Nurturing Business

God on Monday 
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As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness,
humility, meekness, and patience (Col 3.12).

Reflection

Mothers’ Day is a great opportunity to celebrate motherhood, and in the UK it falls this Sunday. Whilst I am not a mother, I have strong maternal instincts. They are expressed towards the leaders (and apprentice leaders) I work alongside in business.

The verses above direct God’s beloved children to clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience and love. There is no suggestion that wearing such gorgeous attire should be restricted to special occasions. Children of God are to be dressed in them every day, in whatever spheres of life they are active.

Love is clearly the most important of these garments. For me, love is a commitment to help another person be the best version of themselves. It is about helping other people to reach their full potential. This requires nurture, protection, challenge, and encouragement. 

It requires, in other words, the kind of investment and commitment involved in good parenting. Thankfully, this is just the kind of parenting my sister and I have received from our parents for almost 50 years. It is also the kind of parenting God exercises towards his children.

Nurturing a business is as much about the nourishment of its people, as it is about profit. That is why the qualities we demonstrate are crucial to long-term business success. 

A business leader I know well once described to me his business approach. It was, he said, about showing love to his employees, suppliers and clients. Founded on scripture and built on three values – integrity, partnership and understanding - it struck me that this approach requires a leadership style that involves nurturing habits often associated with parenting.

This did not mean everything ran smoothly, with no cross words, failures, or misunderstandings. But embedded in the corporate ethos was a love that expressed itself in a persistent desire to invest in and develop people to be their best. This commitment to nurturing also helped the business develop products and services its clients actually needed (even when they did not realise it yet) and be committed to supporting each client’s mission and objectives.

Response

When you do your work this week, what ‘clothes’ will you wear?

How will you use your nurturing instinct towards others in your spheres of activity?

Prayer

This Week's Author

God on Monday is produced in partnership with the Church of England. The reflections are based on the scriptural readings designated for the coming Sunday in the Church's lectionary. You can sign up to Faith in Business here to receive each God on Monday instalment.

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