High Impact Sales Leaders Know that All of Life is Spiritual
“What matters most is who we are, not what we do.”
~Danita Bye
The Acton University 2016 International Conference, attended by 1 200 leaders from 52 countries, fueled my growing conviction that our everyday sales, entrepreneurial, and leadership work is where we can live out the Commandment to “love our neighbor as ourselves.”
It reminds me of my own career journey….
My “glamour dream” was crystal clear: graduate from university, work and save money for medical school, then journey to Africa to serve as a doctor and medical missionary. What was your “dream” job? How were you going to change the world?
To fund my dream, I search for a “respectable” talking job. My best offer is in sales. Sales? I’m 21, I’m from a ranch (so I know about cows) and I’m majoring in the biology lab (so I know a lot about breeding fruit flies!) But, sales? It appeared nowhere on my list of honorable, or spiritually relevant careers.Changing the Age-old Job Myth:
Well, here I am – sales. First, Xerox Corporation. Then, sales leadership in the medical device world. Now, helping high-growth leaders develop healthy sales cultures. What about you – what’s the connection between your “glamour” job and what you’re doing today?
A key life-lesson is that all of life, even our sales, entrepreneurial, and leadership work life, is an opportunity for high impact service. To maximize a positive impact, I get to embrace the work in front of me, do it with excellence and treat all people with respect. Thus, there is no such thing as a “non-spiritual, dishonorable” job.
See All of Life as Spiritual is the first action step to model an Impact Mindset
No matter how glamorous or unglamorous a young person’s job or career might feel to them, you can help them discover that all of life, including work life, has a spiritual, high impact dimension.
Here are some of recommendations I have for those younger Millennials I’m coaching:
1. Adopt this Mantra: It’s not what I do or how I look; it’s the who I am and the way I do my work that fuels my being a positive change agent as I’m interacting with clients, colleagues, and co-workers.
2. Focus on the Core: We often believe there is only one career path that will be “right” for us. In reality, our character and values are more important than what we do. That’s the only way to become a Trusted Advisor.
3. Live the Greatest Commandments: In “loving God and loving our neighbor,” we prioritize excellence in doing our sales, entrepreneurial and leadership work to the best of our abilities. As we do good work, we are participating in God’s work.
The Acton University 2016 International Conference reminds me to see that all of life is spiritual. I wonder if working with excellence, and serving others through our everyday sales, entrepreneurial and leadership work might be one of the most important lessons we will pass down to the next generation. What are your thoughts?
In the next post I’ll delve even deeper into the concept of “Work is Worship.”
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: Your job title does not determine your unique ability to be a high-impact spiritual leader.
Leadership question: How might you help Next Gen leaders to adopt a positive perspective on their jobs and careers?
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