Four Ways That Your Spiritual Life Can Affect Your Business Decisions

When I hear the term “Faith in the Workplace,” I sometimes cringe a little bit.

I don’t like that term. Or, I should say, I don’t like the brand.

Mostly because it conjures up images in my mind of one-dimensional, self-absorbed Christians quoting scripture and tearing up their workplace on a warpath of conversions and “sharing your faith,” even if others don’t really want to hear it. Which, in my opinion, is inappropriate. And rude. It’s like having business autism.

I don’t necessarily want to associate with that.

I know, that’s harsh. And for sure, probably 90% of those who identify themselves with the Faith in the Workplace movement are not like that at all.

So although I was not interested in this particular kind of faith in the workplace movement, I wasn’t about to abandon my faith at work, either.

I had another approach altogether to living my faith at work. It involved tapping into my spirituality to be a more effective leader, to help others through the work I was doing, to acknowledge the fact that God was working out his purposes through whatever I was doing every day in my job. And that God actually cares about the work that I am doing, that it is worthy of His approval in and of itself.

But I don’t know what to call my particular approach to expressing my faith through my work.

Then last week I saw an interesting study from Rice University that explores the question of how business leaders engage their personal faith in their decision-making.

D. Michael Lindsay, a sociologist at Rice, and Bradley C. Smith of Princeton University conducted personal interviews with 360 American leaders who are considered “evangelical” Christians. These include CEOs, presidents, and chairs of large companies, government and non-profits.

Interestingly, they found four different categories when it came to decision-making:

1. Pragmatic. These leaders do not believe their faith gives them all the answers. They make decisions based on experience, facts and analysis, knowing that they may or may not get it right. Their faith does not give an explicit direction on any particular business decisions, but, of course, they hope they end up making good decisions.

2. Heroic. These leaders view their decisions as the right ones, regardless what anyone else thinks. Sometimes this actually works (think of the Enron whistleblower, Sherron Watkins, for example). It’s about standing up for moral justice in the face of opposition.

3. Circumspect. This is a leader who is deeply spiritual, but doesn’t make a big show of it. The authors of the study cite John Aden, a senior vice president of Walmart International, who cares about a workplace that aligns with his values, but does not vocalize his faith. He does, however, make personal business decisions based on his faith.

4. Brazen. You already know what this is. These are the unabashed, flaming evangelicals who feel that their job and their position is simply a vehicle for them to promote their faith. Or, their faith is so entwined with their job that they find it difficult to separate.

These categories offer a more multi-dimensional approach to integrating faith in our leadership roles, acknowledging various personality types and spiritual philosophies.

What a relief, to see a broader framework for viewing the subject of Faith in the Workplace.

I fall in to the Circumspect category. Definitely.

Which one are you?

Photo by Nancy Rosback.