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Welcome to the CXP CEO Experience, where Christian CEOs and business owners learn faster, lead further, and build companies that create Kingdom impact. Today we are opening the Leader's Library and exploring a business classic: Men and Rubber, by Harvey Firestone. This is more than the story of a tire company. It is the story of a leader who began with a vision, faced repeated obstacles, cultivated extraordinary relationships, built a worldwide organization, and learned how to keep thinking when the pressure was greatest. For the Christian CEO, Firestone's story raises a deeply personal question: What does it take to build something that lasts? Not something that is merely successful for a season. Not a company that grows quickly but loses its values. Not an organization that depends entirely on the energy of its founder. What does it take to build a business that serves people, develops leaders, survives difficulty, and remains useful long after its beginning? That question connects with one of the Biblical Business Principles we discuss at CXP: Believe and Ask for the Impossible.

Well Done — 12 Biblical Business Principles Leaders Can Use to Build Their Business with Kingdom Impact In a world that often measures success by profits, promotions, or public praise, Well Done invites leaders to pursue a higher calling — to build businesses that honor God and leave a lasting Kingdom impact. Drawing from his book Well Done – 12 Biblical Business Principles Leaders Can Use to Build Their Business with Kingdom Impact, author and CEO Experience founder Ken Gosnell shares a transformative message that challenges leaders to rethink what success truly means. When the applause fades and the balance sheets close, every leader will one day stand before the ultimate CEO. The question will not be, “What did you build?” but rather, “Were you faithful?” This session invites leaders to pursue that ultimate affirmation — “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

In the middle of genealogies and temple duties in 1 Chronicles 9, there’s a brief but powerful leadership lesson tucked inside a single verse: “Mattithiah, a Levite and the oldest son of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with the responsibility for baking the offering bread.” (1 Chronicles 9:31, NLT) At first glance, it may seem like a simple job. But this short sentence holds a profound message for CEOs and executive leaders who want to lead with faith, integrity, and long-term impact.

The CEO Conversation centered on trauma-informed leadership, with Elizabeth Smith sharing her personal experiences and the importance of addressing trauma in the workplace. She recounted a traumatic incident in a nonprofit setting where leadership failed to recognize and manage her trauma response, which ultimately influenced her career shift towards leadership. Elizabeth emphasized that leaders must be equipped with the skills to handle trauma effectively to foster a supportive organizational culture that prioritizes employee well-being. She highlighted the necessity of creating safe environments where employees can take strategic risks without fear of failure, as well as the critical role of listening in effective leadership. Ken Gosnell and Elizabeth explored the impact of microaggressions on psychological safety, noting that small actions can accumulate to create a toxic work environment. Elizabeth stressed the importance of leaders being mindful of their language and behaviors, as these can significantly affect team dynamics. They discussed the misconception that being people-oriented requires excessive time investment, with Elizabeth arguing that curiosity-led conversations can enhance efficiency. Ken reinforced the idea that understanding employees is essential for building a strong culture and improving customer relationships, urging leaders to engage meaningfully with their teams to foster both individual and organizational growth.

Strategy is essential to business success. Often, businesses who have a better strategy will beat our companies with a better product. Moreover, it is often only the leader of a company that can create and develop a company’s strategy for success. In this CXP CEO Guide, Ken Gosnell engages with Brad Chase the author of Strategy First, How Businesses Win Big. Brad was the mind behind some of Microsoft’s largest and most successful initiatives. Brad began his Microsoft tenure in 1987, where his award-winning marketing campaign promoting Windows 95 broke numerous records and his efforts as MSN.com’s leader prompted a turnaround of the site’s success. Chase ended his tenure at Microsoft in 2002 and since then has served as an advisor and/or board member to many companies, such as GE, Brooks, Expedia, and the Boys and Girls Clubs. Chase has also shared his Strategy First approach across the nation through speeches to executives at large and small businesses, incubators, and students at topflight MBA programs and at conferences. In this CEO Conversation, the leader will learn - 1 - an easy-to-use strategy model, Strategy = E x mc2. 2 - 5 key tips to strategy prosperity 3 - how to be inspired to examine the effectiveness of their current strategies. Brad states, ”Strategy is the anatomy of business success. There’s nothing more important to the success of a business or a leader than building a winning strategy.”

Heavenly Father, In the midst of the busyness, noise, and demands of leadership, we come before You seeking the stillness that only You can provide. You are the God who speaks in whispers, the One who calls us to quiet waters to restore our souls. Lord, as Christian CEOs, we often find ourselves carrying the weight of responsibility, decisions, and the well-being of those we lead. Yet we know that You are the One who truly carries it all. Father, we pray for the gift of stillness in our hearts and minds. Help us to pause in the chaos, to breathe deeply of Your presence, and to remember that You are God. Stillness is not the absence of activity but the presence of Your peace, and we long for that peace to guide us in all that we do. Teach us to listen for Your voice in the quiet moments, to discern Your will as we step away from the noise, and to trust that You are working even when we rest. Remind us that our value does not come from our achievements or the success of our businesses, but from who we are in You—Your children, loved and called according to Your purpose.

Heavenly Father, You are the One True God. You value unity, and you are one with the Holy Spirit and Jesus. Your Oneness sets an example for the unity of all believers and all teams. You called the many and made them one Holy Church, which began on the day of Pentecost and exists thousands of years later all around the world, filled with people from every language and every nation. We praise you as the God that receives worship from all - young and old, male and female, and rich and poor. You were a God that considered all people when you sent Jesus to die on the cross for all sins. Today, we lift up the teams that you have brought around us as leaders and influencers for your Kingdom. Please help us to see that our teams are bigger than we think they are. Our teams might include our employees, vendors, customers, families, referral partners, and peers. We praise you for taking us from isolation and moving us into communities. We ask that you help us to serve our teams with compassion, wisdom, and thoughtfulness. Help us to lead well and set an example that you, as the owner of the business, would be pleased with. Father, we pray for the needs of those on our teams - many of which go unspoken or unknown to us as leaders. You know and see all things, and we ask that you provide exponentially to our team members to fill every need that they have. Help our example lead them to call on you in their times of need, knowing that you are a good father who knows how to give good gifts to your children.

Heavenly Father, We come before You with grateful hearts, acknowledging that You are the ultimate source of wisdom, provision, and purpose. As leaders entrusted with businesses, we recognize that every customer who walks through our doors or interacts with our services is someone You have placed in our care. Lord, we lift up our customers to You today. We pray for their needs, their struggles, and their desires. May our businesses be a place of blessing to them, where they experience integrity, kindness, and excellence. Help us to serve them not just with products or services, but with the love and grace that reflect Your character. Father, grant us the wisdom to understand the deeper needs of those we serve, beyond what is written on an order or invoice. Let us be attentive to the opportunities You provide to make an impact, whether through a kind word, a prayerful heart, or an act of generosity. We also ask for Your favor over the work of our hands, that our businesses would be a beacon of Your Kingdom in the marketplace. May our faith and values shine through in every interaction, drawing others closer to You through the example we set. Bless our customers, Lord, with peace, joy, and success in their own lives. Meet them where they are, and may their experiences with us point them to Your goodness and faithfulness. Let our businesses be a light in their journey, guiding them to greater trust in You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Heavenly Father, You are a God who knows all things and sees all things. You are the Alpha and the Omega - the beginning and the end. Nothing escapes your knowledge or your sight. Today, we ask that you move in us a spirit of self-awareness. Help us to see ourselves with clear eyes and a humble heart, knowing that self-awareness always precedes self-improvement. You desire humble people with a heart of self-improvement and self-awareness. Father, we confess our sins to you, knowing that you are a forgiving and gracious God who loves to redeem and restore. We admit our weaknesses and our sins and cry out to you for healing and restoration. We acknowledge that you sent your Son from heaven to come and seek and save the lost. Search our hearts and minds and convict us of any unholiness and any change we need to make to become more like you. You have called us to be holy like you are holy. Give us eyes to see ourselves with clarity. Protect us from seeing the speck in someone else's eyes and missing the plank that is in our own. Bring others around us who can help us see ourselves as we are and who will encourage us to find the better version of ourselves. Please give us a spirit of acceptance and help us not to defend our weaknesses, for we know that the wounds of a friend prove faithful and true.

Heavenly Father, We acknowledge you as a God of vision as you see all things and know all things. Today, we ask for a fresh vision - one that comes not from our desires but from your wisdom and understanding. We acknowledge you as a good father who knows how to give good gifts to your children, and today, we ask with humility that you give us, as your sons and daughters, a fresh vision for our lives, businesses, families, and spiritual communities. Father, we ask that you give us a fresh vision for today. Help us to know that this is a day that you created and we can rejoice and be happy in it. Help us see the good in and around us, enabling us to praise you. Please help us find endurance, perseverance, and belief even in the worst of circumstances, knowing that you will work all things out for the good of those who love you and are called according to your purpose. Father, we ask that you give us a fresh vision for our businesses. Help us acknowledge you in all of our ways. You are the owner of everything and deserve recognition for your creativity, awesomeness, and authority. Give us eyes to see you everywhere in our business, including our decisions, our interactions with others, and the outcomes that we experience. Please give us a big belief that you can do the impossible in our businesses. You have the ability to do more than we ask, dream, or imagine.

Heavenly Father, We come before You with hearts full of gratitude for the opportunity to gather as leaders who desire to serve You and steward the businesses You have entrusted to us. Thank You for the gift of community through CXP, where Christian CEOs come together to grow in business acumen, solve challenges, plan strategically, and exchange best ideas to create Kingdom impact. Lord, we dedicate our retreats—and the upcoming two-day Advance on January 27 and 28th—to You. Our greatest desire is to hear Your voice, for You are the ultimate CEO of all that we do. Speak to us, guide us, and reveal Your will for our businesses, teams, and lives. Let our planning, problem-solving, and Win Wall sessions align with Your purposes, bringing clarity, wisdom, and renewed focus to each leader. We pray for each CXP member as they prepare for these times of reflection and growth. Fill them with anticipation for what You will do in their hearts and businesses. Open their minds to new insights, their ears to Your guidance, and their spirits to the encouragement of fellowship. May our work together reflect Your glory and lead us to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Heavenly Father, You are a good father who is patient and desires that everyone become redeemed from their sins and past mistakes. You are compassionate and gracious, knowing that you created every person with a purpose and value. Today, we come to pray for the lost in our communities, families, and our businesses. Father, we ask for eyes to see the lost around us. Help us to know that these lost people might be people that have just crossed our paths, or they could be people that we have been dealing with for years in our business. Give us the boldness and courage to speak to them words of faithfulness and wisdom that can transform and change their life forever. Challenge us not to accept quietness as a virtue but rather to speak words of hope, honesty, and conviction. Father, we praise you for sending Jesus to save us from our sins. Jesus said he "came to seek and save the lost." Thank you for allowing Him to be sacrificed on the cross so that we might repent of our sins, confess Him with our mouths, be baptized, and become sons and daughters and co-heirs with Him.

Heavenly Father, We come before You as leaders entrusted with stewardship over our businesses, employees, and communities. Today, we lift up our government leaders, from local officials to national representatives and to the President. We acknowledge that leadership is a weighty responsibility, and we ask for Your divine guidance and wisdom to cover those in positions of authority. You are the God that makes Kingdom rise and fall and you appoint leaders in your time for your reasons. Father, We pray for the President to have a spirit of humilty as He acknowledges You as the authority of all things. Protect Him and those around him from anything or anyone that would try to harm him. Give Him your wisdom to make decsions in the best interest in the National. Help Him to lead people to call on your name, so that you will hear our voices from heaven and heal our land. As Christian CEOs, we commit to being a light in the marketplace, demonstrating respect and honor for those in authority, as Your Word commands. Help us to model Christlike leadership in our businesses and to be voices of encouragement and support to those who lead our communities and nations.

Heavenly Father, We come before You as stewards of the gifts, resources, and responsibilities You have entrusted to us. As Christian leaders, we acknowledge that we are not owners, but overseers of all that belongs to You. Everything we have—our businesses, our finances, our influence, and our time—comes from Your hand, and we are called to manage it for Your glory. Lord, help us to embrace the mindset of an overseer. Teach us to release the illusion of control and ownership, surrendering all that we have and all that we are to Your divine will. Let us lead with open hands, ready to steward Your blessings wisely and for the good of others. Give us discernment and wisdom as we manage the resources You’ve placed in our care. May we invest in what matters to You—eternal purposes, relationships, and Kingdom impact. Show us where to plant seeds of generosity, where to multiply what has been given, and where to prune what no longer aligns with Your vision.

Heavenly Father, We come before You today with gratitude for the gift of marriage, the sacred covenant that reflects Your love for us and the unity You desire for Your people. As Christian leaders, we recognize that our marriages are not just personal commitments but also testimonies of Your grace and faithfulness in our lives. Lord, we pray for protection over our marriages. Shield them from the attacks of the enemy, who seeks to sow discord and division. Grant us wisdom and discernment to navigate the challenges we face as leaders in our businesses, homes, and communities, always keeping You at the center of our relationships. Father, teach us to love our spouses as Christ loves the Church—with sacrificial, unconditional love. Help us to honor, respect, and cherish one another, prioritizing our marriages even amidst the demands of leadership. Let our words be filled with kindness and encouragement, and our actions rooted in humility and service. We pray for unity in our homes, Lord. May our marriages be a source of peace and strength, a place where Your presence dwells. Help us to seek forgiveness and offer it freely, to build each other up, and to grow together in faith and purpose.