I’m blessed to be part of C12, the world’s largest peer advisory group for Christian CEOs and business owners. Month after month, it’s been an incredible source of wisdom, encouragement, and accountability in both my faith and my leadership. The August 2025 curriculum really hit home for me, and I want to share some takeaways that I believe every leader—whether you run a small team or a large organization—can benefit from.

One of the central themes this month was rooted in Joshua 24:15:

“Choose this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

It’s one thing to nod in agreement on Sunday. It’s another thing entirely to carry that choice into Monday morning budget meetings, sales strategy calls, and difficult conversations with your team.

The Leadership Choice Is Daily, Not Occasional

Joshua wasn’t speaking to people who had no history with God—he was addressing those who had seen His faithfulness firsthand. Yet he knew that loyalty has to be reaffirmed daily.

In business, we face our own version of the same challenge. Will we chase success at any cost, protect comfort and control above all else, or sacrifice integrity for a short-term win? Or will we honor God in the way we lead—choosing faithfulness over fear, service over self-interest, and obedience over convenience?

In my agency days, I made plenty of good decisions—and a fair share of bad ones too. I think most of us have. As I reflected on this idea of daily choices, one moment from early in my career came to mind. It was around 1991, my very first year of owning an agency.

From time to time, a client would ask me to backdate a receipt so their coverage wouldn’t show a lapse. At first glance it seemed harmless—“no real harm done,” right? But I knew in my gut it was wrong. Faced with that decision, I drew my line in the sand.

Here’s how I explained it: “I really wish I could help you, but I’m not comfortable doing anything unethical. The good news for you is that this conviction applies to every part of our relationship. You can have complete confidence that I will always do the right thing for you. Bottom line: I won’t lie for you, and I won’t lie to you.”

It wasn’t always the easiest answer in the moment, but it became one of the best leadership decisions I ever made. That simple stand set the tone for how I wanted to lead my agency—with integrity that clients could count on, even if they didn’t always like the immediate outcome.

Cost Leadership as Stewardship

Another big takeaway for me this month was how cost leadership—done right—can be an act of stewardship. It’s not about being cheap or cutting corners. It’s about managing the resources God has entrusted to us in a way that fuels mission, supports people, and strengthens long-term health.

That means:

• Aligning every cost decision with the mission and values of the company
• Involving the team in finding efficiencies without sacrificing excellence
• Tracking the right metrics so we can make decisions that are both financially smart and mission-driven
• Communicating why being wise with resources matters—not just for the bottom line, but for the impact we’re trying to make 

One caution: cutting costs for the sake of short-term relief can backfire. I’ve seen it happen when companies reduce quality, underinvest in their people, or compromise what made them unique. Real cost leadership strengthens a company’s future—it doesn’t weaken it.

Being “All In” for Christ at Work

The final and most important piece of the puzzle is this: Are we all in when it comes to our faith in the workplace?

There’s a big difference between cultural Christianity (faith in name only), convenient Christianity (faith when it’s easy), and committed Christianity (faith that shapes every decision).

Committed leaders:

• Live with daily dependence on Jesus
• Carry faith visibly into their leadership
• See their business as a ministry, not just a company
• Make decisions that may cost them in the short term but honor God in the long term 

Some of the most inspiring business leaders I know have made bold, countercultural moves—like giving away significant ownership of their company to fund ministry, closing on their busiest day to honor the Sabbath, or capping personal income to increase generosity.

At Jenesis, I do my best to live this out in practical ways. I’m open about my faith, but I never require others to believe the way I do. 

I pray daily for our business, our team, our customers, and for the wisdom to know what God wants me to do that day.

We’ve built a culture around caring for people. That’s why we have a dedicated Care Team and budget set aside to support team members, their families, our customers, and even people in the broader business community when needs arise.

Most importantly, everyone at Jenesis is expected to do the right thing—always. We never compromise our values, no matter the financial cost. Integrity isn’t just a talking point for us; it’s a standard we live by.

The Question for Us

We all get to draw our own line in the sand. The choice isn’t just about what we believe—it’s about how we lead, spend, hire, and serve.

So I’ll leave you with the same question I’ve been wrestling with: Where is God inviting you to take a stand?

Because in the end, our greatest legacy won’t be the profits we earned or the growth we achieved. It will be the people we served, the integrity we held, and the faith we lived out every single day.

 

This morning during my devotional, I was reminded of the story of the Chinese bamboo tree. For years, nothing appears above the soil. But underground, roots are spreading wide and deep, preparing for explosive growth.

It immediately made me think about my own journey—nearly 30 years of owning independent insurance agencies and now leading Jenesis Software. So often, business feels like a season of waiting. You’re marketing, serving clients, training staff, and investing in technology, but progress seems slow. What I’ve learned is this: lack of visible results doesn’t mean lack of growth. The roots are forming.

Slow Progress Still Builds Strength

Independent insurance agencies often feel like they’re just “watering dirt.” You pour in time, money, and energy—launching marketing campaigns, reaching out to clients, or implementing an agency management system like JenesisNow—and see little immediate payoff.

But those unseen efforts are not wasted. They’re strengthening your workflows, deepening client relationships, and building a foundation for future growth. At Jenesis Software, we see it constantly: agencies who commit to using JenesisNow consistently grow stronger, steadier, and more scalable over time.

Planted, Not Buried

There’s a crucial difference between being buried and being planted. Buried things end in decay. Planted things grow.

If your agency feels stuck, don’t mistake silence for failure. Seasons of preparation—refining processes, hiring wisely, strengthening culture—are exactly what make breakthrough growth possible later.

Keep Watering the Dirt

Leadership can sometimes feel like a thankless job. You invest in people, processes, and client service, and the results aren’t immediate. But faithfulness matters.

Every improvement to your operations, every follow-up call with a client, every feature you adopt in JenesisNow—it’s all watering the soil. Even when you don’t see growth yet, roots are taking hold. And in God’s timing, those roots will produce visible fruit.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9 (NIV)

Encouragement for the Journey

Independent insurance agencies, you are not buried—you are planted. Keep watering, keep building, and keep trusting that the roots you’re forming today with Jenesis Software will support tomorrow’s growth.

Your breakthrough is coming—and it will be worth the wait.

I’ve long admired the work of Craig Groeschel—pastor, leadership teacher, and author of several books that have shaped how I think about life and business. He’s also the voice behind the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast, which I often recommend to leaders.

This morning, I was reading one of his YouVersion devotional plans, and it really hit me. The title was A Discipline to Start, and the message was simple but profound: when the leader gets better, everyone gets better.

That statement isn’t just motivational fluff—it’s deeply practical. The health of your leadership flows into your marriage, your parenting, your friendships, your church, and your business. When you grow, the people around you benefit.

But here’s the key question Craig challenges us to ask:

     “Is leading people just something I want to do, or is it part of who I am?”

The answer matters because most of us naturally set do goals:

• I want to do more with my kids.
• I want to do random acts of kindness for my spouse.
• I want to do more to empower my employees.

Those are all good things. But if you stop at the do, you’ll never reach your full leadership potential.

The best leaders make who goals:

• I will be a patient mom who loves deeply.
• I will be a husband who supports my wife and leads with faithfulness.
• I will be a manager who models integrity and consistency.

Notice the difference? The who shapes the do. The actions flow out of your identity.

Even Jesus modeled this. In the Gospel of John, He made seven “I am” statements—bold declarations of who He was. And His actions flowed from that identity. That’s why His leadership influence continues to this day, 2,000 years later.

When you know who you are, you’ll know what to do.

A Question to Ask Yourself

Instead of asking, “What do I need to do today?” try asking:

“What would the person I want to become do?”

• If you want to be a leader who cares, maybe you’ll write one encouraging note a day.
• If you want to be someone who is disciplined, maybe you’ll simply start by making your bed.
• If you want to be a leader who follows God’s heart, start your morning in conversation with Him.

The principle is simple: small disciplines done consistently lead to big results over time.

A Jenesis Example

At Jenesis, one of our ongoing commitments is to lead by serving our customers well. That’s not just a do goal (answering calls quickly, resolving support issues, and rolling out new features). It’s a who goal: we are a company that cares deeply about helping independent insurance agencies grow.

When we anchor ourselves in that identity, the “do” naturally follows—whether it’s creating software that saves agencies time, building tools like JenesisReach to help them market better, or simply sending a thoughtful thank-you gift to a long-time customer.

Encouragement for the Journey

Craig reminds us: “Do what leads you to become the who you want to be as a leader.”

So maybe the question for you today is: What small discipline can I start that aligns with who I want to become?

It doesn’t have to be big or flashy. It just has to be consistent.

And if you ever doubt the process, remember Paul’s words in Galatians 6:9:

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Start small. Stay steady. Over time, you’ll see God grow you into the leader you were created to be.

If this encouraged you, I’d recommend checking out Craig’s full YouVersion devotional and his leadership podcast—both are incredible resources for anyone serious about growing as a leader.