Hobby Lobby CEO David Green Shares Secret Behind Success
By Movieguide®️ Contributor
David Green, the CEO of the craft and art store Hobby Lobby, recently talked to actor Kirk Cameron about his new book ‘Leadership Not by the Book’ and the Biblical principles that turned the company into a multi-billion dollar enterprise.
Green said that success came when he kept God at the center of his business ventures and his family.
“I think that what we’re trying to do is… to consider what would God do in everything we do,” Green said. “[J]ust like caring about our people, and not just there to make a dollar no matter how we did it, or what we did, but we really want to make sure that we center our thoughts about other people, and I think that’s what has helped us in our pursuing what God would have us to do.”
One way that the owner decided to honor God and employees is to close on Sundays, just as Chick-fil-A’s founder Truett Cathy decided to do, so people could have a day of rest and observe the Sabbath if they choose.
“Well, you wouldn’t think that’s common sense. But for us it is common sense because it allows people to go to church or to have a day off, have a day of rest and it goes back to do we care about your family? Well, you need a day off,” Green stated.
He added that by investing in people before profits he has seen the bottom line “take care of itself.” Green states that the company’s philosophy has shown in Hobby Lobby’s retention rate.
“We have all of our officers have, on average, have over 25 years experience. So we’re really proud of the fact that we’ve been able to retain people, and that’s really healthy for us is to retain people for the long haul,” Green said.
He also explained to Cameron what it means when he wrote, “give the true owner” the vote.
“I think …whether you have a large business or not sometimes in life you… are making decisions and we try to find a way to let God vote before we do anything of any size,” Green said.
“For instance, if someone offers to sell me some property or something, I may throw a number out there that… it’s a miracle if it works. So I want to make sure that when I’m going forward because we can make a lot of things happen. We don’t want to make a lot of things happen. We want to make sure what we do God agrees with,” he added.
For Green, as he plans to give away ownership of his business, he reiterates God’s sovereignty over the company.
“I think that, that I need to focus on family and to make sure that the business is here to where that it is here 150 years from now, and that’s how come we’ve set up our business to where really it’s a ministry and we really don’t have ownership the way we’ve set it up, but it as a ministry,” Green told Cameron.
Movieguide® previously reported on the CEO’S decision to give away ownership:
David Green, the 80-year-old founder, and owner of Hobby Lobby, a multibillion-dollar retail store chain, recently announced that he would
step away from the company. Green said that he had “chosen God,” and also hopes that the change will allow Hobby Lobby to continue to be successful.“When I made the decision to give away my ownership, similar to Patagonia’s Yvon Chouinard, it allowed us to sustain our mission and purpose,” Green wrote in an op-ed for Fox News.
“Wealth can be a curse and, in most cases, if you drill down on it, wealth is a curse in terms of marriage, children and things of that nature,” Green added in the op-ed. “So we’re stewarding our company and, therefore, our children come to work, and they get what they earn… it’s a paradigm change from ownership that can really wreck a family.
“Well-meaning attorneys and accountants advised me to simply pass ownership down to my children and grandchildren,” he added. “It didn’t seem fair to me that I might change or even ruin the future of grandchildren who had not even been born yet.”
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
