“…But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love…”

I was reflecting on a lunch I had with a very successful venture capitalist and former executive and he was speaking about the leadership lessons he had learned that had stuck with him over the years.  One that really stood out was the importance of the “top tone”.  The tone he was referring to is the tone that top most leader (CEO) sets for the entire organization.  Their own personal tone becomes the tone for everyone else, whether they like it or not. Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft says this, “There is something only a CEO uniquely can do, which is set that tone, which can then capture the soul of the collective.” That’s a bold statement and one that a person cannot make unless they are willing to take responsibility for the ramifications if their tone is wrong, not just right. I applaud Satya and all leaders who step up and accept that they must be intentional about the tone they are setting.  If you lead an organization, now would be the time to evaluate what tone you are setting from the top.

God is pitch perfect.  He tells us clearly in His Word what His tone is that we are to try to reach. We can start with words in Nehemiah; forgiveness, graciousness, mercy, slow to anger, rich in love.  This is the tone we are to set and ring out daily for Him.  This, if we are in any doubt, is our work.

Reference: Nehemiah 9:17b (New Living Translation)