After completing college and being accepted by AT&T into their "fast track" management program the company moved me six times over a period of eight years. This resulted in a series of promotions, and I was given the task of turning around a number of non-performing divisions.
My leadership and business acumen influenced my industry, employees, customers and shareholders. My work contributed to human flourishing. What I didn't understand was that I also had a greater purpose in my work, not realizing that there was an eternal perspective to my business performance. I did not understand that my character and competency to achieve results were part of my stewardship and testimony of my Christian walk.
After fifteen years of working for a Fortune 100, and a privately held company, my life's journey brought me to Saddleback Church. It was there I would become a licensed minister and worked for ten years to develop and lead the marketplace ministry, Saddleback@Work. This was the time before the many books, blogs, podcasts and lectures were available on topics of marketplace ministry and faith at work. I had to develop my own resources, framework and strategy for the calling I was on. Some of the many subjects I wrestled with were 1) how to not just present information but bring about real transformation and 2) how to effectively disciple people in the marketplace.
When people ask how I came to work at the intersection of leadership, organizational culture, employee engagement, ethics, and faith, I often find myself looking backward rather than forward.
As an undergraduate business student, I was fascinated by two subjects that didn't obviously belong together. The first was psychology, the other was law. With psychology, I was captivated by understanding what motivates people, why they behave the way they do, and what helps people thrive. I engaged in research projects wanting to understand the human side of organizations. With law, I found myself drawn to the process used in legal reasoning. It was the discipline of building a cohesive argument, evaluating evidence, thinking critically and defending a position. Years later I realized those same skills became foundational in teaching biblical organizational ethics. It would also be my approach to faith and work. Rather than presenting faith and work as simply a worthy ideal I make the case for it, bringing together scripture, research, organizational theory, and practical experience into a coherent and compelling framework.
Throughout my career, I have experienced both effective and ineffective leaders, and leaders who had a positive and a negative influence on people. Those experiences taught me that organizations rise or fall not simply because of strategy or talent, but because of leadership, culture, and the everyday decisions that shape the employee experience. I have also learned that employee engagement and satisfaction are greatly influenced by organizational effectiveness. When it's difficult to work within an organization people's desire to contribute, innovate, and give their best naturally declines. Unfortunately, The State of the Workforce Report by the Gallup Organization identifies that for more than a decade, a majority of employees were not engaged at work. This was across all job titles, industries and geographic locations.
In my career one realization became clear to me. This was that faith-based organizations should be among the healthiest places to work. When people share a common faith, a common mission, and a biblical understanding of leadership, the expectation should be higher, not lower. Healthy organizational culture, ethical leadership, respect for people, accountability, and meaningful work should not just be aspirations; they should be distinguishing characteristics. Yet, I have also seen how difficult that can be to achieve.
How do some organizations create trust while others create fear? Why are employees deeply engaged in one workplace and disengaged in another? What allows some leaders to bring out the best in people while others unintentionally diminish those they lead? And what does scripture have to say about building organizations where people and performance flourish together?
Those questions have shaped my teaching, consulting, coaching and research ever since.
The unexpected loss of my husband in 2012 after 28 years of marriage changed me profoundly. Raising two daughters as a single mother deepened my understanding of resilience, suffering, hope, and the life and challenges of a single parent. After more than twelve years of widowhood, God surprised me with a new chapter. In 2025 on Broadbeach in Australia, I married an Aussie. God's plans are often written over much longer timelines than our own. His faithfulness has been evident in both seasons of loss and seasons of unexpected joy.
Every workplace shapes lives, communities and societies. Leadership influences families. Organizational culture affects human flourishing. When leaders build organizations marked by wisdom, integrity, meaningful work, and genuine care for people, the impact extends far beyond business results. It reaches employees, families, communities and generations.
