Millennial Leadership: Avodah

Recently, I introduced you to a new word, Sisu.  Today, I’m introducing you to another new concept: avodah.

Most of us invest more hours per week with our colleagues than we do with our families. When we’re honest with ourselves, many of us ask, “How does my ordinary work fit into my dream of being a leader of impact – my dream of making a real difference as a sales, entrepreneur and business leader?”

I learned about this ancient Hebrew work in my Transformational Leadership studies. The ancients used one word for work and for worship – avodah. Have you heard of this word before?

That one-word idea might come as a shock. Our culture strictly divides life into secular and sacred. Work is secular. Purpose and meaning are spiritual.

Research in the sales world reveals that both Baby Boomers and Millennials are increasingly intrinsically or internally motivated. Fewer and fewer salespeople are money motivated.

In a recent survey, 50% of employees said they lack meaning at work. Not a problem. Except, that those who find meaning and purpose from, are more than 3X as likely to stay with their company. 3X!

In the midst of this meaning and purpose crisis, the ancients challenge us to re-orient our thinking…our work can be sacred, no matter what our job title is. The God of the Bible’s original design for us is that we would live an uninterrupted way of living, seeing long-term meaning and purpose in all of life, even our work life.

Work is Worship is the second action step to model an Impact Mindset.

Seasoned leaders have the opportunity to coach young Millennial Leaders that the way they do their “ordinary” work becomes “extra-ordinary” when they see it as a way to honor God and serve their neighbor, i.e. clients, co-workers, and colleagues.

Here are some tips to help as you encourage emerging leaders to see their work as meaningful and purposeful in the short run, and the long run:

The Secular-Sacred Myth:

• My sales work isn’t big enough to have a lasting impact.
• My entrepreneurial work isn’t important enough to make a meaningful difference.
• My leadership work isn’t dangerous enough to be regarded as a sacrifice.

Which of these deep cultural myths do the young leaders you mentor buy into?

Changing The Secular-Sacred Myth:
How might you talk with Millennials about the importance of their everyday work on both the short term as well as the long term?

Here are a few “I choose to….” ideas to help Next Gen leaders bring meaning and purpose to their jobs.  Which of your own ideas can you add to this list?

I choose to view the sales work I do now as important.
I choose to be intentional about the leadership position I hold right now.
I choose to start making a positive difference today with every person I interact with and every project I tackle…and not to “wait” or bide my time until the “perfect job” comes along.

I trust the concept, avodah, brings a refreshing perspective to how ordinary work is a vehicle for making a real difference as a sales, entrepreneur and business leader.

In the next post, we’ll talk about the difference of making an impact here vs. there.

If you struggle to see how you can make a difference and be a positive change agent by doing your job, I invite you to watch this video: Work as Worship by RightNow Ministries
​

Leadership lesson: As your work becomes worship, your work becomes more meaningful and purposeful.

Leadership question: What common misconceptions do the Millennials you mentor have about the meaningfulness and purposefulness of work?