Yet I Will Rejoice

July 31, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Faith And Family , , , , , , 1 Comment

Scripture

Habakkuk 3:17-18 “Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls — yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

Observation

In this passage, the prophet Habakkuk declares his heart-filled faith in God regardless of the circumstances surrounding him.  Even when the situation seems bleak and desperate: no blossoms on the fig tree or fruit on the vines; no food from the fields and no herd in the stalls, Habakkuk states that he will rejoice in the Lord and take joy in the God of his salvation.

Application

It does not matter if the circumstances surrounding me are really good or really bad, the Lord of my salvation is always good! No matter what, God is the all powerful, all sufficient, great El Shaddai and He is my loving heavenly Father. Through successes, trials, and tribulations, I know my heavenly Father is Lord of the mountaintop and Lord of the valley. Proverbs 18:10 says that, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe”; therefore, whenever I am in the valley of life and the situation looks bleak, I run to the Lord and find safety in His unconditional love, grace, and mercy. Because the Lord promises in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that His grace is sufficient for me and His strength is made perfect in weakness, I will rejoice in the Lord and take joy in the God of my salvation – even in the midst of personal sorrows and sufferings.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I praise You for You are Jehovah Shammah, The Lord Is There! I thank You Lord for always being there with me and promising to never leave me nor forsake me.  You are my strength when I am weak and my fortress when I am afraid. I love You Jesus! Amen!

Yet I Will Rejoice Copyright 2010, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint the personal devotion, Yet I Will Rejoice, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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The Make It Happen Moment ® Begin Again

July 23, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede The Make It Happen Moment ® , , , Leave a comment

Blue Angels

Image via Wikipedia

Quote:  “God uses people who fail because there are no other kind around!” – An old saying quoted by John Maxwell

In the movie Top Gun, Maverick, in his pursuit of the elite Top Gun status suffered the terrible loss of his co-pilot and best friend, Goose, while engaged in an aggressive combat training exercise.  With pride and arrogance driving him to shoot down the enemy, he pushed the limits and encountered the backwash turbulence of a heated dogfight.  Maverick lost control of his jet causing he and Goose to eject from the spiraling out-of-control plane.  Sadly, Goose was killed upon the ejection.  Because Maverick was the pilot navigating the plane, he felt the sting of personal failure in his leadership ability to make better decisions in the heat of battle.  The experience significantly challenged him as a person, fighter pilot, and leader, almost causing him to quit and give up on graduating among the “best of the best” at Top Gun Naval Fighter Pilot School.

Isn’t it something how failure has such a powerful way of humbling the best of the best and teaching the proud in heart the painful life lesson found in Bible Proverbs – “pride comes before a fall?”  However, with God’s grace and mercy, it is comforting to know that failure is not fatal and pride is defeated with humility.  Henry Ford stated that “failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.”  It’s evident that Mr. Ford discovered through his own failures that great leaders are compelled to learn from their failure, receive the discipline it offers, and try again with more wisdom and humility.

With the encouragement, advice, and support of his commanding officer, highly decorated and experienced in warfare, Maverick answered the call to get back in the cockpit and return to battle.  But this time, in the midst of dangerous combat, his disciplined learning empowered him to remain in strategic position patiently waiting for the opportune moment to successfully defeat the enemy and experience the thrill of team victory.  The lesson we can take away from Maverick’s story is that although failure stings, we should never let it steal our victory, future, and hope.  Instead, we must learn from our failures with a spirit of wisdom and get back up with a spirit of humility so that our greatest failures can actually become the catalyst for our greatest victories!

The Make It Happen Risk-Taking Value: “Make It Happen” People Take Calculated Risks In The Pursuit Of Excellence!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

The Make It Happen Moment ® Editorial Team

The Make It Happen Moment ® Begin Again Copyright 2005, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Begin Again, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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No Fear

July 22, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Faith And Family , , 1 Comment

Scripture

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Observation

In this passage, Paul is writing to encourage Timothy and build up his faith as he leads the church at Ephesus. He exhorts Timothy to stir up the gift of God that is in him [the free gift of the Holy Spirit] by the laying on of his hands and emphasizes to him that God does not give us a spirit of fear.  Instead, God gives us His Spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind which overcomes any fear from the enemy and empowers us to walk in peace as bold witnesses of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to the world around us.

Application

As a believer, there will be times when the devil will attack us in our minds with the only weapon he has – fear – because he knows that he can rob, steal, and kill everything that God has for us if we live in fear rather than faith.  When this happens, we must recognize that any such spirit of fear is not of God because God gives us His Spirit of power, love, and sound mind which overcomes any spirit of fear cast toward us by the enemy. 1 John 4:4-5 states, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” We can overcome fear because the Holy Spirit lives in us and He is greater than any illegal trespass of fear by the enemy.  Plus, the simple truth is that fear has no chance at all with us because the Lord loves each of us perfectly and 1 john 4:18 states that perfect love casts out fear.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your perfect unconditional love for me which casts out all fear. Because You are Jehovah Shalom, the Lord Our Peace, I am thankful to walk in Your peace, peace not as the world can give, but peace that only You can give as my Lord and Savior.  I love You Jesus! Amen!

No Fear Copyright 2010, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint the personal devotion, No Fear, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

Be Encouraged To Pray In The Marketplace

July 17, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede See You At The Office , , , , 1 Comment

See You At The Office

In July of 2011, I had the distinct privilege and honor to launch the inaugural year of the annual See You At The Office marketplace prayer campaign.  For 5 days during the week of July 14th, I prayed and fasted for God’s sovereign hand to move upon marketplace leaders so that we might have Holy Spirit boldness and courage to be the salt and light of the kingdom of God in the marketplace.  Additionally, I had the awesome privilege of praying with several marketplace leaders during this week for our nation, our companies, and our team members.

While the inaugural year of the See You At The Office marketplace prayer movement was a seemingly insignificant event on the stage of national and world affairs, I know that the Bible says in James 5:16 (NLT) that “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results”; therefore, what may seem like insignificant little prayers can actually produce huge and powerful results in the kingdom of God because God hears the prayer of righteous people (Proverbs 15:29). With loyal hearts expressed towards Him, God shows Himself strong on the behalf of His people (2 Chronicles 16:9).  In fact, through prayer and fasting over the See You At The Office prayer week, I heard God speak to me in His still small voice encouraging me to not despise the day of small beginnings (Zechariah 4:10 NLT) because He was attentive to my obedience and He would be responsible for the long-term results.

Don’t Let Fear Stop You From Praying In The Marketplace

To pray in the marketplace during the annual See You At The Office marketplace prayer campaign, I fully understand can be a little intimidating, especially given the modern-day undercurrents of political correctness in our society which seek to silence the voice of God’s people.  However, as current day leaders of righteousness and grace in the kingdom of God, we can take great comfort from the real life examples of many heroes of faith in the Bible whom had to also face many of the same kinds of challenges, fears, and societal intimidations. In fact, one such real life example of a legendary hero of faith having to face intense spiritual intimidation and opposition to his courageous, disciplined life of prayer can be found in the book of Daniel.

Affirmation To Pray During See You At The Office

On the last day of praying and fasting during the 2011 See You At The Office prayer week, the Lord gave me tremendous affirmation regarding the courage to pray in the marketplace. As I was waking up on that Friday morning, the Lord began to speak to me about Daniel’s courage to pray even in the midst of seemingly impossible circumstances.  Daniel’s true story can be read in Daniel 6:1-28 of the Bible.

In reading this account about Daniel, it struck me that Daniel’s courage to pray when others told him that he couldn’t pray actually ended with a world-wide revival initiated by the king.  Furthermore, it was striking to me that the opposition tried to use the law of the Medes and Persians to stop Daniel from praying.  The reason this has significance is because it was the evil spirit of Persia that was fighting the angel of the Lord in the spiritual realm for 21 days when Daniel was later praying and fasting for his nation as recorded in Daniel 10:12-14 of the Bible.

When God’s People Pray, God Hears Our Prayers And Shows Himself Strong

Through these passages, I believe the same wicked spirit of Persia that was opposing Daniel, could be the same evil spirit that is still trying to intimidate God’s people today from exercising their freedom to pray in the marketplace.  However, when marketplace leaders demonstrate the courage of Daniel to humble ourselves and pray for our nation, our companies, and our team members each year during the annual See You At The Office marketplace prayer campaign, I believe the evil spirit of Persia will be defeated in the spiritual realm as in Daniel’s day AND the results will be the same as they were for Daniel – worldwide revival in the marketplace – the domain of modern day kings. God is good and He is great!

Thank You For Praying With Me During See You At The Office

So let me say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who joins with me in faith and prayer each year for the See You At The Office marketplace prayer campaign!  I look forward to praying with everyone who desires to join me as we humble ourselves before God and courageously pray for our nations, our companies, and our teams in the marketplace.

To His glory, have a blessed “Make It Happen” day and I will See You At The Office!

The Courage To Pray Copyright 2011, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint the leadership article, The Courage To Pray, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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3 Simple Steps To See You At The Office

July 10, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede See You At The Office , , , , 1 Comment

See You At The Office Marketplace Prayer Movement

Each year for 2 days during the week of July 14th, marketplace leaders around the world are invited to join together in faith for the See You At The Office marketplace prayer movement.  Through faith in God’s promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14 to heal our land if His people would pray and turn away from sin, believers in the marketplace have an awesome spiritual leadership opportunity to respond by praying at the office and leading See You At The Office prayer meetings in the marketplace.  To help marketplace leaders effectively lead and pray in the marketplace, the following three simple steps are offered as a practical guide:

Step 1: Pray and seek the Lord’s guidance for supernatural favor and wisdom to lead a See You At The Office prayer meeting in your work place.

In James 1:5, the Bible promises to give us wisdom stating “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”  Plus, in Acts 7:9-10, the Bible tells us that “God was with him [Joseph] and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.” Therefore, the first step to leading a See You At The Office prayer meeting in the marketplace is to ask God for his supernatural favor and wisdom with the leaders in your organization to support the See You At The Office marketplace prayer movement.

Step 2: With appropriate approval, find a suitable private location at your office to host a See You At The Office prayer meeting.

The ideal location would be a conference room or break room where people of faith could gather for a short time of prayer before work, during break, or after work. In Philippians 4:6, the apostle Paul says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Based upon these instructions given by the apostle Paul regarding prayer, the scheduled See You At The Office prayer meetings will be a time of prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, to make specific prayer requests known to God for our nation, our companies, our leaders, and our team members. Please Click Here to read about the primary prayer theme for the annual See You At The Office prayer meetings and the five specific prayer points of this marketplace prayer movement.

Step 3: Schedule the dates and times for See You At The Office prayer meetings on any 2 days during the week of July 14th at your office place and invite your colleagues to pray with us during those times.

Because the See You At The Office prayer meetings are totally voluntary, it does not matter who nor how many people show up to pray. In response to 2 Chronicles 7:14, it only matters that the people who join in faith at the See You At The Office prayer meeting, humble themselves before God, pray for our nation, leaders, and team members, and turn away from sin.  If we do this in prayerful unity, God promises in 2 Chronicles 7:15 that He will be attentive to every prayer we make in that place.

2 Chronicles 7:14-15 (NLT)“14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 15 My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place.

Bonus Option: If for any reason, you are not able to host a See You At The Office prayer meeting at your office, please make plans to join me via open line conference from your office for 15 minutes of marketplace prayer during the week of July 14th at 12:00 pm CST Monday thru Friday by calling (530) 881-1212 and entering Meeting ID: 989874854 

With these 3 simple steps to lead a See You At The Office prayer meeting in the marketplace, I invite you to join me this year and pray with me at the office. I know this will take leadership courage and I also know that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength (Philippians 4:13).  Therefore, let me encourage you to step out in faith and trust God in this critical time for our nation because if God be for us, who can be against us. (Romans 8:31) As you join with me in faith and in prayer for this year’s annual See You At The Office marketplace prayer movement, I want to thank you for your courage and willingness to stand in the gap for our nation, our companies, and our team members in the marketplace!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day and I will See You At The Office!

3 Simple Steps To See You At The Office Copyright 2011, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint the leadership article, 3 Simple Steps To See You At The Office, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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Be The Salt And Light Marketplace Prayer Theme

July 8, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede See You At The Office , , , 4 Comments

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The primary prayer theme for the annual See You At The Office marketplace prayer campaign is Be The Salt And Light.  As believers unite in prayer each year at the office for any  2 days during the week of July 14th,  we can confidently place our trust in the promise of God found in 2 Chronicles 7:14 stating,

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Therefore, to help facilitate the See You At The Office prayer campaign in the marketplace, leaders can use the five prayer points highlighted below to lead personal and corporate prayer meetings at the office anytime during the day for any 2 days during the week of July 14th.

Since prayer is nothing more than a simple conversation with God about important matters on our hearts, each prayer meeting should merely be a time of simple prayer requests made to God with private meditations upon His Word. Even if there is only one person willing to stand in the gap at the office and pray for the nation and the marketplace, significant impact can result. James 5:16 (NLT) states, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results”; therefore, it’s not about the length of prayer or the quantity of prayers, but rather the earnest prayer of anyone willing to stand in the gap and pray.  With that said, please utilize the following five prayer points to lead a time of earnest prayer at each See You At The Office prayer meeting – personal or corporate.

Prayer Point #1: Pray for God’s people to turn from sin and be the salt and light of the kingdom of God in the marketplace

In Matthew 5:13-16, the Lord tells believers:

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

With our Lord’s exhortation in mind, let us pray for the unity of God’s people to turn from sin and faithfully fulfill their spiritual leadership responsibilities to be the salt and light of the kingdom of God in the marketplace.

Prayer Point #2: Pray for believers to be empowered with Holy Spirit boldness in the marketplace

The book of Acts records in 4:29-30 a prayer for boldness of believers in the early church and the Lord’s response as follows:

“’Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.’ And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”

As believers in this 21st century stand together and pray in the marketplace, may the Lord grant us the same kind of boldness to be His kingdom ambassadors in the marketplace.

Prayer Point #3: Pray for our nation and our leaders in authority

In 1 Timothy 2:1-2, Paul encourages believers to pray for our nation [all men] and our leaders in authority stating:

“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.”

Let us pray for the Lord’s continued blessing and favor upon our nation and our leaders, making our prayers and supplications known to Him with thanksgiving in our hearts for His grace that is sufficient, His mercy that endures forever, and His faithfulness that reaches to the heavens.

Prayer Point #4: Pray for our companies to have the resources and provision needed to fulfill their purposes in the kingdom of God

In the kingdom of God, the Lord does not only care about our eternal needs as human beings whom He created in His image.  He also cares about our temporal needs on earth until we are united with Him in heaven; therefore, He gives people gifts and talents to be used for the purpose of serving others on earth and helping to meet the temporal needs of His creation.  In 2 Corinthians 9:8 the apostle Paul writes,

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

Let us pray that the Lord will provide the sufficiency of all resources necessary to fulfill each of our organization’s mission and purpose in the kingdom of God as we work unto the Lord and not as unto men.

Prayer Point #5: Pray for the leaders and the team members of the organization to be empowered in grace to work with a spirit of excellence, wisdom, commitment, generosity, humility, and faith.

In Titus 3:1-2, the apostle Paul provides great direction for the behavior and conduct of believer’s in the workplace stating:

“Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.”

Let us pray that the Lord will strengthen each member of our team to walk in obedience to His will and His commandments in the workplace, giving honor and respect to one another and the leaders whom God has given authority to lead, resting in the peaceful knowledge that the Lord alone raises up leaders and removes leaders in accordance with His perfect plan for His kingdom on earth.

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day and I will See You At The Office!

Be The Salt And Light Marketplace Prayer Theme Copyright 2011, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint the leadership article, Be The Salt And Light In The Marketplace, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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The Make It Happen Moment ® Great Teams

July 6, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede The Make It Happen Moment ® , , , , 2 Comments

6 days, 14 hrs, 55 mins

Quote: “When you affirm big, believe big, and pray big, big things happen!” – Norman Vincent Peale

Did you know that your attitude and the attitudes of the people on your team can make the difference in whether or not you have a bad team or a great team, assuming everyone is technically proficient in their role?  It is true! Attitude is the differentiating factor in talented teams that succeed and talented teams that fail. 

John Maxwell’s formula for team success defined in his book, The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork, is Abilities + Attitudes = Results.

                   Great Talent    +   Rotten    Attitudes         =       Bad Team

                   Great Talent    +   Bad        Attitudes         =       Average Team

                   Great Talent    +   Average Attitudes          =       Good Team

                   Great Talent    +   Good     Attitudes          =       Great Team

According to Norman Vincent Peale, big things happen when people affirm big, believe big, and pray big; however, it is difficult to do this unless a person or a team has faith enough to first think big.  Thinking big is really thinking in terms of God’s abundance.  Combining faith and a positive attitude, creates an awesome winning combination. 

If you are on a team, your personal talent and expertise are important; however, your positive attitude is even more important because it defines how you will choose to use your talent and expertise.  Will you use your talent and expertise for the greater good or for self-serving purposes?  Only you can answer this question through your faith and choice of personal attitude.   John Maxwell states, “the attitude of the individual determines the attitude of the group.”  Great teams are comprised of people who use their talent and expertise to “make it happen” serving others and solving problems that make a real difference in life.  If you want to be part of a great team, it’s up to you to do your part.  One person can make a difference!  With faith and a positive attitude, you can be the spark that ignites greatness in your team!

The Make It Happen People Value: “Make It Happen” People Possess A Positive Attitude!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

Edited by The Make It Happen Moment ® Editorial Team

The Make It Happen Moment ® Great Teams Copyright 2005, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Great Teams, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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Holy Anger Turned Away

July 5, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Faith And Family , , , 1 Comment

Scripture

Isaiah 12:1-2 “And in that day you will say: ‘O Lord, I will praise You; though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid.’”   

Observation

In this passage, Isaiah prophesies of a day when the people of God will sing to the Lord and praise Him for turning away His holy anger and comforting them as God of their salvation.  It is evident from this verse that God, in His holiness, can be angry with me which is a very sobering thought.  However, it is also evident from this verse that God’s holy anger can be turned away from me as He comforts me and I behold Him, trusting Him as God of my salvation.

Application

As a believer, there are times when I can anger the Lord with willful sin; however, in His mercy that endures forever, the Lord can turn His anger away from me through His loving correction. Even though such rebuke is painful for the moment, the Lord’s correction as my loving heavenly Father brings comfort in the end.  In fact, Psalms 30:5 declares, “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” King David expresses praise for the Lord’s everlasting mercy through this kind of loving rebuke from our holy heavenly Father when he says in Psalm 118:18, “The Lord has chastened me severely, but He has not given me over to death.” Therefore, just as God is holy, by the power of the Holy Spirit living in me, I must also be holy in all of my conduct as a redeemed child of the living God. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercy that endures forever and Your loving-kindness that leads me to repentance when I have sinned against You! I praise You Lord for You are Jehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord our Righteousness, who is faithful and just to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness when I fail You and confess my sin to You! I love You Jesus! Amen!

Holy Anger Turned Away Copyright 2010, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint the personal devotion, Holy Anger Turned Away, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

Help Me Spread The Word And Build God’s Kingdom In Business

July 4, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Spread The Word , , , , , , 13 Comments

In the last 8 years, I have written two books to help business leaders build God’s kingdom in business and I would love your help to use the power of social media to help me spread the word.  

My first book, The Make It Happen Journey, practically encourages and equips business leaders with nine Make It Happen Team Values to create a culture of empowerment that reaches all the people on a team and unleashes their extraordinary God-given potential to make a real difference in life.

My second book, Kings Come Forth, practically engages and empowers business men and women to be effective spiritual leaders in business by fulfilling their God-ordained assignments in the kingdom of God. There are three offices of spiritual leadership in the kingdom of God – Priest, Prophet, and King. Kings Come Forth focuses on the spiritual leadership role and responsibility of Kings which are the marketplace men and women leaders in the modern-day world.

To help me use the power of social media to build the kingdom of God in business, I would love your help to spread the word about The Make It Happen Journey and Kings Come Forth by doing the following three simple things:

  1. Go to the bottom of this page and click on one of the social media share buttons to easily share this Help Me Spread The Word page with your friends, family, and colleagues.
  2. Click on Press Release to read the official Kings Come Forth press release and also share it with your friends, family, and colleagues.
  3. Watch the 30 minute Introduction To Make It Happen Team Values video by Clicking Here when you have the time and want to be encouraged to take The Make It Happen Journey with your team.

Lastly, as a gift of my appreciation for your precious time to help me spread the word and build the kingdom of God in business, please Click Here to receive a FREE Chapter of Kings Come Forth titled The Great Distinction of Kings.

If you have helped me use the power of social media to build the kingdom of God in business by sharing this Spread The Word page with others, please let me know by posting a comment below and I will enter your name for the chance to win a personal signed copy of The Make It Happen Journey for each member of your team (up to 12 members). Many blessings!

The Make It Happen Factor Team Culture Survey

July 3, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede Coaching Corner , , , 1 Comment

Click Here

Dr. Sam Chand, world-renowned leadership guru, teaches that “a toxic culture will eat vision for lunch” meaning that any unhealthy culture in an organization will destroy the vision of an organization before it ever has the chance to be fulfilled. If this is true, and I believe it is, it is crucial for leaders to be able to assess and determine the strength of their organizational team culture to make it happen with wisdom and excellence serving others and solving problems that make a real difference in life. Teams that consistently make it happen in life for one another and their customers create a strong team culture where vision can flourish.   However, unless leaders have a simple tool to assess their team’s make it happen culture, many leaders can be like the captain of the Titanic – looking at the tip of the iceberg without really knowing what danger lurks under the surface.  The Make It Happen Factor Team Culture Survey is specifically designed to help equip leaders with a simple tool to assess and determine a team’s make it happen culture with each question being derived from the faith-based Make It Happen Team Values highlighted in The Make It Happen Journey written by Gary J. Borgstede, the President and Founder of The Make It Happen Learning Institute.

In his book, Good To Great, Jim Collins found in his research that “All good-to-great companies began the process of finding a path to greatness by confronting the brutal facts of their current reality.” Having the courage to take the Make It Happen Factor Team Culture Survey and honestly answer each question is the first step in confronting the brutal facts of your team culture and beginning the process of growing from good to great without losing hope for a better and brighter future for you and your team.  Unfortunately, without knowing the truthful state of your team’s culture to make it happen for others, it will be difficult to implement intentional strategies for building a make it happen team culture. However, with your leadership, your faith, and the Make It Happen Factor Team Culture Survey tool, you can help make it happen with your team!

To take the survey, please honestly answer the 12 questions below to assess your team’s Make It Happen Factor which will help indicate the faith-based strength of your team’s culture to make it happen with wisdom and excellence serving others and solving problems that make a real difference in life.  

You can also take the survey electronically by Clicking Here; however, you will need to circle your answers below in order to manually calculate your team’s overall Make It Happen Factor Score per the survey scoring instructions. (Note that individual survey responses will remain confidential) 

Team Culture Survey Questions

1.     The members of my team possess a positive attitude every day.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

2.     The leaders on my team serve the members of my team with the greatest care and concern.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

3.     Each person on my team serves our customers with great enthusiasm at all times.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

4.     Each person on my team is committed to working hard and having fun at work.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

5.     In the last month, the people on my team have abundantly celebrated the accomplishments of other individuals and teams.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

6.     In the last week, each person on my team was able to learn and grow as a professional.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

7.     The leaders and the people on my team are not afraid to take risks in the pursuit of excellence and innovation.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

8.     The leaders and the people on my team create a safe environment of teamwork and mutual respect of differences.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

9.     Each person on my team performs their work with the highest degree of professionalism.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

Individual Faith Survey Questions

10.   I consistently read the Word of God on a daily basis.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

11.   I pray for my leaders and my team members every day.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

12.  I attend a church service and / or a church small group once each week.

  • Strongly Agree
  • Agree
  • Neither Agree or Disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly Disagree

Survey Scoring

No.  of Strongly Agree Answers:               ________  X  5  = ________

No.  of Agree Answers:                             ________  X  4  = ________

No.  of Neither Agree or Disagree:           ________  X  3  = ________

No.  of Disagree Answers:                        ________  X  2  = ________

No. of Strongly Disagree Answers:           ________  X  1  = ________

 

                              Add Totals To Get Grand Total:            ________

                              Divide Grand Total by 12 To Get

Your Make It Happen Factor Team Culture Survey Score:  ________

Understanding Your Make It Happen Factor Team Culture Survey Score

Ken Blanchard, best-selling author of One-Minute Manager and High Five Team, teaches that “Values are to be lived; not framed”, but unfortunately, far too many organizations just frame their values and never intentionally create a team culture where team members actually live their values.  The 12 questions of The Make It Happen Factor Team Culture Survey are specifically designed to assess the faith-based strength of a team’s culture to make it happen with wisdom and excellence by genuinely serving others and solving problems that make a real difference in life. This is done by assessing the strength of agreement within a team regarding specific questions related to faith perspective, servant leadership, and teamwork commitment. Regardless of the actual Make It Happen Factor score, the important thing for leaders to remember is that the score only serves as a barometer of the faith-based strength of a team’s make it happen culture which can always be strengthened when individual team member’s intentionally work together to foster, support, and live Make It Happen Team Values on a daily basis and improve their individual scores for each question.

Because the Word of God says in Mark 9:23 that “All things are possible to him who believes” and in Daniel 11:32 that “The people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits”, The Make It Happen Factor Survey Questions 1, 7, 10, and 12 are specifically designed to assess the level of faith perspective on a team. The higher the level of faith perspective on a team; the stronger the culture of the team to make it happen with a spirit of wisdom and excellence.  Additionally, Questions 10, 11, and 12 are specifically designed to assess each individual’s faith perspective because one person of faith can make a huge difference in helping a team to foster, support, and live the make-it-happen “can do” values of the kingdom of God as can be seen in the lives of many heroes of faith such as Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Joshua, Caleb, David, Nehemiah, Daniel, Esther, the apostle Paul, and many others.

Because the Word of God says in Matthew 23:11 that “He who is greatest among you shall be your servant”, The Make It Happen Factor Survey Questions 2, 3, 5, and 6 are specifically designed to assess the level of genuine servant leadership on a team.  The greater the level of genuine servant leadership on a team; the stronger the culture of the team to make it happen with a spirit of wisdom and excellence.

Because the Word of God states in Ecclesiastes 4:12 that “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” and also states in Leviticus 26:8 that “Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight”, The Make It Happen Factor Survey Questions 4, 8, 9, and 11 are specifically designed to assess the level of teamwork commitment on a team. The greater the level of teamwork commitment on a team; the stronger the culture of the team to make it happen with a spirit of wisdom and excellence.

In conclusion, teams that score the highest on The Make It Happen Factor Team Culture Survey in faith perspective, servant leadership, and teamwork commitment will have a stronger team culture to make it happen with wisdom and excellence than other teams because teams comprised of people with faith who genuinely serve others through committed teamwork will consistently make it happen serving others and solving problems that make a real difference in life!

If you have taken the Make It Happen Factor Team Culture Survey, please let me know by posting a comment below and I will enter your name for the chance to win a personal signed copy of The Make It Happen Journey for each member of your team (up to 12 members). Many blessings!  

The Make It Happen Factor Team Culture Survey Copyright 2011, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Factor Team Culture Survey, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.