Author Archives: Jason Woodard

Faith and Work, Servant Leadership

Leonard McElveen on Leadership

In this inspiring Biblical Leadership @ Work podcast episode, we hear from Leonard McElveen, a leader with decades of experience in nonprofit ministry. Leonard shares profound insights from his journey, particularly his work with homeless and addicted individuals.

He firmly believes that every leader should approach situations, especially complex ones, with curiosity rather than judgment. This approach allows us to get to a deeper understanding of people’s experiences and challenges, rather than just reacting to surface-level issues. For Leonard, leadership isn’t about executing one’s own agenda, but about serving others and facilitating their growth, echoing his motto, ‘It’s not about you, boo’.

He emphasizes the need for leaders to maintain a fine balance between delivering spiritual value and managing the practicalities of fundraising and capitalism. Lastly, Leonard expressed how striving to create an impact rather than imposing a belief system can lead to transformational leadership. Throughout his life, Leonard has sought to embody compassion, understanding and wisdom, attributes he encourages in all leaders.

Standard
Faith and Work

Andy Rowles – CPG Marketing Executive

In our recent podcast, we had an engaging chat with Andy Rowles, an experienced sales and marketing executive. Throughout his career, Andy has leaned heavily on his faith, showing us how his Christian beliefs influenced his decision-making, interactions with coworkers, and leadership style.

Andy emphasized the importance of making decisive choices and respecting individual differences within teams, crediting these principles to his leading influencers, General Norman Schwarzkopf and Daniel Quayle. Listening, learning, and then leading were proposed as key strategies for fresh leaders.

Andy’s personal tales – from his first leadership role at 23 to managing joblessness – were refreshing and honest. His reliance on his faith in Christ during challenging seasons showed the role of faith at work and how it can provide a north star during difficult times.

Andy’s advice to anyone stepping into a new role was to be decisive, understand that not everyone will like you, and find a mentor. These principles have seen him through a rewarding career and he continues to share this wisdom with others.

In the New Year, Andy encourages us all to stay resolute, keep our faith strong, and always leave a situation better than we found it. His inspiring journey is a testament to the role faith can play in one’s professional life.

Standard
Faith and Work, Servant Leadership

Embracing Servant Leadership: Insights from Michael Sytsma

In a recent Biblical Leadership @ Work podcast episode, Jason Woodard interviewed Michael Sytsma, the president of KeyBank in Grand Rapids, Michigan. With nearly 20 years of leadership experience in the banking industry and a passion for servant leadership, Michael shared valuable insights on the importance of serving others, both in the workplace and in personal endeavors. This blog post will summarize the key takeaways from the interview and highlight Michael’s journey towards becoming a humble and impactful leader.

Servant Leadership: Throughout the conversation, Michael emphasized the significance of servant leadership. He believes that leaders should prioritize the needs of their team and the people they serve, rather than focusing solely on their own success. By making decisions that benefit the entire constituency, leaders can create a positive and supportive work environment.

Passion for Service: Michael’s passion for service extends beyond the workplace. He shared the inspiring story of his involvement with Christoph’s Children, an organization that provides support and care for orphaned children in Uganda. Through his friendship with a Congolese refugee, Michael became deeply invested in helping the children in Christoph’s village. This unexpected journey taught him the power of saying “yes” to opportunities to serve and the impact it can have on the lives of others.

Words of Wisdom for Younger Leaders: Drawing from his own experiences, Michael offered valuable advice for younger leaders. He encouraged them to find something they love and strive for excellence in that area, rather than conforming to societal expectations of success. He emphasized that there is no one-size-fits-all path to success and that true fulfillment comes from pursuing one’s passions and serving others along the way.

Overcoming Challenges: Reflecting on his early leadership journey, Michael acknowledged the struggle with pride and the desire to establish oneself as a leader. However, he learned the importance of vulnerability, humility, and seeking guidance from experienced individuals. By asking questions and learning from others, he was able to grow as a leader and build meaningful relationships.

Conclusion: Michael Sytsma’s interview highlighted the significance of servant leadership and the impact it can have on both professional and personal endeavors. By prioritizing the needs of others and embracing a humble approach, leaders can create a positive and supportive environment. Michael’s journey serves as an inspiration for aspiring leaders to find their passion, serve others, and continually seek growth and learning opportunities.

Standard
Uncategorized

Sola Fida

Faith alone is another of the 5 “solas” of the reformation. Salvation is by faith alone. No amount of good works can make you pure before God. We cannot be good enough. Only absolute perfection can earn sonship with God and only Jesus Christ lived a life of absolute perfection.

For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

Romans 3:22b-24

Faith is the belief that God is who He says He is and we are who He says we are. And faith is a gift of God. We are spiritually dead until we are given the free gift of faith and until this happens, we will not believe. We cannot believe. Dead people dont believe.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God

Ephesians 2:8

We are not saved by good works; we are saved to do good works, for the glory of God. It is in response to Him who has poured out His free grace to us.

Being given something that we did not earn nor can we pay back is difficult for our prideful characters. We are independent. We don’t need help and if we do get help, we will pay it back. But we can never pay God back for His grace. It is right to respond to Him in obedience by good works. He expects that and Christians are led to do this by the work of the Holy Spirit. But it couldn’t be paid back in a billion years.

Standard