WORDPOWER

JANET JONES, SAMANTHA MURRAY, AND KELLY WARREN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP IN A SECULAR WORLD

Introduction Over the past decades, corporate corruption and unethical behavior have

risen steadily. this has caused organizations to be scrutinized, leading to a

corporate environment of distrust and suspicion. Evidence of major corporate

corruption includes the Enron and Worldcom scandals, as well as the indict-

ment of Arthur Anderson. there is much debate in literature as to the causes

of increased corruption. Personal greed, a decline in personal ethics,

decreased sense of service, and cultural environments that condone unethical

behavior have all been identified as possible reasons for an increase in uneth-

ical behavior (Zuber, 2015).

Because of widespread ethical concerns, organizations have shown a

renewed interest in the concept of workplace spirituality, for both the organi-

zation as well as the individual employee (Dodd, 2003). Although spiritual

leadership in secular research has increased in popularity (Dodd, 2003;

greenleaf, 1977), one criticism of this stream of literature is that there is a lack

of appropriate models of spiritual leadership (hunt, 2005; heifertz & Laurie,

2005), particularly as it pertains to christianity and the teachings of Jesus.

Since its birth almost 2000 years ago, christianity remains a dominant reli-

gion; however, its application to modern business is relatively recent.

Drawing from Jesus’ teachings, this research will offer several practical ways

that will enhance authentic christian leadership in secular organizations.

the purpose of this article is first to discuss workplace spirituality, a topic

Janet S. Jones, D.B.A., is Professor of Management at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, texas. Samantha r. Murray, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Management at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, texas. Kelly B. Warren, Ph.D., is Professor of Management at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, texas.

that is prevalent in secular literature. Next, a discussion of the attributes of

christian leaders (which include being christ-led, a person of character,

humility, wisdom, absence of power and ego, and a servant leader) will be

presented. Finally, the tensions christian leaders experience in balancing the

interests of all organizational stakeholders will be addressed.

Ethics and Spirituality Versus Religion there is a growing body of business literature on workplace spirituality,

both for the organization and the individual employee. Studies show that the

presence of workplace spirituality has a positive influence on organizational

outcomes (Avey, Luthans, & Mhatre, 2008; Badrinarayanan & Madhavaram,

2008). Organizations that report a high level of spirituality tend to have more

positive attitudes (Avey et al., 2008), better working relationships

(Badrinarayanan & Madhavaram, 2008), increased employee commitment,

decreased employee turnover and absenteeism (Badrinarayanan &

Madhavaram, 2008), and increased job satisfaction (Avey et al., 2008).

however, despite its popularity in academic and practitioner publications,

literature has not agreed upon a standard definition of workplace spirituality

(Spohn, 1997). Neck and Milliman (1994) define spirituality as “expressing our

desires to find meaning and purpose in our lives and . . . a process of living

out one’s set of deeply held personal values.” Von tonder (2009) defines spiri-

tuality as an employee experiencing a sense of wholeness, connectedness at

work, and deeper values. Dehler and Welsh (1994) describe spirituality as an

individual’s inner source of inspiration and an energizing feeling. in their

review of the literature, giacalone and Jurkiewicz (2003) compiled a meta-

analysis of definitions of spirituality. this resulted in workplace spirituality

being defined as “a framework of organizational values evidenced in the cul-

ture that promotes employees’ experience of transcendence through the work

process, facilitating their sense of being connected to others in a way that pro-

vides feelings of completeness and joy” (p. 13).

Despite not having a unified definition of spirituality, much research has

added value to the discussion of spirituality in the workplace. Spirituality has

been linked with ethics, moral behavior, and individual value systems (Fry,

2003; Fry & Slocum, 2008; Sweeney & Fry, 2012). in this regard, Fry and

Slocum (2008) emphasize that personal ethics are driven by what people

believe are the values and principles of moral behavior, and further, that

people come to work with their own values and attitudes that drive their

behavior. this is a particularly important point because generally, leaders

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create the culture of an organization which in turn impacts the decisions

made by organizational members.

regarding spiritual leadership, Fry (2003) framed the concept in terms of

leaders’ ability to understand their core values and to communicate them to

followers. he defined spiritual leadership as, “comprising the values, atti-

tudes, and behaviors that are necessary to intrinsically motivate one’s self and

others so that they have a sense of spiritual survival through calling and

membership” (p. 695). Effective spiritual leadership creates a shared vision

among organizational members, giving them a sense of purpose and impor-

tance. Such a vision helps produce a culture of genuine compassion and care

for other organizational members and a selfless attitude (Fry, 2003).

Although the various definitions of spirituality recognize the importance of

organizational culture and the value of interpersonal relationships, they do

not offer anything substantial other than a “feel good” environment. recently,

the concept of workplace spirituality has been comprehensively criticized

(Mabey, conroy, Blakeley, & Marco, 2017). in many cases, the component

missing from workplace spirituality is a guiding ethical system or an entity

that shapes moral reasoning. For christians, this component is based on one’s

understanding and implementation of the attributes embodied in Jesus christ.

it is crucial for this discussion to differentiate between spirituality and reli-

gion. Like the concept of spirituality, a definition of religion also has been

debated. For example, Kirkland (1976) considered the concept from several

perspectives before arriving at his conclusion that religion is humanity’s sen-

sitivity to the ultimate meaning of existence, which derives from his relation-

ship to a transcendent or super-empirical plane of reality. the purpose of reli-

gion is to give direction and guidance for all aspects of life. For religious mem-

bers, believing in a higher power gives life meaning and a source of strength

and purpose; additionally, it provides a common ground for others in a group

that espouses a common belief in a deity (covrig, Ledesma, & gifford, 2013).

however, despite the bonds built through religious institutions, there may be

stronger social controls regarding beliefs and practices. thus, religion could

be perceived as harmful, whereas spirituality stresses stronger personal con-

trol. Along these same lines, others have pointed out that studies of work-

place spirituality have not considered religious ideology; further, the inclu-

sion of religion from a practical workplace application could be divisive due

to the perceived social control (Fry & Slocum, 2008).

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Christian Leaders the guiding force of christian leaders is to know god to become more like

Jesus (Early, 2006). One of the greatest gifts god gave christians is the pres-

ence of the holy Spirit, who takes up permanent residence in the hearts of

believers (rom. 8:9; 1 cor. 6:19-20, 12:13). it is the holy Spirit who guides and

helps us with wise discernment and transforms our hearts. this transforma-

tion, outlined in the Sermon on the Mount, emphasizes humility, integrity,

kindness, forgiveness, peace, and love as the core of christian living (Matt.

5:6). this is in direct opposition to living for self, both in the sense of decision-

making and materialism (Mabey et al., 2017).

in addition to these christian virtues, truth is one of the most valuable

characteristics a leader can possess, both christian and non-christian. the

holy Spirit is the revealer of truth, and it is christ who sends the holy Spirit to

dwell inside christians and to guide them in truth. Jesus told the disciples that

“when he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth” (John

16:13). he reveals to us the whole counsel of god as it relates to christian liv-

ing and thus, christian leadership. the holy Spirit is our ultimate guide, cre-

ating a more complete understanding and making all things clear. Without

such a guide, we as humans are prone to make mistakes. therefore, real

christian leadership must embody the teachings of Jesus and be guided by the

holy Spirit, who was sent to all christians by christ.

however, it is important to note that there are effective, successful leaders

who are not professed christians; there are also non-christian leaders who

have adopted ethical behaviors. the Bible even speaks of such in Luke 16:8:

“And, the Lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely:

for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of

light” (KJV).

One modern-day example of a successful leader who does not espouse

belief in god is Bill gates. Bill gates has been documented as saying that he

prefers to believe in a more scientific approach rather than to believe in a cre-

ator (goodell, 2014). however, he does believe that there is substantial merit

in the moral aspect of religion and that religion can have a positive impact on

ethical code in organizations. therefore, gates believes that whether god

exists or not, Jesus’ teachings could still have a positive impact on moral and

ethical development in organizations. those like gates who believe that Jesus

christ was just a good man who lived long ago (and is not god) often recog-

nize the benefit and value of his moral and ethical life. therefore, Jesus

christ’s teachings can be influential on both the christian and the non-

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christian, if the non-christian is open to the direct influence offered in

biblical teachings.

however, for the non-christian leader, the holy Spirit is not a guide for

truth and understanding because according to romans 8:9, the holy Spirit

dwells only in believers of Jesus christ. “You, however, are not in the flesh

but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of god dwells in you. Anyone who does

not have the Spirit of christ does not belong to him” (ESV). in this same vein,

Ephesians 1:13-14 teaches us that the holy Spirit is a seal of salvation for those

who believe. “in him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel

of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised holy

Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of

it, to the praise of his glory” (ESV). thus, although the perfect life of Jesus

christ can influence non-christian leaders’ ethical decisions, the holy Spirit

can only reveal the council of god to true believers in christ.

Our society is blessed with many great leaders worth studying. however,

the man whose life and leadership left the most significant impact on our

world is Jesus christ. the premise of this argument is that, although there

are ethical, non-christian leaders, their foundation of goodness is themselves

which is earthy and imperfect. For christian leaders, their foundation is on

Jesus christ who is perfect. Although studying the life of Jesus christ could be

beneficial to all leaders (christian or non-christian), with their compass set on

him, faithful christian leaders will have a higher purpose than earthy success.

however, having ethics is not always congruent to having morality. What

is deemed “ethical” may not necessarily be christ-like. For example, ethics

are the guiding principles of the behavior of a group of individuals, whereas

morality relates to the principles that guide one's judgment of right and

wrong. Ethics, on the other hand, are influenced by an organization and in

one’s professional field. Morals are influenced by society, culture, and reli-

gion, and are typically not related to professional work per se. the legal sys-

tem partly defines ethics; the consequence for breaking an ethical code gener-

ally is some form of societal punishment, such as a financial fine or perhaps

prison.   

Organizations often make decisions that largely are considered immoral by

society, but which fall within the legal framework. For example, exploiting

cheap labor markets has been an ethical dilemma for decades. From an ethi-

cal and legal perspective, moving production facilities to under-developed

nations and paying the workers at their nation’s standards are considered eth-

ical practices by many American organizations. Such business strategies sig-

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nificantly lower costs, which is beneficial for many organizational stakehold-

ers. however, these conditions trigger a moral argument about the disparity in

the treatment of the foreign worker versus the organization’s American work-

ers. Additionally, from a christian standpoint, the question is, “What would

Jesus do?” From the many examples of how Jesus treated others, a reasonable

conclusion is that Jesus would treat every person with love and respect,

regardless of their station in life.

Character Part of being christ-led is to be a person of good character. character is the

most crucial element of leadership, but also is the most elusive (Sheehy,

1990). Our view of life is defined by what we choose to value, and our charac-

ter is determined by how we actively live out that which we value (gini &

green, 2014). therefore, being a person of character is ongoing; it is not a one-

time activity. A common theme in recent leadership literature is the virtues-

based model; this model assumes character development is at the heart of

ethical decision-making (crossan, Mazutis, Seijts, & gandz, 2013). According

to Ephesians 4:17-22, it is not possible to develop good character by trusting in

personal strength. Something more than willpower and good intention is

needed; we need to live out the new self through the power of the holy Spirit.

Paul states, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put

off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made

new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be

like god in true righteousness and holiness” (NiV). According to scripture,

good character comes from being christ-led.

As christian leaders, we should value the virtues taught by christ that lead

to good character. Additionally, it is important that our actions demonstrate

good character as christian leaders in organizations. When outlining the qual-

ifications of church leaders, elders are instructed to have character above

reproach, which means that they are to be free from sinful behaviors that

would negatively influence others (heb. 13:7; 1 Pet. 5:3). in his letters to

timothy and titus, the Apostle Paul was addressing church leaders; however,

this does not diminish the need for all christians to aspire to the same quali-

ties, specifically christian leaders in any organization. A sampling of these

qualities includes humility, admitting mistakes, leading with wisdom, hon-

esty, and avoiding the pitfalls of ego, and the influence of power.

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Humility Because of the emphasis on individual achievements, power, and authori-

ty, humility is often a missing virtue among leaders (Argandona, 2015).

Despite these selfish reasons that humility is undervalued in organizations,

theories of leadership and organizational management continue to recognize

the necessity for organizational leaders to be humble (cameron, Bright, &

caza, 2004). humility is defined as an interpersonal characteristic, comprised

of a willingness to see oneself accurately, acknowledgment of the strengths

and contributions of others, and an openness to new ideas and feedback

(Owens, Johnson, & Mitchell, 2013). research has linked leader humility to

the foundation for organizational learning, quality customer service (Vera &

rodriguez-Lopez, 2004), charismatic leadership (Nielsen, Marrone, & Slay,

2009), and participative leadership (Morris, Brotheridge, & Urbanski, 2005).

Studies show that organizational leaders characterized as humble tend to

collaborate, share information, jointly make decisions, and possess a shared

vision (Ou, Waldman, & Peterson, 2018). Additionally, humble leaders are

associated with stronger firm performance, increased organizational commit-

ment (Ou et al., 2018), and increased leader-follower relationship (Owens et al.,

2013), thus suggesting that cEO humility has important implications for firm

processes and outcomes (Ou et al., 2018). humility of leaders can be shown by

admitting mistakes (Malphurs, 2003), creating a culture where the voices of

organizational members are heard (Early, 2006), and deflecting praise to

employees (Owens & hekman, 2012). An extension of humility is honesty,

which is thought of as a value or characteristic that is good. Frequently, being

honest involves being open and genuine to fellow workers, which in turn

would result in trustworthiness and good relationships (Elm, 2003).

Jesus’ teachings on leader humility coincide with academic findings. Jesus

directly linked faith and humility to necessary qualities for leaders (Mabey et

al., 2017). When the disciples began to debate who was the greatest after the

Lord’s Supper, Jesus answered, “the kings of the gentiles lord it over them,

and those who exercise authority over them call themselves benefactors. But

you are not to be like that. instead, the greatest among you should be like the

youngest and the one who rules like the one who serves” (Luke 22:25-26, NiV).

christians should put into practice those things that are true, honorable, and

right because we are “god’s handiwork, created in christ Jesus to do good

works” (Eph. 2:10, NiV). For example, Paul revealed in Philippians that the

Lord requires christians to be humble while providing grace to others.

Although this is not an easy task, as we discover our weaknesses, we can

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draw on god’s wisdom and power for help with the understanding that it is

“god who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose”

(Phil. 2:13, NiV).

Wisdom With each corporate scandal, we are left to question where are the wise

leaders and managers. Why is it that the same leaders and managers, once

celebrated as heroes, turn out to have been complicit in fraud or are profiting

personally at the expense of their company and society at large? As Sternberg

(2003) states, “certainly, the business leaders of Enron, Arthur Andersen

Accounting, Worldcom, and other organizations whose leaders drove them

into bankruptcy were intelligent and creative. they were not wise’’ (p. 396).

Wisdom is almost always associated with doing the right thing in the right

way under the right circumstances to achieve the common good. Paired with

the increase in corporate corruption, there appears to be a decrease in leader

wisdom. in an attempt to understand why there seems to be a wisdom deficit,

recent research on the subject has emerged (Kessler & Bailey, 2007), particu-

larly among leaders (McKenna, rooney, & Boal, 2009; Nonaka & takeuchi,

2001; Solansky, 2014; Yang, 2014; Zacher, Pearce, rooney, & McKenna, 2014).

Wisdom has been characterized as a developmental process, one that emerges

out of encountering difficult situations, experiencing irreconcilable moral

dilemmas, and deliberating about them (holiday, Statler, & glanders, 2007;

Srivastva & cooperrider, 1998). Wisdom comes from learning through many

experiences and failures (gini & green, 2014). Some researchers doubt that

wisdom exists in corporate America due to greed and selfish behavior

(Nonaka & takeuchi, 2001), but others believe that wisdom can be taught and

learned (hicks & Waddock, 2016). What can be agreed upon is that leadership

wisdom has positive effects on organizational performance (Elbaz &

haddoud, 2017).

the importance of wisdom in leadership has a strong theological back-

ground (robinson, 1990). the Bible tells us that wisdom comes from god.

Proverbs 2:6 states, “For the LOrD gives wisdom; from his mouth come

knowledge and understanding” (NiV). if any of us wants to obtain wisdom,

we must ask god, and it will be granted to us. James 1:5 states, “if any of you

lacks wisdom, he should ask god, who gives generously to all without finding

fault, and it will be given to him” (NiV). Scripture allows us to receive god’s

wisdom, but wisdom can also come by seeking wise counsel. For example, in

Proverbs 11:14 we are told, “Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in

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an abundance of counselors there is victory” (NASB), and in 12:15, “the way

of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel”

(NASB). Proverbs 18:13 suggests that decision-makers should have all of the

facts: “he who gives an answer before he hears, it is folly and shame to him”

(NASB). Proverbs 19:2 further advises that careful consideration and analysis

are important for good decision-making: “Also, it is not good for a person to

be without knowledge, and he who hurries his footsteps errs” (NASB). this

idea is supported further in Proverbs 21:5, which suggests that due diligence

should be given in the decision-making process. the author writes, “the

plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty

comes surely to poverty” (NASB).

Of course, the most famous wise leader in all of history is King Solomon;

he asked for wisdom instead of earthly riches, which pleased the Lord. the

Lord said to Solomon, “Behold, i have done according to your words. Behold,

i have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one

like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you” (1 Kings 3:12,

NASB). however, the Bible also teaches that wisdom only comes if you live

in obedience to the Lord. King Solomon lost his wisdom when he turned away

from god by inviting foreign wives into his home; he allowed himself to be

influenced to worship idols instead of the Lord (1 Kings 11:3). Solomon knew

better because the Lord had warned him of such evils (1 Kings 11:2). Because

of his sins, god declared that he would surely tear the kingdom away from

Solomon and give it to one of his servants (1 Kings 11:11). Solomon’s sins

would eventually lead to his kingdom being divided into the two separate

kingdoms of israel and Judah (1 Kings 11:26-40).

We see this consequence come to fruition in 2 chronicles when Solomon’s

son, rehoboam, chose to listen to unwise counsel as his father had at the end

of his life. Shortly before rehoboam was to be crowned King of israel, the peo-

ple asked that he consider decreasing the workload that King Solomon had

instituted. rehoboam sought out wise counsel from the elders and foolish

counsel from his friends. Sadly, he chose to implement the foolish advice he

received; as a result, the kingdom of israel was divided, and Jeroboam

became King of israel (2 chron. 10:8), just as god had promised. this biblical

example demonstrates that christian leaders must continue to be christ-led,

seeking the wisdom that only god can give, through sources such as Scripture

and the wise counsel of others.

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Avoiding the Negative Influence of Power and Ego the character of leaders influences the degree to which organizations are

run ethically and responsibly (Bragues, 2008; Wright & goodstein, 2007).

Power has been shown to negatively impact ethical behavior (Mabey et al.,

2017). For example, there is an inverse relationship between power and empa-

thy, compassion, and concern for others, but a positive relationship exists

between power and selfishness (Anderson & Brown, 2010). Power leads to

ego, which then leads to self-gratification, the promotion of self-interest, as

well as a lack of empathy, self-control, humility, or self-sacrifice (Kohlberg,

1984). Jesus spoke about the dangers of leadership and power by confirming

that individuals who obtain power were more likely to be susceptible to

becoming hypocrites, corrupted by power. to be a true christian leader it is

crucial to be christ-led, having humility and wisdom to guard the heart

against the negative influences of power and ego.

Servant Leadership greenleaf (1977) introduced the concept of servant leadership into secular

literature; his ideas were based on the theory that leadership is not about the

leader. Authentic servant leadership lays ego and selfish behavior aside,

emphasizing the needs and desires of the community and others.

Following greenleaf’s lead, several other notable writers and consultants

(e.g., Blanchard, 2016; covey, 1990; Drucker, 2004; Senge, 1990) embraced the

principles of servant leadership (Kolodinsky, Bowen, & Ferris, 2003). For

example, Blanchard’s (2016) overall idea of servant leadership suggests that

there are two parts to the concept: 1) Leaders should have vision and direction

which are shared; and, 2) Leaders should assume a servant role in the imple-

mentation and operational aspects of the organization. Another similar phi-

losophy had been previously introduced by covey (1990), whose principle-

centered leadership suggests that leaders should be service-oriented individu-

als with positive energy, who recognize the potential in other people. Drucker

(2004) argues that the primary purpose of all organizations is to make the

human condition more secure, more satisfactory, and more productive.

Senge’s (1990) definition of servant leaders mirrors that of greenleaf; Senge

states that servant leaders emphasize others, not self. therefore, leadership

means service, not self-interest (Senge, 1990).

Other researchers also have attempted to operationalize the concept of ser-

vant leadership by emphasizing that leaders should be altruistic, moral/ethi-

cal, and spiritual (Ehrhart, 2004; Smith, Montagno, & Kuzmenko, 2004;

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Pekerti & Sendjava, 2010). Such characteristics of servant leaders include

integrity, humility, relational power, autonomy, and moral development of

followers (De Pree, 1992; Focht & Ponton, 2015). Additional characteristics of

servant leadership include stewardship, empowerment, accountability, for-

giveness, courage, and authenticity (Focht & Ponton, 2015; Van Dierendonck

& Nuijten, 2011). Servant leadership also has a community service component,

which might include considering the well-being of followers, community ser-

vice, and acting ethically (Avolio, Walumbwa, & Weber, 2009; Erhart, 2004;

Liden, Wayne, Zhao, & henderson, 2008; reed, Vidaver-cohen, & colwell,

2011; Stone, russell, & Patterson, 2004).

Part of the good character practiced by Jesus was being a leader who served

others. Biblical teachings suggest that servant-leadership is christ-centered.

the Apostle Paul presents servant leadership as being united in christ when

he states:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility con-

sider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to

your own interests, but also to the interest of others. Your attitude

should be the same as that of christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature

god did not consider equality with god something to be grasped, but

made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in

human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled

himself and became obedient to death. (Phil. 2:3-8, NiV)

Because of the compelling desire for ethical and effective leadership, some

theorists have suggested that embracing a servant leader model would result

in a more desirable environment where leaders would serve others and invest

in the development and well-being of organizational members, while promot-

ing the idea of ethical leadership (Smith, Montagno, & Kuzmenko, 2004;

Pekerti & Sendjaya, 2010; Shekari, Nikooparvar, & taft, 2012). the need for

renewed attention to ethical and moral leadership has become much more

pronounced after the recent decades full of fraud and corruption; also, the

concept of servant leadership has become the leadership benchmark for many

organizations.

Stakeholders thus far, the discussion (in terms of both the secular and biblical contexts)

has focused on the qualities that a christian leader should possess, including

being christ-led, being of good character, and being a servant leader.

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however, these two-dimensional descriptions do not consider how christian

leaders integrate their faith when decisions are complicated and hard to dis-

cern, particularly when decisions affect the organization’s stakeholders in

both positive and negative ways. christian leaders often find themselves

pulled in many directions; they may find themselves faced with creating an

appropriate vision while articulating a strategic plan that is in line with stake-

holder values. this is especially difficult when stakeholder values are not con-

gruent with one another. this tension that christian leaders often face creates

a polarity between caring for the needs of the person (e.g., employees, com-

munities) and caring for the needs of the organization (cafferky, 2011).

Pohlman and gardner (2000) suggested a model whereby the organization-

al leader should consider eight major stakeholder groups: external cultural

values, organizational cultural values, individual employee values, customer

values, supplier values, third-party values, owner values, and competitor val-

ues. it is essential that leaders, both christian and non-christian, consider all

stakeholder values when making decisions. however, the individual charac-

teristics of the leader play a role in using the stakeholder model (Mitchell,

Agle, & Wood, 1997). For example, the leader’s own values relative to a situa-

tion may have a substantial impact on how they react to the major stakehold-

ers in the situation; these values may include self-interest or self-sacrifice

(Mitchell, Agle, & Wood, 1997). Kotter (1990) posits that leaders must under-

stand and deal with the complexities of aligned relationships within an orga-

nization or industry, and execute implementations through inspiration, recog-

nizing that stakeholders have a mutually dependent relationship with one

another. thus, one stakeholder exerting power over another is not always in

the best interest of the organization as a whole (Appelbaum & Paese, 2003).

Some researchers suggest that the leader’s consideration of stakeholder

values should go beyond financial reasons to recognize that other moral obli-

gations exist in the organizational context (Phillips, 2010). the christian lead-

er will ideally consider more than just the organization’s bottom line. in

developing their visions, christian leaders will recognize the importance of

balancing the major stakeholders’ values and needs for the long term. thus,

christian leaders have the difficult task of creating organizational strategies

that value all stakeholders (e.g., communities, employees, customers, and

organization) in a way that avoids creating a great benefit for one group at the

expense of or detriment to another (Anderson & Adams, 2016). Although some

studies mention that it may be necessary to accept lower profits in order to

align christian values with values of the stakeholders (Driscoll & Wiebe,

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2007), other studies show that organizational leaders who balance the values

of the relevant stakeholder groups see higher profits in general (Ni, Egri, Lo, &

Lin, 2015).

Examples of leadership failing to please multiple stakeholders can be

found among many organizations, especially in the manufacturing sector.

One such example is that of the NiKE corporation. NiKE’s organizational lead-

ers continue to choose to operate their factories in Asian countries, benefitting

the customers, shareholders, and executives by producing great products at

lower prices. however, the social responsibility of NiKE has been called into

question with the decision to manufacture products where labor is cheap and

where working conditions are below American standards; this manufacturing

decision also displaced American workers when factories moved abroad.

While there has been much debate in academic literature on the issue of the

appropriate degree of social responsibility as it pertains to overseas manufac-

turing, the ethical concerns of such decisions are not within the scope of this

article. however, this example reflects a situation where christian leaders

might have made different decisions.

Organizational leaders should seek to be christ-led by prayerfully seeking

guidance from god’s Word. For example, Jesus often withdrew to a quiet

place to pray and seek the Father for direction (Matt. 14:23; Luke 5:16; 6:12;

22:41-44), and he taught his followers to do the same (Matt. 6:5-15; Luke 11:2-

4). While seeking to be christ-led, leaders should ask questions such as: Will

this action benefit humanity? is the plan ethical and moral? Will any aspect of

the implementation bring harm to a particular stakeholder group? the notion

that organizations must sacrifice specific stakeholders (i.e., community and

employees) for financial success has been refuted in the literature (Na, Egri,

Lo, & Lin, 2015). to be truly christ-led means exhibiting the character and ser-

vant heart that comes with balancing the needs and values of all relevant

stakeholders, while still maintaining a profitable bottom line.

Conclusion Whether or not a leader is successful depends as much on the time, place,

and circumstance as it does on particular skill sets and leadership qualities

(gini & green, 2014). there is no rubric to follow in the uncertain, unstable

environment in which organizations operate, which perhaps, has created

much unethical behavior in organizations. however, christian leaders do

have a specific guidebook for leading like christ: the Bible. the Bible gives us

clear direction on how to be a true christian leader; this narrow path is not

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always easy, and the gap between actions and words can be worlds apart.

For christian leaders, the challenge becomes how to accomplish the tradi-

tional functional roles of leadership while incorporating the ethical, moral

attributes suggested by the literature and the Scriptures. By following appro-

priate business practices and being christ-led, a person of character, and hav-

ing the heart of a servant, it is possible for christian leaders to run a profitable

organization effectively.

in short, leadership is more than just a set of facts and theories; it is a lived

process. in this regard, future research is needed to examine how christian

leaders incorporating their christian values might elucidate further the practi-

cal ways in which leaders can impact their organizations in a positive way.

Additionally, quantitative studies would help to determine the effectiveness

of specific programs or practices.

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