GUIDANCE

FOR THE
DAILY GRIND
OF WORK

14 Daily Devotions
from Proverbs

Dr. Stephen R. Graves

GUIDANCE FOR THE
DAILY GRIND OF WORK
14 Daily Devotions from Proverbs

Dr. Stephen R. Graves

These devotionals are edited reprints from the book Daily Focus
written by Stephen Graves and Thomas Addington.
All the books in Scripture contain wisdom—that almost goes
without saying. There are, however, certain books in the Bible that
are identified specifically as wisdom literature, including Job, Psalms,
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon in the Old Testament
and the Book of James in the New Testament.
Wisdom literature is particularly helpful for people who work
because it focuses specifically on us as individuals and on the nor-
mal everyday situations of life that confront us as we roll through
our days, our weeks, and our months on the job. While the Book
of Psalms deals with the vertical relationship between God and
man, the Book of Proverbs addresses life on the horizontal. Writ-
ten primarily by King Solomon—arguably the wisest man who ever
lived—it addresses everything from handling money, business strat-
egy, and dealing with sexual temptation to making good decisions,
controlling our speech, and living with our neighbors.
“Without a doubt, Solomon’s sayings offer the most practical,
down-to-earth instruction in all the Bible,” writes Charles Swin-
doll. “The entire book of thirty- one chapters is filled with capsules
of truth . . . short, pithy maxims that help us face and, in fact, apply
God’s wisdom in real-life situations. These sayings convey specific
truth in such a pointed, easily understood manner; we have little
difficulty grasping the message.”6
It is biblically incorrect to view the Book of Proverbs as a
list of commands that apply to everyone or a collection of promis-
es that always come to pass. It is neither. Rather, it is a wonderful
compilation of truisms and nuggets of wisdom—guidance that is
generally true but that carries no guarantees. Take, for example, the
oft- quoted saying about raising children: “Train a child in the way
he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Proverbs
22:6). This bit of wisdom is generally true, but to hold fast to it as if
it were guaranteed to produce godly children is flawed theology and
will only lead to disappointment and disillusionment.
Written in poetic form, “the most commonly employed style
of expression in Proverbs is the ‘couplet’—two ideas placed next to
each other.”7 In contrastive couplets, the two ideas are usually linked
by the word but: “The eyes of the lord keep watch over knowledge,
but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful” (Proverbs 22:12).
In completive couplets, the second idea completes the first: “A ly-
ing tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering tongue works ruin”
(Proverbs 26:28). And in comparative couplets, one idea acts as a
comparison for the other: “As water reflects a man’s face, so a man’s
heart reflects the man” (Proverbs 27:19).
Many of the proverbs appear to contradict each other, but that
is because they each have a point to make about a particular area of
life. A couple of common non- biblical sayings illustrate this well.
One says, “If you snooze, you lose,” while the other says, “Haste
makes waste.” The former addresses initiative, which is generally
thought of as a good thing, while the latter deals with the area of
caution, which is also often necessary. Both apply to different scenar-
ios; if we were to view them as absolute promises, we would never
be able to reconcile the two. The same is true for the sayings in the
Book of Proverbs. So it is important to allow the Proverbs to stay
in their literary format as poetry while looking for a fresh insight to
fuel and guide your life.
I have been mining the Proverbs since I was a teenager. The
fact that there are thirty-one chapters in the Book of Proverbs
makes it easy to use as a daily devotional guide each month. To keep
it from becoming too familiar, switch translations every few months.
You just might be surprised at the impact such a practice will have
on your life.
JUST SAY YES

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is

in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, “Come
back later; I’ll give it tomorrow”—when you now have it
with you.

PROVERBS 3:27-28

Most of us aren’t as cold-hearted as Charles Dickens’s

Ebenezer Scrooge, who, when asked for a charitable gift, told the
collectors to let London’s poor people die and “decrease the sur-
plus population.” When someone asks us for something, we may
couch our response more diplomatically, but the answer is often the
same—no.
It’s usually easy to come up with ten reasons to say no without
even blinking. Our lives and our resources are stretched among pro-
fessional, personal, and spiritual responsibilities. We say no so often
that it becomes second nature: “I’m sorry, I can’t, but try me again
next week—maybe I’ll have more time.” When was the last time you
said yes?
Maybe a coworker is pulling extra hours trying to complete a
project by deadline. Sure, you have plenty of tasks to keep you busy,
but things aren’t as hectic for you now as they have been. If your col-
league asks for your help, your first impulse might be to find a polite
way to refuse and then use your extra time to take advantage of the
beautiful weather on the golf course.
Or maybe you’re driving to work and see a homeless person
shivering under a newspaper on the same park bench every morn-
ing. Your eyes meet as you’re stopped at the light, and you quickly
look away—just like every other morning. You try to put him out
of your mind or say to yourself that next month maybe you’ll try to
do something for the man, secretly hoping that by next month he’ll
have found a new post and your conscience won’t be pricked so un-
pleasantly.
We’re commanded to do good for our needy and deserving
neighbors—not with lip service and not tomorrow. We’re to act to-
day. So the next time you’re faced with a real, tangible need that you
can do something about, fight the impulse to say no. Say yes, and
make a difference in someone’s life.
SELECTIVE CONFRONTATION

Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.

PROVERBS 10:12

Accountability is a big deal in our society. It’s extremely benefi-

cial to have people in our lives who will come alongside us and call a
foul a foul, friends who are courageous enough to tell us when we’ve
done something wrong.
But there’s also a place for a someone to say, “I’m not going to
call you into account for every little thing. There will be times when
I will have to confront you, but there will be other times when, out
of love for you, I will simply cover for you.”
This is a common practice at home—if you called your spouse
into account for everything he or she did wrong, the confrontation
would never end. It’s not quite so common at work—but it should
be. “Above all,” writes the apostle Peter, “love each other deeply, be-
cause love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).
There are some issues in the workplace that must be dealt
with—for example, if someone is stealing from the company or vi-
olating the corporate code of ethics, confrontation is necessary. But
there are many other things that happen in the daily course of life—
things that we might call “wrongs”—that we simply let roll off our
backs. Let’s say we greet someone as we walk past him in the hall,
and we don’t get a response. We could get offended, or we could just
assume he’s having a bad day and let it go. Or maybe a meeting gets
heated and a coworker swears at us. We could get mad, or we could
chalk it up to frustration and ignore it.
In a work setting, the ability to not take offense at every little
thing makes a huge difference in our ability to get our work done
and to maintain productive relationships on the job. Some wrongs
need to be righted. But there also are some wrongs we need to for-
give, some wrongs we need to release, and other wrongs we just need
to forget.
Is there an offense at work that you need to release?
2,100 DAYS AND COUNTING

The fear of the LORD adds length to life,

but the years of the wicked are cut short.

PROVERBS 10:27

A good friend mentioned the other day that he makes it a

practice to keep track of how many days he has left here on the
earth. Scripture teaches us to number our days (Psalm 90:12), he
said, and having a number that he is counting down toward helps
him to remain focused on the task at hand. It also reminds him to
make every day count for Christ.
To begin, he looked at his family history, projected realistically
how long he might live, and started counting down the days. Had
he wanted to, he also could have visited various Web sites that allow
users to plug in data about themselves and then tell them how long
they have to live, statistically. Armed with that information, he could
have programmed his computer to announce the number of days he
has left when he turned it on every day.
This might sound a bit morbid, but the application is clear. We
might not go to the extreme of checking off our days on a chart, but
we do need to recognize our mortality. We need to acknowledge that
someday we will run our last lap. And with that in mind, we need to
embrace a lifestyle today that will allow us to be fulfilled and happy
when we cross the finish line of life.
That lifestyle, according to Proverbs 10:27, is one that gives
prominence to the fear of the Lord. This verse doesn’t mean that
if we love God and obey His commands, we’ll all live to be one
hundred years old. It does mean, however, that if we live in correct
union with Him, patterning our lives after the model set forth in
Scripture, we can expect to live fuller, richer lives.
Are you making the most of the days that you have left?
CORPORATE GOODNESS

When the righteous prosper; the city rejoices;

when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

PROVERBS 11:10

When righteous people embody the spirit of Christ in their

daily lives, they have a positive effect on their culture. Their influ-
ence is strong. Their presence is sweet.
It’s like a rescue team entering a dark cave full of terrified peo-
ple and turning on a bright flashlight. The impact is obvious. A
sense of relief replaces the fear. A sense of hope replaces the despair.
A sense of comfort replaces the confusion.
The same thing happens when truth shows up in the middle
of falsehood or when kindness shows up in the middle of mean-
ness. When you place a kindhearted person in a workplace full of
mean-spirited people, he might receive some abuse at first, but even-
tually his kindness starts to take effect. Good things start to happen.
Other people will become happier, easier to deal with, nicer.
Two scenarios are mentioned in Proverbs 11:10—when the
righteous prosper and when the wicked perish. Both events bring
joy to the city. It’s good news to the corporate whole when someone
who obviously has done wrong gets caught and is taken out of com-
mission. And it’s also cause for celebration when someone who real-
ly deserves some credit is rewarded or recognized.
When the rules are confusing and employees can’t really dis-
tinguish between right and wrong, good and bad, fair and unfair,
over time, that corporate culture will disintegrate. It might seem to
work for a while, but it’s difficult to maintain any sense of order or
accountability in that situation.
On the flip side, any community of workers will be much hap-
pier and more satisfied when the standard of right and wrong is
clear and enforced. When goodness is elevated in a workplace, it
brings a certain amount of liberation to the environment. When
wrong is judged and dealt with, it ushers in a certain amount of free-
dom.
What sort of environment are you fostering in your workplace?
Is it an environment where people rejoice when the righteous pros-
per? If not, what can you do to change it?
ALL HAT, NO CATTLE

Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant

than to pretend to be somebody and have no food.

PROVERBS 12:9

Every now and then, you meet someone who makes a really
good first impression on you, but when you get to know him better,
you realize that what you saw was just that—an impression. When
you start to scratch beneath the surface, you are disappointed to dis-
cover that he actually is a person of very little substance.
Then every once in a while, the situation is just the opposite.
You meet someone who makes a really good first impression on you.
You feel an immediate affinity. You want to spend time with him,
and the more time you spend together, the more depth, goodness,
and wisdom you uncover. The more you scratch beneath the surface,
the more substance you find.
Our society puts far more emphasis on a person’s surface ap-
pearance than on his or her depth of character. But this proverb
makes it clear that it’s better for us to be relatively unknown and
solid in whom we are than to look like a big shot with no inner sub-
stance. It emphasizes the importance of being somebody of signifi-
cance as opposed to just looking like somebody of significance.
This concept is probably more applicable in a work context
than it is in any other setting. As followers of Christ in the market-
place, we need to work hard to develop depth of character. We need
to sharpen our skills and continually upgrade our abilities so that
when we are called upon to do something, we actually have some-
thing to offer.
People of true substance don’t need their own personal PR de-
partments. They choose to leave the promotion up to God, because
they recognize that in His eyes, they will always be somebody of sig-
nificance.
Are you a person of substance, or are you “all hat and no cat-
tle”?
AN ARMY OF ONE

Plans fail for lack of counsel,

but with many advisers they succeed.

PROVERBS 15:22

“I can do it myself!”
Anyone who’s been around a three-year-old has heard this em-
phatic utterance more than once—or some variation of it, such as,
“No help! My do it!” We smile patiently and let the child struggle
through the task he or she is trying to accomplish.
Some of us don’t change much in that respect as we get old-
er. Independent to the core, we loathe group projects in school and
prefer to function as a unit of one in our careers. But Scripture says
this is a bad idea and lets us know that we’re setting ourselves up for
trouble.
Why don’t we ask others for their input when we know theo-
retically that we should and that there are trustworthy people who
would be glad to help? The list of answers is long. We may fear that
asking for help makes us seem incapable. Or we want to take all
the credit for any success that comes of our plans. We may be in a
crunch and simply don’t have time for long discussions about the
best course of action. If we’re engaged in projects that are particular-
ly close to our hearts, we may fear criticism of our plans that reflects
back on our abilities. Often, especially in our individualistic society,
we charge ahead on our own simply because we can. We’re in posi-
tions of autonomy that don’t require us to seek guidance.
A far better way, however, is to gather trusted advisers and let
their insights benefit our plans. Even the wisest person is prone to
errors of judgment. Even if our plans aren’t fundamentally flawed,
another person’s experience and viewpoint can enhance our strat-
egies to make them even more effective. Not only is success much
more likely, the experience of relying on others for advice keeps us
humble and fosters a healthy environment of cooperation.
So the next time your inner child says, “I can do it myself,” lis-
ten instead to your grown-up self that says you need some help. The
child in you may pout, but in the meantime you’ll be on your way to
success.
FORMULA FOR SUCCESS

Commit to the LORD whatever you do,

and your plans will succeed.

PROVERBS 16:3

It’s not a money-back guarantee, but the general principle

spelled out in this verse is one that we would all do well to practice.
So many times when we’re working on a big project—an ex-
pansion of our business, a new joint venture, the development of
a revolutionary product, etc.—we get so caught up in projections,
schedules, and strategies that we fail to consider what God thinks
of what we’re doing. We forget to consult Him every step along the
way; instead, we wait until something begins to go wrong to seek
His guidance and His blessing.
That’s not the approach we need to take if we want our plans
to succeed, however. As this verse indicates, we need to commit ev-
ery plan—whether it be as significant as a career change or as seem-
ingly minor as when we take our next vacation—to the Lord, not in
the middle of it or when we’re almost done, but before we start.
The Hebrew word translated “commit” offers a vivid word pic-
ture of how we should handle our plans. The word actually means
“roll,” which indicates we should “roll over” our plans to the Lord
(see also Psalm 37:5). If we roll them over to Him, the implication is
that we are giving up the control. That might not appeal to the mi-
cromanagers among us, but it’s actually a rather comforting thought.
You see, once our plans are in the safe hands of God, they are far
less burdensome to us. If God wants them to succeed, they will; if
He doesn’t, they won’t.
Either way, we no longer have to worry about it. We just have
to work hard, strive to make wise decisions, and, above all, make
sure that we aren’t trying to roll our plans back over into our laps.
“Be satisfied with His management of your concerns,” writes one
commentator. “Let your heart habitually turn to the throne of grace;
so that in a crisis of trouble instant faith, instant—perhaps speech-
less—prayer, may bring instant composure and courage.”10
Are you the project manager of your life, or have you rolled
that responsibility over to God?
THE BEST-LAID PLANS

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD

determines his steps.... The lot is cast into the lap, but its
every decision is from the LORD.

PROVERBS 16:9, 33

Preparation is a crucial element of any successful business en-

deavor. Whether we’re getting ready for a big presentation to a po-
tential client, a major renovation of our office space, a meeting with
a key investor, or the final phase of an important project, we do our
best to cross every “t” and dot every “i”.
We put together the most highly qualified team. We do the
research. We lay the groundwork. We even commit the project or
meeting to the Lord and ask Him to grant us success.
We do everything we know to do. But sometimes, things
don’t turn out quite like we hoped or expected. The potential cli-
ent chooses another company to represent her. The office renova-
tion takes five months longer than scheduled. The investor pulls his
funding. The final phase of the project turns into a logistical night-
mare.
As the saying goes, even the best-laid plans go awry. But as
frustrating, even as devastating, as this might be, it shouldn’t sur-
prise us. It’s certainly not a new phenomenon. The writer of Prov-
erbs was well aware that life often seems like a game of chance. As
the New Living Translation so eloquently puts Proverbs 16:33, “We
may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall.”
This thought can be very unsettling, especially for those of us
who like to be in control of our lives down to the very last detail.
But it also can be a source of great comfort to know that what we
sometimes mistake for chance is actually divine orchestration. God
knows the outcome long before we do. He sees the big picture. He’s
in control. So when things don’t go our way, even after days, months,
or even years of preparation, we can rest in the knowledge that God
is still at work.
Such rest isn’t easy, of course. It takes faith. It takes trust. It re-
quires us to loosen our grip on the steering wheel. But in the end, it
makes it much easier to accept the outcome, whatever it may be.
DON’T CUT CORNERS

One who is slack in his work

is brother to one who destroys.

PROVERBS 18:9

Are you a diligent worker, or do you tend to be a slacker? Do

you complete every task to the best of your ability, or do you rush
through your assignments, doing just enough to get by?
We might think that slacking off occasionally is perfectly
harmless; after all, we all get a little lazy every now and then, don’t
we? Maybe so, but that doesn’t make it right. According to this prov-
erb, in fact, shoddy work is actually destructive. Here’s how one Bi-
ble scholar describes it: “Lazy people look for short cuts; they don’t
use the level and square as often as they should and don’t tighten
bolts as much as they should. The end product is not only inferi-
or but potentially dangerous; think of a car with faulty brakes or a
house with inferior wiring.”12
That puts it in a whole different light, doesn’t it? We could
easily expand the list: Think of a badly designed bridge, a carelessly
done surgical procedure, or a flaw in a pharmaceutical formula.
The shortcuts we take at work might not lead to an automobile
accident, a raging house fire, or other kind of tragedy, but they can
still have a negative effect. As far as the bottom line is concerned,
cutting corners in a proposal might make our company miss out on
a potential sale, and shoddy work on a project could lead an existing
client to take his business elsewhere. From a relational standpoint,
when we fail to carry our load, we’re usually creating more work for
someone else, which usually doesn’t do much for our relationships at
work.
How much time do you spend hanging around other people’s
work areas, lingering by the snack machine, or doing non-work-re-
lated things at your desk? Do your answers indicate that you might
be a slacker? If so, make it a point to be more focused at work. Pay
attention to the details. Measure twice; cut once. Reread the direc-
tions. Be conscientious.
In other words, make Ecclesiastes 9:10 your motto: “Whatever
your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.”
TWO SIDES

The first to present his case seems right,

till another comes forward and questions him.

PROVERBS 18:17

There are two sides to every story.

It’s an unspoken motto of every wise parent, every discerning
judge, every smart teacher, and every diligent boss. There’s no way
to accurately assess a fight between siblings, a difficult court case, a
squabble among classmates, or a conflict between coworkers without
hearing from all the parties involved. Each person tries to present
his case in the best possible light; it’s only as all sides are heard that
the inconsistencies are revealed and the truth begins to emerge.
We may not be in a position to hear cases or settle disputes at
work, but if we practice the principle spelled out in this verse, we
could save ourselves a lot of grief and stress. How many times do we
jump to conclusions about something our companies, our bosses, or
coworkers are doing without finding out all the facts first? We might
hear that the CEO has been meeting with all the department heads,
and the next thing we know, the rumor mill is grinding out specula-
tion about an impending layoff.
When that happens, we have two choices: We can start losing
sleep over the fact that our job might be in jeopardy, or we can ask
our boss what’s really going on. The truth may hurt, but at least we’ll
know it’s the truth.
On a more personal level, think about what would happen if
one coworker told you that another coworker—one whom you like
and respect—had been critical of your work. Your first reaction
might be to get angry and start gossiping about the other person,
but if you follow the advice in this verse, you’d check your anger and
find out the rest of the story. It may well be that the coworker you
trust actually did say something about you, but your other coworker
may have taken it completely out of context.
Are you willing to reserve judgment until you have heard all
sides? If not, you’re setting yourself up to be misinformed, perhaps
even deceived.
STYLE VERSUS SUBSTANCE

It is not good to have zeal without knowledge.

PROVERBS 19:2

According to Aristotle, people who want to be persuasive but

don’t really have anything to say simply speak louder. That makes
us chuckle, but we only chuckle because we know it’s true. Ours is a
world of loud talkers—salesmen who promise one thing but deliver
another, companies that offer great jobs to prospective employees
but fail to follow through, and people who project one image on a
resume but fail to live up to the picture they paint of themselves.
Our culture platforms the extroverted, Type A, charismatic
types, but many times, those people are all style and no substance.
They can talk a good line and make others laugh, but when it comes
down to getting things done, they’re practically useless.
Proverbs 19:2 reveals that the most effective persuader is a per-
son who has enthusiasm plus content. Rather than being a bunch of
hot air, he or she is someone with passion and energy that is woven
around a core of substance and knowledge. As a matter of fact, that’s
also a really good formula for business success. A company with
good intellectual property and a capable sales and marketing engine
is a company that probably will fare very well.
Enthusiasm by itself doesn’t get the job done. It only takes
emotional hype to have zeal, but it takes energy, hard work, and
time to build a base of knowledge. Zeal will carry you along for a
ways, and, for a short time, it might even seem more impressive. But
if you want long-term results and long-term success, there’s no sub-
stitute for knowledge. In order to excel at work, we need substance
first. Any style that comes along later is just the icing on the cake.
Do you deliver what you promise, or are you all hype and no
substance?
OUR WORK MATTERS TO GOD

Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before

kings; he will not serve before obscure men.

PROVERBS 22:29

Although slick talk and big promises might turn heads at first,
the best way to impress an employer is to do a good job. If we hone
our skills and take great care to complete every project to the best of
our abilities, there’s a good chance we’ll be noticed—by the boss, the
division president, or the CEO. And if we’re really good at what we
do, we might even be called to serve outside our company or even
our industry.
Although such recognition is rewarding, it should not be the
driving force behind us as we develop our abilities, however. No
matter what we do, whether it’s driving a bus, teaching kindergarten,
running a small business, designing bridges, or operating a manufac-
turing plant, we need to demonstrate skill in our work because our
work is important to God. He gave us the gifts and talents we use
every day, and when we perfect them and use them diligently, He is
honored.
It’s a thought that can revolutionize our work lives. If we view
the completion of every assignment, every project, and every task as
an act of worship to God, we will be much more likely to give it our
best. We will be much more likely to treat the people we’re work-
ing with on the project with respect and consideration. And we will
be much more likely to give Him the glory when the assignment is
done, rather than accepting all the credit for ourselves.
One of the best ways to show coworkers and employers that
we are followers of Jesus is by excelling in our work. They might not
realize it at first, but when they start asking why we’re so diligent,
why we care so much about what we’re doing, or why we refuse to
cut corners, we have an open door to share our faith with them.
What are you doing to develop your skills to their fullest po-
tential? What is your motivation? Are you doing it because you
want to go places and be somebody, or are you doing it because you
want to glorify God in your work?
PUT YOUR HORN AWAY

Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;

someone else, and not your own lips.

PROVERBS 27:2

Praise is a wonderful thing. It can lift us up when we’re dis-

couraged. It can motivate us when we’re struggling. It can make us
feel loved, valuable, and respected. But to do all that, praise must
come from someone else. When it comes from within, it’s really just
pride.
Few things are more unattractive than a person who toots his
own horn. We all know people like this—whenever they accomplish
something, we fear they might break their arms patting themselves
on the back. But self-praise often is much more subtle than that. It
doesn’t just involve saying things such as, “Boy, didn’t I do a good job
with this?” or “Can you believe I thought of that?” It also manifests
itself in sly references to whom we know, where we’ve been, or what
we have.
When was the last time you dropped a name or two in a staff
meeting? Were you trying to build yourself up—to praise your-
self—by letting your coworkers know about the elite circles that you
run in? When you’re standing around the water cooler talking about
your recent vacation, are you sure to mention the number of stars
your hotel had or the fact that you spent four hundred dollars on a
meal for you and your spouse? What did you hope to accomplish by
revealing those facts?
Think about your motives before you spout off such informa-
tion. And do the same before you toot your own horn. Don’t put
yourself in the spotlight; instead, focus on complimenting others. If
your work is worthy of commendation, it will be noticed eventual-
ly. And when the praise comes from someone else, it’s much, much
sweeter.
VISIONARY LEADERSHIP

Where there is no vision, the people perish.

PROVERBS 29:18 (KJV)

Vision is the ability to see something bigger than the current

reality. It’s being able to peer around the corner, onto the next page
or chapter, or down the road a few miles and see what could be, rath-
er than what is.
Before we delve into a discussion about vision, a disclaimer is
in order. When properly translated, Proverbs 29:18 actually does
not refer to “one’s ability to formulate goals and work toward them,
nor does it mean eyesight or the ability to understand.”17 Rather, “it
is a synonym for what a prophet does,”18 which makes the New In-
ternational Version’s rendition—“Where there is no revelation, the
people cast off restraint”—much more accurate than the wording in
the King James Version.
That said, there’s no disputing the fact that vision—the ability
to see that today’s reality is not the end of the story—is a very bib-
lical component of life. It drove the Old Testament patriarchs and
prophets as well as the New Testament disciples.
It was vision that helped the people of Israel move from Egypt
to the Promised Land. It was vision that helped David slay Goli-
ath. It was vision that helped the prophets proclaim their message
of hope to the very end. It was vision that propelled the disciples to
leave their nets and tax bags to follow Jesus. It was vision that drove
the early church planters to spread the gospel across the globe.
From a business standpoint, vision is what sends an organiza-
tion toward the future in an integrated way. Vision is a key part of
leadership because people often need to see a compelling picture of
what they’re working toward before they can do their best work. If
the leader of an organization doesn’t supply a vision, the people will
often come up with their own. This can result in competing visions,
which leads to competing agendas. And when there are competing
agendas, people will be at odds with each other about where they’re
going. Any way you look at it, it’s not a pretty picture.
Are you in a position that requires you to provide visionary
leadership? Are you taking that responsibility seriously, or are you
waiting for someone else to do it? If the latter scenario is true, per-
haps you need to reread Proverbs 29:18. You don’t really want your
people to “perish,” do you?
OTHER BOOKS BY STEVE

“Helping Leaders Flourish in their Life and Work”

LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATIONAL SOCIAL PRACTICAL LEADERSHIP

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY INNOVATION FAITH DEVELOPMENT
MANAGING ME STRATEGY 3.0 THE BUSINESS OF GENEROSITY FLOURISHING THE HERO LEADER

MANAGING ME STRATEGY 3.0 THE BUSINESS OF FLOURISHING THE HERO

MANAGING ME

STRATEGY 3.0

THE BUSINESS OF GENEROSITY

FLOURISHING

THE HERO LEADER

THE GREAT LEADERS are the sustainable ones. Many leaders run T HE OL D S AY ING, “Plan the work, then work the plan” simply G E N E R O S I TY I S B I G business in the 21st century. Walk down M O S T O F U S are surviving life. We get by. We may be tired, bored
themselves dry managing everyone except themselves, but leaders doesn’t cut it for modern businesses. Why? Because every industry any retail aisle and see product labels boast of the social good and frustrated, but we’re making it. We get up each morning, put

GENEROSITY LEADER
who will be successful over the long haul have identified the critical is driven
WHYbySOME
disruptions,
LEADERScompetition is no longer evident, and
BUILD A REMARKABLE your purchase
A GUIDE will
FOR accomplish. Skim MILLENNIALS,
ENTREPRENEURS, the list of university keynote one foot in front of the other and push ourselves through another WHY SOME PEOPLE THRIVE WHILE
choices that avert oncoming personal disaster before it’s too late. predictability
LEGACY is no
ANDlonger linear.
OTHERS We need
SADLY a different framework to
CRUMBLE speakers5-YEAR
FRUSTRATED and seePLANNERS
as many social
ANDentrepreneurs
ANYONE ELSE as SEARCHING
politicians. Listen day, another week, another year. Somewhere, though, in the back OTHERS JUST SURVIVE
You need to manage yourself, whether you’re teetering on the edge consider strategy. to nonprofits
FOR FAST,talk and you’llAND
FOCUSED, hearAGILE
aboutSTRATEGY.
financial sustainability. of our minds, in the depths of our hearts, we know this can’t be all
of collapse right now or simply looking to ensure that when you And just count the number of new companies whose central that life has to offer. We were created for more. But what?
HOW COMPANIES, NONPROFITS, AND CHURCHES ARE WORKING WHY EFFECTIVE LEADERS COMBINE
get to the end, you’ll look back with satisfaction. In Managing Me, S T RAT E GIC PL A NNING HA S traditionally been a matter of casting offering is attached to the concept of generosity. Everyone is
TOGETHER TO DELIVER REMARKABLE GOOD STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
author and executive coach Stephen Graves identifies the six key a vision 3-5 years out and then working backwards to create action looking for a multiple bottom line. I N H I S LATE S T book, Flourishing, author and executive coach
choices that all leaders must make to ensure a flourishing and steps. In Strategy 3.0, business owner and executive coach Stephen Stephen Graves answers that question with an offer of hope. Not
no-regrets life. Offering wisdom from over three decades with Graves explores a new kind of strategy – one that is agile and S TE V E I S D E D I C ATE D to drive conversations, hope for wealth, or fame, or ease, but hope for the abundant,
leaders, Steve teaches you how to manage yourself. adaptive yet fast and focused. uncover insights, and publish around four rich themes: flourishing life God created you to enjoy—a thriving life, filled
Leadership Development, Social Innovation, Practical Faith, with meaning, satisfaction and shalom.
STEVE IS DEDICATED to drive conversations, S T E V E IS DE DICAT E D to drive conversations, and Organizational Strategy. The Business of Generosity is part of
uncover insights, and publish around four rich themes: uncover insights, and publish around four rich themes: the Leadership Development series. S TE V E I S D E D I C ATE D to drive conversations,
Leadership Development, Social Innovation, Practical Faith, Leadership Development, Social Innovation, Practical uncover insights, and publish around four rich themes:
and Organizational Strategy. Managing Me is part of the Faith, and Organizational Strategy. Strategy 3.0 is part of the Leadership Development, Social Innovation, Practical Faith,
Leadership Development series. Leadership Development series. and Organizational Strategy. Flourishing is part of the Leadership
Development series.
Dr. Stephen R. Graves

Dr. Stephen R. Graves

Dr. Stephen R. Graves

Dr. Stephen R. Graves

Dr. Stephen R. Graves

LEADERSHIP SOCIAL PRACTICAL ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP SOCIAL PRACTICAL ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP SOCIAL PRACTICAL ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP SOCIAL PRACTICAL ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP SOCIAL PRACTICAL ORGANIZATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT INNOVATION FAITH STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT INNOVATION FAITH STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT INNOVATION FAITH STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT INNOVATION FAITH STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT INNOVATION FAITH STRATEGY

[Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link]

@stevenrgraves @stevenrgraves @stevenrgraves @stevenrgraves @stevenrgraves

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Discover these books and more at [Link]

THE BUSINESS OF GENEROSITY
How Companies, Nonprofits, and Churches are
Working Together to Deliver Remarkable Good
A Social Innovation Book

In The Business of Generosity you will:

• Learn what is driving young entrepreneurs to move beyond the
single bottom line
• Develop a framework for leading your company to stay profitable,
do good and remain true to your mission all in harmony
• Discover how churches, business and communities are working
together to deliver remarkable good
• Construct language to articulate the “why” of what you do
• Become more intentional and strategic with the giving you do as a
business and as an individual
MANAGING ME
Why Some Leaders Build a Remarkable
Legacy and Others Sadly Crumble

A Leadership Development Book

In Managing Me you will:

• Better understand why self-leadership is so hard
• Marry the ambition of leading your company and leading yourself
• Be introduced to a model of sustainable leadership
• Identify the critical gauges that steer your life and work progress
• Create a filter to help sort the things that matter most
STRATEGY 3.0
A Guide for Entrepreneurs, Millennials,
Frustrated 5-year Planners and Anyone Else
Searching for Fast, Focused, and Agile Strategy

An Organizational Strategy Book

In Strategy 3.0 you will:

• Learn why operating in old frameworks from an outdated per-
spective is such a costly mistake for leaders
• Improve your ability to pivot and take advantage of market op-
portunities
• Set your next company horizon and feel confident about reaching it
• Encounter the fifteen critical terms and phrases that have become
the working vocabulary of fast yet adaptive strategy
• Develop and refine an eye that can extract the insights that are the
foundation of all effective strategy
FLOURISHING
Why Some People Thrive and Others Just Survive

A Practical Faith Book

In Flourishing you will:

• Learn how to balance the competing demands of life and work
• Unearth eight insights that anchor those who flourish most
• Discover the kind of life you were designed to enjoy
• See the value of slowing down (and what to actually do when you
slow down)
• Identify your true voice—the sound that your life makes when
operating in its strike zone
THE HERO LEADER
Why Effective Leaders Combine
Strengths and Weaknesses

A Leadership Development Book

In The Hero Leader you will:

• Understand the seven collective skill sets that all great leaders and
managers develop
• Learn how to become a legacy leader that others love to follow
• Pinpoint what your team needs to develop and to lift their leader-
ship horizon
• See the opposite side of your core strengths and what the dangers
are of ignoring those weaknesses
• Consider how to staff in light of your personal skill set
ABOUT STEVE

Steve is the founder of Coaching by Cornerstone, where he ad-

vises executives, business owners, and young entrepreneurs. When
he isn’t working his day job (or fishing), Steve writes and speaks of-
ten on topics related to strategy, work, and faith. After publishing
the Life@Work Magazine some years ago, Steve recently launched
a new writing and publishing venture, [Link]. Through
this venture, Steve is helping to stage conversations and create con-
tent around four life passions: Organizational Strategy, Social Inno-
vation, Leadership Development, and Practical Faith. To learn more,
check out his weekly blog and look for the next book coming out
soon.

Dr. Stephen R. Graves,

Executive Coach & Author