May 23, 2019, Thursday, 11:30am-1:00pm
Yeshiva University, Yeshiva University Museum
15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011
Questions, please email: strauscenter@yu.edu

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Conference: The Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought of Yeshiva University, the International Center for Law and Religion Studies of BYU, and the J. Reuben Law Society co-present: What’s Next for Religious Freedom May 22—May 23, 2019.

Luncheon Session: Research shows that it is in the self-interest of business to protect freedom of religion and belief, which is an essential ingredient in sustainable development. Indeed, protecting religious freedom also protects the very environment that business itself needs to flourish. Moreover, research also demonstrates that employees who can bring their “whole selves” to the workplace perform better in many bottom line key indicator areas. Bringing one’s whole self includes religious identity.

Many companies, however, are struggling to navigate religion and beliefs at work. In fact, 36 percent of American workers — approximately 50 million people — have experienced or witnessed religious discrimination in the workplace, with religious majorities, minorities and non-religious employees all reporting this experience. This has direct impact on employee and company performance. Additionally, while companies have rightly paid significant attention to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, workplace religious discrimination complaints to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) outnumber sexual orientation complaints two-to-one. Addressing religion and belief in the workplace is the next big focus. Join us over lunch on Thursday, May 24, for an in-depth discussion of how to positively navigate religion and beliefs in the marketplace and in the workplace.

The session also will introduce resources to help organizations large and small design successful policies and procedures for honoring religion in the workplace.

Invitation: Join us for an in-depth discussion of religious diversity and an introduction to resources to help companies design successful policies and practices to maximize the benefits of religious diversity & inclusion in the workplace.

Panelists:

• – Brian Grim, President, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation (session chair)
• – David L. Buckner, President and CEO, Bottom Line Training and Consulting, Inc. and Adjunct Professor, Columbia University
• – Dan Eckstein, Accenture, Director Media and Technology practice, Global Lead of the Jewish Employee Resource group and the NY Metro Interfaith Employee
• – Andrew Lauer, Vice President for Legal Affairs, Secretary and General Counsel, Yeshiva University

Workplace Perspectives:

• – Zabih Mamun, Manager, Accenture
• – Naomi Kraus, Editorial Manager/Senior Content Strategist, Google
• – Julie Schwartz, Marketing Operations, American Express

Register for this free event at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/whats-next-for-religious-freedom-tickets-58032333271

Vatican City, Mar 8, 2019 

Brian Grim, president of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation, was invited to the Vatican to contribute to the first international conference on religions and the sustainable development goals.

Pope Francis said Friday that global development goals need to be supported by ethical objectives stemming from personal conversion and recognition of one’s failures.

“The economic and political objectives must be supported by ethical objectives, which presuppose a change of attitude, the Bible would say a change of heart,” the pope said March 8 at the Vatican’s Clementine Hall.

“Already St. John Paul II spoke about the need to ‘encourage and sustain an ecological conversion,’” he said, referencing a 2001 catechesis of one of his predecessors. “Religions have a key role to play here.”

The pope addressed Vatican officials, religious representatives, and members of international organizations participating in a March 7-9 conference on “Religions and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Listening to the cry of the earth and the poor.”

International Conference on Religions and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The international community is currently working towards the first four-yearly review of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted in 2015 by 193 States at the United Nations. Recent reports from international organizations raise a serious alarm of concern regarding the present course of implementation of the SDGs.

For example, according to the latest FAO Report on the State of food security and nutrition in the world, the number of undernourished people in the world (SDG 2) is on the rise, while the recent IPCC Report on global warming of l .5°C warns that humanity has less than a decade to win the fight against climate change (SDG 13). Hence, there is an urgent need to reflect on how the human family can intensify joint efforts to help Nations to implement the SDGs. This requires the participation of all, religions included (more than eight-in-ten people identify with a religious group). Moreover, the 17 SDGs are not competing goals but rather intertwined. How to promote such interconnections is a subject where faith communities can provide unique contribution, particularly considering their holistic approach to human development.

The Holy See is willing to contribute, with the involvement of experts of major religions and international institutions, to the review of the first overall assessment of the implementation of the Agenda 2030. For this purpose, the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, together with the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, convened an International Conference on ” Religions and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”, at the New Synod Hall, Vatican City, from the March 7 – 9, 2019.

The Conference was a dialogue about assessing the actual implementation of the SDGs by Nations ( see ). The interlocutors of this dialogue are experts from both international institutions and religions. It will also aim at sharing, in the light of faith, a deeper understanding of the SDGs (judge). Finally, the conference will discuss the specific and unique contributions that religions can make to promote and to implement the SDGs (act).

The Five Ps

A framing that reveals the interconnections among all 17 distinct goals and the 169 associated targets, is the one known as the five “Ps”: People. Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership. This framing served as the structure of the Conference’s programme.

After a general overview, the first session covered People and Planet, the second Prosperity and Peace, whereas the third will reflect on Partnership. Each session contained several presentations on development topics (15 minutes) , followed by a response from a religious perspective (15 minutes). In the opening session and in the one on Partnership, more time was  allocated to hear religious voices. On the last day, best practices on the link between SDGs and religions were introduced. The final session presented a synthesis expressed in the form of a Call from Participants to their own communities and institutions to contribute on the implementation of the SDGs.

May 6, 2019, Monday, 8:00am-1:00pm | Texas Instruments worldwide headquarters | 12500 TI Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75243

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Case for Action: Employees who bring their “whole selves” to the workplace perform better in bottom line key indicator areas. For many, religion and spirituality are core to their identity, and their faith strongly influences their work. Yet they feel they must hide this identity at work. As a result, they often feel devalued and stifled. Respecting religious differences and collaborating across faith communities can help build an inclusive culture where all employees can be themselves and deliver their best performance.

Breakthrough: Increasingly, workplace leaders are embracing religious diversity in a way that supports organizational objectives and strengthens cultures of trust, integrity, mutual respect and organizational effectiveness. They are seeing how openness to appropriate religious expression can elevate employee recruitment, commitment, engagement, retention, ethical practices and personal fulfillment.

Also, global studies show that the freedom to exercise one’s faith and beliefs is significantly associated with economic growth and the World Economic Forum’s pillars of global competitiveness.

Invitation: Join us Monday, May 6, 8:00am-1:00pm, at Texas Instruments (TI) worldwide headquarters (12500 TI Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75243) for an in-depth discussion of religious diversity and an introduction to resources to help companies design successful policies and practices to maximize the benefits of religious diversity & inclusion in the workplace.

Speakers:

• Ellen Barker (TI Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer)
• Suzan Johnson Cook (President & CEO of CHARISMA SPEAKERS, former U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom)
• Samantha Dwinell (TI Vice President, Talent Management and Workforce Intelligence)
• Brian Grim (President, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
• TI employees from various faiths and backgrounds sharing significant experiences with workplace religious diversity.
• Mohammed Faris (Author, The Productive Muslim: Where Faith Meets Productivity)
• Sue Warnke (Senior Director of Engineering Content & President of Faithforce San Francisco at Salesforce)
• Kent Johnson (former TI senior counsel)
• Other Employee Experiences (American Airlines, etc.)

For questions regarding the event, please email: contact@religiousfreedomandbusiness.org.

Register for this free event at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/religious-diversity-inclusion-in-the-workplace-tickets-57312378868.

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  This is part of a series of profiles on faith and work initiatives from various faiths.

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has rolled out a global program helping their members as well as nonmember gain what they refer to as skills in self-reliance. The first video below is used in the United States to help their members understand the program and consider getting involved and/or suggesting the program to others.

The second video is an example of the small business curriculum as developed for use in Sub-Saharan Africa. A self-employment group member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints discusses how the program taught him marketing and better customer relations. He also discusses the role of prayer and faith in his business.

Manuals, videos, and training may be downloaded from their website and are also available at their Church’s distribution centers.

Courses cover topics including personal finance, starting and growing a business, finding a better job, and how to chose the right education for better work.

The Church’s Rationale Behind the Courses

Photo: Kakuma refugee camp, Kenya – May 2018 : South Sudanese refugee practicing carpentry in Don Bosco vocational training centre in Kakuma refugee camp. Empowering refugees through practical skills. Don Bosco Kakuma belongs to the world wide society of Salesians of Don Bosco founded by St. John Bosco (1815-1888) in Italy which today operates in about 140 countries. The main activities of their works are geared towards the human and intellectual formation of young people. (Photo credit: Adriana Mahdalova)

by Brian J. Grim

Business, religion and refugees are connected in al least three important ways. First, religion is a motivator to help others, and by definition, refugees are in need of help. Second, because religion is an important aspect in the vast majority of refugees’ lives, businesses will be more successful if the workplace safeguards religious diversity, equity and inclusion. And third, refugees as well as immigrants from minority religious faiths often have the drive and ingenuity to create new, innovative and socially impactful businesses.

1. Religion is a Motivator to Help Others

Much of the work to resettle refugees in a new country requires more than money. It requires community support and loving neighbors.

For example, a 25-strong team from St Monica’s Parish, Flixton, Salford (near Manchester, U.K.), was the first Catholic parish to welcome a Syrian family to be resettled in the UK under the Government’s Community Sponsorship scheme. The scheme allows parishes and community groups to welcome, house and support refugee families looking to rebuild their lives in the UK.

Sean Ryan, employed by Caritas Salford to support the scheme’s uptake by parishes in the North-West and then nationally by Caritas Social Action Network, was awarded an MBE for his work. Commenting on this honour, Phil McCarthy said: “This richly deserved honour recognises the work that Sean has done to answer the call of Pope Francis to Catholic communities to welcome refugees.”

Resettlement in U.S. is Heavily Faith-based

Stephanie J. Nawyn, Associate Professor of Sociology at Michigan State University, notes that working directly with the U.S. government on refugee resettlement, there are nine national voluntary agencies, six or which are faith-based. One is Jewish, one Catholic, one evangelical Christian and three are mainline Protestant.

“These groups arrange for refugees to find housing, land jobs and enroll in English classes. They do so regardless of the newcomers’ own religions or their countries of origin. In my research,” Nawyn states, “I have found that staff at faith-based organizations commonly use religious rhetoric to justify their work and to describe their commitment to that work. At the same time, religiously based refugee organizations frame their efforts using interfaith language. They invoke the ethical imperative to provide asylum and refuge in ways that cross-cut multiple religious traditions as they collect and disburse money and household goods – and mobilize volunteers.”

Salem’s Sparrow Furniture gives refugees jobs, help adjusting to American life

After six years working in Jordan, Sparrow Furniture founder Luke Glaze returned Oregon and set up the company to operate under the 501c3 of Salem Alliance Church, Portland. Glaze and his wife had started a similar company in Jordan that employed people to make a business out of recycling.

“My heart was just burdened by the need of the people,” Glaze said.

Glaze combined his business know-how with his passion to help international refugees, and partnered with Salem Alliance Church to run a social impact business. Sparrow Furniture gives refugees jobs and helps them live an American life.

Watch the more on the Sparrow website.

2. A Faith-friendly Workplace is Good for the Bottom Line

Analysis by the Pew research Center shows that refugees are far more religiously affiliated than either Europe or the U.S.

For instance, as shown in the chart, in 2016 virtually all refugees entering the U.S. were religiously affiliated, compared with fewer than 80 percent of the general population.

That means that as workplaces seek to integrate refugees, they will be more religious, especially because the countries they’ve come from were more defined by religion. And many are refugees because they were either persecuted for their faith or were driven out by religion-related conflict. Therefore, having workplaces that are sensitive to religion is important.

This actually is something businesses are coming to realize. Studies show that the most successful businesses encourage an environment in which employees can bring their “full self” to work. Employees need to feel comfortable, willing, and able to talk about what is most important to them. Employers benefit when they recognize and respect an employee’s religious identity, including their beliefs and practices.

In today’s increasingly competitive global business environment, companies will need to draw upon the unique talent and diverse experience of every employee. Employees that feel free to bring their entire self and identify to work demonstrate higher levels of innovation, creativity, and positive working environments, directly affecting business success. On the other hand, organizations that have environments of exclusion, intentional or not, risk excluding the next great business solution, the next great product idea, or talent retention.

As companies globalize, they’ll need employees who can relate to the daily experience of increasingly diverse customers. For billions of potential customers, including in the world’s fastest-growing economies, religious belief and practice are a part of daily life. Having employees who understand the ways religion manifests in private and public life will help companies avoid costly missteps and develop products and services better tailored to customer needs, and an essential part of being competitive.

See RFBF’s website for resources helping companies embrace religious diversity.

3. Religious Minorities often drive innovation and socially impactful business

Many refugees are entrepreneurs, having been business owners in their country of origin or having entrepreneurial skills to start or expand a business activity in their host country, according to UNHCR. And since over 95 per cent of the world’s businesses are small, medium or micro-sized enterprises, there is a tremendous opportunity for refugees to innovate and help drive economic growth, income and employment opportunities worldwide.

Some refugees have started massively successful companies. Daniel Aaron was a refugee from Nazi Germany and an orphan who went on to become one of the founders of Comcast. Comcast is the second-largest broadcasting and cable television company in the world by revenue and the largest pay-TV company, the largest cable TV company and largest home Internet service provider in the United States, and the nation’s third-largest home telephone service provider.

Refugees Are a Great Investment

Philippe Legrain, writing in FP, provides a compelling case for the economic contributions of immigrants and refugees, ranging from providing willing labor to being some of the most innovative business leaders:

“Google co-founder Sergey Brin was a child refugee from the Soviet Union. WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum and PayPal co-founder Max Levchin were refugees from Ukraine. The late Andy Grove, who helped start and was later CEO of Intel, fled from communist Hungary. So, too, did hedge-fund manager and philanthropist George Soros; Thomas Peterffy, the founder of Interactive Brokers Group; and Steven Udvar-Hazy, the founder of Air Lease Corp.”

“The biological father of the late Steve Jobs, the co-founder and legendary CEO of Apple, America’s most valuable company, was a Syrian who fled his country for political reasons.”

“eBay was founded by an Iranian-American, Pierre Omidyar. At Chobani, the company that makes America’s leading brand of Greek yogurt, three in 10 employees are refugees. Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya [a Turk, not a Greek] doesn’t just employ them to do good; it also turns out to be good for the bottom line.”

Ulukaya said that he left Turkey due to the Turkish state’s oppression of its Kurdish minority group, of which he is a member.

In celebration of its 25^th anniversary, Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA), a nonprofit humanitarian and advocacy organization, has awarded a $25,000 “Silver Anniversary” grant to the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation, an organization based in Annapolis, Md., that helps businesses foster interfaith understanding and peace.

The “Silver Anniversary Community Bridge-Building” program was announced as an initiative to bridge the differences that frequently divide communities – such as religion, race, or political opinion. The grant announcement generated 175 formal inquiries from organizations working in 36 states and the territory of Puerto Rico, demonstrating that people all across America are interested in finding common bonds and committing to a common mission for the sake of their communities.

“The tremendous response from grassroots, community-based and national organizations shows that people who on the surface have little in common can come together to make the world a better place – a place where there’s more unity, more sensitivity, and an endless amount of potential and promise,” said Anne Wilson, director of programs for IRUSA.

The Religious Freedom & Business Foundation will use the grant to educate Muslim and non-Muslim chief executive officers and business leaders about how religious freedom is good for business. The grant will also be used to engage the business community in joining forces with government and non-government organizations in promoting respect for religious freedom in society and in the work place.

At a February 13^th public launch of a suite of corporate tools to promote workplace religious diversity and inclusion, CEOs and business leaders will speak in support of the initiative and sign the corporate pledge on religious diversity and inclusion. The launch event is at the Knight TV Studio at the Newseum on Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, D.C. See link for details.

“It is an honor for the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation to receive the IRUSA 25th Anniversary Grant. It is our hope that the results of the grant project in which we will invite and equip businesses to advance religious freedom and inclusion will be as successful as is Islamic Relief USA,” said Brian Grim, president of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation. “Indeed, businesses can learn from IRUSA’s model of inclusivity, employing people from multiple faiths who share the compassionate ideals that motivate everything IRUSA does. The mission to love and serve our neighbors overcomes differences and builds strong, inclusive neighborhoods.”

Islamic Relief USA, based in Alexandria, Va., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) humanitarian organization. Its mission is to provide relief and development in a dignified manner regardless of gender, race, or religion, and works to empower individuals in their communities and give them a voice in the world. Its programs benefit millions of people each year in more than 40 countries around the world, including in the United States. Islamic Relief USA meets all of the Standards for Charity Accountability of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, a national charity monitoring group affiliated with the Better Business Bureau system. Islamic Relief USA is on the U.S. government’s Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) charity list, and it is also a signatory to the code of conduct of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

• Syed M. Hassan
• media@irusa.org or
• (703) 370-7246
• or
• Brian Grim
• brian@religiousfreedomandbusiness.org
• (814) 574-8672

Bishop Barron gave a talk at Google Headquarters on his recent book, Religion and the Opening Up of the Mind.

Bishop Barron addressed a room full of Google and YouTube employees on how religion doesn’t shut down the questing intellect, but in fact opens up our minds, causing us to seek the fulfillment of our deepest longings. He argues that these yearnings won’t be satisfied by wealth, pleasure, power, or honor, but only by the God who wired us to be satisfied in him.

His talk has been viewed over 125,000 times online and remains one of the most-viewed videos from the “Talks at Google” series in 2018.

On January 16, 2019, Bishop Barron visited the headquarters of Amazon in Seattle, WA, to discuss his new book, “Arguing Religion,” with Amazon employees.

About

Bishop Robert Barron is an author, speaker, theologian, and founder of Word on Fire, a global media ministry. Word on Fire reaches millions of people by utilizing the tools of new media to draw people into or back to the Catholic Faith.

This is part of a series of profiles on faith and work initiatives from various faiths.

Mohamed Faris, founder of The Productive Muslim Company, asks Muslims, “Are you living the best version of yourself Spiritually, Physically & Socially?” To help them, he offers a 6-week online live masterclass to learn practical, hands-on skills to win more days, overcome stress, and live the best version of themselves.

Background

Mohammed Faris, a Tanzanian young man of Yemeni descent, who was pursuing a masters degree at the University of Bristol (UK) in Finance and Investment.

Throughout his University years, he found himself fascinated by productivity science and how one can achieve so much in so little time.

One day, on a cold November morning, in 2007, Mohammed woke up and two words popped into his head “Productive Muslim”. He got so excited by the term, that he decided to register the domain name ProductiveMuslim.com and launch a personal blog sharing his thoughts and ideas on how to live a productive lifestyle. Two months later, he shut the blog down. He thought the blog was pointless and was not worth pursuing.

A renewed focus

Fast forward six months later and two incidents propelled Mohammed to reconsider starting ProductiveMuslim.com again but with a new focus. First, a 10-year-old boy emailed him and asked about his blog saying that he was a fan! Mohammed couldn’t believe there was somebody out there who read and benefit from his blog.

Secondly, he came across a hadith of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him) that said: “The early hours are blessed for my nation” (Tirmidhi), and it was as if a lightning bolt hit him. Because every productivity book he was reading up until that point mentioned the importance of waking up early to be productive. And there was a 1400-year-old saying of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him) that encouraged waking up early. He realized that the mission of ProductiveMuslim.com was not to share productivity advice like any other productivity platform. The purpose of ProductiveMuslim.com was to connect spirituality to productivity science and showcase the relevance of Islam in helping human beings live productive, meaningful lives.

From a Personal Blog to a Professional Training Company

In 2011, Mohammed incorporated ProductiveMuslim.com in the UK as “Productive Muslim Ltd” and started delivering productivity workshops in cities across the world as well as online. He was supported by a dedicated team of sincere and hardworking volunteers who helped transform the personal blog into a full-fledged training company.

A Calling

In 2015, Mohammed decided to quit his full-time career at a multinational Islamic bank and move to the US with his family to launch his book “The Productive Muslim: Where Faith Meets Productivity”, and re-launch “The Productive Muslim Company” as a faith-based professional training brand part of his Dallas-based productivity training and executive coaching company, Leading Productive Lives LLC.

This is part of a series of profiles on faith and work initiatives from various faiths.

Executives and CEO’s are people with people problems. Business problems are always people and psychological problems in disguise. Virtually all our problems are simply contradictions in our minds. Contradictions in our minds are usually due to antiquated “operating systems” so-to-speak. Rabbi Michael Shevack offers to help people download the new version.

He helps people learn how to align their professional and personal lives so they can do it all– with less expenditure of time, personal-energy and money (in that order). Bottom lines improve quickly, because I teach you how to work with Life not against it. New business improves too with this approach. However, you have to not be afraid to face your fears or I can’t help you. You also have to be prepared to take a safe, calculated risk, in order to change the way you are currently operating.

READ: Spiritual Business Principles for Sustainable Success

Moreover, his approach translates into financial success: decreased waste and increased quality of life. Rabbi Shevack sees money, relationships, corporate structure, personnel, as a single, integrated structure, and show you how to navigate it all with a minimum of time and resources.”

ABOUT Rabbi Michael Shevack

Michael Shevack is an ordained rabbi, a leader in inter-religious dialogue, the author of six books. He’s been a consultant and business counselor to many executives and companies. His column on Spirituality in Business appeared in Success Magazine.

Rabbi Shevack is on the Board of Directors of the Center for Spirituality and Health Education at Stonybrook (SUNY), where he taught Spirituality on a graduate level in the School of Social Welfare. He teaches Business Spirituality at the Iacocca Institute for Global Entrepreneurship at Lehigh University.

Prior to his ordination, Rabbi Shevack was an award-winning Madison Avenue Creative Director. His work on Apple Computers won at the Cannes Film Festival. His campaign Gillette. The Best A Man Can Get is still running in over 120 countries around the world.

Rabbi Shevack is the Social Responsibility Officer of The Patton Foundation, founded by Helen Patton, the granddaughter of General George S. Patton. His teaching organization: The Association for Universal Judaism is actively engaged in teaching real-life spirituality to students of all faiths and no-faith around the world. Rabbi Shevack is married to wife and artist Teddy Frank, and has three children, Christian, Adam & Zoe. See: www.michaelshevack.com; www.universaljudaism.org.

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  This is the lead article in a series of profiles on faith and work initiatives from various faiths.

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• Brian J. Grim, Ph.D., President, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation
  

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A growing number of companies and religious groups embrace the idea that living out one’s faith at work is good for human flourishing and business.

Here I will highlight how religious groups help their members put their faith to practice in the workplace, making work more meaningful, productive and human. Stay tuned for a second post on how companies accommodate religion in the workplace, and the ways RFBF helps them do it successfully.

Profiles from Various Faiths

Evangelical Christianity

On February 22, 2019, thousands of Christian business professionals across the country participated in the second annual Work As Worship Retreat, a one-day live-streamed event featuring experts on connecting faith and work. Last year, over 13,000 business professionals participated.

With the aim of communicating a complete and biblical picture of work and faith, the organizers defined eight tenets of the Work as Worship message. Read more …

By the way, the photo below is the sign in front of the church I attended while growing up (now many long years ago). In those days, the  topic of faith at work wasn’t on the radar.

Buddhism

In December I attended the the first “gathering of managers learning from the Buddhism spirit.”

More than 2,000 people gathered on December 16, 2018, at Rissho Kosei-kai’s Great Sacred Hall in Suginami Ward, Tokyo. This was the first nationwide gathering of business owners and managers to study Buddhism’s application to management and business today.

The purpose of the gathering was to utilize the Buddhist spirit in business management, create a network to provide business value and new value for society through the application of Rissho Kosei-kai’s teachings.

Business Secrets of the Trappist Monks: One CEO’s Quest for Meaning and Authenticity

August Turak is a successful entrepreneur, corporate executive, and award-winning author who attributes much of his success to living and working alongside the Trappist monks of Mepkin Abbey for seventeen years. As a frequent monastic guest, he learned firsthand from the monks as they grew an incredibly successful portfolio of businesses.

Service and selflessness are at the heart of the 1,500-year-old monastic tradition’s remarkable business success. It is an ancient though immensely relevant economic model that preserves what is positive and productive about capitalism while transcending its ethical limitations and internal contradictions.  See what he learned firsthand from the monks.

Legatus

Tom Monaghan is best known for founding Domino’s Pizza and Ave Maria University and formerly owning the Detroit Tigers, but what is he most proud of? Founding Legatus, the world’s premier membership organization for Catholic business leaders.

Legatus members are business leaders – men and women with varying interests and diverse talents who all share one overriding goal: to become better Catholics and, in turn, positively impact their business and personal lives.

Legatus members are business leaders – men and women with varying interests and diverse talents who all share one overriding goal: to become better Catholics and, in turn, positively impact their business and personal lives. – Tom Monaghan

See the video below for the story of how Tom Monaghan went from a pizza giant to, as he’s been called, a giant of faith.

Islam

God at Work

There are many examples from Islam as well. One is summarized in a just-released business journal. A new article by Ali Aslan Gümüsay, Michael Smets and Tim Morris has been published at the Academy of Management Journal. It is entitled ‘God at Work’: Engaging central and incompatible institutional logics through elastic hybridity and examines how the first Islamic Bank in Germany maintains unity in diversity by forming what the authors call an elastic hybrid that remains resilient despite contradictory beliefs and values that persist over time.

The Productive Muslim Company

My colleague, Mohamed Faris, asks Muslims, “Are you living the best version of yourself Spiritually, Physically & Socially?” To help them, he offers a 6-week online live masterclass to learn practical, hands-on skills to win more days, overcome stress, and live the best version of themselves.

Judaism

Spiritual Business Principles for Sustainable Success

Michael Shevack is an ordained rabbi, a leader in inter-religious dialogue, the author of six books, and a consultant and business counselor to many executives and companies. His column on Spirituality in Business appeared in Success Magazine.

Executives and CEO’s are people with people problems. Business problems are always people and psychological problems in disguise. Virtually all our problems are simply contradictions in our minds. Contradictions in our minds are usually due to antiquated “operating systems” so-to-speak. Rabbi Michael Shevack offers to help people download the new version. Read more …

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has rolled out a global self-reliance program covering topics including personal finance, starting and growing a business, finding a better job, and education for better work. Practical courses with spiritual benefits.

What it all Means

These examples point to the reality that many people don’t separate their faith from their day-to-day lives.

Studies show that the most successful businesses encourage an environment in which employees can bring their “full self” to work. Employees need to feel comfortable, willing, and able to talk about what is most important to them. Employers benefit when they recognize and respect an employee’s religious identity, including their beliefs and practices.

In today’s increasingly competitive global business environment, companies will need to draw upon the unique talent and diverse experience of every employee. Employees that feel free to bring their entire self and identify to work demonstrate higher levels of innovation, creativity, and positive working environments, directly affecting business success. On the other hand, organizations that have environments of exclusion, intentional or not, risk excluding the next great business solution, the next great product idea, or talent retention.

As companies globalize, they’ll need employees who can relate to the daily experience of increasingly diverse customers. For billions of potential customers, including in the world’s fastest-growing economies, religious belief and practice are a part of daily life. Having employees who understand the ways religion manifests in private and public life will help companies avoid costly missteps and develop products and services better tailored to customer needs, and an essential part of being competitive.

Have a look at the resources we have developed to address these needs.