It's no surprise that CEO's have a lot of demands put on them. Heightened scrutiny and regulatory requirements placed on officers of publicly-traded companies add even more pressure at the top. For Christian chief executives, the demands of growing a firm and maintaining a healthy spiritual walk can test the resolve of the most fervent followers of Christ. One who has consistently passed that test is Jay Coughlan, who, until recently, was CEO of Lawson Software, a $360M publicly traded software firm. BoldMan Chronicles talked with Jay about balancing life at the top and his recent decision to leave Lawson.BMC: Jay, you've been with Lawson nearly two decades and became the top exec at Lawson four years ago. What made you decide to leave now?
JC: Well, as you know, Lawson just completed a merger with a Scandinavian-based firm, Intentia. It's the right move for the company to go to its next level of growth. When we were negotiating the deal, I had to ask myself if I was willing to invest the energy to lead the combined firm to the next level. I decided that it was time that I take a break for awhile and focus on my family's needs.
BMC: What are some of the sacrifices you've had to make being at the top?
JC: This job means I'm not home for dinner during the week - I can't remember the last time I was home for dinner. That's not said with bravado. It's part of the price you pay for being in this type of role. It's the biggest price I've paid personally. I don't know how many hours I put in the business, but it's a lot.
BMC: How do you make sure that the demands of running a business don't overrun your devotional life?
JC: I try to start the day with time in the Word, and if I do that 2 to 3 times a week; it's a good week. The reality is that when you're on the road it's even more difficult. I know I have a much better day when I start the day in the Word than when I don't. I make it my daily goal.
Being in the Word is extremely helpful not only for wisdom but especially in those times when things are really hard. I was struggling a year and half ago through some tough times and it was comforting to see that David was having a rougher day than I was having. He's got guys trying to kill him and he's on his knees. I may feel like guys are going to kill me - but they're not. It's the wisdom and knowledge that goes into the heart. A lot of times when things are going well we have to humble ourselves, stay in the Word and keep an open heart. Humbling yourself when it's going well means knowing that it's not about you, no matter how hard you're working or how much think it might be.
BMC: How do you know when your life is out of balance?
JC: I'm a very big goal setter. Over the last 25 years, I have set annual goals which are broken down into eight areas. In the past, before I became a Christian my number one goal was work. Today it is my faith and family. I'm only accountable to myself for these goals. I don't share them with anyone, but I review them every quarter to see if I'm out of balance. If I'm out of balance, it's usually because of work. I look at what I'm going to change that next quarter to get back in balance. I don't think you can really live in balance - if you're in balance, it's for a moment. The question is how are you monitoring when you are out and what behavior changes are you going to do to improve?
BMC: Do you set goals annually then?
JC: Yes, though I don't have a set routine. It's usually a multi-day process that I do over the Christmas and New Year holidays. It doesn't work for me to jam it in two hours, I've got to reflect on it. I'll start by reflecting on a lot of scripture and on what changes I need to be making. By New Year's Day, I'll put the goals on paper.
One of the biggest things for goal setting is that you need to write it down. The biggest thing about goal setting is that you have to identify either consciously or unconsciously what price are you willing to pay to make it happen. There's always a price. That's the difference between making it a reality or having it remain just a dream.
BMC: Do you meet then with others to keep accountable?
JC: I have accountability with my Bible Study group. It's not a CEO group. We meet every Friday for fellowship, Bible Study and accountability. Because our group has gotten quite large, we peel off with one guy and discuss how the week has gone. What I've found is that in a setting like that, you can't lie. Well, you can, but then you need to seek forgiveness. We're able to discuss stuff that you can't really talk about with your spouse because they just don't understand. That kind of accountability is important, knowing that another guy's going to ask you about the area where you are vulnerable. Most of my sharpening comes from that.
BMC: What advice would you have for other CEO's?
JC: To be honest, I don't know how non-Christian guys do the job. But in many ways, other CEOs are the only ones that know what you're going through. It's really true, that unless you're walking in those shoes, you don't really know. But when you're sitting across the table and you start talking about the struggles you're going through, they can connect with you in ways other people who haven't done the job can't. Until you live with the challenges of it, you don't know. I would start more with questions rather than dispensing advice. The problem with CEOs is that you need a sense of confidence that borders on arrogance to do the job. That façade can come down when you are one-on-one . You can ask, "you're as vulnerable as anybody, what's keeping you up at night?" It's not if you're up at night but what's keeping you up. I use that pain point to share how the Word helps me get through in that area.
BMC: What's next for you in your career?
JC: I like growing companies, growing people. I may consider the venture field. I don't have the personality profile to retire. We'll have to see where God leads.
BMC: Thanks Jay, for sharing with us some of the challenges you've faced as a Christian CEO. We'll be praying as God leads you into your next adventures.
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