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Improving Leadership
School of Business, Liberty University
Abstract
Leadership is a core function of any successful organization. The organization must be willing to
leverage several strategies to improve leadership effectiveness. These strategies can and should
include core competencies from Christian leadership. The Bible offers several stories outlining
how depending on God for guidance can set leaders up for success. This paper will examine
three critical biblical stories by analyzing how each leader’s dependence on God led to their
success before transitioning to personal leadership reflections grounded in similar principles
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from the three biblical passages. After reading this paper, the reader will understand how
leaders' development and effectiveness are contingent on how leaders depend on God
throughout their leadership journey.
Keywords: Servant Leadership, transformational leadership, discernment
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Improving Leadership
Effective leadership is the foundation of success within an organization. It is a continuous
and complex process that allows leaders to implement a mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities
to make decisions, solve problems, and develop others (Galvin et al., 2024). Christian leaders
manage effective leadership by embracing the skills and characteristics and embodying biblical
aspects of leadership. Biblical leadership empowers others through modeling, self-evaluation,
and effective communication to achieve common goals and shared vision (Irving & Strauss,
2022). For leaders to improve leadership effectiveness, examining biblical leaders, why
dependence upon God is essential, and reflecting on personal leadership journeys are critical.
Biblical Leaders
Throughout history, biblical leaders have demonstrated how Christian leaders
demonstrate effective leadership. Biblical leaders embrace critical characteristics that guide
decision making and assist in problem solving due to implementing and displaying compassion,
humility, service, and a commitment to the development of others (Pitcher, 2022). As leaders
display these characteristics, they prioritize the needs of others while serving. These strategies
allow leaders to create environments where trust, effective communication, respect, and more
thrive while promoting effective leadership. Leadership’s complexity prompts leaders to
embrace biblical leadership to ensure leaders leverage biblical values to guide their moral
compass and enhance ethical behaviors. To fully grasp the importance of improving leadership
effectiveness, an examination of biblical leaders Gideon, Debora, and Nehemiah provides clarity
of the importance of depending on God.
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Gideon
The Bible highlights several instances of effective leaders from which today’s aspiring
leaders can draw. Gideon was a great leader in the Bible who was challenged to lead the army
to victory over the Midianites. Judges states, “As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream
and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for
the Lord has given the host of Midian into your hand” (English Standard Version, 2001/2016,
7:15). Gideon was a simple man who was given a vision from God, that led to his evolving and
unwavering leadership.
While most leaders believe there is strength in numbers when battling, God guided
Gideon to reduce the number of men to ensure victory. Gideon’s reduced force caused the
Midianites to be disoriented and panicked, leading to their defeat. This victory led Israel to forty
years of peace and a desire among the Israelites to be ruled by Gideon. However, the guidance
from God prompted Gideon to communicate God’s leadership. Judges states, “Gideon said to
them, 'I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.”
(English Standard Version, 2001/2016, 8:23). Gideon’s effective leadership was grounded in
humility, dependence on God’s guidance and obedience, leading to his victory and peace for the
Israelites. While Gideon is only one of the effective leaders who displayed the obedience and
humility needed to thrive during challenging times, Prophetess Deborah embraces overlapping
leadership competencies.
Deborah
Deborah was a prophetess known for several leadership roles throughout the Bible. As a
judge, she was known for having people sit under her palm. Judges states,
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She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill
country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment. She sent and
summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, “Has not
the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you, ‘Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor,
taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun. (English Standard
Version, 2001/2016, 4:4-8).
As Deborah rendered judgment, counsel, and conflict resolution, each decision was guided by
God.
Throughout uncertain times, Deborah guided Barak to lead an attack, which provided
victory to the Israelites. Deborah’s prophecy allowed her to embrace a new type of leadership
guided by her devotion to God. Her effective leadership was directly correlated to her
unwavering faith, guidance derived from obedience, and ability to lean on God to overcome
challenging odds. With most biblical leaders being men, Deborah could display leadership and
promote feminine leadership in a time when others were unrecognized. Divine insight assisted
Deborah throughout her leadership journey, but it was also displayed within Nehemiah’s
leadership journey.
Nehemiah
The Book of Nehemiah in the Bible highlights Nehemiah’s effective leadership through
his implementation of integrity, strategic planning, and faith. Throughout Nehemiah’s journey,
consistent prayer led him closer to God while enhancing his ability to seek guidance on
Jerusalem’s walls. The walls were critical to protecting the kingdom and its people, ensuring
safety and protection from those who harmed them. Nehemiah states,
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Now, when the wall had been built and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers, the
singers, and the Levites had been appointed, I gave my brother Hanani and Hananiah
the governor of the castle charge over Jerusalem, for he was a more faithful and God-
fearing man than many (English Standard Version, 2001/2016, 7:1-3).
Under Nehemiah’s leadership, the wall was reconstructed quickly, which increased the people
of the kingdom’s trust and faith in his leadership.
While to some, the reconstruction of the wall may have been seen as a small gesture, it
allowed Nehemiah to stretch his leadership by embracing spiritual reforms that prompted a
positive impact on the kingdom. Nehemiah's positive impact on the kingdom included
accountability through enforcing the Law of Moses, enhancing genuine worship practices, and
executing tangible goals. His leadership fostered a community that embraced spiritual integrity
and ethical followership within the kingdom under Nehemiah’s leadership. These biblical
leaders provide precedents for how biblical leaders embrace dependence on God, lead through
obedience when facing challenges, and demonstrate faith, which guides decision-making,
integrity, and ethical behaviors.
Dependence on God
Effective Christian leaders leverage their dependence on God to make decisions
judiciously, deploy discernment, and display clarity. Christian leadership is rooted in
servanthood, spirituality, and discernment, which are all needed to guide decision-making,
problem-solving, innovation, and collaboration (Knoetze, 2022). As Christian leaders leverage
God’s guidance, alignment with decisions often leads to more effective and purpose-driven
outcomes. Dependence on God ensures leaders have the confidence to navigate uncertain
times while displaying courage and conviction in following the word of God. Gideon, Deborah,
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and Nehemiah each had to depend on each other to ensure they could overcome the
challenges ahead of them effectively. While each navigated their paths, each leader’s journey
overlapped, including trust, faith, and discernment.
Trust
For leaders to be effective, they must be able to gain and receive trust from followers.
Trust allows leaders to navigate challenging times and adversity by ensuring that key principles
of Christian leadership are being displayed (Babu et al., 2024). Gideon’s initial uncertainty was
overcome through the development of trust in God due to the confirmations provided. As many
would believe that more soldiers would be able to reach victory, God’s guidance to reduce the
army’s count ensured the defending army would be taken by surprise. Gideon’s obedience in
following the word of God enhanced his trust in the word. Deborah displayed steadfast trust in
God’s word and leadership. As a prophetess, God revealed several things that came to pass
throughout her leadership. This allowed Deborah to build trust in God, which assisted in guiding
decisions throughout her leadership journey. Nehemiah trusted God through his consistent
prayers and desire to seek God’s direction. As Nehemiah carried out the mission to reconstruct
the wall, his trust in God allowed him to guide the plan strategically, leading to a quick rebuild.
As each leader developed trust in God, their faith enhanced their leadership.
Faith
Christian leaders are often challenged to balance faith with leadership duties. For many,
faith and leadership characteristics overlap and can promote effective leadership. As the great
leaders navigate faith, core concepts, including transformational and authentic leadership,
ensure God’s guidance is always present (Spoelstra et al., 2021). Gideon’s faith was displayed
throughout his ability to follow God’s divine interventions, which ensured the Israelites would
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be safe and have peace. Gideon leveraged his faith with ongoing prayer to carry out God's plan
and vision. Deborah displayed faith by embracing the leadership God provided to her
throughout her prophetic insight. These insights allowed Deborah to increase her faith in God
and prompted those around her to follow. Nehemiah’s faith was enhanced when facing
opposition. This allowed Nehemiah to stay grounded in his faith, praying and fasting more to
ensure he could listen to God’s guidance. Each of these leaders’ faith was active and involved
obedience and courage. Each of these leads to the need to have a spirit of discernment.
Discernment
As a Christian leader, discernment helps to avoid pitfalls and anticipate challenges
proactively. Discernment can be identified as a leader’s ability to leverage spiritual guidance to
predict adverse outcomes, interactions, or people (Hermans, 2021). As leaders get closer to
God, their discernment level can be enhanced. Gideon, Deborah, and Nehemiah each used
discernment throughout their leadership and dependence on God. Gideon’s level of
discernment increased as he followed God’s unconventional strategies. By relying on God to
carry out the vision, he was able to lead Israel to victory. Deborah’s discernment was displayed
through her leadership when assisting Barak with the army. Her foresight to lean on God's vision
allowed her to confidently lead the army while leveraging her skills as a prophet. Nehemiah’s
discernment was grounded in his profound relationship with God. His ability to effectively listen
to God’s direction allowed him to restore the wall, protect the people, and instill integrity. These
influential leaders exhibit discernment as a foundational principle of their dependence on God
to guide them in making decisions, effectively leading, and overcoming challenges. By examining
each of these leaders, personal reflection on leadership can guide dependence on God in
leadership and life.
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Personal Leadership
As an ever-evolving Christian leader, reflection, self-awareness, and dependence on God
are essential. Leaders can enhance their leadership by getting feedback, learning from others,
and developing a plan (Hughes et al., 2022, p. 83). A leader’s journey is only successful if core
competencies are displayed throughout their leadership journey. Servant and transformational
leadership theories have guided a personal leadership journey while enhancing effectiveness.
Servant Leadership
Servant leadership allows leaders to focus on the development of others by identifying
behaviors that lead to the successful attainment of goals (Song et al., 2022). As a servant leader,
embracing opportunities to develop team members empowers them to take ownership of
projects, learn new skills, and transfer knowledge to others. Each of these characteristics has
been achieved by empathetic listening, sharing power, stewardship, and a commitment to
people. As a learning leader, development planning is a form of servant leadership that
personally resonates. Development planning allows leaders to systematically build knowledge
and experience by changing behaviors, understanding goals, seeking and providing feedback,
and more (Hughes et al., 2022, p. 92). This development planning leads to employee
transformation and can yield exponential outcomes for the team and organization.
Transformational Leadership
Transformational leadership is also rooted in biblical disciplines that allow Christian
leaders to embrace and implement the word of God. Transformational leadership allows
followers to share in visions created by promoting growth and development (Afsar & Umrani,
2020). Throughout a personal leadership journey, transformational leadership has empowered
others by keeping an open mind to needs, developing skills and knowledge, and fostering an
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environment that promotes exceptional performance and positive change. Reflecting on
Christian leadership values has allowed both servant and transformational leadership to bring
out ethical behaviors, integrity, and the development of self and the followers. In this journey to
lead more like Christ, leveraging the characteristics of Gideon, Deborah, and Nehemiah ensures
biblical leadership qualities are displayed each day.
Biblical Integration
As a Christian leader, embracing the core competencies of leading as Christ would help
ground decisions personally, solve problems, collaborate, and effectively communicate. Exodus
states, “Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are
trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of
hundreds, of fifties, and of tens” (English Standard Version, 2001/2016, 18:21). As followers
seek to develop skills and enhance knowledge, ethical standard, trustworthiness, and biblical
guidance is desired. Leadership is an ever-evolving process that requires constant development
and enhancements. Embracing the core principles of Christian leadership can guide a leader to
become more effective.
Conclusion
Leadership effectiveness is required for leaders to thrive and sustain within any
organization. Gideon, Deborah, and Nehemiah provide profound examples of how depending
on God can create opportunities to experience success, enhance personal faith, trust, and
discernment. As leaders examine each of these stories from the Bible, better alignment with
God’s word, creating a shared vision, and promoting an environment of empowerment can be
created. As mentioned, leadership is a cyclical and never-ending process. However, leaders can
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display more effective leadership practices if they embrace the critical components of Christian
leadership as outlined in this paper.
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