Risk, Reward and Values
From a book by Nick Nicholson
In his book, Risk, Rewards and Values, Nick Nicholson shares from a long and fruitful career in starting companies and also professional consulting. As a person of faith, he distils and communicates his experience of entrepreneurial leadership linked with his understanding of where God resides in that process. Each chapter covers his experience of the nuts and bolts of building and sustaining an organisation that advances the Kingdom of God.
This is not a book primarily about managing businesses nor about examples of Christians in the marketplace nor a book of rules. It is about the heart of a kingdom entrepreneur - foundations, characteristics, mindsets, attitudes, etc. A kingdom entrepreneur is an entrepreneur whose life is committed to following Jesus Christ, who has entered into the kingdom of God and who lives out the values of this kingdom using their God-given gifts to extend this kingdom in their spheres of influence. Nick passes on what he wishes he had known when he started his journey as a kingdom entrepreneur 30 years ago.
Chapter headings:
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Why Kingdom Entrepreneurs
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Citizens of Heaven Resident on Earth
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Laying a Good Foundation
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Listening to the Right Voices
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Humble-Heartedness
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Integrity
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Creating Culture
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Discipling a Scarcity Mindset
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Displacing Mammon
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Redeeming Power
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Contending
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Success and Failure
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Beacons in a Broken World
Each chapter has key points summarised and ends with questions in a Pause, Pray, Practise section.
There is a significant and tangible difference between someone who is driven by the desire to gain for themselves the benefits from a venture, and a kingdom-minded person who wants to gain benefit for the common good. The big difference is how they go about gaining the benefit, and what the benefit is.
A kingdom entrepreneur models the kingdom of God to those around them. Kingdom entrepreneurs are therefore kingdom people whom God has gifted with the ability to create and innovate enterprises, culture, products and services in a way that demonstrates human redemption. They are being prophetic to their world around them, pointing clearly to Jesus, the redeemer of humankind. Kingdom entrepreneurs are prepared to embrace risk for the return of the advancement of the kingdom.
Not just for the individual I feel but also a resource to work though with others a chapter at a time.
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From a book by Nick Nicholson, 13/10/2021