LEAD August 2021 | Page 57

“ Sharing that burden with someone is key . Having a partner you can turn to and just be honest with changes the way you approach business .”
denying the power of community and the fact that God intended us to work together .
This is not to mention the fact that Jesus , the Son of God , surrounded himself with twelve disciples . He wasn ’ t a lone missionary wandering from town to town . He was in a group , both helping and being helped , working with others toward the common goal of bringing the Good News to the world . It ’ s a cliché that one plus one equals three , but it often does when it comes to partnering with great people .
And while partnership in general is powerful , the shared faith and shared mission that Faith Driven Entrepreneurs can have with their business partners brings out even more from this dynamic . A healthy partnership founded on shared faith and shared mission can be a model for the rest of the employees , partners , vendors , and customers of what it means to work together as a team . to make tough decisions about staying on mission , even when such a decision may hurt the bottom line , you will be grateful to have a partner who shares your priorities and values . Not only that , but you ’ ll be grateful to have someone there with you as you process decisions together .
This is how culture is formed . It ’ s how your employees come to work with a sense of security , knowing that the leaders of the company are on the same page , working toward the same goals .
“ Sharing that burden with someone is key . Having a partner you can turn to and just be honest with changes the way you approach business .”
This brings up the idea of a “ united front ,” which is something that comes up in a lot of parenting books . The idea is that parents want their children to see them as a unit , as two people who are on the same page . In a way , the same principle applies to business partners .
While I ’ m not suggesting that you require everyone on your staff or senior management team to share your faith , having a business partner who is “ equally yoked ” ( see 2 Corinthians 6:14 ) with you in terms of faith and mission is invaluable . When it ’ s necessary
And lastly , while we ’ re on the philosophical side of the idea of partnership , having a great business partner is a key part of being able to fully experience the joy of entrepreneurship . It ’ s possible to have joy as a sole proprietor , but the value of shared experience cannot be overstated . There ’ s infinitely more joy that can be had by going through the jungle , through the desert , through battle with somebody else by your side .
If you ’ re married , you may already get to experience that with your spouse . When it
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