FCCI Pathway to Purpose Podcast

This is one of the topics that I hear business owners and leaders wrestling with constantly…how do I know if God is really telling me to pursue this initiative or launch this new business endeavor…or hire this key leader…or merge with that strategic business partner?Strategic Faith Planning, part 4 is filled with valuable information that can be applied almost daily in business leadership.  This podcast episode will unpack 6 key markers to determine if God is guiding you in a particular direction, clarify the visioning process, the necessity and value of reaching firm conviction and how to establish clear goals that will serve you well in taking action on the plan that God has confirmed in your spirit.Ken Powell, host of FCCI's Pathway to Purpose podcast pulls a training series from the FCCI archives that features Dr. Bruce Cook.  From  1992-1997  Bruce served as President/CEO of Rapha, a national health care organization  providing faith-based, inpatient psychiatric and substance abuse treatment programs in 26 hospitals in 22 states.  Bruce was also founder and CEO of  Leadership Dynamics International, providing management and leadership  training programs to over 100,000 participants in Asia, Europe, Africa, U.S., Canada and Latin America.  From 1977-79 Bruce served as National Director for Campus Crusade for Christ’s “Here’s Life America” which involved over 300,000  trained volunteers in 200 cities.  Bruce has also served on management task  forces for AT&T, United Airlines, and Coca Cola.Visit the FCCI website to learn more about leadership content, events, conferences, and the free CONNECT app for the Christian business leader community.

Sometimes it's easier to just slap a "Jesus did it" or "God is my co-pilot" sticker on our business outcomes, right?  But did He really have any control over those outcomes?  Did people see you on your face before God, crying out for help and wisdom along the way?  Did you carry yourself with an attitude of humility and faith…or were you pushing and charging and functioning from a place of prideful determination?  For most of us, it's far easier to just gut it out and 'make it so, Scotty'…rather than spend the time in Bible study and prayer, developing a mindset of authentic dependence on God.  None of this is easy to navigate…so how do we make sure people are seeing Jesus as we're pursuing those necessary wins and that strategic progress to reach required goals if we want to keep the company alive, compensate employees, pay bills, and be people of integrity in our communities?  Ken Powell, host of FCCI's Pathway to Purpose podcast pulls a training series from the FCCI archives that features Dr. Bruce Cook.  From  1992-1997  Bruce served as President/CEO of Rapha, a national health care organization  providing faith-based, inpatient psychiatric and substance abuse treatment programs in 26 hospitals in 22 states.  Bruce was also founder and CEO of  Leadership Dynamics International, providing management and leadership  training programs to over 100,000 participants in Asia, Europe, Africa, U.S., Canada and Latin America.  From 1977-79 Bruce served as National Director for Campus Crusade for Christ’s “Here’s Life America” which involved over 300,000  trained volunteers in 200 cities.  Bruce has also served on management task  forces for AT&T, United Airlines, and Coca Cola.Visit the FCCI website to learn more about leadership content, events, conferences, and the free CONNECT app for the Christian business leader community.

In Part 1 (Episode 84), Dr Bruce Cook spoke about getting our Motion, Motives, and Methods being in right alignment for strategic planning as faith-forward business leaders.  He also highlighted the pitfall of Projection Planning (building future plans solely around past results)...and it's worth going back to hear that content if you missed it!AND NOW, part 2:  How about the story of Gideon as the basis for integrating your faith into your business planning...on this episode Dr Cook lays out seven leadership planning elements from the Gideon story - including the fact that God sees you for what you will become. Living by faith requires us to trust God's vision for the future.  Need to know how to figure out God's vision...?  Glad you're here!Ken Powell, host of FCCI's Pathway to Purpose podcast pulls a training series from the FCCI archives that features Dr. Bruce Cook.  From  1992-1997  Bruce served as President/CEO of Rapha, a national health care organization  providing faith-based, inpatient psychiatric and substance abuse treatment programs in 26 hospitals in 22 states.  Bruce was also founder and CEO of  Leadership Dynamics International, providing management and leadership  training programs to over 100,000 participants in Asia, Europe, Africa, U.S., Canada and Latin America.  From 1977-79 Bruce served as National Director for Campus Crusade for Christ’s “Here’s Life America” which involved over 300,000  trained volunteers in 200 cities.  Bruce has also served on management task  forces for AT&T, United Airlines, and Coca Cola.Visit the FCCI website to learn more about leadership content, events, conferences, and the free CONNECT app for the Christian business leader community.

We believe that it is when business owners and leaders live in the tension - welcoming both the necessity to plan and the necessity to live by faith…that we will see Kingdom transformation occurring in our businesses.  It's in that tension that we lean into the admonition of James 2 verses 17-18, "so also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself.  But someone will say "you have faith and I have works". Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works".  It is quite possible that it is in the daily operation of a business that we can experience the greatest testing of our faith, through our deep dependency on God to accomplish the work that He has planned in advance for us to do - as we are reminded of in Ephesians 2:10On this episode, Ken Powell host of FCCI's Pathway to Purpose podcast pulls a training series from the FCCI archives that features Dr. Bruce Cook.  From  1992-1997  Bruce served as President/CEO of Rapha, a national health care organization  providing faith-based, inpatient psychiatric and substance abuse treatment programs in 26 hospitals in 22 states.  Bruce was also founder and CEO of  Leadership Dynamics International, providing management and leadership  training programs to over 100,000 participants in Asia, Europe, Africa, U.S., Canada and Latin America.  From 1977-79 Bruce served as National Director for Campus Crusade for Christ’s “Here’s Life America” which involved over 300,000  trained volunteers in 200 cities.  Bruce has also served on management task  forces for AT&T, United Airlines, and Coca Cola.Visit the FCCI website to learn more about leadership content, events, conferences, and the free CONNECT app for the Christian business leader community.

It's become exceedingly obvious that honor has evaded many in our nation's top leadership roles and in many of our businesses.  On this episode, Ken Powell host of FCCI's Pathway to Purpose podcast pulls an International Conference message from the archives that features Colonel Lee Ellis.Colonel Ellis will share about his experience as a fighter pilot shot down during the Vietnam war and experiencing the horrific conditions and torture of a wartime prison camp.  But God does not waste anything in our lives as is made evident as Colonel Ellis describes the men in that camp, the leadership exhibited in the midst of extreme hardship, and the culture that was developed to sustain those men and give them clear expectations and purpose.  Watch this episode on YouTube HERE.Visit the FCCI website to learn more about leadership content, events, conferences, and the free CONNECT app for the Christian business leader community.

In an age where the focus can easily shift to strategies to continually gain new customers (with an expectation of high turnover), Horst Shulze provides a clear and compelling strategy to keep loyal customers engaged for the long haul.In this episode, you'll hear of Horst's "4 Keys to Successful Business", starting with (#1) "keep the current customer" and then (#2) "win new customers",  (#3) "make the most money possible from each customer", and (#4) "create greatest efficiency possible".  Don't miss Horst's explanation of how #1 & #2 always prevent #3 & #4 from becoming exploitative as a Christian business owner seeking to honor God!Visit the FCCI website to learn more about leadership content, events, conferences, and the free CONNECT app for the Christian business leader community.

On this episode you'll hear the background story of Horst Shulze's journey from his teen years, when he came to faith in Jesus Christ, when he formulated his passion for the hotel industry, and his commitment to "ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen" (the title of a paper he wrote at the age of 15).AND, Horst delivers some of the core, foundational principles that have driven him to pursue superior customer LOYALTY through multiple hotel chains (Ritz-Carlton in particular).  You'll come to understand that profound difference between customer service and customer loyalty...and which should actually be measured in your business ventures.Visit the FCCI website to learn more about leadership content, events, conferences, and the free CONNECT app for the Christian business leader community.

How do you expand your productivity as an owner or CEO?  Should you hire another executive leader...or is there a better way to get more done and reach greater profitability?Do you know why you're bored in your role?  Or maybe you're stressed in your role and facing burn-out?  Have you clarified if you're a Designer-Developer OR a Developer-Stabilizer?  Do you know if you're opportunity oriented, goal oriented, or problem oriented?  Do you know how the answers to those questions impact your business, your marriage, your parenting?These questions and many others will be tackled on this episode in a leadership training series that features Bobb Biehl, an executive mentor who has been consulting senior executives since 1976.  Bobb delivered this transformational talk during an FCCI conference.Visit the FCCI website to learn more about leadership content, events, conferences, and the free CONNECT app for the Christian business leader community.

Are you a wired as a DESIGNER, a DEVELOPER, or a STABILIZER?  Are you an ORIGINAL CREATIVE or an ADAPTIVE CREATIVE?  Are you GOAL oriented, RESULT oriented, or CONTROL oriented?  What causes you to approach burnout as a leader? Do you understand these dynamics in each of your key leadership team members...and how those dynamics interplay with one another as part of your company culture? These questions and many others will be tackled on this episode in a leadership training series that features Bobb Biehl, an executive mentor who has been consulting senior executives since 1976.  Bobb delivered this transformational talk during an FCCI conference.Visit the FCCI website to learn more about leadership content, events, conferences, and the free CONNECT app for the Christian business leader community.

Where has the confidence gone?  Why am I feeling so out-of-sync with my leadership team?  How do I get back on track and find some sort of rhythm in my leadership role?  All leaders struggle through these questions periodically...and we all need wisdom to find healthy ways to get back on the right path in our leadership journey.On this episode, Ken Powell host of FCCI's Pathway to Purpose podcast continues a series that features Bobb Biehl, an executive mentor who has been consulting senior executives since 1976.  Bobb delivered this transformational talk during an FCCI conference.Watch this episode on YouTube HERE.Register soon for the FCCI International Conference 2024.Visit the FCCI website to learn more about leadership content, events, conferences, and the free CONNECT app for the Christian business leader community.