Did you know that faith is the secret to succeeding as an entrepreneur?
If you’re like me, faith is a big part of your life. It’s not just siloed off to one “church and faith” category that doesn’t affect anything else in my life. Rather, faith is a part of everything I do. It would go against everything I believe in to ignore my faith when running my businesses and coaching other entrepreneurs.
But faith isn’t just about religion. It’s about believing in something bigger than ourselves and knowing that we are all connected.
Having faith means remembering that we are not the most important person on earth. Even when we are in charge of things at work, there is a universe out there that is so much bigger than each of us. There may be a hierarchy at work, but there’s not a hierarchy when it comes to humanity. We’re all unique, important individuals.
Every entrepreneur can benefit from exploring what faith means to them and how their leadership can benefit from a faith-centered approach.
Why should faith matter to entrepreneurs?
If faith isn’t just about religion, what is it about? What’s the point of faith?
Christians often turn to Hebrews 11:1 for a definition of faith: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Regardless of religion, that idea is powerful. Having confidence in the things we hope for is what gives us the courage to try new things and make bold choices as a business leader.
Faith can mean something different to each of us:
- Faith in ourselves that we can achieve our dreams
- Faith in our colleagues and coworkers that we can live up to each other’s expectations
- Faith that our ideas are valuable and important
- Faith in the idea that we can make a difference in the world
That’s not a comprehensive list, of course. Faith is a deeply personal experience, and it is rarely quantifiable. You won’t see “faith” in your KPIs, but it can play just as important of a role as your revenue numbers, conversion rates, employee satisfaction rates, production costs, and other metrics!
Using faith to lead your business
There are a lot of benefits to cultivating a faith-based leadership style, but what could that actually look like in your day-to-day life? How can you make sure that you are leading with faith? As someone who has been leading by faith and working with other faith-focused leaders for years, I have seen what works.
Be humble
Having faith means understanding that none of us is the center of the universe.
Sometimes we know that fact on an intellectual level, but let’s face it: It can be easy to get a big head when you’re the one making the final decisions about your company’s operations and you have lots of smart, hard-working people defaulting to your leadership decisions.
Humility keeps your ego in check and makes you a better leader.
Dustin Ray, the co-CEO of Incfile, writes, “Multiple studies show that humble leaders inspire better work environments, foster greater collaboration, and maintain more successful businesses. Beyond that, the people they lead are also happier, more satisfied, and more productive.”
A faith-based leader does their best to be humble.
Develop a practice of meditation
The entrepreneurial life is fast-paced and intense. It is way too easy to find yourself moving fast all the time, without any chance to slow down, take a beat, and breathe. Developing a practice of meditation requires intentionality and discipline, two traits that entrepreneurs need to work on.
Meditation will look different from one person to the next. For one person, it might look like a daily yoga practice. For someone else, it’s a morning devotional.
Other options include:
- A daily prayer time
- Journaling
- Using a meditation app daily
- A morning period of contemplation before starting the day
- Breathing exercises throughout the day
- Listening to meditation podcasts
Whatever it looks like for you, embracing a meditation practice will help you develop your focus, mindfulness, and contemplation — all of which are good for your entrepreneurial skills!
Listen to others
Spiritual and faith leaders across all religions and belief systems have this in common: they listen to others. Highly respected faith leaders engage in meaningful conversations with people from a variety of perspectives, and they take guidance from those who know more than they do.
All of this connects back to the idea that you are not the center of the universe; listening to and learning from others keeps you humble and helps you grow.
For entrepreneurs, this may look like finding a mentor, seeking guidance from knowledgeable peers, joining a mastermind group, or reading great books from thought leaders in your field.
To get the most out of this strategy, be sure to listen to people who don’t think about the world the same way that you do. Listen to people from different belief systems, backgrounds, and worldviews. You don’t have to automatically accept what someone else says, but there is always something to learn by listening carefully to what someone else believes and why they believe it.
Challenge yourself to listen to people with different perspectives without debating or trying to justify your own point of view. You can do this by limiting yourself to asking questions, not making statements in response! Asking questions guarantees that you are continuing to learn, not just defending your own worldview.
Be grateful
Last, but certainly not least, you need to be grateful.
Gratitude for what you have, what you’ve been through, and what you have learned is crucial to living well. As an entrepreneur, learning to be grateful will help you remember your blessings and express gratitude toward those who help make it possible.
As a gratitude exercise to get you started, make a list of everything that you have to be grateful for in these areas:
- Your family (spouse, kids, parents, siblings, cousins, grandparents, and chosen family)
- Other entrepreneurs that you feel a connection with
- Your employees who work hard to make your business successful
- Life experiences that have challenged you
- Things that are offered freely to us (love, nature, beauty, etc)
- How far you have come
- The people who gave you a start in your life and career
- Anyone who currently serves as a mentor or leader in your life
- The universe and its gifts
Taking the next steps as a faith-inspired business leader
Embracing faith as an entrepreneur goes beyond religious beliefs—it’s about leading with purpose, humility, and gratitude. Incorporating the ideas I’ve listed here can help you build your faith in yourself, your purpose, and the people around you. Faith may turn out to be the driving force that propels you to new heights.
If you’re ready to take your business and personal growth to the next level, I invite you to join me in one of my coaching programs. When you join my exclusive mentoring programs, you will learn how to lead with integrity and innovation. Contact me today to learn more and take the next steps toward transforming your approach to business leadership.
