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If you’ve ever looked hard at our logo, you might have recognized the hints of a musical score. I have modeled the logo after how Johann Sebastian Bach used to sign his compositions. The letters stand for “Soli Deo Gloria” latin for “to God alone be the glory.” When Bach was satisfied with a new composition, at the bottom he would write out the Latin phrase or just "SDG".
I can’t speak for Bach, but for me, signing my work with these letters indicates a commitment to three things:
Bach is considered one of the greatest musical composers of all time. While he is well know for signing SDG at the bottom of his compositions, he often would start a new composition by writing "JJ" at the top, for "Jesu Juva" — or "Jesus help me". He wanted to produce the highest quality of work possible, excellence so high it couldn’t be measured in human terms, but only in divine terms, and he would ask Jesus to help him accomplish it. That is my goal as well, to do work of the most excellent quality.
Humility is not an attribute that comes naturally to me. I love to hear praise. At times in my career, I confess, I would get bent out of shape if I wasn’t getting the recognition that I thought I deserved. I like to think that I’ve matured well beyond those days. If nothing else, I’ve come to recognize that it’s not all about me and that I need to guard against that prideful tendency.
More than anything, I’ve come to learn that whatever I may accomplish is the result of many gifts. Clients have given me the gift of their trust. Co-workers have given me the gifts of their talents and effort. Employers have given me the gift of an opportunity to work and to be fairly compensated for it. Bosses and mentors have given me the gift of their wisdom and time, pouring their lives into mine to make me better. All of this, my talents, my wisdom, my experience, and my ability to do good work are ultimately a gift from God. I don’t deserve the glory.
Bach once said “I play the notes as they are written but it is God who makes the music,” and I feel the same way. I need to be committed to doing my absolute best and doing the work set before me, but I don’t deserve the praise.
The third encouragement that I receive from always having SDG in front of me as I do my work is love. Love is the distinguishing mark of a Christian. Jesus reminded his audience that there are two great commandments — Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. I am to serve my clients, and by extension their customers, with the same care and compassion as if I were serving myself.
Many organizations that I really want to help might hear all of this and say “wow, this guy is really religious; he’s probably not a fit for us.” Please don’t think that. SDG reflects my internal attitude as I serve you. I want to help leaders develop sound strategies. I want to do that with excellence, humility, and care. Unless appropriate, I don’t expect God to come up in many of my client relationships. But I do expect my clients to benefit deeply because of my internal focus on (even silently) giving God the glory.
You might even think, “this guy doesn’t want to work with me because he probably thinks I’m a sinner.” You know what, I know that I’m a sinner. Even though I may not be guilty of “big sins,” I know that all of us fall short of perfection. I know that every client I work with sins and every client I work with is different from me in some way. That doesn’t mean that I’m unable to work with them — on the contrary, I am commanded to love and serve my neighbors, whether they are just like me or very different.
We started with the simple question “what does SDG stand for.” I’m guessing this has been a very different and much deeper discussion than you expected. But I hope it has helped you appreciate SDG Strategy and why we are an excellent resource to help you develop sound strategies. Please let us know how we can help. To God be the glory.
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