448: Thank God It’s Monday: Building a Ministry Culture Employees Love

In this episode, as Al Lopus, host of the Flourishing Culture Leadership Podcast, closes his time as the host, he welcomes back one of his very first guests, Doug Mazza. From leading Hyundai Motor America to expanding the global reach of Joni and Friends, Doug shares how Christ-centered leadership can shape a flourishing workplace culture that leaves a lasting legacy.

Listen to the Audio

Listen in Apple Podcasts | Listen in Spotify  | Listen in YouTube Music

In this episode:

Podcast Context & Relationship

• Al Lopus introduces Doug Mazza as one of the earliest and most frequent guests on the Flourishing Culture Leadership Podcast. (04:40)
• The podcast has grown significantly, with 450+ episodes and over 300,000 downloads. (04:53)
• Doug expresses gratitude for the influence of Best Christian Workplaces on his leadership at Joni and Friends. (05:09)

Four Pillars of Culture at Joni and Friends

Doug developed four enduring cultural pillars during his leadership:

1. Lead Like Jesus
   • Jesus is the ultimate leadership model, not any human personality. (06:22)
   • The example of Jesus blends directive leadership and open-ended storytelling (e.g., parables). (07:21)
   • Biblical foundation: Matthew 20:28 — leading through service and sacrifice. (07:54)
2. Integration
   • Goes beyond teamwork; emphasizes organization-wide communication and understanding. (08:35)
   • Everyone should understand how their role connects to others. (08:54)
   • Leads to creativity, engagement, and collaboration. (09:06)
   • Biblical foundation: Romans 15:5–7 — one mind, one voice in glorifying God. (09:14)
3. Excellence in Your Area of Expertise
   • Common in the corporate world, but in ministry it’s not enough without alignment to culture and integration. (10:14)
   • Excellence must serve the broader mission and community, not just individual performance. (10:39)
4. Best Christian Workplace
   • Inspired by Proverbs 27:23 — “Know the condition of your flocks.” (11:16)
   • BCW Survey was used annually as a leadership tool to assess workplace health. (11:11)
   • Results guided both celebration and improvement planning. (11:40)

Corporate Background & Lessons from J.D. Power

• Doug transitioned from leadership roles in the auto industry to ministry. (13:37)
• Worked directly with Dave Power (J.D. Power and Associates) and learned:
  • Long-term commitment to quality leads to sustainable success. (13:40)
  • Quality culture improves both internal health and external outcomes. (14:38)
  • Strategic long-term thinking (e.g., 100-year planning) drives clarity in near-term decisions. (15:13)

Engagement, Measurement & Organizational Health

• Emphasized that workplace health measurement was foundational, not an afterthought. (16:06)
• Survey results were used proactively:
  • Top 10 scores celebrated organization-wide. (16:30)
  • Bottom 10 scores addressed by involving staff across departments in creating solutions. (16:36)
• This fostered deeper engagement and ownership of change. (17:05)
  
  

Inspirational & Spiritual Leadership

• Doug practiced spiritual leadership even in secular settings—though challenging, it shaped his calling. (18:57)
• Encourages more Christian leaders to be spiritually bold in corporate environments. (19:28)
• True spiritual leadership must be visible, practiced, and consistent. (20:00)
• Shared example: executive assistant couldn’t recall seeing Doug upset, reflecting consistency and emotional stability as a leader. (20:24)
• Consistency builds trust and culture. (21:03)

Faith-Centered Leadership and Culture

• Spiritual traits modeled in leadership: Emphasis on Fruit of the Spirit, compassion, humility, and servant leadership. (21:26)
• Faith in action: Leadership at Joni and Friends modeled Christ by serving staff (e.g., serving breakfast). (21:34)
• Mental and spiritual posture: Staff were reminded that their work was for the Lord, not just their supervisors. (22:58)

Creating a Joyful, Meaningful Workplace

• Positive work culture: Doug emphasized keeping the atmosphere light despite serious work. (21:44)
• Thank God It’s Monday (TGIM): Monthly breakfast tradition to shift perspective from dreading Mondays to celebrating ministry work. (22:10)
• Purpose-driven mindset: Staff were reminded regularly that working in ministry is a privilege and calling. (22:48)

Transformative Onboarding Practices

• Extraordinary first-day experience: New hires had a designated parking spot, personal greetings by leadership, a gift on their desk, and a tour. (24:25)
• Personal welcome from the president: Doug personally met each new employee, made them coffee, and built connection through humility (kneeling to make coffee). (25:20)
• Culture through experience: The goal was to live the culture rather than explain it—new hires were immersed from the start. (26:57)

Building Christian Community at Work

• Intentional integration of faith and work: New employees were made to feel they were part of a Christ-centered community from day one. (27:41)
• Cultural reinforcement: The community aspect was the organization’s top-scoring item on the Employee Engagement Survey during Doug’s tenure. (27:58)

Leadership Competence and Development

• Long-term culture-building: A great workplace attracts top talent over time through reputation and consistency. (29:02)
• Investing in people: Encouraged internal movement across departments, helping staff find their “right seat on the bus.” (29:43)
• Key leadership traits: Trustworthiness, consistency, and encouragement ranked above technical skill in importance. (30:36)

Effective Board Engagement

• Clear boundaries: Stressed the importance of distinguishing governance from operations. (32:00)
• Governance role: Set limits (“can’t do” list) and allowed operational freedom beyond that. (32:13)
• Trust and encouragement: Boards should maintain transparency, encourage leaders, and avoid micromanagement. (32:27)
• Value of board presence: Even when not actively involved, board presence raises accountability and performance through respect and expectation. (34:26)

Reflections on Retirement and Life Purpose

• Challenging transition: Retirement was emotionally difficult—loss of daily interaction and leadership role. (36:09)
• Grief and renewal: Personal losses led to a dark season, but Doug found renewed purpose through faith. (37:50)
• God’s ongoing call: Emphasized the idea that God is never done with us—leaders should remain open to new opportunities and pray expectantly. (36:12)
• Daily prayer: Inspired by the prayer of Jabez—asking for blessing, protection, and expansion of impact. (39:09)

Read the Transcript

Read a complete, word-for-word transcript of the episode

FOLLOW OUR HOST

Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on LinkedIn & Twitter.

Email our host at al@workplaces.org