Author, The Five-Fold Effect (2013)
Former CEO of Kayser-Roth Corporation, L’eggs Products division of Sara Lee Corporation and Nihon Sara Lee, KK (Japan)
BA from Wesleyan University
MBA from Stanford University
Served on the Board of Trustees of Regent University
Served on the Board of Directors of The United Way of Greater Greensboro
Serves on the Board of Directors for The Apostolic Network of Global Awakening
Wife, Carol
GUESTS
Unlocking Organizational Leadership
By
The 700 Club
CBN.com
–FIVE-FOLD PLAN
Walt’s inspiration for the book, The Five-Fold Effect, goes back to 2003 when Dr. John Mulford, Director for the Center for Entrepreneurship at Regent University, loaned him a copy of the book Good to Great by Jim Collins. In the book, it revealed that what successful leaders in the book had in common were strong apostolic characteristics (i.e. giving credit to others when things go well; taking responsibility when they don’t). That idea led Walt to the awareness that the five-fold gifts discussed in Ephesians 4:11-16 (the apostolic, pastoral, teaching and evangelistic gifts) which we may have thought were just for the church are in fact for the marketplace too. The five-fold gifts include:
1) Evangelistic – In business, these individuals are salespeople, marketing, advertising and public relations people and recruiters. They are persuasive and positive.
2) Pastoral – In the marketplace, these people may be coaches, ombudsmen, outplacement people or work in human resources. These people are compassionate, loving and protective.
3) Teaching –Trainers, teachers, managers, lawyers, or investigative journalists all have the gift of teaching. They have a passion for truth and want to share it with others.
4) Apostolic – In the marketplace an apostolic person might be the CEO, architect, or city manager. These people have strong administrative skills and can lead.
5) Prophetic – In business these individuals might be a strategic planner, a financial manager, or entrepreneur. These people have insight and foresight. Walt shares when he started his job as CEO of Kayser Roth Corporation, the VP of Human Resources kept coming to report things going on in the company and bringing creative management ideas. At the time, Walt found the VP’s approach annoying. However, soon Walt realized that the VP was an invaluable team member who provided much needed prophetic insight, identifying opportunities and saving the company from many potential pitfalls.
Walt says everybody has one or more of these five and other gifts. All roles are important and needed. He believes when these gifts are used strategically in your business or organization you can increase productivity and enjoy unlimited success. “God provided the five-fold plans for all organizations because he wants us all to succeed,” shares Walt. He says the leadership model for business is not a new plan. From the beginning, God appointed apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to lead and to facilitate the healthy and Godly functioning of Jewish society. Many businesses today apply some principles found in Ephesians 4 but usually without knowing the principles are from the Bible.
“When people are doing what they are supposed to be doing, properly equipped and in accordance with their gifts, talents, passions, and calling, the enterprise they are engaged in will prosper,” reveals Walt. If you equip an organization with appropriate leadership as in the Ephesians 4 model everything else will fall into place and the company benefits.
WALT’S TESTIMONY
Walt believed in God all his life, but admits he didn’t understand salvation. His wife, Carol, was a believer. After experiencing success in his personal life, Walt began to believe his success was solely a result of his talent. Then in the 1970’s, Walt’s faith in his abilities was shaken. He had taken a job and gotten in over his head. Devastated, Walt got on his knees and asked Christ to be his Savior. His prayer was, "Jesus come into my life, and please get me out of this situation." Jesus answered his prayer by getting him fired. He began reading the Bible and growing in his walk with the Lord. Two years later to the day, Walt was hired by the same company in a different division with the same title, same office, and same desk. Today he credits God for all his success in business and his personal life. He understands he is just the steward of all that God has provided.
In addition to his business accomplishments, Walt has served on several boards, edited several books and published a number of articles, short stories, and poems. He and Carol live in Greensboro, N.C. and attend Grace Church in High Point, North Carolina.
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