On Being Chiefs of Heart

Steam from my pho danced in the air between us as my sweet friend told me of the most recent developments at her job. Amidst slurping broth from big spoons and heaping noodles onto willing chopsticks, Cassie gave me the scoop, “My boss told me he knows it’s silly because we are a small business, but he wants to change my title to Chief of Heart.”

Joy warmed my heart as the soup warmed my belly, and I congratulated her before crunching into a jalapeño. Not knowing much about that title, I still knew I couldn’t think of a more perfect role for Cassie. She’s the kind of friend that listens with empathy, scrunches her nose with laughter at your stories, and cheers you on towards dreams that feel too big for someone like you. Turns out, a Chief of Heart (also known as Chief Heart Officer) is exactly that, and I know this is just her next step in a beautiful journey towards a purpose far greater than either of us can imagine. After a quick online search, I learned that a Chief Heart Officer is someone who feels the heartbeat of each person in the company, infuses empathy into the workplace with a fiery passion, and brings positivity and empowerment to the table of every meeting because they know that being a source of joy and inspiration is one of the best paths to servant leadership. 

Just typing that sentence makes me realize how lucky I am to know her.

It also makes me realize how each of us can set out to be to be a Chief of Heart in all of our relationships.

I’ll start by saying, we should strive to feel the pulse of others in our work and personal lives, pursuing empathy out of passion for our fellow humans. Each person in the world has a story, a unique perspective built from the culmination of years upon years of events and influences, so of course, we will disagree at times - my perspective feels like truth, and so does yours. However, someone concerned with matters of the heart will recognize that empathy and agreement are not mutually exclusive. We can take the time to share in the feelings of others without changing our personal perspectives, although, sometimes this type of work will do exactly that.

I am a firm believer that all humans deserve to be loved, and part of loving someone well is taking the time to understand their lens, to understand where they are coming from, and when appropriate, call them higher. On many occasions, I have been on the receiving end of this, Cassie’s gentle questions guiding me back to Jesus + truth + purpose, and this is a favor I’m not sure I could ever fully return. But that’s another great thing about her - she doesn’t expect me to return it (though, I will certainly try).

We can also be Chief Heart Officers through empowering the people in our lives. How often do we actually take the time to listen to a loved one’s dreams and tell them to go for it, abandoning pragmatism to cheer them on because they already provide themselves with enough reasons not to get after it? I’m not sure how you’d answer that, but regardless, we should do it more. I have to tell you, Cassie was the first person I really started dreaming about my blog with. She helped me think about my why. She helped me sketch out a rough plan and feel brave enough to take the first crazy step.

Now I want to be that for someone else - maybe for you - so what are you dreaming about? Do you want to open an Etsy shop and sell your artwork? Do you want to own your own cafe? Do you want to run a school for orphans in Honduras? 

Then do it. 

Start today. 

Just begin.

Jesus didn’t create us to sit around and play ourselves small and twiddle our thumbs to pass the time. No. We are here to make money moves for the Kingdom. 

Yeah, I said it.

There is no better time than right now to discover your why, sketch out a rough plan, and take your first step. This plan is rough, imperfect, for a reason - it can change along the way in tandem with the things you learn and the way you grow. This is something else she’s helped me understand, and I want to pass that wisdom onto you.

Lastly, I want to talk about joy. The older I get, the more I realize that true joy is one of the best ways to serve people. I’ll also say this: I think best joy comes from knowing Jesus, and Cassie certainly carries that into a room. She’s a light, and she so willingly shares that part of herself with the people she meets. Joy lifts people up - there’s something special about it that inspires people to continue, to be better versions of themselves, to meet you with a smile and fill in the empty spaces with something good.

Now, one reason I think joy is a form of servant leadership is because choosing it day in and out can be hard. Cassie and I both walked through similar, miserable seasons about a year ago. I’ll spare you the details, but here’s the meat of things: even though we were both in the muck, even though we both deigned to do what we were doing, she carried a steady joy that transcended circumstances. Her attitude diffused into my life and changed the way I saw my own situation. It likely wasn’t easy for her to choose joy, to trust God so fully and be mindful that he was working, but her choice served me well.

I’m glad to report that joy is much easier to come by for both of us these days, partially because of circumstance, and partially because of our practice with choosing it.

Just as there’s so much more to my friend, I’m sure there’s more to being a Chief Heart Officer than a cursory internet search would turn up, but maybe there’s a beauty in that mystery, too. As we try bring heart like this to the world, we are free to pursue others with service, joy, and empathy; we are free to speak words of life that leave them empowered to chase big dreams, and we are also free to tap into new ways to inspire, encourage, and love.

This week, let’s all take a page from Cassie’s book this week, sharing our big, glorious capacity for love with one another while also taking the time to more fully see and know and encourage the hearts of those we encounter.

The world will certainly be better for it.