TheLife.com is now PowerToChange.com!

This site is maintained by TruthMedia, a division on Power to Change. Over the next days and weeks this site, along with several others will be moving into a new format branded as Power to Change.

All of your favorites will still be here along with a bunch of new features we’re excited to share with you. Now all of our audiences will have access to blogs, comments and videos along with more frequent updates, bigger images and a wider range of content.

She Won’t Change her Last Name
“My fiance and I have a great relationship, but there is one thing we cannot agree on. She made a promise to herself, when she was a child, that she wasn’t going to change her last name when she got married. Now that we are together, her idea of a compromise is to wait till she finishes college to change her name to the married name. This is very difficult for me. Am I just being an old-fashioned dinosaur about this?” So what should he do? Advice: Read more

Take action: Did you get married this summer? Congratulations! Why not try one of our marriage online interactive life lessons? (And if you know someone who was recently married, these would be great for them to explore too!)

You said it: This week, aj commented on Quotes on Success, saying “i like those messages here, it enlighten me so much” Read this article and add your own thoughts: Read more

Video: Internet Identity Theft
Are you protected? Identity Theft is an evolution in crime. We decided to take the issue of this criminal epidemic to the streets to ask for your opinions. Read more

Blog: Shushed in the Library
Should religious discussion be kept out of all public spaces? Read the story and add your own thoughts! Read more

Coming up next week: One of the topics of our upcoming online chats is “Count It All Joy” Join us in the chat room September 29th 2009 @ 4:00pm EST for this chat or see also our full chat calendar for other upcoming topics.

TheLife.com is now PowerToChange.com!

This site is maintained by TruthMedia, a division on Power to Change. Over the next days and weeks this site, along with several others will be moving into a new format branded as Power to Change.

All of your favorites will still be here along with a bunch of new features we’re excited to share with you. Now all of our audiences will have access to blogs, comments and videos along with more frequent updates, bigger images and a wider range of content.

The Power of Words
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can wound forever. It is amazing what you accept as truth when you hear it enough times. When I became the target of bullying, I transformed from a gregarious child into a silent teenager. I never told anyone was what going on. My life revolved around being as invisible as possible. I figured I couldn’t get hurt if everyone forgot I was there. This is the story that saved my life. Read more

Take action: How do society’s expectations influence our self-esteem and self-image? To understand these issues better, explore our online interactive life lesson Understanding Beauty.

Blog: I Wasn’t Ready to be a Grandma!
Joan Giesbrecht didn’t feel ready to be a grandparent when her daughter became pregnant at age 18. Read her story to hear how she overcame her initial anxiety and trepidation and was able to find joy in her situation. Read more

Online study: Understanding Pain and Disaster
We all know about tragedy which affects family or friends. Why does such tragedy strike? Where is God in all of this? Take this online interactive study and gain insight in the crisis situations of life. Read more

Coming up next week: Join us in the chat room daily for discussions about relevant life topics, or just to hang out. See also our full chat calendar for other upcoming topics.

“And anyone who is ashamed of Me and My message in these days of unbelief and sin, I, the Messiah, will be ashamed of him when I return in the glory of My Father, with the holy angels” Mark 8:38

Dr. Charles Malik, once president of the General Assembly of the United Nations, and I – along with others – were invited to a very prestigious meeting in Washington, D.C. Present were some of the most distinguished leaders in our nation and from other countries.

In the course of his remarks, Dr. Malik emphasized his conviction that there were no human solutions to the problems that face mankind. Only Jesus Christ could help us as individuals and as nations.

As a young businessman, I was tremendously impressed to think that one of the world’s leading scholars and statesmen would speak so boldly and courageously of his faith in Christ. Following the meeting, I introduced myself to him and expressed to him my appreciation for his courage in speaking out so boldly for Christ.

I had heard others – politicians, statesmen, scholars – speak of faith in God and the Bible and the church in general terms. But few, in those days, ever spoke of their faith in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. I shall never forget his response.

“I am sobered by the words of my Lord,” he said, quoting today’s verse, Mark 8:38.
Perhaps you are one who loudly acclaims, “No, I could never be ashamed of my wonderful Lord.” But the familiar axiom is true: actions speak louder than words. If we are truly unashamed of our Savior, we will look for every opportunity to share the good news of His great love.

Bible Reading: Psalm 31:1-5

Today’s Action Point: I will not be ashamed of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but will trust the indwelling Holy Spirit to witness through me.

About this Author: Bill Bright

Most people apply for jobs not really knowing how much the position will pay.

If you are transferring within your department or are making a career change you don’t want to sell yourself short and accept less money than what the company is willing to pay to fill the position.

Other than breaking into the H.R. department and combing through their files how else is an applicant going to figure out how much the position will pay?

The wrong way:  If you are applying for a position internally do not ask the person that is already performing the job you want to have how much they are being paid.  Somehow word gets around when people begin discussing their salaries and the end result is never pretty.

The right way: Do your own research and do not divulge the information to your co-workers.  You will want to research whether the role you are going after offers a bonus or commission.  Most positions are paid on either a salaried (exempt level) or hourly (non-exempt level) basis.

Great web sites to check out that will reveal what salary range should be offered for your role are: www.salary.com, www.payscale.com, and www.salaryexpert.com.

Look at the job description sometimes it will tell you what the pay range is.  Also, sometimes the pay-grade will be listed on the job description.

If you are an internal candidate then you can gauge the salary range via the pay-grade.  If the pay-grade is listed at a 14 and your current pay-grade is 13, then you will know that the position will pay more than your current role.

If you receive a phone interview or introductory call from a recruiter or hiring manager it is appropriate to ask what is the pay being offered for the role; be sure to save this question for the end of the conversation.

Even if you learn that the pay is less than what you are currently earning you may want to consider other factors before you decide whether or not to move forward with the role.

Factors to consider along with the salary:

Management – Will you like your new management team?

Co-Workers – Will you like your new co-workers?  Will you fit in with the group?

Training/Education – Will training or educational courses be offered for your department?

New Challenges – Will you be learning anything new at your new job?

Career Growth – Will there be room for you to move upwards within your new department/company?

Benefits – Will your new company offer a good benefit package?

Hours – Will your new job require you to work more than 50 hours a week?

Your work-life balance is sure to suffer if you are consistently working up to/or over 50 hours a week.

Shift – Will you be working the shift that will suite your lifestyle?

Reputation – Does your new company have a good reputation?  Working for a prestigious or reputable company will enhance the way recruiters and hiring managers view your resume.

Exempt Level Status – Many people have difficulty going from non-exempt (hourly paid where you are eligible to receive overtime pay) to exempt (salaried paid position that does not offer overtime pay) status.  When employees have come to rely on their overtime pay they think that they will actually take a pay-cut if they accept a salaried position.  Initially you might receive less pay but in the long run it will be a much wiser move.

Overtime hours are not a guarantee.  When preparing your offer, the decision makers will more than likely factor in your overtime pay (this is true primarily for internal candidates).  The move from non-exempt to exempt is necessary in order to move up within your career.  If you want to move upwards you will have to make this move sometime, you might as well do it when the opportunity is presented to you.

When to walk away: If you learn that the salary is considerably lower than what you are earning and there will not be much room for advancement, or there will not be any new challenges to learn something new, then you may want to remove yourself from consideration.  If your work-life balance will be severely impacted for the negative you should reconsider the job opportunity.

So the next time you’re offered a job with a salary that reflects your skills and what the market is paying for that role you can confidently say, “I’ll take it!”

Four Recruiter Secrets

1. Although rare, a company will extend offers outside of the salary guidelines.  This is rare because the approval process can be very tedious and a potential career risk for the recruiter who must approach superiors to request the increase for the desired candidate

2. The average yearly cost to provide health care benefits to an employee is $9,312.

3. If you are faced with having to take a pay-cut in order to accept an offer with a more prestigious company you would be wise to accept the offer.

In the long run having worked for the prestigious, highly-reputable company will enhance your career.  Your background will appear more desirable to recruiters and hiring managers.  You will undoubtedly learn skills and processes that will strengthen your ability to perform in the workplace.

4. Corporations highly value the over-forty employee as they bring maturity, solid communication skills, a strong work ethic and a varied skills set.

The seasoned professional that brings the right skills to the table should have no problem obtaining the salary their skill-set demands.

Dealing with stress from job interviews, workplace politics, or a hectic home life? Try our online interactive life lesson, “Beating Stress“.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like the economy is going to get better anytime soon.

It was also revealed today that the Chief Financial Officer of Freddie Mac Corporation, a federal home loan mortgage corporation, has apparently committed suicide amidst government investigation of the company:

The acting chief financial officer of Freddie Mac was found dead at his home Wednesday morning in an apparent suicide. David Kellermann was named acting CFO in late September, three weeks after the government took control of Freddie. He was previously senior vice president and corporate controller at the firm.

His death comes as staff from the Securities and Exchange Commission and Justice Department have been probing the finance company about issues including possible accounting violations. (Source: MarketWatch)

If you’re struggling with feelings of hopelessness during these times of financial instability, please check out an article by guest author Rusty Wright, “Starting Over: Facing the Future after Significant Loss“. Or if you just feel like you need someone to talk to, you can contact an online mentor, it’s free and confidential.

Lately the economy is big news. As someone who discusses personal finance I’d have to say that the discussion is good. But, if you add up all the news reports (print, radio, television, internet) you wonder whether Jane and Joe Consumer are really learning anything. So much of what is being reported has no practical value for folks like you and I. So let’s see if we can learn something from the turmoil all around us.

Lesson #1. “Zero Down” mortgages can be dangerous. “No money down” – sounds like every would-be homeowner’s dream offer. No need to struggle saving a down payment. No need to wait until you do. Just sign on the dotted line. Only one problem. You’re upside-down in your home as soon as you close on it. Yep, you owe more than it’s worth. Unless you managed to keep all the closing costs, origination fees, attorney’s fees, etc out of the mortgage. And, that doesn’t typically happen (because your goal was to show up at closing with nothing but your ball point pen).

So maybe being upside-down in your home isn’t so bad. Guess again! You can’t sell your home (unless you can afford to bring a check to the closing). Yep, you’re stuck. And, you’ll stay stuck until the house appreciates to the point where it’s worth more than the balance of your mortgage.

Lesson #2. “Interest Only” mortgages can be dangerous. Interest only mortgages were sold to help keep your payments “affordable” (oh, how I hate that phrase – it means we’ve done something to your loan that’ll hurt more later so that it doesn’t hurt now). Yes, it’s true, you won’t have a pay a portion of the principal you owe each month. So your payment will be lower. But, because you’re not paying any principal the amount you owe doesn’t go down each month. That means that the only way that you’ll actually own more of your house is if the value of your home increases. If home don’t appreciate? You could end up owing more than the home is worth (see “zero down” mortgage comments).

Lesson #3. The 30 and 15 year fixed mortgages have advantages. Both the lender and homeowner benefit. Because the interest rate is fixed, both know how much the payment will be. For the entire life of the loan. No worry that increases in the interest rate will outpace the borrower’s income.

Plus, with every payment a portion of the mortgage is paid off. In small amounts at first, but increasing as time goes on. That means that every payment check is just a little more efficient than the one before. And, the homeowner’s equity increases each month. Even if house prices fall, a portion of the monthly payment will help increase the amount that the borrower owns.

Lesson #4. Not everyone can afford the home that they want. We’d all like it if everyone could afford a nice, spacious home in a good neighborhood. After all, that’s the American dream. But, the truth is we’re not there yet. When you want to own a home badly enough you’ll be tempted to believe anyone who will lend you the money to buy your dream palace. Don’t be fooled. You won’t find them anywhere nearby when you struggle to make the payments. They won’t even recognize you on the street. They sold your mortgage to Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae and you are so yesterday. They’re busy working today’s deal. Don’t place all the blame at their feet. If you buy a house and take on a mortgage without thinking about how different future situations (like a falling housing market) will play out, you have no one to blame but yourself. (and ignorance is no excuse. You don’t have to be too smart to ask for help from someone who knows more)

Lesson #5. Just because the government says it’s okay doesn’t mean that it really is okay. Back in 2004 Congress held some hearings. Problems were identified at that time. You can read what the NY Times reported here. Shortly thereafter the head of Fannie took early retirement as reported in USA Today. At the time some in Congress said that there was nothing seriously wrong and let business go on as usual.

If you took out one of these mortgages since the fall of 2004 you might want to do a little research and see what your representative was saying about Fannie and Freddie back then. They could have prevented you from falling into this trap. It’s sad, but you trusted people for good financial advice and didn’t get it.The rest of us should also check the voting record. Instead of solving a $9 billion problem, now we’re going to have to pay to clean up a $700 billion problem.

Lesson #6. Assuming that house prices will go up is dangerous. Back in 2004 housing prices had been increasing for 25 years. No one knew for sure what the future would bring. History said that prices were going up. But, there was no guarantee that it had to continue without a break. In fact, from about 2002 on many people were predicting that housing prices had to retreat.

Homeowners who bet the house on a rising market are doing just that. Betting their house. Shame on the people who promised them that prices couldn’t drop. And shame on the borrowers’ who believed them.

Lesson #7. Accumulating a down payment before buying a home is a good thing. Sure it’s nice to be able to buy your dream home today even if the only thing you have in your pockets are your hands and some credit cards. But, it’s not a good idea. Here’s why. When you save for a down payment you’re forced to live below your income. So you get used to sacrificing. You also limit your standard of living. Then later when you’ve saved the down payment and buy your home you’ve created the habit of controlling your finances. Not so if you buy with no money down.

Lesson #8. Americans had too much of their wealth tied up in their homes. For the last 25 years housing prices went up. So we didn’t need to do anything to become wealthier. Just stay in our house. That would be ok, but during the same time we’ve been spending just about every dollar we earned. In fact, it was very tempting to use the newly created home equity loans to tap into that new wealth to buy cars, vacations, pay off credit card debt or anything else that came into our little noggins. It also caused us to think that we were wealthier than we really were.

Lesson #9. Just because someone will lend you the money doesn’t mean that you should borrow it. You’d think that if a bank or mortgage company were going to lend you $250,000 that they want to be fairly sure that you’d be able to repay it. Only seems logical. But, in this particular case you’d be wrong. The reason is that the bank/mortgage company was only going to own your mortgage for a short period of time. They sold the loans to Fannie and Freddie. So beyond the first few months they didn’t care whether you could afford the mortgage payments.

They say that one way that we differ from the animals is that we can pass what we learn on to future generations. Let’s hope that’s the case with this mess.

Keep on Stretching those Dollars! Gary Foreman

Save Money and the Environment – It’s possible to do both at once! Find out how in this short article.

Peter Shankman … is a self-proclaimed “uber-dork” who is all about using whatever device will keep him in touch with the world. When out and about, he typically takes a BlackBerry, a cellphone, a laptop, a wireless receiver and a digital camera.

We all know folks like him — the ones who don’t let their environment stand in the way of checking e-mail, calling the office and texting contacts at lightning speed. They never travel on business without an arsenal of portable and handheld devices.

Simply being able to get connected when outside the office is old-school these days. Welcome to the world of the hyperconnected worker — an increasingly prolific breed that can’t survive without a communications lifeline. (Source: CBC News)

The article concludes by saying: “So get used to the idea of being connected not just anytime, anywhere, but all the time and everywhere.” Is this something that fills you with excitement, dread, or something in-between? Do you consider yourself hyperconnected? Could you give up your Blackberry, or cell phone, or ____ (fill in the blank with your own preference) if you had to?

Photo credit: damclean

Compliance is now a no-option legislated requirement.

The intention behind all this legislative enforcement is ethical behavior.  Compliance attempts to enforce time-honored principles like honesty, fair practice, truthful representation, honoring clients, respect for rights of persons and property and protection from harm.  There’s nothing new here.  The only reason that these commonsense values require modern legislation is not because we didn’t know they were right or important.  We all know it.  The problem is that some of us don’t do it.  And the result of the malfeasance of a few has perpetrated complications for the lives of many.

Unfortunately, compliance doesn’t work. Compliance can’t ensure ethical behavior.  In this environment, one person is all it takes to bring down the whole house.  What good is compliance if it doesn’t eliminate the risk?  It might meet the legal requirements but it won’t protect you from the person who thinks he can get away with it anyway.  Compliance only affects those who didn’t need the lesson anyway.  The people who think they can break the rules and win won’t pay any attention to the penalties.

With that said, the manager faces a dilemma.  Legislated ethics is really not ethics at all.  It is policing.  And it only works when someone is watching.  The assumption behind all forms of compliance legislation is that the risk of getting caught will outweigh the temptation to circumvent the rule.  The truth is darker.  Someone will always think that he is smarter, quicker or slicker.  Someone will always think that he can still get away with it.  In today’s environment, everyone is at risk over the decisions of that single individual.  If my subordinate is guilty, the new rules drag me into the guilt.  And by the time the press is finished, my innocence means nothing.  It is forgotten, along with my reputation, in the headlines of another scandal.

What is really required is not legislation but transformation.  Only those who embrace ethical behavior as a matter of personal commitment can be trusted with the mantel of the firm.  Anyone else, no matter what the title or position, puts everyone else at risk.  It is simple insanity to believe that anyone commits a violation of client expectation and trust while believing he will be caught.  The violator never thinks he will be found out.  So, no amount of legislated penalties can actually prevent violations because the penalties do not apply to those who are not caught.  As long as I think I won’t be caught, I’ll do whatever I want in the dark.  Real prevention requires a change in heart motivation, not a change in head knowledge.  Add all the rules you like.  It won’t make any difference until I decide the rules are right for me.

Most of us will say, “But I have strong ethical values.  I do what’s right.”  Of course you do.  You’re not the problem.  Your colleague is.  Think of your business like a supplier of radar detectors.  The sale of the product depends on unethical behavior.  The only reason a person buys a radar detector is to break the speed limit without being caught.  If people drove according to the law, radar detectors would not exist.

The real question of compliance is this:  What processes and products in your business foster unethical behavior? Wherever those possibilities exist, people will create radar detectors to prevent being caught.  It might be as simple as sales goals set too high or executive privileges built on favoritism.  Wherever the possibility exists for gain by cutting corners, radar detectors will be used.  Did you think that people buy Ferraris in order to drive 55 mph?

This is why ethical training and ethics statements ultimately have no effect.  They may meet the governmental standards of practice, but they will not change the behavior when the lights are out.  The real determination of our actual rules for living is measured by what we do when we are convinced that no one will find out.  The truth of that statement needs no further proof than a modest self-examination.  What do you do when you’re sure no one will catch you?  It’s behavior in the dark that really matters.

The solution to this dilemma is not simple.  But there is a simple technique that starts us toward a solution.  That technique is to align the firm with a cosmic agenda. By adopting an agenda bigger than the values of personal gain and shareholder return, the firm places its priorities on a vision larger than itself.  When that vision creates action, the required commitments and the inevitable returns become the seedbed of personal transformation.  Stay with something long enough and it changes you.  The agenda must be worthwhile, significant and transformational.   It must take us out of ourselves.  It must align us with a higher good.

Nothing will alter the deepest values of people more than the adoption of a cosmic agenda in the service of others.  Hollywood, in spite of its self-absorbed personality cult, understands this principle.  There are countless movies that demonstrate the truth that commitment to a cause bigger than myself changes me.  This is an element designed into the human persona.  The only real issue for the manager is this:  What kind of transformational values do I want to bring about?

Here are some suggestions:

• Consider the value impact on firm members if they participated in rebuilding someone else’s life. Two or three hours a week spent at a job training school, a pregnancy crisis center or a fatherless boys outreach reinforces powerful trust and faithfulness values.

• Imagine what your sales behaviors would be like if the team spent three hours a week at a crisis clinic, a day center or an after school program. Honesty and respect are natural by-products.

• Think about the changes that occur if management and executives level if spent several hours a week in a prison ministry, at a food bank or at a homeless shelter. Do you think the values of self-sacrifice and humility would be enhanced?

Don’t say, “It would never work”.  Don’t dismiss the idea as too time consuming.  The best business advice of many super-successful men and women backs up this technique.  Collins, Peters, Blanchard, Maxwell and other business gurus proclaim the power of relational capital spent recklessly.  Life doesn’t take on significance until we invest ourselves in others.  And when we do, the values that motivate us are altered.  Good to great transformation begins with personal values alteration.  Anything less guarantees failure.

A few words of caution:

1. Vision beyond self
   The firm, and all its members, needs to find the vision beyond itself.  It doesn’t have to be the same for everyone, but it has to affect everyone and involve everyone.  The President is not exempt.  Neither is the receptionist.  Values are ubiquitous.  If the risk of one mistake affects everyone, then the involvement of everyone in a cosmic agenda is just as necessary.
2. Leadership without greed
   True leadership is not driven by greed, even if your work environment might be telling you differently. Leaders do not conform to the norm or do just enough to get by without scars. They rise up to facilitate transformation in seismic proportion.
3. Relational ROI
   Being compliant does not necessarily mean you are doing the right thing in the eyes of others inside and outside of your organization. You are only fooling yourself if you think following the rules is the only measure of true relational ROI.  Relationships are not about rules.  They are about trust.  Rules and trust are not interchangeable concepts.

Forget compliance.  Lead differently.  Instead of developing new creative ways for your firm to stay off the SEC’s radar screen, take steps to move others toward personal transformation.  Then you can throw away those radar detectors.

©2004

When it comes to understanding the deepest desires and issues in my life, I often find that a look at ancient literature provides insights

Good advice is good no matter where it comes from.  When I find a resonating chord, I try to stop long enough to enjoy the sound.  And one of those deeply resonating chords was written by a very wise man, Solomon. In Proverbs 23:23 he said, “Buy the truth and do not sell it”.  Of course, this raises an immediate question.  What in the world is Solomon suggesting?  How do I buy the truth and why should I be careful not to sell it?

A little investigation (which fortunately for you I have already done) reveals something very important.  The two actions in this wise saying (buy and sell) carry some very interesting implications.  The first Hebrew verb is about acquiring, purchasing and possessing.  How does one acquire, purchase or possess the truth?  According to Solomon, this occurs in a life-long commitment to principled living, highest standards and ethical obedience.  So far so good.  All of us would love to have reputations built on that kind of foundation.  But now comes the other verb – sell.  This word is the basic action of exchange.  It suggests bartering.  I give something in order to get something else.  In our world, the commodity of exchange is usually reduced to money.  But money is nothing more than folded time and effort.  I give time and effort in exchange for money.  Then I exchange this folded time and effort to obtain something else produced by time and effort.

Now here´s the pearl of wisdom from Solomon.  Don’t set an exchange rate for the truth! No amount of folded time and effort is worth the barter.  When you acquire, purchase or possess the truth, bank it!  Never let it go.  If you do, you will end up the loser in the deal.

Once again we are all shaking our heads in agreement.  Of course we wouldn´t sell the truth for material gain (would we?).  Solomon must have known that the possibility could occur or else the warning would have been unnecessary.  But one more look at this ancient Hebrew word reveals just how subtle, and dangerous, the exchange rate might be.

There is a very old story in the book of Genesis about an exchange. Esau and Jacob were brothers.  Esau, the first-born, had rights of inheritance.  But one day Esau was famished from hunting and Jacob, who was a great chef, presented his brother with an exchange.  Esau wanted food.  Jacob wanted something else.  So he proposed a barter.  “You give me your right of inheritance and I´ll give you this food”.  And here´s the point of this little story.  Esau exchanged the intangible birthright for the tangible sustenance.  He sold the truth and regretted it the rest of his life.

This ancient wisdom makes me wary when it comes to my own investing strategy. It demonstrates how easily I am tempted to give away what is intangible but vital for what appears as tangible but appealing.  Once I barter the truth of my convictions or the values of my position, I won´t get them back.  I will have the tangible goods but they will be of little comfort where my reputation is concerned.  If my investment strategy does not recognize the intangible assets absolutely necessary for me to have peace and joy, no amount of folded time and effort will be enough to give me solace.

How does this affect my investing decisions? Would you put your folded time and effort into the hands of an Esau?  Or a company with Esau´s values?  Are you looking for maximum profits regardless of the consequences or the commodity?  Are you willing to exchange what is most near and dear to who you are in order to get what you want?  Today´s investing advisors often focus entirely on the tangible.  How much, how often, how safe.  But there is a deeper side to investing – a side that affects how you sleep and how well the meals digest and how high you can lift your head.  Buy the truth and do not sell it.  That´s very good advice.  And it was free.

©2005

Why should I act ethically?

If you’ve never had a thought like this, you probably come from Mars.  Every human being seems to face the ethical question at some point in life. It may be a small indiscretion or a major infraction, but the thought process is the same.  It’s never a question of legitimacy.  We all know that the possible action isn’t legitimate.  It’s really a question concerning authority.  And unless my perspective on authority is carefully considered, no amount of legislated morality will ultimately deter me. Why?  Because legislated morality is about force and force is not transformational.  Authority transforms.  Force only compels.

Consider the difference between authority and force.  I may use force to compel you to act in a certain way, but that does not mean I had the authority to make you act that way.   Even if I don’t put a gun to your head, when I legislate action I create an environment of force.  Instead of bullets, I substitute job loss or jail or financial punishment or some other punitive measure in order to get compliance.  But in the end, these punishments are simply “risk factors” for those who decide to ignore them.  After all, no one acts unethically with the intention of getting caught.  Every unethical decision contains that logical step that the punishments do not apply to me because I will not get caught this time.  That’s why legislation cannot prevent unethical actions.  Legislation only works when it compels with force and it only works all the time when force is ubiquitously applicable.

We all know this and we all ignore it.  If legislation were a sufficient condition for ethical behavior, we would all drive the speed limit all the time.  The sign says “55 MPH LIMIT”.  That’s the law.  But we routinely ignore the law based on a “risk factor” assessment of the chances of getting caught.  Cavalier behavior on the freeways is a very good indicator of the true role of force in ethics.  Rules don’t matter when we think the risk is low.

Authority, however, is another issue.  Authority is really about relationships.  Authority can only be exercised over those who accept a relationship that either requires their submission or invites their submission.  Authority is a relationship two-way street.

If we are going to really make an impact for ethical action, we must consider the role of authority.  What we immediately discover is that there are two kinds of authority. The first form of authority is de jure authority.  This is the kind of authority that is based on an agreed upon established set of rules that designate valid representatives of the rules.  This is a policeman’s authority.  He represents the rules insofar as he operates within the boundaries of his designated authority.  If he steps outside his designated authority, that does not mean the rules are invalid.  It only means that he did not have the right to enforce them as he chose.  For a policeman to have this authority, we must fall under the agreed upon rules.  We must be within the required and agreed upon jurisdiction.

In the business arena, the boss typically has de jure authority.  This authority is conferred upon him because he represents an agreed upon set of rules that govern everyone in the organization.  His authority, however, is limited.  He is not free to sexually harass an employee.  Such action oversteps his authority.  There are other, higher rules in the agreement contract.  Nevertheless, the boss has authority to command within larger ethical boundaries than the employee because he has been given his authority by a contractual agreement.

As an employee, I am asked to agree to this authority hierarchy.  If I want to remain an employee, I will have to submit to this authority.  Of course, I can choose not to submit, but I will probably not remain an employee.  The limit of de jour authority in business is the limit of the contract obligations between people under the same ruling structure.  A boss in a rival firm is not authorized to tell me what to do in my firm.  De jour authority requires contractual (explicit or implicit) agreement.

Ultimately, de jour authority rests on the designation of the highest right to command.  In the post-modern secularized world, this is usually some form of law (for example, the Supreme Court) accompanied by some order of force.  But even this level of de jour authority can fall.  In Christian doctrine, final de jour authority rests in God. God has command authority over everything because God is the Creator and therefore, by creative right, He exercises authority over what He creates.  God also has power over all His creation.  But for now, He operates on the basis of authority, not power. He could simply clean up the whole creation.  He could wipe out sin and sinful men (He did it once before) through the exercise of His power.  He has the right to do that.  God’s de jour authority is unquestionable for Christians.  The game is played by His rules.

But notice that the Biblical message does not emphasize this kind of authority at all.  The Biblical message is quite different.  Instead of commanding His will over creation, God exercises His authority by inviting voluntary submission to His claim of authority.  This is the second type of authority:  de facto authority. It occurs whenever one man recognizes the right of another to rule over him.  De facto authority is the basis of voluntary submission and the basis of all transformational ethics.  It has nothing to do with legislation or power.  De facto authority is about choice, not compulsion.  In Biblical terms, this is the authority based on what I ought to do, not what I am compelled to do.

Moreover, de facto authority does not depend on a previously agreed upon contract.  De facto authority occurs when I recognize for my own reasons that I have a personal obligation to submit to someone else’s right to rule regardless of any contractual relationship.  When my choices come from de facto authority, I behave according to a personal standard that I have incorporated as my own because it is the right thing for me to do.  There is no question about “getting away with it” or about which rules apply.  I recognize that someone else is entitled to guide and direct me and I follow because I decide to accept that entitlement.  By another name, this is conversion, plain and simple.

The question for business leaders today is simple:  what kind of authority do you exhibit? Do you attempt to guide ethical behavior by contractual rules?  Or do you lead from a position of personal submission?  Do you respond to the world as one under another’s authority?  Or do you operate on the basis of power?

Want a really quick way to tell the difference?   De jure authority is about rules reinforced by power and power is all about control. If I am operating in business with an eye toward power granted by rules, I am probably exercising de jour authority.  I can get results, but only as long as I have control over others.   My rules will only be as good as another’s agreement to live under my rules.  And they will not create transformation in ethical behavior.  I will get ethical compliance only as long as people think my rules apply to them.

When I operate with de facto authority, things change. This is authority that rests on the voluntary submission of the other person.  I don’t have to force rule compliance because rules are not the issue.  People who lead with de facto authority are people who lead because others choose to follow them.  They inspire rather than compel.

When I accept de facto authority, I accept the right of someone else to direct my behavior.  I stop trying to find ways around the rules because I recognize the right of the other person to set the guidelines for me.  I turn my ethical choices over to a “higher authority”.  As a Christian, I look for the places where God has given me authority, not where I have the power to act on my own.  And when I discover that authority is a gift, I realize that my authority depends entirely on what the giver allows.  I stay within the bounds of my given authority because I am only a representative of the Ruler, not the Ruler.

Today’s concern with ethical business behavior is almost exclusively focused on de jour authority.  But de jour authority will not rescue us from unethical actions.  Unless human beings are transformed by choice, there will never be enough policemen to monitor every action.  De facto authority is the only real option and that comes only with a change of inner direction.  The real question for business leadership today is this:  Are you a living example of personal de facto authority? If you aren’t, what makes you think you will ever see transformation in others?