No doubt you were taught by your parents as I was that when you borrow something, you’re supposed to return it in as good condition or even better than how you found it. My son just learned this the hard way, in fact. He borrowed someone’s bike and somehow, by the time he returned it, the kickstand was missing. So, he’s paying out of his own money to install a brand-new kickstand on the bike so that it is returned to his friend in equal or better shape.
Have you ever thought of the company where you work or the position you now hold in the same way? That you and I should “return it” someday in better shape than we found it?
The “leave-it-better-than-you-found-it” attitude, otherwise known as “The Borrower’s Attitude,” is simple, but yet too often elusive. If you and I have the mindset that we are simply borrowing our company… borrowing the position in which we serve, we will by doing so adopt 4 hidden, but extraordinarily powerful principles. Consider these:
- Principle #1 – Understanding its brevity. When I borrow something, I understand that I will not have it forever. At some point, I’ll have to give it back. No matter how long you have worked in your current role, it will end at some point. We’ll hold no position forever. Understanding this helps us appreciate how temporary things really are. It helps frame my identity correctly. At the core of who I am, I am not this company. I am not this title. This is only a season and at some point, I’ll need to return this position better than I found it.
- Principle #2 – Working as a custodian. When I borrow something, I understand that I am not the true owner of it. I’m merely the custodian entrusted to care for it on behalf of the owner. I don’t know about you, but when I’m expected to care for something that is not my own, I go even more out of my way to care for it than if it was my own. No doubt you are the same. You want to show the owner that they made a very wise decision in allowing you to serve as the custodian. So… who really owns your company? Who owns your position and entrusted you with it? Of course, even if you are the legal owner of your own company, it ultimately is still owned by another. God is the true owner and it is He who has placed you in this role.
- Principle #3 – Living to train. Last year, my car was in the shop and a friend let me borrow her convertible. Man, what a sweet ride. Don’t you know that I took my son with me for a nice long ride. Part of our conversation centered on how I needed to make sure the gas tank was full when I returned it and that he needed to help me on a sharp right turn so that I didn’t scrape the curb. In other words, this was an opportunity for me to teach, train and model to him how to handle something that is not mine. When I understand that my position or company is merely borrowed, I’ll take every opportunity I can get to teach, train and model to others to have and hold the same view.
- Principle #4 – Embracing humility. John Ruskin, a 19th-century English philosopher, said, “I believe that the first test of a truly great man is his humility. I don’t mean by humility, doubt of his power. But really great men have a curious feeling that the greatness is not of them, but through And they see something divine in every other man and are endlessly, foolishly, incredibly merciful.” If you and I understand and embrace that we are merely borrowing our position and our company, it forces upon us a tremendous sense of humility. Oh my! We have actually been entrusted with these… these positions, these companies. It is not of our own doing, but of His choosing. James encourages this thinking another way, by stating that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6).
Someday, somehow and in some way, you and I will be asked to give “it” back. Until then, let’s have The Borrower’s Attitude, understanding that this is a brief season, that we are custodians for the real owner, that we have a golden opportunity to train others in the same attitude, and that all of the above should be clothed in humility. Let’s return it better than we found it.
Joe Paulo
President & CEO KSBJ
Joe Paulo has been President & Chief Executive Officer of Hope Media Group (a family of brands including KSBJ, NGEN Radio, Hope On Demand and Special Events) since 2018. With an extensive background in media and leadership, he began at KSBJ as Vice-President of Operations in 2017 after serving at Educational Media Foundation (K-LOVE/Air1) as the Director of Donor Stewardship and Communications. He led a division of Columbia International University as Director of Broadcasting until 2014, overseeing the growth of successful radio stations in Charlotte, NC and Columbia, SC. Joe has also provided volunteer leadership at the board of director level for other nonprofits such as Youth Commission International and Christian Music Broadcasters. He earned a Master’s Degree in Business with honors from Liberty University in 2014. In addition to speaking on leadership, fundraising and media, Joe and his wife, Kelly, have hosted or spoken at numerous marriage and parenting events to share their passion for marriage, parenting and adoption. Joe and Kelly have been married for 30 years and have three daughters and two sons.
98.5 KTIS strives to point people in the Twin Cities to Jesus on the air, online, and on the street. Through remarkable service projects, 98.5 KTIS listeners are the hands and feet of Jesus to multiply the KTIS impact in our community. The first Friday of each month was 98.5 KTIS Drive-thru Difference Day, as listeners shared God’s love by paying for the order of the person behind them in the drive-thru. Moms overcame health, financial, and family difficulties through 98.5 KTIS’ Heart of a Mom initiative; meeting needs for a kitchen update, fulfilling a missed honeymoon with a cruise to Alaska, securing a reliable vehicle, and more. 98.5 KTIS’ Christmas Blessing resulted in remarkable stories of goodwill in the community, meeting needs by blessing people battling cancer, overcoming miscarriage, and recovering from financial devastation. Collecting thousands of Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes filled with toys for kids around the world, the 98.5 KTIS Shoebox Showdown shared the hope of Jesus from the Twin Cities to children around the world. Listeners continued that generosity by working together to collect over 11,000 pencils for boys and girls in the Dominican Republic. 98.5 KTIS listeners ‘Shared the Warmth’ as a local business paid listener heating bills during the cold winter months, and listeners used those funds to bless their favorite Twin Cities nonprofits. 98.5 KTIS’ Ministry of the Month connected listener passions and talents to local ministries, highlighting the good being done in our community by these organizations on-air and online.
Through intentional, community focused service initiatives, Spirit 92.9 partners with listeners and businesses to help make their community better, together. The station’s first “Community Spirit” project in 2022 focused on showing God’s love to children entering foster care in the area after the ministry learned that there were more children than ever before in the system. During a weeklong collection drive, Spirit 92.9 listeners and business partners generously helped provide a new pair of pajamas and a stuffed animal for over 1,100 kids. Hoping to lead by example through serving, the Spirit 92.9 team helped prepare over 800 free meals for individuals and families in need for Easter, prepared and served a meal at the local homeless shelter, and helped clean up trash at an abandoned property near their studios. Hundreds of women in the community were served and uplifted in January at the station’s first Ladies’ Night Out-an opportunity to worship, laugh, receive support and prayer. In the fall, listeners and business partners joined together to help three local organizations provide free homemade, holiday meals to those in need. This ‘More Than A Meal’ on-air and online fundraiser helped feed over 3,000 in Central Minnesota. At the end of the year, Spirit 92.9’s “Share The Joy” promotion offered listeners the opportunity to nominate someone to receive a financial blessing. Single mothers, elderly homeowners, and the family of a father badly injured and hospitalized out of state were among the 12 people granted a $500-$1000 gift.
From entertaining the airwaves on KFRC-FM in San Francisco, to dancing away the late 90s on WKTU-FM in New York City, to encouraging and uplifting Atlanta on WFSH-The Fish every afternoon, Beth Bacall’s three decades on the air have had a lot to say. In 2003, she embraced CMB and the CCM sphere when she started working at Star 99.1 FM in NY/NJ. Since 2005, she has served on the Momentum Leadership Team while also offering mentorship to CMB’s Women in Radio community. Beth is a champion for others, taking a sincere stance of integrity and leading by example with her on air work, community engagement, and show prep. As a top talent coach, she equips multidisciplinary broadcasters and artists to embrace their authentic self, grow awareness, share stories effectively, and create meaningful Christ-centered content with all audiences. Beth specializes in moments that matter and is a driving force behind The Fish Christmas Wish Program and Fish Acts of Love. Working on all aspects of creating promotional, reward-based content, including research and execution, Beth is a dot connector that the Lord uses to bring joy and experiences into the lives of others. Even after these promotional seasons, she’s always looking for the next opportunity to be a blessing.
For over four decades, Rick Dunham has been at the forefront of marketing and fundraising for Christian nonprofits. In 2002, he founded Dunham+Company, which has become a global leader in providing multi-channel strategies across some of the world’s most influential sectors. Through radio and television, local churches and overseas missions, medical relief and philanthropic initiatives, Dunham+Company is multiplying the reach of the Gospel. The company currently serves nearly 100 clients in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand – whose collective effort is reaching nearly every corner of the globe. Rick is the author of Secure: Discovering True Financial Freedom and If God Will Provide, Why Do We Have to Ask for Money? He serves as a member of the board of The Giving Institute and is a former chair of the Giving USA Foundation, which publishes the most widely respected annual report on giving in the U.S. He has been published and quoted in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post and more. From devotionals to blogs, webinars to books, Rick’s personal faith in Jesus and his Biblical training are the driving conviction of his communication.
Over the decades, Jacobs Media has become known for advising broadcasters on strategic planning and digital transformation, championing forward thinking of the in-car audio experience, developing its innovative Techsurveys, and driving research initiatives with some of the most influential companies in media. In partnership with Radio Ink, the Jacobs duo created the DASH Conferences in 2013-15, bringing together leadership from both automotive and radio broadcasting industries. Working with CMB, Jacobs Media launched the first of its annual tech surveys for Christian music radio in 2014. Working in collaboration with the NAB’s Connected Car Committee, they developed the original “Best Practices” report in 2017. Fred Jacobs, a 2018 Radio Hall of Fame inductee, is credited with the creation of the Classic Rock radio format in the mid-80’s. Paul Jacobs specializes in revenue generation for Jacobs Media’s clients including heading up jācapps – the industry’s first, and now largest, mobile application development company with more than 1,300 apps worldwide. In 2022, Fred and Paul were recipients of the National Radio Award, the highest honor from the National Association of Broadcasters. They were the first duo to receive the award as well as the first consultants.
Jim Leightenheimer has passionately pursued the mission of teaching, mentoring, and preparing college students to serve Christ in radio since 1982. A 30-year radio veteran, Jim implemented and developed a student radio station that started as an AM carrier current, transitioned to a low power FM, and is currently streaming as Resound Radio. Under his leadership, student radio has served to jump-start the careers of many current leaders in Christian radio stations and networks across the United States. His students, both past and present, credit Jim for being the catalyst in building their love for radio. Throughout his career, Jim has enlisted graduates and other professionals to serve as mentors to his student radio staff. He has introduced scores of students to CMB by bringing them to Momentum and, more recently, CMB University. Jim currently serves on the board of directors at WCVO (104.9 The River) in Columbus and continues to be a resource not only for his current students, but for those who are living out his legacy in radio.
Joe Paulo has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Hope Media Group since 2018. With an extensive background in media and leadership, he began at KSBJ (now Hope Media Group) as Vice-President of Operations in 2017 after serving at Educational Media Foundation (K-LOVE/Air1) as the Director of Donor Stewardship and Communications. Prior to that, he led a division of Columbia International University as Director of Broadcasting until 2014, overseeing the growth of successful radio stations in Charlotte, NC and Columbia, SC. Joe has also provided volunteer leadership at the board of directors and advisory levels for other nonprofits such as Youth Commission International, CMB, and Crime Stoppers of Houston. In addition to speaking on leadership, fundraising and media, Joe and Kelly, his wife, have spoken at marriage and parenting events to share their passion for marriage, parenting and adoption.