Radical Leadership: Praying to be an effective leader

"I came into this position in a little bit more unusual way than most business leaders do," said Sarah Boltz Byrne, owner and president of Corporate Building Services. "Most people work their way up from the bottom, they create their own business and grow with it.

"I consider myself the reluctant CEO. My husband was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 and passed away in early 2012. And my children, they asked if we could continue on with the family business because they wanted to make it a third generation business.

"Coming into this not from the position of being a leader, it was very difficult initially and I had to put my faith in God. I learned through the the hell of the cancer that I can make it through anything because I have him supporting me and that he will not toss anything in my direction that he isn't there willing to prop me up and see me through successfully.

"And every day I pray for this business and ask that I can be an effective leader, that I can guide this business and make it not only profitable financially, but be pleasing to God and let us do his work through all of our people. And once you can get to that point of completely sacrificing yourself and letting your faith carry you through every difficulty, the rest is easy."