Christian Worldview of Leadership
Introduction
The Christian worldview of leadership is distinctly different from most secular views on the subject. In the secular, leadership tends to be viewed primarily in terms of a company’s bottom line and how well the leader can urge employees to produce more and better work. That view is profit-centered rather than person-centered, and it does not give much attention to employees’ human needs and qualities nor on how developing excellent work relationships can promote productivity. In the Christian worldview, however, people are key, and their human needs are important. The leader in the Christian worldview understands how meeting employees’ needs promotes the kind of productivity desired and how developing strong work relationships can do more for the company’s success than micromanaging or other forms of harassment can achieve. This paper will discuss the characteristics of a leader and the keys of leadership, group behavior, and conflict management and resolution from the Christian perspective.
Leadership
Today’s business leaders often have difficult tasks to achieve in turning around failing companies and galvanizing an overworked workforce fearful of losing their jobs, but their tasks do not outweigh those of the great Biblical leaders, such as Moses, who led the Israelites out of bondage, or David, who had to slay the giant before becoming a leader. The characteristics of a leader in the Biblical context still differs to some extent from those generally attributed to leaders in the secular context. Biblical leaders are courageous and decisive, for example. Moses’ leadership was marked by courage born of faith. Although his life was spared from Pharaoh’s decree that all firstborn sons would be killed, Hebrews 11:24 states, “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s