The dog-eat-dog business climate might seem like no place for faith.
But in Toronto, Darcy Keeler has figured out how to combine the two. The 39-year-old sales engineer serves as one of over 150 small group leaders nationwide with LeaderImpact.
“I want to invest my time and my heart here. LeaderImpact provides such a safe place for people like me. I can invite friends from work to our forums, which so reflect God working in the lives of top business leaders.”
At a recent forum, 52 professional men and women laughed and took notes as sales trainer Howard Olsen gave an enthusiastic, high-energy presentation on how to keep new clients. But as he began telling his personal story, the room grew quiet.
“My identity was based around my deals,” says Olsen. “But when you lose your job and can’t get work for two years, and all the money, prestige, and titles disappear, so did my sense of self.”
At the end of Olsen’s story, the MC invited everyone to come to a local small group with the friend who invited them, and try it out for four weeks. Typically, attendees will stay for the same reasons Darcy did.
Darcy’s group currently has five men coming regularly, some who’ve been involved for years. According to LeaderImpact regional director John Havercroft, “In this cut-throat business climate, God empowers Darcy to relate to his peers with warmth, genuineness, and acceptance, which gains their trust very quickly.”
“I love hearing peoples’ stories,” says Darcy. “What are the challenges, the history? That’s an easy path to gain someone’s trust, understanding their problems, their stories, and it just builds from there.”
Canadian hockey legend Paul Henderson started LeaderImpact with just three men, and it’s grown to over 100 groups in 30 cities across Canada. They host Global Exchanges to five other countries, which Darcy looks forward to joining.
“Opportunities for new training, going international, new groups spreading, and the chance to impact people driving the economy of their country, leaders that have hundreds of people behind them, seeing them changed for God, that’s very exciting,” he says.
By Mike Chapman “ Media Specialist/Video Producer w/Communications Group @ Cru HQ. Used by permission from www.cru.org
Making an impact
