Entrepreneurial Lessons from Billy Graham

The recent passing of Billy Graham has prompted countless tributes from religious and political leaders around the world. He was truly one of a kind, and I doubt we will see another religious figure like him.

But now that I am in another life, building a business and figuring out the path of an entrepreneur, I’m experiencing his influence again. Dr. Graham wasn’t just a preacher or an evangelist. He was a brilliant entrepreneur. He founded the most successful crusade ministry in history, but he also started schools, magazines, retreat centers, and media companies.

When someone says the name “Billy Graham,” a picture of the ultimate preacher and evangelist is usually what comes to mind. While that is obviously what his main claim to fame was, I believe it sells Billy Graham short. He was a preacher first and foremost, but it was his incredible entrepreneurial spirit that allowed him to operate in the size, scope, and longevity that he did.

I’ve been reflecting on the lessons he has taught me in my lifetime. Here are five of the most foundational to my experience as an entrepreneur.

1. Keep starting things.

More than ever, entrepreneurs need to be in the business of constantly starting something new. The world is evolving quickly, and the businesses that can keep the pace with new and innovative services will have the most success."

Billy Graham is the perfect example of a person who maintained his success by fighting complacency. He was constantly starting new projects and tinkering with old ones. In 1944, he re-launched a mentor’s radio program called “Songs in the Night.” In 1949, he launched a revival in Los Angeles under a circus tent that would eventually evolve into something called a crusade. A year later, he founded the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. In the mid-50s, he teamed up with Martin Luther King Jr. to hold revivals that were also aimed at fighting for desegregation. In the 60s, he started the World Congress on Evangelism and created his own pavilion for the New York World Fair. During the 70s and 80s, he founded the Lausanne Movement and launched massive conferences aimed at training evangelists.

He never stopped starting. Entrepreneurs know that success never comes easy; you have to work for it. What they miss out on, though, is the fact that they need to constantly be growing, starting, and innovating to keep the success going.

2. Never lose focus.

Entrepreneurs are great at starting things but they often fall prey to what I call SOS (“Shiny Object Syndrome”). They lose focus and chase too many ideas that seem good, but ultimately drag them off course. As Jim Collins famously wrote, “Good is the enemy of great.” Great work requires incredible focus and the willingness to let “good” ideas go if they aren’t on point.

Billy Graham’s focus, over a seven-decade ministry, was laser sharp: Introduce as many people to Jesus as possible, no matter the day or venue. The clearest example I know is the story of the ceremony to award Billy with the Congressional Medal of Honor. In the rotunda of the Capitol, a few hundred dignitaries gathered to celebrate the life and work of Billy. What did Billy do with his time at the microphone? He thanked people for the honor, made a few remarks, and then said, “Now, let me tell you about Jesus.” At a ceremony for himself, Billy pivoted and used the moment to work on his life focus.

As an entrepreneur, are you clear on your life focus? If you can find your focus and throw all your energies through that lens, you’ll never drift. Your life work will be great, not just good.

3. Leverage the moment.

Another key to success for entrepreneurs is having the skill and awareness to leverage current circumstances to benefit and grow a business or product.

Graham did this masterfully. Growing up as the oldest of four in the Great Depression, he understood the landscape of hardship that the Depression and World War II had created and the need for hope across the country.  Never before had Americans been so aware of the fragility of life, and desperate for a message of hope beyond this world. He leveraged this understanding to speak the words that people were desperate to hear. Graham didn’t just stumble into his massive success and influence- he was aware of an opportunity and seized the moment. Success wasn’t a magical thing for Billy Graham. He found what he was passionate about, and was strategic about its implementation.

As an entrepreneur, it’s important to know the lay of the land around you. If you’re opportunistic in leveraging the right circumstances for the growth of your business, sustained success will be sure to follow.

4. Stay flexible.

Every day we are alive, we become less flexible. The mark of a great entrepreneur is to fight that tendency and to be actively searching for the next chance to pivot into success.

Billy Graham spoke face-to-face with more people than anyone in history. While he could have made that his signature and rested on those laurels, one of the hallmarks of his work was his ability to pivot and adopt new methods for fulfilling his focus.

He was one of the first preachers to fully leverage radio, then television, then the internet. He foresaw the power of these communication breakthroughs and their ability to multiply his reach. Rather than stick with just his old method, he pivoted to what was new and relevant.

As his crusades continued, he changed the format of the gathering’s “Youth Night,” into a new format, with modernized music, and a focus on the “Next Generation.” As his career matured, he was always looking for the next young leader who could carry on his focus. Rick Warren tells of meeting Billy in college, and how Billy poured into him consistently for the next 40 years. He called Rick when Rick was just in his 20’s and asked him to come speak to (and train) thousands of young evangelists at a gathering in Amsterdam! Whether it was new media, new formats for gatherings, or looking for new young leaders, Billy Graham showed a flexibility that’s rare among entrepreneurs.

I think that commitment is what creates the lifelong success stories from the entrepreneurial “one hit wonders.” Dr. Graham’s work has convinced me I need to re-up my own commitment to staying flexible.

The spiritual tributes will continue to pour in, and they should. But no matter your spiritual bent, as entrepreneurs, take a minute to study how well this man built a ministry that is unmatched in history. I’m learning from it, and I’m guessing you will too.