View the companion video at the Bible and Business YouTube channel. Taken from Chapter 2 of A Christian Theology of Business Ownership.
In observing various business owners and leaders, I’ve concluded that there are common dysfunctions into which many fall. Table 2-1 outlines some of the more common dysfunctions and likely results.
Table 2-1: Common Owner Dysfunctions and Results
| Common Owner Dysfunctions | Common Results |
| Avoids conflict | Loses top talent.Incivility is tolerated.Loss of teamwork.Employees avoid each other.Owner procrastinates on difficult decisions. |
| Does not trust easily | Loses top talent.Owner is highly secretive.Owner micromanages.Minor decisions are run through the owner. |
| Arrogance | Believes he is right about most things —even those well outside the owner’s training, competencies, and experience.Demands perfection from others but excuses imperfection in himself.Does not know the difference between foolishly stubborn and tenaciously committed. |
| Owner does not engage reality | Owner focuses on the future, not the present.Excuses bad behavior because of the perceived value an employee brings. |
| Workaholic | Owner works to the point of missing important family and church events.Takes few, if any, vacations when he could afford to. |
| Passion for business is out of balance | Does not have any real interests outside her business.Neglects family time and misses significant family events due to work. |
| Hot-tempered | Staff doesn’t give the owner bad news out of fear of his reaction.Staff avoids contact with the owner.Conflict is not resolved; it is shut down or stuffed.Owner can become angry in a matter of seconds. |
| Owner makes excuses | Underachievement is excused.Outside forces and people are blamed by the owner’s failures.Employees execute better than the owner. |
| Dishonest | Lies to customers.Lies to employees.Lies to spouse.Lies to himself. |
| Leads through power | Jekyll/Hyde: Nice in public, mean behind closed doors.Disrespects his employees but demands respect from them.Just plain mean to his employees.Reminds others that he is “the owner.” |
| Impulsive | Chases every shiny, new idea.Refocuses staff every day/week/month on a new, important goal that is disconnected from the last important goal.Everything is an emergency.Does not assess risks when making significant decisions.Owner makes decisions without critical information. |
These and other behaviors are not uncommon in owners and leaders. These dysfunctions may be compounded exponentially when there are partners who comprise the ownership group. When two or more fallen people form a business, their personal dysfunctions and the interaction of their dysfunctions gets imprinted onto the business and can create complexities that are difficult for their staff to manage.
Take a moment and check yourself against these common dysfunctions. If you sense some of them are persistently present in your role as a business owner, take some time right now to pray this through with God and see what He has to say to you about it.
Bill English, Publisher
Bible and Business
