IN the outstanding executive there appears a spark of character that spells the difference between routine performance and brilliant success. Christian Science enables one to find that spark, to understand its source, and to develop it in himself as well as in others.
The Bible gives a number of outstanding examples of executive ability, and in each instance the key factor was spiritual-mindedness. Joseph was taken from prison and made food administrator for all of Egypt because of his ability to perceive the meaning of a dream that Pharaoh had had. His spiritual qualities evidently contributed to his organizing skill also, for he was able to gather enough produce during seven plenteous years to have corn to sell to other nations during the seven years of famine that followed.
Later Gideon, inspired by the Lord, selected and organized in ways that were positively unique a small army to battle with a much larger army of Midianites. Gideon's victory was decisive.
Many executives in this day have turned to God, found their skills increased, their discernment sharpened, their ability to do the right thing at the right time coming to them through spiritual inspiration. The executive who understands the truths of Christian Science—that God, Spirit, is the only Mind and that man is God's spiritual idea—can utilize those truths to lift himself above mediocrity and above chance to the demonstration in his business life of the success-producing qualities of Mind. These qualities are ever flowing to and being expressed by Mind's idea, the real man. The businessman can identify himself with Mind as the reflection of Mind's wisdom; and as he does so, he will find his God-given ability to perform effectively.
Denying the belief that there can be a Mind other than God or that there can be another source of wisdom, one frees human thought to discern spiritual ideas—ideas which reveal man as the son of God, reflecting God's completeness, harmony, perfection, love. These ideas transform the executive's consciousness of himself, of his fellowmen, and of the organization for which he works. They spiritualize his thought; they eliminate the materially personal sense of life and of business; they exalt the spiritual sense and thereby enable him to discern and to bring out God-derived skills, initiative, capacities, and abilities in himself and in others. By denying the reality of matter on the basis of the allness of Spirit, God, one frees his thought to accept spiritual ideas as realities. He can then find ways to accomplish tasks which ordinarily seem impossible because of material limitations.
Spiritual ideas lift leadership above the exercise of rank into the capacity to inspire. They exalt the native ability of one in a managerial position to conciliate opposing thoughts and motives. They bring out a practical idealism that moves anyone's job description ever nearer to a description of sonship with God, and this spiritual progress results in greater human efficiency.
A false sense of spiritual-mindedness may cause one to neglect his obligation in business and to become a dreamer, thereby reducing his efficiency; whereas genuine spiritual-mindedness is intensely practical and causes one to do better those things which are required of him.
Christ Jesus said (Luke 16:10, 11): "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much. ... If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?" When one accepts a position he commits himself to serving as well as he can the company that hires him. Christian Science teaches that one gets closer to God, Truth, through the good human qualities one expresses. Being faithful to one's commitments is the expression of honesty, which leads one to conscious identity with divine Truth as Truth's idea. The humanity one expresses toward his fellowmen, whether employers or employees, leads him to conscious identity with divine Love as Love's image.
It requires moral courage to be humane, and moral courage is essential to spiritual growth in Christian Science. Admitting one's errors and working to correct them; standing for what one knows is right without fear of the consequences; correcting an individual's faults privately rather than by making a rule that unnecessarily affects other employees; carrying out management directives as a member of the team without apology—these actions show moral courage and demonstrate one's faith in God, Principle, as the only Life. They show one's readiness to gain spiritual understanding.
Every step one takes as an executive to express Christliness, to be thoughtful of the welfare of others, to give an employee the opportunity to express his true selfhood, insofar as he knows how to express it, makes for effectiveness in the only way true effectiveness can come. It puts into practice spiritual truths, which overcome material limitations. This way is the scientific way, the way of identification with Principle as Principle's expression.
On page 128 of Science and Health, Mrs. Eddy writes: "The term Science, properly understood, refers only to the laws of God and to His government of the universe, inclusive of man. From this it follows that business men and cultured scholars have found that Christian Science enhances their endurance and mental powers, enlarges their perception of character, gives them acuteness and comprehensiveness and an ability to exceed their ordinary capacity."
And on the same page she says: "A knowledge of the Science of being develops the latent abilities and possibilities of man. It extends the atmosphere of thought, giving mortals access to broader and higher realms. It raises the thinker into his native air of insight and perspicacity."
Whatever one's position in life, an increased understanding of one's identity as an idea of God as taught in Christian Science will give one more of the qualities that make for success. And if he lives these qualities consistently, his value to mankind will become more and more evident.
