Swapping Out Lenses: Can a New View Really Change That Much?

This week as I consulted with two clients, I was struck by a very common issue with business today. We are controlled by our success, our wealth, our status, etc. I say we because I have been there myself and I can tell you from experience, that you deny that is the case if and when you are confronted with it. This week was no exception. I was hired, in both cases, to tell them what I saw wasn't working with their company. After my initial review, I determined that the systems were great, the people on the team were very talented and the businesses were both doing well compared to their peers in their industry. So I asked, "What is really troubling you?” In essence I heard the same story. The answer was basically, “I am being controlled by my company."

You see, part of the problem that I have faced with this is that as human beings we are wired to be right—at least I am! And I have discovered that many business people and other leaders are as well. Yet, in my moments of honesty I realize that I did not always get it right. In fact, as I slowed down and looked back at the past hour, day, week, month, or year, I found that I was hard pressed to identify a time or situation where I was not blessed by the contributions of others who helped me get what I needed to become the person that I am today.

I didn’t know if either person had faith, much less what level of relationship they had with God, so I asked them, "Is it okay to tell you a Bible story?" Both replied yes, so this is what I told them:

In the Bible, there is a story of a rick man. He is moral, sincere and eager—and very successful. Yet, one thing controls him—his wealth. The amazing thing about God’s grace is just how gently He shows up and reveals what we are truly attached to. For the man in the story wealth is his security. Jesus told him, “Sell everything and follow me.” This wasn’t just a random comment. It was a loving and direct invitation to a better life. The tragedy in the story is not that the man had wealth. It is that he valued it over the one thing that would truly center him in a life of fulfillment: A relationship with God.

We all have things that we are attached to. We all have our most attractive idols. But what feels painful and difficult can quickly become beautiful and life-giving if we give God the chance to take center stage in our life. Because it all comes down to the condition of our heart. We have to be able to surrender and admit that God alone has our own best interest and His way is the best way.

One client agreed and one did not. The one who agreed completely rewrote the strategic plan; the mission statement, the values, the vision, the drivers, and the enablers. I did not tell him to rewrite it, he just did. The mission statement reads, "To honor God through excellence in business by serving customers with integrity. We will cultivate a people-first culture where employees thrive. We will invest generously in the communities that we are called to serve."

The plan goes on to read, "We will leverage faith-based leadership, a commitment to our employees, operational excellence, exceptional hospitality with our employees and customers, deep customer relationships, product expertise, employee development and community investment to build a sustainable company that honors God and creates a lasting legacy. I don’t want to reveal any more because it might give away who I am talking about. But, do you think that this client got it?

How about the other person you ask? Their response was, "Just redesign my metrics for me and give me a list of people that I should let go. Give me cost-saving ideas, and suggestions for how I can raise my prices." Unfortunately, the one thing that this person asked me to solve is not on the list. And none of what is on their list will solve their problem.

The story didn’t suggest that we should sell everything that we have strived for and give it away. It suggested that we change our focus. The client who is still focused on the one thing that admittedly, does not give them satisfaction, will still be desiring it a year from now. The one who is recentering his business and life will lead him to a life of fulfillment. What is more important? More success, more wealth, more fame, or more fulfillment? One client is focused on faith. The other is focused on fear—fear of losing what they have accomplished. But in the end, the only difference between fear and faith is focus. The question we all need to ask ourselves is what am I focused on? Perhaps it is time to change the lens in business. Because I see this all too often.