Let’s get spiritual

Gene Mage

Did you catch the October 31^st 2004 New York Times Magazine feature story entitled “Faith at Work”, buy Russell Shorto? In his well-written treatment of a very complex topic, he presents a number of examples of how owners, managers and workers are bringing their faith into the workplace.

My own experience as a Christian working in the Fortune 500 taught me much about the role faith can play in the marketplace. I generally felt free to express my religious beliefs at work through both bible studies and day-to-day conversations with co-workers. To do otherwise would have been the height of hypocrisy, since my faith is an integral part of who I am. We were also encouraged, as part of that organization’s commitment to “diversity”, to bring our “whole selves” into the workplace.

On rare occasions, however, I experienced some negative consequences because of my commitment to free expression. One co-worker complained to my boss when I brought a Bible into a training class as a reference tool – that complaint even made it onto a written performance review one year.

On another occasion, a senior level executive attempted to recruit volunteer workers from among my staff to assist a particularly controversial and polarizing community organization, an organization whose values are diametrically opposed to my own. I just ignored the e-mail.

I think the main force that abridged my willingness to bring faith into the workplace was my own cowardice and ambition. For many years, I avoided speaking openly about my “spiritual side” out of fear that full authenticity might hurt my career. Over time, I began to place a higher value upon personal integrity than career advancement.

Today, as a “free agent” author and speaker, I try to let my work simply reflect who I really am. I believe, and have written often, that the timeless principles of my spiritual tradition offer a remarkable roadmap for being effective in life, business, and especially leadership.

While people argue whether or not Jesus Christ is the messiah, most people I talk to are compelled to admit that he was certainly the most effective leader in human history. In three years, working with twelve followers, he turned the world upside down. Many of the things we take for granted in a free society can be traced to Christ’s leadership. Civil government, freedom of speech, equal protection under the law, and most importantly, the value and worth of the individual, are all concepts grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition.

I believe that during Christ’s brief ministry he made a compelling case, in both his words and actions, for what we now call “servant leadership.”

First, he stated that he who would be great must first be the servant of all, and that greater love has no man than this, than to lay down his life for his friends. Loyalty, sacrifice, vision, and the courage to put one’s own needs aside for the greater good are the noble qualities of character we revere in our leaders.

Second, Christ presented a novel way of thinking about self-discipline. He taught the radical idea that men and women did not need to be externally controlled by long lists of rules and regulations to live a life that would please God, but rather that they could be self-regulating, possessing an internal ethical compass, that would guide their actions. In modern language, we call these concepts “empowerment” and “individual responsibility.”

Some people still get very uncomfortable when I talk openly about my faith. But unlike those long years in the corporate world, I have gotten comfortable with the idea that not everybody is going to like what I say. To be true to myself, I have to be myself, even if that means catching some flak.

Gene C. Mage is a leadership Author, Speaker, and Syndicated Business Columnist. For free ideas for improving your leadership, visit www.makingitwork.com.