Integrity Moments

According to the Wall Street Journal, Brian McClain, a Kentucky rancher, ran a Ponzi scheme that cost investors and bankers $170 million. The fraud could have been caught many years earlier.  Lending on livestock, done properly, requires periodic livestock inspections. Rabo AgriFinance was McClain’s primary lender, but Rabo loaned McClain millions without any cattle inspections for four years.  In...

My wife, Kathy, was paired with another woman to lead a vacation bible school. While Kathy loves having fun, it’s often unscripted.  The first time Kathy spoke with her new teammate, Kathy told me, “She is very structured and scripted. We may drive each other crazy.”  Personally, I think God chose the perfect pair. Some children learned from Kathy’s fun, free form style, but other kids needed the...

Many entrepreneurs focus on one business and struggle to excel, while others, like Elon Musk, can create multiple businesses in vastly different industries. Some business leaders have a higher level of creativity and innovation than most.   But for many of those innovators, they would have trouble admitting that without God they would have nothing.  Colossians 1:16 says, “For in (the Son of God) a...

When I owned a fledgling consulting practice, I met with a ministry leader named Ken. To my surprise, Ken changed the conversation by asking me when I was going to hire a salesperson.   When I explained my concerns about affording a new hire, Ken reminded me that being a good steward often requires us to take a step of faith.  After Ken’s prompting, I prayed and courageously ... The post Courageou...

In a Christianpost.com article, Michael A. Youssef, pastor of Church of the Apostles, emphasized that a Lifeway study reveals that 53% of Protestant church goers admit that many who know them do not know that they are Christians. Pastor Youssef highlights that “a silent Christian is not a neutral Christian; a silent Christian is a weakened witness. Because truth that is never spoken will eventuall...

As a banker, I was once asked to make a loan to a businessman who owned nothing except one stock worth $2 million, but he owed $1 million against that stock.  I was surprised by his lack of diversification. I declined his loan request.   Later, that stock plummeted and he was forced to sell with a deep loss.  Jesus began a parable by stating that a master entrusted his wealth ... The post Wise Div...

The stories of the Biblical prophet Elisha in the Old Testament book of 2 Kings offer relevant wisdom for our work today.  Seeking a cure for his leprosy, the army commander Naaman offered gold, silver, and clothing to compensate Elisha for healing him. Yet Elisha refuses to accept any payment.   Seeing an opportunity for himself, Elisha’s servant Gehazi follows after Naaman and makes up a story t...

The book of 2 Kings offers Biblical wisdom for our work today. The king of Syria seeks to capture the prophet Elisha. One morning, Elisha’s servant sees that an army has surrounded the city. The servant fearfully asks Elisha what they are to do.   “‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’” (2 Kings 6:16)  Elisha prayed that the servant...

The Old Testament book of 2 Kings tells of the Biblical prophet Elisha, whose leadership lessons have relevant wisdom for today’s workplace.  Suffering from leprosy, the army commander Naaman asks Elisha for healing. Although Naaman is expecting some dramatic invocation of God’s presence, Elisha’s prescription is simpler: Naaman is to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River.   Naaman is incen...

Florence Chadwick’s 1952 effort to swim from Catalina Island to the California coast is a favorite motivational story.  The day was so foggy she could barely see the boats that accompanied her. Exhausted after swimming for more than 15 hours, unable to see her destination, she gave up.   She learned later that she was less than half a mile from the coast.   She told reporters, “All I could ... The...

If you’re part of Unconventional Business Network, it’s possible you’ve received a prayer card signed by our staff. My wife, Kathy, has led this effort for years.   Someone recently asked Kathy why prayer is so important to her.   When Kathy had breast cancer three decades ago, dozens of people showed up at our house during a blizzard to pray. The next morning, the hospital filled with people pray...

Employers could wind up in court if they outright dismiss workers who request a faith-based exemption from using AI. In a businessinsider.com article, Ashley Herd, a former McKinsey counsel and head of North American HR, emphasized this newer risk for businesses.  According to the article, one Unitarian Universalist has already received a religious exemption from her employer because of her ... Th...

Ray had a busy day scheduled at work. But soon after he arrived, he encountered an employee who entered the building after being physically assaulted.   As you might imagine, the employee was very shaken and upset. Ray needed to decide where to spend his time. He could have decided that this was a personal problem that should be dealt with personally.   Instead, Ray cleared his schedule. He spent ...

Keith was doing a great job of growing sales in a retail chain of stores and was highly trusted by the CEO. When the company lost their controller, the CEO appointed Keith as the new controller.    When I entered as a consultant, Keith had two offices full of unopened bills and accounting records. Unfortunately, the IRS forced them into bankruptcy shortly thereafter.  Stewardship is often equated...

According to a National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 16% of the workforce have a substance use disorder. Furthermore, according to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, this is costing over $93 billion in lost productivity a year.  Proverbs 23 addresses all kinds of snares like alcohol, gluttony, and adultery. Proverbs 23:29 says, “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Wh...

In his book “Second Wind for the Second Half,” Patrick Morley describes questioning the team he hired to paint basketball markings on the driveway around his garage basketball hoop. When the team seemed to take a long time to get started, Morley asked if there was a problem. The team foreman said they were checking and rechecking measurements before they started work.   “We’ve learned from experie...

For too much of my career, I was worried about where I ranked in the organization. How was my career advancing in comparison with others? Who was moving ahead faster? Who had the boss’s favor?  It’s a human tendency, but it takes our eyes off the one on whom we should be focused.  Peter falls prey to that tendency in the final verses of the Book of John. Jesus has ... The post Shepherd Focus appea...

As Kathy and I toured Richard Nixon’s Presidential Library, we learned a more complete picture on this complicated man and time in history. Many believe Watergate wasn’t President Nixon’s biggest problem; it was the cover up.   Some doubt President Nixon even knew about Watergate before it happened. But his lies and deception made the cover up far more harmful than the Watergate break-in itself, d...

While visiting Ronald Reagan’s Presidential Library in Simi Valley, one of the interesting discoveries Kathy and I came across was his note cards. Sometime after President Reagan had passed, a folder of 4 by 6 note cards was found among the President’s possessions.  President Reagan maintained a folder filled with quotes, stories, and jokes. He then categorized these handwritten notes into categor...

Kathy and I took our son to see the movie, Toy Story 5, recently. When the camera focused on an individual character, the focus was clear.   But when the camera scanned out to a bigger picture everything was blurry. We assumed they would eventually fix the projector, but they never did.   Afterwards, we learned we’d been in a 3D movie but were never offered 3D glasses.  ... The post A Blurry Movie...

When Jeremy lost his job, he was so angry that he spent more time complaining about his situation than trying to resolve it. His bitterness came through in his job search and interviews. The Biblical story of Joseph offers a different response to setbacks. When he was falsely accused and sent to prison, Joseph chose ... The post Serve Anyway appeared first on Unconventional Business Network .

In his book, “Smarter, Faster, Better,” author Charles Duhigg describes an automotive factory launched as a joint venture of two Japanese and American auto manufacturers. The new factory incorporated new operating processes, training long-time auto workers to take responsibility for stopping the production line when they saw a defect on a vehicle. In one anecdote, ... The post Servant Leader appea...

In Matthew 15, a Canaanite woman persistently called out for Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter. Surprisingly, Jesus ignored her. When the disciples urged Jesus to send her away, Jesus responded by sharing His personal purpose. In Matthew 15:24, Jesus said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” Jesus said to this ... The post Exceptions to Being Mission Focused appeared first on U...

While studying Matthew 9 recently, I pondered Jesus’ concern for the souls of the vast crowds that were following Him. He told His disciples to pray for workers because the harvest was plentiful, but the workers were few. Then my Bible had a new chapter, making it appear that the story was finished. I wanted ... The post Scaling Your Business appeared first on Unconventional Business Network .

Several years into my early career, I felt limited as an entry level individual contributor. But I was adamant that I wasn’t ready to supervise people. I felt that I needed more training, more experience, and more time. I didn’t ask God for his guidance; I just decided I wasn’t ready. The first time Jesus ... The post Over Prepared appeared first on Unconventional Business Network .