Response
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respond.docxLeadership theories attempt to explain what leaders are, how they become leaders, and what makes them useful. Vast scopes of explanations include trait, biology, learned skill, and psychological attempting to address the mystery of leadership. One conclusion from the study of leadership exploits no theorists concur on a definition of leadership or what makes a leader a leader.
The Bible address all the of the above challenges with current and historical arguments of leadership theory. Moreover, the Bible argues that all of the above apply to understand leadership and adds two spiritual elements. The first element is as a servant leader; the leader looks to serve as "Christ served His church." Christ lived gave His life for all who believe. The second element is calling. God calls individuals to lead and ordains them in this calling.
Leadership then is a combination of traits, biology, personality, skill, psychology, and calling to serve in this capacity. The imago dei principle could explain the traits and biological aspects. Since people are made in God's image, He imparts the ‘genes' of leadership. It is the same as creativity and relationship. People have a propensity due to this imparting of the Father's characteristics. God uses external forces to shape the calling. He then makes provision for skill, mental ability, and personality needed to lead. Leadership then is a dependency on Christ.
Biblical leadership is not building a kingdom for self
In the 1 Kings 16:21-28 the history of King Omri is recounted. Omri was an impressive leader. He was able to obtain peace with Judah for several years. He expanded Israel and the trade routes. Economically Israel experienced a time of prospering and enrichment. The Assyrians held him with adoration and recorded his achievements in their records as well as modern archeologists (Chapman, 2017; Merida, 2015). Omri appeared to operate out of leader-member exchange from a hierarchical perspective. This observation is based on his ability to build a strong follower group and relationships with other countries through marriages. He was willing to make exchanges that were mutually beneficial which seems to fit the profile of this theory.
Every CEO, executive, and legislature would have marked Omri worthy of following and emulating. There was one significant flaw with this king. He did not attribute his success to God's grace and provisions. His center of worship was on the approval of people. A weight his heart could not take. The Bible states his heart was full of evil. This kind of evil is a silent seducer. This seducer is like cancer that is rapid, painless, and undetected until too late. This sickness would take his life, and his tragedy is what God uses to quicken the hearts of leaders to seek dependence on Him. It is a thread woven into the greater promise that a King would come as promised to Israel. A King would come that could not be tempted by the seduction of power and glory of people.
Biblical leadership always leads towards the Savior
Biblical leadership is selfless servanthood. The leader is in the image of God, and therefore has the traits, biology, and mental ability pre-disposition. The Holy Spirit is the internal force that unlocks the skill and ability through training and calling. Selfless servanthood is relationally focused. God is the relationship. As such, leaders seek to tether others to Christ so that they no longer "thirst." These leaders are not seeking to gain glory, financial gain, big houses, large boats, or any other item that will perish. Christ may very well allow leaders to gain material things, but they should be tithed to God. In this sense, everything earned should be placed at the foot of Christ to determine how the resource He gave is to be redistributed. Omri did not do any of these with what God blessed him.
