As leaders, we can not avoid our responsibility to make money, whether as an individual, for our company, or in ministry. Leaders must generate cash flow.
About 10 years ago I went to Cuba with my brother Roger along with a group of medical executives. In Cuba, one of the few places that still operates under a pure version of communism, people can not make money in the ways that most of us in a capitalist system understand. While Cubans are a lively, beautiful people, a dark curtain of communism exists there. Its stench is everywhere. In an effort to disburse resources equally to everyone, communism robs individuals of their innate desire to work hard to get ahead.
We see people working for gain early in the history of man in the Biblical recording of the very first family. Cain was a farmer, and Able was a shepherd. Both worked hard to bring in a reward. If Cain and Abel lived in Cuba, they could not keep what they gained. They would be required to give it to the state. Working to get a reward, to make a financial gain, is as basic to human existence and the human experience as breathing air.
So, how do we make money? In general there are two ways. Either work for yourself or work for someone else. Either way, the more money you bring in, the more problems you can solve. The more skills you have to offer, the more people are willing to pay you.
My family instilled solid Christian values in me (God comes first, work hard, get an education, never give up, and support your family). But they did not hand me much in the form of finances. I took loans to go to college and built my way up financially, rooted in the principles they imparted to me.
How we make money depends on our tolerance for risk and what stage of life we are in. It also depends on our calling from the Lord. The following principles are a good foundation for making money.
- Espouse the values listed above, specifically a willingness to work hard and not give up.
- Get a higher education.
- Grow yourself as a leader, not just a professional. Companies always need leaders. Always. Capable, trustworthy, likable leaders make things happen. They turn ships around. And they get paid handsomely for it.
- Start a business.
- Partner with someone in a business.
- Talk to and learn from people who have made a lot of money.
My last piece of advice is extremely important. Some people have a talent for making money. This is not my talent. My area of focus, study, and practice is leadership, not generating cash flow. So I try to listen to those who have made money. Allow me to illustrate the difference. Let’s say you were able to go back in time and visit some of the best leaders in history like Lincoln, Churchill, or Mandella. If you could extract them from their leadership domain and task them with making a lot of money, I am not sure they would be able to do it. They may be able to form an organization that is productive and highly motivated, but making money is a separate skill set.
Let’s say you figure out how to make a lot of money, how do you then reconcile that with being a Christian? For me, as a Christ-follower, yes, I want to make a lot of money and put it all before the throne of God. He owns all of me, including my money and resources. So then, if the Lord says to me, “give it all away,” as He did to the rich young man1 who went away sad, then I should say, “Yes, Lord.” As long as I have that spirit, willing to give it all to the Lord, I am safe. Fall in love with the Lord, not money.
