Good Leaders: How does your faith shape our future?

This year, 2017, I renewed my commitment to follow the path of the Seven Fs of goodness in leadership: faith, family, finances, fitness, friends, fun, and future to see where it takes me. You may have recognized this as the theme of our breakfast series, and the renewed focus of this blog.

My personal growth goal this year is to be fully aware of how each of these concepts are alive and growing in me – both personally and professionally. This blog is about how the growth of my faith has shaped how I think about future: yours, mine, and ours.

Perhaps the most obvious learning is how my perspective changes when looking through all the roles I am noticing on this path: husband, father, son, brother, friend, mentor, business owner, author, speaker, executive coach. The complexity has me searching for a unifying concept for simplicity…is that my faith?

Traveling together

At the risk of too many metaphors, I am learning that my faith is less about putting one foot in front of the other on the path…and more like the size of my boat on the river I call my life. When my faith gets low, I feel like I am swimming alone in the river; treading water downstream, and furiously dog-paddling up stream. But when my faith is strong and growing, I’m sharing the river on a luxury liner. Navigating the current through a series of locks and dams, with family and friends as shipmates. The journey is light, easy, and joyful in a strong boat.

Yesterday, I saw a short story on CBS Sunday Morning about how the words, “In God We Trust” made its way onto the paper and coins of the American currency. What strikes me today is that everyone who uses that currency has their own persona for “God.” It’s less about Jesus, Buddha or Allah. And more about the idea that the common principles of our collective faith helps us create a strong and hopeful future together.

Even as I write this, The NBC Today Show is covering the senseless shooting in Las Vegas – begging the unspoken question, Where is the goodness in this?

A faith-full future together

So today I’m focusing on how satisfaction on “faith” is central to having a hopeful future.

Faith is about living with less fear.

Faith is about finding and living our compelling purpose.

Faith is about the idea that we are not alone.

Faith is about basic human goodness. And that ties directly into how we think about future.

The reason leaders develop followers is because they help people see what’s possible for a better future if we work together. It’s the blended intersection of our faith and future.

Good leaders live in ways that are fully aware of how their faith, family, finances, fitness, friends, fun, and future are alive and growing in them. And they strengthen their faith to help the people around them see a hopeful future.

Please share with me: How does your faith shape our future?