Dear Customers and Friends:
I’m so thankful to be part of a business and team that have been around for four generations of my family dating back to my late grandfather, James Keller Syfan.
Like any successful Christian company, we take a long view in our business planning. You might say our strategy comes straight out of the Bible, which makes numerous references to building for generations. In Deuteronomy 7:9, God promises to keep his “covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”
God wants His people to take a long view, but we must also be flexible to changes along the way. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, our 34th U.S. president, understood the importance of flexibility in his battle planning for the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Years after this critical turning point in World War II, he
reflected: “In planning for battle, I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”
Eisenhower’s words sound a bit like a riddle, but he was making the point of having detailed and well-thought-out plans that are constantly updated.
Recently, our company certainly has had to adapt to multiple unexpected challenges from capacity shortages of trucks and drivers, a supply-chain bottleneck, and the pandemic. We never abandoned our long view, but we made plenty of adjustments to keep moving forward.
Our success also is credited to having built our company on a strong foundation of Christian business principles of honesty and integrity. This may sound preachy to some, but it’s a fact.
Christian author Ken Gosnell, whom I’ve often cited in these Faith Over Fear messages, has studied successful businesses spanning the last 200 years. His research found that the organizations enduring for the longest periods unmistakably are the ones built on a solid foundation of Christian principles and perspectives.
In making your own business plans as a leader or team member, I encourage you to always follow the moral course while building for today with tomorrow in mind. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it’s clearly the proven model for business success.
Blessed to be a Blessing,
Greg Syfan
President, Syfan Logistics