him, and he went from gas station to grocery store and to the WalMart parking lot, passing them out. He did this by himself!

Culture Victory! The day of the event was cold…maybe not cold for some of you, but sub-40 degrees. That is cold enough when you are washing cars with hoses, buckets, etc.! The traffic was not overwhelming, but it was decent. My brother and I joined in and worked the whole event right there on the hoses! We were soaked and exhausted, but I can’t remember being more fulfilled recently.

Tough Question Folks, I still get emotional thinking about the impact that one guy had on so many people. He had the least to give, but produced amazing results. What about you and me? In anyone’s book, we have so much more to give than Joe does.

So the question is this: What are you doing with your time, treasure, and talents to impact eternity? VICTORY

Chris Patton is President of the Mike Patton Auto Family in LaGrange, Georgia. Along with his brother (and partner) Brian, Chris is a third-generation owner and grew up working in every department in the business, beginning at the age of 10. Chris also writes a blog called Christian Faith At Work (ChristianFaithAtWork.com). He is writing it to business owners and leaders who are trying to figure out how to integrate their Christian faith into their businesses. Chris and his wife Kim live in LaGrange, GA with their three children.

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Culture Victory!

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LOVE ALL OF IT BY JON GORDON I sat for a while staring at the computer screen. I couldn't write. Not even a sentence. It had been a week since I started to write a new book, but I had nothing. Each December I write a new book and it usually flows well, but not this time. This time I was filled with fear. 68

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Love All Of It

I knew I had to conquer this fear, and in that moment I was filled with thoughts that would not only help me overcome my fears, but also become a significant lesson in the book I was writing, The Carpenter.

If you are trying to build a business, focus on the love you have of building it rather than the fear of losing it. If you work at a school focus on loving your students instead of fearing all the new testing standards. If you are a young athlete, dancer, musician, or artist, focus on your love of playing and performing instead of your fear of failing. Worrying about the outcome and what people think will steal your joy and sabotage your success, but loving and appreciating the moment will energize you and enhance your performance.

I realized the antidote to fear is love. So instead of the fear of failing, I decided to focus on my love of writing, my love for the reader, and my desire to make a difference. From that moment on the book flowed; I wrote it in 2 1/2 weeks and discovered that if you focus on love, you will cast out fear.

And if you are a coach or manager building a team, remember that that whatever you try to build with fear will eventually crumble. But that which is built with love will endure. If you build your team with love, they will become more and do more than you ever thought possible.

Today I want to encourage you to do the same and build your life, work, business, school, project, and team with love instead of fear. Remind yourself that if you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t building it with love, it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t become all that it can be. Only through love will you create something special, magnificent, and compelling. Only through love will you build a masterpiece.

Most of all, as you build with love, know that you will face many challenges and negative forces that can shift your focus back to fear if you let them. When this happens, decide to LOVE ALL OF IT. When you love all of it, you will fear none of it.

Fear that I would disappoint the people who enjoyed my other books. Fear that I couldn't live up to the success of The Energy Bus. Fear that people would say my best writing was behind me. Fear that I would write a piece of junk.

The secret to life and the greatest success strategy of all is to love all of it and fear none of it. VICTORY

LOVE ALL OF IT! LOVE THE STRUGGLE

LOVE NEGATIVE PEOPLE

Because it makes you appreciate your accomplishments

Because they make you more positive

LOVE CHALLENGES

LOVE THOSE WHO HAVE HURT YOU

Because they make you stronger

Because they teach you forgiveness

LOVE COMPETITION

LOVE FEAR

Because it makes you better

Because it makes you courageous

Jon Gordon is the international bestselling author of multiple books including The Energy Bus and his latest release, The Carpenter: A Story About the Greatest Success Strategies of All, which is available now where books are sold and online at www.Carpenter11.com. Connect with Jon on Twitter @jongordon11 and Facebook.

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Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

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WHEN

V I O L E NC E VISITS THE

WO R K P L A C E

2nd Quarter

Violence In The Workplace

BY: DR. MARK CRESS

The term “going postal” was coined in the mid 1980’s when according to FBI reports, “On August 20, 1986, a part-time letter carrier named Patrick H. Sherrill, facing possible dismissal after a troubled work history, walked into the Edmond, Oklahoma, post office, where he worked and shot 14 people to death before killing himself.” Although this was the most deadly, it was not the first incident of homicide in the postal system. In the three years that preceded this incident, present or former employees in three separate locations killed four other postal employees. Obviously, these were not the first cases of violence or even homicides at work. Workplace violence can be traced back as far as early Old Testament times when Noah was building the Ark, and even before.

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TwoTen Magazine

ou may be surprised, however, to learn that homicide is currently the fourth-leading cause of fatal workplace injuries in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), of the 4,547 fatal workplace injuries that occurred in the United States in 2010, 506 were workplace homicides. Additionally, homicide is the leading cause of death for women in the workplace. By 2013 homicides represented 9% of all workplace deaths. Of all these cases, women were almost three times more likely to be victims than men.

But according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are certain occupations in which a higher percentage of workplace deaths are due to homicide:

13%

of Top Executive deaths; the percentage is double for Operations Specialties Managers

19%

of Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners

31%

of Law Enforcement Workers

33%

of Business and Financial operations occupations

36%

of Legal occupations

41%

of Food Preparation and Serving-related occupations

46%

for Sales and related occupations

66%

for Retail Sales Workers

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Workplace violence is by no means confined to murder. Nearly two million American workers report having been victims of workplace violence in some form each year. The Department of Labor, for instance, notes 27% of all violent events in the workplace are tied to some form of domestic violence. The same FBI Report mentioned above points out, “Contrary to popular opinion, sensational multiple homicides represent a very small number of workplace violence incidents. The majority of incidents that employees/managers have to deal with on a daily basis are lesser cases of assaults, domestic violence, stalking, threats, harassment (to include sexual harassment), and physical and/or emotional abuse that make no headlines. Many of these incidents, in fact, are not even reported to company officials, let alone to police.”

While agreeing on that broader definition of the problem, the FBI states there is consensus among workplace violence professionals that shows workplace violence falls into four broad categories. They are: TYPE 1: Violent acts by criminals who have no other connection with the workplace, but enter to commit robbery or another crime. TYPE 2: Violence directed at employees by customers, clients, patients, students, inmates, or any others for whom an organization provides services. TYPE 3: Violence against coworkers, supervisors, or managers by a present or former employee. TYPE 4: Violence committed in the workplace by someone who doesn’t work there, but has a personal relationship with an employee—an abusive spouse or domestic partner. When Violence Visits The Workplace

“

Leaders

need to create

a'safe'

environment where employees feel

empowered

to share

potential threats.” – Dr. Mark Cress

So how does all of this relate to us as Christian leaders in the workplace? Well, for far too long, many of us have simply stopped and prayed for those involved in workplace violence cases reported in the media but live in denial that such incidents will ever happen at “our” businesses. Well, the fact is that we must develop a plan to deal with this growing problem from both a practical and spiritual perspective. One of the best protections that employers can offer their workers is to establish a zero-tolerance policy toward workplace violence. This policy should cover all workers, patients, clients, visitors, contractors, and anyone else who may come in contact with company personnel. This policy should be made public and employees should be encouraged to speak to supervisors if they feel threatened or may know of a potential threat.

All leaders at the company should receive training on workplace violence as well as take every case very seriously. This training should extend to awareness on the part of all management level employees regarding such things as proper threat assessment, documentation, and even when to call in local authorities. They also need skills to diffuse volatile encounters. Have a set protocol in place to “hand off” angry or threatening customers and/or co-workers. Leaders need to create a “safe” environment where employees feel empowered to share potential threats, and when an employee comes forward about a potential threat of violence, this cannot be treated as a confidential conversation. The company always has a duty to provide a safe workplace environment; however, once the potential threat is made known, there is even a greater duty to take action. If an employee in your workplace becomes a victim of a violent event, you are immediately provided with a great opportunity to minister to your employees and possibly their family members. Start now by locating a professional Christian counselor in your area who holds credentials in workplace critical stress management situations. Introduce them to your management team, and place them on retainer to respond immediately should an incident occur. Workplace chaplaincy agencies often have team leaders specifically trained to provide added layers of support to traditional chaplains serving in the field when a severe incident occurs. By all means, take all threats seriously, and be prepared to take action to safeguard your team members. Additionally, if and when an incident occurs on your watch, do everything in your power to minister to the needs of all involved, in the name of the One we know can handle the most challenging crises life can throw at us…our precious and miracle-providing Lord Jesus Christ! VICTORY

Dr. Mark Cress is the Founder of Corporate Chaplains of America. CCA (www.chaplain.org) is the nation’s leading provider of full time workplace chaplains to more than 800 public and private business locations across the US and internationally. He holds business and seminary degrees including a doctorate in Business Ethics and Leadership. He has authored seven books through Lanphier Press. Mark has a passion for Christian leadership matters within the emerging workplace ministry arena. He and his wife Linda have two grown daughters and reside in North Carolina.

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THE GOLDEN RULE OF TEAMWORK

BY: CHRIS HOGAN

Being a leader or business owner is never easy. There are always tough decisions to make—that’s just the nature of the job. And no matter how hard you work, there are factors you can’t control, like the economy, your competition, or market size.

ut there is one area where you have complete command. And when done right, it can make the difference between your success and failure. And here’s the best part: It will be one of the easiest choices you’ll ever make. So what’s the magic formula? It’s how you treat your team. You can decide to either be a great leader or a really awful boss. The latter sees employees as units of production whose only job is to work hard and keep their mouths shut. If they quit, so what? There are always others to replace them. A great leader, though, knows the opposite is true. They view their team members as humans. They know that every person, no

2nd Quarter

matter if they are on their payroll or just the guy they meet on the street, deserves to be treated with respect and kindness. Over the years of working with many business owners and leaders, I’ve met a few of those “bosses.” And to be honest, they aren’t people I want to hang out with. In addition, nearly every one of them was unable to sustain long-term success. But I’ve also been lucky enough to experience great leaders who know that when you treat people right, the money will follow. My friend and my employer, Dave Ramsey, is a huge proponent of serving his team well. At his company, everyone follows the Golden Rule. He knows that when you treat people the way you would want to be treated, nothing can stand in the way of winning. The Golden Rule Of Teamwork

YOU CAN BE THIS KIND OF LEADER TOO. YOU JUST HAVE TO BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT IT. TO HELP YOU GET STARTED, HERE ARE SOME OF THE WAYS YOU CAN APPLY THE GOLDEN RULE TO TEAMWORK.

REALIZE THAT PEOPLE NEVER GET ANYWHERE BY THEMSELVES.

We have all had someone who has helped us at some point in our careers. You want to “pay it forward” by supporting each of your team members.

If they have a dream and you can help them, go for it. They may be only with you for a season, but what a productive time it will be. Plus your entire team will watch what you are doing and know you have their best interests at heart.

YOU HAVE TO INTERACT.

Block off some time on the calendar every week to walk through the office and talk to your team members. Find out what’s going on in their personal lives. Ask about their family, kids and outside interests. Get to know your team, and get involved! When you check on your people and spend time with them— even if it’s just for a few minutes—you are showing that you care and that they matter to you, which leads to trust. People work harder for those they have faith in.

UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES.

We’re all wired differently, and we all have our own goals. When you know the personalities on your team, you can approach each one differently in order to connect with them.

“

Nothing kills

morale quicker than an uninvolved leader who doesn’t acknowledge the success of people

on their team.”

– Chris Hogan

DON’T EXPECT YOUR TEAM TO BE JUST LIKE YOU

ACCEPT AND APPRECIATE YOUR TEAM.

They aren’t. What motivates you might not motivate them. Get to know their strengths, weaknesses, likes, and dislikes.

Nothing kills morale quicker than an uninvolved leader who doesn’t acknowledge the success of people on their team. Every person who works for you should be hearing positive words from you a few times a week.

THE TAKEAWAY: Loyalty is a two-way street. Strong leaders who treat their people well have teams that become their “cheering sections” and want the best for them. From that point on, it’s all golden. VICTORY

Chris Hogan is a popular and dynamic speaker on the topics of financial education and leadership, Chris also works with businesses and high-profile clients across the country, helping them develop strategies to increase revenues, build wealth, and secure their financial futures. For more information about Chris, visit www.daveramsey.com/speakers/Chris-Hogan or follow him on Twitter @ChrisHogan360.

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TwoTen Magazine

DO YOUNGER EMPLOYEES

R E A L LY H AV E L E S S O F A

WORK ETHIC?

2nd Quarter

Do Younger Employees Really Have Less Of A Work Ethic?

B Y: D R . PA U L W H I T E

A common complaint about younger employees from their employers and supervisors is that Millennials don’t seem very motivated, and they often don’t display a good work ethic. This complaint does not just come from Boomers but also is frequently voiced by managers and supervisors who are in their 30’s to 40’s (Gen X). Warning: While there are often trends that can be seen across groups of individuals, it is dangerous to make assumptions about individuals solely from group tendencies. The Problem of Generationalizing Groups of people (same age, from the same region, same gender) can share similar characteristics. But there are obviously individual differences within or across group members. Also, the characteristics also can be true of other groups (for example, not every 50 year old employee is a “hard worker"). For example, in discussing this topic with a large group of multi-generational workers, one young woman stated, “I’m tired of everyone assuming that I’m a slacker because I’m only 23. It is offensive to me.” And in this case it was true, she was identified as a hardworking, young, and rising star. Additionally, you need to be aware that your view as to what “motivated” or a “good work ethic” looks like may be biased from your personal worldview. For example, just because a younger employee stays up late, into the early morning hours, and then sleeps in does not mean they are lazy. It may mean that their schedule for working is different than yours.

Does a “good work ethic” look different for different generations? As I’ve worked with companies across the country with a range of age groups among their employees, three key questions that need to be answered have risen to the top. As we’ve discussed and explored these questions, the following points became clear: TwoTenMagazine.com

BY WHOM IS A GOOD WORK ETHIC DEFINED?

Believe it or not, employers or supervisors are not the true source of understanding what comprises a good work ethic. A good work ethic is defined first by one’s customers. You and your employees are there to provide goods or services that your customers want or need. Therefore, what customers want defines what you try to provide, like being open when they need your assistance, providing quality service, or delivering goods on time. Employers then develop expectations of appropriate work behaviors from their employees in order to serve their customers well. What you expect from your employees then (hopefully) reflects those behaviors that enable your company to serve your clients well. So these behaviors (showing up to work regularly, arriving on time, listening to and following directions) have nothing to do with generational bias. They are foundational to a company serving their clients well.

WHAT, REALLY, COMPRISES A GOOD WORK ETHIC?

Older generations (Baby Boomers and Seniors) are notorious for focusing on and lecturing younger individuals about the need to have a “good work ethic.” TwoTen Magazine

While many of us know (or think we do) what we mean when we use the term “good work ethic,” I have found that it is helpful to define the term behaviorally. This then lets us explore potential biases that may be added.

HERE ARE THE BEHAVIORS I HAVE GATHERED FROM EMPLOYERS AND SUPERVISORS: 1. Showing up (regularly). 2. Arriving on time, ready to work. 3. Listening to and following instructions. 4. Willingness to learn (learning attitude). 5. Performing quality work (vs. “going through the motions”). 6. Displaying a positive, “can do” attitude. 7. Completing work in a timely fashion. 8. Being a “hard worker.” This also needs to be specified, because many assume others know what they mean when using the term.

As we look at this list of behaviors, the conclusion seems to be both “No” and “Sometimes.” “No,” because the behaviors that together comprise a “good work ethic” are consistently desired by customers regardless of their generation. “Sometimes,” because a caveat exists: The specific behaviors may differ according to the need (and generation) of the client. For example, “being available” to answer a client’s questions may differ depending on the expectations of the client–which are often framed by the client’s generation. For a Millenial client, getting answers via a text message, an email, or through a chat room may actually be the preferred means of communication. And often they want an immediate response (maybe while they are working between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m.) In contrast, a Gen X’er may want to schedule a call or videoconference in the next day or so, while a Boomer may want to meet in person.

A HARD WORKER IS ONE WHO: A. Stays on task; doesn’t need close supervision to do so. B. Puts forth consistent, good effort, not taking excessive breaks. C. Continues to work hard even when they are tired or not supervised.

“

D. Completes the job given, then looks for other work to be done.

A good

work ethic is defined first by one’s customers. You and your employees are there to provide goods or services that

SO, DOES A GOOD WORK ETHIC (AND A “HARD WORKER”) LOOK DIFFERENT FOR DIFFERENT GENERATIONS?

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? WHY DON’T YOUNGER EMPLOYEES SEEM TO KNOW HOW TO WORK?

I believe the number of complaints are sufficient in frequency, from numerous sectors, and even different ages of supervisors to conclude that many (not all!) younger employees don’t have well developed work behaviors. And it seems that the quality of their “work ethic” may be less developed when they enter the workforce than prior generations. (This is a tough comparison to make, however. Our memories often deceive us. I know I had much to learn and grow in, as a 25-year-old employee.)

your customers

So the question becomes, “Why does this become the case? Why do so many employers and supervisors report dissatisfaction with younger employees? Are they not motivated? Do they not care?” I don’t think it is a motivation issue or “caring” issue in most cases. And I think it is dangerous to judge others' internal thoughts and feelings.

– Dr. Paul White

I believe the problem stems from this question: How do you learn how to work?

want or need.” 80

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Do Younger Employees Really Have Less Of A Work Ethic?

“

We learn by working

...It’s not by watching TV or movies, and I haven’t seen a video game that teaches young people how to work...Many, not all, Millennials have far fewer work experiences than their cohorts from prior generations. Generally, I believe,

it is not their fault. It is ours.”

– Dr. Paul White

We learn by working (and receiving instruction and feedback). It’s not by watching TV or movies, and I haven’t seen a video game that teaches young people how to work. (I’d love to be the creator of one, if it is possible!) Many, not all, Millennials have far fewer work experiences than their cohorts from prior generations. Generally, I believe, it is not their fault. It is ours (their parents). Why? Because many twenty-something’s didn’t work in high school during summers or vacation breaks (or have a parttime job). And a lot of younger adults didn’t work much during college—summers or otherwise. In fact, (a minority to be sure), their first “real” job (that is, not working for a relative or a friend’s parent) isn’t until they complete college. The result? The amount of work experiences and resulting growth and development of work related behaviors is more like that of teenagers in past generations.

What to do? Grumbling and complaining doesn’t help (So quit!), Employers, managers, and supervisors can do the following, in response to the reality of the situation. First, adjust your expectations. Many younger workers need help learning what it means to “work hard.” Don’t expect them to already have a well-developed work ethic. Secondly, retool your training for younger employees. Intentionally instruct them in the behaviors you desires and explain why they are important to the success of the organization. Finally, actively encourage high school and college students you know to start working earlier, and provide opportunities for them to do so. You have a tremendous opportunity to positively impact the next generations of workers–take it! VICTORY

Dr. Paul White is a psychologist, speaker and consultant who makes work relationships work. Co-author of Rising Above a Toxic Workplace with Dr. Gary Chapman and Harold Myra, and The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace with Dr. Chapman, Dr. White provides practical advice in improving workplace relationships.

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