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Defining Your Non-Negotiables
April 25, 2024
Brent Monogue
Director of Strategic Engagement
"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 22:36-40 (ESV)
I find this familiar passage to be very powerful words for us as leaders. Not just because Jesus creates such great clarity for us as disciples, but because it illuminates a critical leadership principle. Jesus says that the entire Law hangs on these two simple truths — love the Lord and love others. If a disciple does these two things, then everything else falls into place. Think about it, if I truly love God and others, then being obedient to the remainder of the commandments (do not murder, do not lie, do not covet, etc.) becomes simple.
Jesus is saying these two behaviors are the non-negotiable behaviors for disciples.
Let me ask you, what are the non-negotiable behaviors in your organization? Have you defined them, and clarified them the way Jesus has?
Let me offer three potential non-negotiables your team could adopt:
- Integrity. It sounds so simple, but if we live with integrity as a team and as a company then nothing else matters. We also realized that if we live without integrity as a team and as a company, then nothing else matters.
- Service. At Integrus we intentionally identify everyone we serve as “partners”, not clients or customers. We aim to partner with everyone we serve, aligning ourselves to their mission, needs, and desires. Our goal is their success, not ours.
- Stewardship. Like most organizations, we are detailed and disciplined in the way we steward our money. However, we also desire to be as intentional with the way we steward the time and talents of our people. Our desire is to see every team member functioning at their “highest and best” which means we aim to have the right people, doing the right things, at the right time, with the right resources, and with the right relationships.
I hope these examples are helpful to you as you start to explore the non-negotiables of your team and your mission.
Our heart is to see you thrive and to support you in every possible way. That's why we've created a free tool for you and your team to use when defining your non-negotiables. Download your free copy here.
I'd love to hear your feedback on this blog post. Email me, or even better, use the link in the sidebar to schedule a free coaching session.
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