Episode 11
- Entrepreneur must be watchful of all things under his/her care. (The Faithful Servant - Matt. 24:42-51; Mark 13:34-37; Luke 12:35-48) In the modern workplace context, the entrepreneur-manager (e.g. Managing Director) has a duty and responsibility to be accountable to the stakeholder(s) and all things under him / her. He / she constantly must stay alert in managing the delegated resources. Complacency has no place there. Develop the attitude of servant leader who looks after the welfare of those under him / her in a harmonious working environment in order to keep the organization ready to handle any eventuality. The diligent steward’s role will be a very rewarding and satisfying one. When problematic situation occurs that is both unexpected ad unplanned for, severe punishment will be meted out to those who care for only their own interests.
- Entrepreneur should be influential in discipling and developing deserving employees. (The Parable of the Sower - Matt. 13:3-9; Mark 4:3-9; Luke 8:5-8) Just like the farmer, the earned authority of Christian entrepreneur sows the Word of God in whatever circumstances that present themselves. Be influential and provide encouragement to others in times of emotional and spiritual needs. Trust that the Word will land on ready fertile ground for germination. The Christian entrepreneur must stay faithful and never give up despite being ridiculed at times. Be effective and discerning at the kairos time.
- Entrepreneur is to practice giving a second chance to low-performing subordinates with patience. (The Parable of Shrewd Manager - Luke 16:1-13) The entrepreneur will encounter subordinates from time to time in any workplace whose performance is not acceptable. There may be many reasons behind this. Through some good counselling or training, the entrepreneur should provide a second chance for such subordinates to improve. The servant-manager in this parable has proven he still can perform his role though he shrewdly offered some concessions with the Master’s debtors. Besides trying to save his own job, he also did some minimal negotiation to retrieve some of his Master’s outstanding debts. Giving a pat on the shoulder of the subordinate manager will encourage him to improve his performance and stay loyal to the Master. There is no perfection in the sinful nature of the human mind and soul. Managing humanity is always a struggle. By wisdom, entrepreneurs are constantly on the lookout for good stewards. If someone is faithful in a small amount, he / she will be entrusted with more, and if he / she is dishonest in the small things then he / she will be considered untrustworthy in the bigger things. Through this second chance opportunity, the subordinate manager must recognize the mercy of the employer who allows him to improve and stay faithful to do a better job. Patience pays off sometimes.
- Entrepreneur must shower kindness and care. (The Parable of Unforgiven Servant - Matt 18:23-35) In the recent financial and pandemic crisis, he / she must reciprocate what was received from the government financial aid package. He / she can share some of these to those employees who have suffered more. Shower grace and mercy onto the deeply distressed to reflect the higher authority which has passed down this grace and mercy.
- Entrepreneur to show the appreciation that is due. (The Master and Servant - Luke 17:7-10) He / she must not take advantage of employees’ poor standing status. He / she needs to refrain from the “I am the Master” mentality, such as finding fault with others while already having committed the same mistake. Good employees should be treated as the greatest asset to the entrepreneur. They are the company’s hands in keeping company’s production running to churn out services and/or products for the company’s good profit of the company. Some employees may go the extra miles beyond their duties in taking care of the company as though it were their own. They are loyal and running extra miles is their joy to serve, while getting job satisfaction. Rewarding the diligent employees in monetary terms could never be enough other than sincerity of appreciation. Not all employees are looking for monetary rewards as their main motivation is to perform well in the organisation. They look for fairness and appreciation in a “well done my good and faithful servant” compliment. The rest of rewards will come secondary importance.
- Entrepreneurs must be acumen and discerning when engaging in any enterprise venture. (Counting the Cost - Luke 14:28-33) Managing financial resources in an entrepreneurship is of utmost importance. In all fairness, money is needed and must be managed well in any business. Assessment of a business venture must be looked at in all angles to avoid any possibilities of “things going wrong”. It will be foolish to jump into a business venture before any diligent assessment is done. With the complexities in market competition, environmental changes and uncertainties of world events, conducting a business without a diligent assessment could amount to committing business suicide by wasting the company’s hard-earned money.
- Entrepreneur must not turn greedy in prosperous times. (The Rich Fool - Luke 12:16-21) When a business is growing and profitable, he / she must not become greedy and searching for self-gratification. Instead they must be grateful, and remember those productive employees who worked diligently to increase the profitability of the company. By sharing some wealth gains with those deserving employees. As a proverb from Mark 8:36, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” Practicing the Law of Gleaning is one way to show generosity to the employees. Managing excess wealth gain wisely and prudently will give the company a longer run of sustainability.
and finally,
- Entrepreneur must have faith if it is a truly entrepreneurial calling. (The Parable of Mustard Seed - Matt. 13:31-32; Mark 4:30-32; Luke 13:18-19) Faith inspires and motivates one to act. Faith is contagious and not a gamble. It is the first step in a long journey before any eminent achievement results. However, growing in faith allows him/her to serve God in many ways in the marketplace. There is much to be done between an epiphany and triumph. William Carey (1761 – 1834) had great faith in God when he sensed the calling of God to serve in India as its first missionary, and said, “Expect great things from God. Attempt greater things for God.” He was just a cobbler in England, and when he landed in Calcutta as a stranger, he had no friends, or relatives there. But he trusted God to provide in his missional calling.
From the dozen parables spoken above by Jesus, the true Entrepreneur Master is represented by various titles like “The Landowner” (Matt.21:33-41), “The Rich Man” (Matt. 21:28-32), “The King” (Matt. 18:23-35), “The Nobel Man” (Luke 19:12-27), “The Farmer” (Luke 8:5-8) who has direct Lordship over all others. The overall emphasis of these Biblical management traits is on recognising God as the overall Entrepreneur Master who lords over all things including His servant entrepreneurs and managers. This profound spirituality of the Christ-centric position breaks the egoistic entrepreneur’s or manager’s status or position-conscious mentality of “I am
the boss in-charge here”. Every earthly entrepreneur or manager will be accountable to the Entrepreneur Master of all.
Discussion Questions
- What is your take on the overall parables spoken by Jesus?
- Which particular parable that impresses you most in your current business setting? How and why?
- What are some other impressions that bring good value to your present enterprise organization?
