Anyone who has followed The Daily Saint blog from the early years can tell that I've gone through a bit of an evolution as to the how and why that I blog. As a high school administrator, I've spent my career in promotion of "the message". My world is made up of retreats and prayer services and community service and meetings. But something was tugging at me for quite some time.

That something was the value of meaningful work and it's become my passion.

Today, The Daily Saint is primarily a productivity blog about work-life issues. Why the switch from a message of faith to a method of working smarter? Without sounding overly pious, I just feel more drawn at this stage in my life to talking about work and how it has value in our world. Simple as that! So how do you become a "workplace saint"? Here are some pillars:

Integrity: do what you say you will do. Workplaces today demand a higher level of integrity. Let's face it- it's easy to be dishonest and back-biting in the workplace so why not go the extra mile and rise above mediocrity.
Creativity: creative people are inspiring to be around and do amazing things. The workplace saint looks for new ways to solve complex problems.
Inspired work ethic: to motivate we must model. An inspired work ethic simply means that we have a life and see work as a means to an end. If I don't show a consistent desire to work hard, my direct reports won't respect me.
Collaboration: the workplace saint values others to the point of wanting to work with them and not just bark orders in order to get to the bottom line. True collaboration is an art, not just a concept we read about.
Commitment to personal growth: being 'saintly' in the workplace means that we are very committed to growing as people. We look for conferences to attend, listen to inspiring literature and are physically active.
Strategy: just because you're saintly doesn't mean that you aren't keeping an eye on the job market. The workplace saint is aware of opportunities in the marketplace and takes them.
Humility: are you someone who can pass The Trash Test? I.e. are you willing to take out the trash if necessary? I learned years ago that the best leaders are also servants and don't think of themselves as higher than their employees. If you're in it for the power and prestige, step back and reevaluate.
Productivity: workplace saints get things done, pure and simple.

I'm sure that I'll refine my vision of what it means to be a workplace saint as time goes on. As every saint is a bit of a "work in progress", so too this formula evolves and works itself out. I'd love to know how you practice workplace saintliness...