This summer I was asked to give a keynote address at an international conference on business. I asked the organizers what they wanted me to speak speak on. They said they wanted me to speak on the topic of work from a Christian perspective. I have noticed there is increasing interest around a theology of work as well as thoughts on the role of Christians in the marketplace. To that end, I also spoke this summer in Spain and will be in Amsterdam next month talking about Christian professionals serving in global businesses.
Because of this growing interest, there are more and more resources available including:
- Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work with God's Work by Tim Keller (2012)
- The Way We Work: How Faith Makes a Difference in How We Work by Dan Boone (2014)
- Center for Faith and Work
These topics prompt the question, "Do Christian Professional have a Competitive Advantage?" Michael Porter, the renowned strategist from Harvard Business School, writes in his award-winning HBR article (1996), "What is Strategy?":
Strategic positioning attempts to achieve sustainable competitive advantage by preserving what is distinctive about a company. It means performing different activities from rivals, or performing similar activities in different ways.
Based on Porter's thoughts here on competitive advantage, "Do Christian Professionals perform different activities in different ways?" The Scriptures do give us some insight on how Christian Professionals should function in the workplace.
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters" (Colossians 3:23)
"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people" (Ephesians 6:7)
Some of my research has pointed out the following areas as signficant for leaders today and areas where Christian Professionals may be able to excel:
- Engagement
- Integrity
- Resilience
- Collaboration
- Humility
In our next posting, we will explore these areas and what they might hold for Christian Professionals.
