Biblical Worldview - Term Paper Example

«Using a Biblical Worldview to Guide One’s Leadership» Life these days have become more complicated. People do not seem to think simply anymore, unlike in biblical times when black and white were distinctly identified and laws did not tolerate shades of gray. It seems that at that time, people were more clear about the difference between good and evil. Being a leader these days is also more challenging, considering people may hold a multitude of beliefs that may not coincide with the leaders’. People may believe in different “worldviews”, which is a framework that allows one to understand society, the world and one’s place in it, that could help him make critical decisions for his own life. Heylighen (2000) adds that it should synthesize the wisdom gathered in various disciplines – scientific, philosophical and religious that may help one cope with the complexity of change. "World" means the totality, everything that exists around us, including the physical universe, the Earth, life, mind, society and culture (Heylighen, 2000). It also includes a system of rules that tell us how we should or should not behave; a sense of purpose; a direction or set of goals to guide our actions that stem from our upheld set of moral values. In sum, a worldview is a roadmap of a person on how to survive in this world. Leadership has been a subject of interest for various groups for the longest time. Great leaders are admired and emulated based on their character and leadership styles. According to Kouzes and Posner (2007), people seek several traits in a leader they can follow willingly. Leaders challenge, inspire, enable, model and encourage their followers. Michael Fullan, a leading advocate in the study of educational leadership claims that a leader should have moral purpose. This moral purpose pushes him to act with the intention of making a positive difference in the lives of the people around him and in society in general (Fullan, 2004). Many leaders turn to the bible for consultation regarding how they should “shepherd their flock”. It is a moral compass that guides people how to live life on earth the way God wants his people to live. 'The Scriptures are able to give one the wisdom that leads to salvation; are inspired by God and useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correct.” (Houston, 2004). The bible shares several stories of leadership highlighting noble people worth emulating. The likes of Abraham, Noah, Moses who embodied true obedience to God’s commands were able to lead in ways that were difficult for them, however, under God’s wings, they were guided well and vindicated of any negativism as a reward to their faithfulness and a testimony to God’s great love and power. The challenges of leadership is echoed by Jesus as he reminded His disciples that the road to true life in Him is very narrow and few will travel that road (Matthew 7: 13,4). This referred to leaders who choose to stay in God’s leadership path of integrity and focus on doing what is in accordance to God’s word. Jesus always emphasized the difficulty in following Him in selfless sacrifice and exclusive loyalty (Luke 9: 23). However, in our world today, incorporating biblical teachings with one’s worldview of leadership may pose as a challenge. The biblical examples of leadership mentioned earlier may be in conflict with the leadership known in businesses and corporate culture. The latter leadership may be concerned with the goal of increasing profits for the company or creating greater influence to mobilize more people to reach for the same goals as he does. This, however, needs to be carried out with ethical considerations. “Ethical leadership is a legitimate business strategy aimed at maximizing the wealth producing capacity of the enterprise in the long –run. A Christian leader must have a servant heart subject to the leadership of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God. A Christian worldview of leadership should be based on sound biblical principles of service, discipleship and obedience to the word of God” (Prof. James Ibe, Ph.D., CAE., as quoted from Prindle, 2006). Kouzes and Posner (2007) and Fullan (2004) describe leadership that approximates biblical worldviews, as they incorporate values worth emulating by Christians. True leaders constantly challenge the established process and improve on the areas in the process that needs it. The never cease in searching for challenging opportunities to change, grow, innovate, and improve. Hence, they are willing to experiment, take risks and learn from whatever mistakes they fall upon (Kouzes and Posner, 2007). They are not afraid of change and are willing to get out of their comfort zones to choose the best options. Leaders inspire a shared vision with their followers. They communicate their vision well enough for their followers to understand clearly, and together, they envision an uplifting and ennobling future (Kouzes and Posner, 2007). Leaders enlist more people to share such a vision by appealing to their values, interests, hopes and dreams (Five Practices of the Exemplary Leader, n.d.). Leaders are also enablers. They are good at encouraging people to act on their own by providing them with the tools and methods to solve their problems. Leaders foster collaboration and among their members (Kouzes and Posner, 2007). When the followers are trusted to fulfill tasks delegated to them, they feel confident and capable to do more for the team. Leaders have to be good models, most especially when the going gets tough. They should exhibit an attitude and behavior of positivism that their followers can emulate. Leaders set examples consistent with their own values. They are not afraid to stand for their beliefs. To encourage their followers, they create opportunities for their followers to experience small wins with the hopes of eventually gaining bigger ones (Kouzes and Posner, 2007). Lastly, leaders should encourage their followers’ hearts by recognizing individual contributions and celebrating team accomplishments (Kouzes and Posner, 2007). Such positive response further motivates others to work even harder. Fullan (2004) believes that having moral purpose is the key element in the success and sustainability of organizations. It also adds a biblical worldview in leadership. People who work for organizations with leaders possessing moral purpose are enabled to work hard because they feel that their potentials are expanded and their individual goals are achieved. This encourages them to stay on with the organization for further personal and professional growth. “Moral purpose infuses an organization with passion and purpose since workers become eager to know the enabling purpose of their work” (Fullan, 2004, p. 26). This was perfectly exemplified by Jesus as he led his disciples to spread God’s love to people. Another component of effective leadership given by Fullan is the ability to establish and maintain harmonious relationships with diverse people and groups, especially with those different from themselves. He is the glue that fuses the group together with diplomacy and commonality of goals. He possesses high emotional intelligence, maturity and understanding of people coming from various backgrounds. Jesus, the exemplary leader, was the same. He mingled with people from all walks of life, be they rich or poor, healthy or sick. Even if he was condemned by others when he ate with the “lowest of the low”, he stood by these people and did not let others affect the establishment of harmonious relationships with them. Nelson Mandela is an example of a leader whose worldview may have biblical foundations, even if he has accommodated man’s laws. In an article by Richard Stengel (2008), he shares 8 secrets of successful leadership that leaders in politics and business may emulate. Mandela preaches these tips from his vast experience as a political activist fighting against apartheid. These are as follows: “Courage is not the absence of fear — it's inspiring others to move beyond it” Mandela believes that a good leader naturally feels fear but somehow knows when to put up a front of calmness in the face of turmoil. In a biblical sense, leaders may encourage followers to take comfort in the presence of God, for He is with them even in the darkest hour. “Lead from the front — but don't leave your base behind” Having established a solid base of followers, a leader must be dedicated enough to serve them, even if it does not seem obvious. He may seem to have gone a great distance forward, but his followers are always his priority. Like Jesus, even after He was persecuted, He still visited his disciples when He rose from the dead to assure them that they should not fear even if He is not with them anymore and to encourage them to go forth and accomplish their mission of spreading God’s love. “Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front.” People feel empowered to implement a decision that they think they had a hand in. Mandela shares that it is important to persuade people to do things and make them think it was their idea. This is based on the biblical concept preached by Jesus that the first will be last and the last will be first. A leader’s humility allows him to elevate his followers as he gives them credit for a group effort. In doing so, motivation and self-esteem are also increased. Know your enemy — and learn about his favorite sport. There is strength in knowing the enemy to glean his own strengths and weaknesses. Over time, there is a good possibility that he may be won over by one’s views. This positive act of befriending an opponent worked well with Jesus and his disciples as they won over many critics with their good will. “Keep your friends close — and your rivals even closer.” As a charismatic leader, Mandela used his charm to his advantage, even with his rivals. Diplomacy is essential in governance. “Appearances matter — and remember to smile.” On the surface, leaders must know how to carry themselves to look credible and trustworthy. “Nothing is black or white.” Adamant in his fight against apartheid, Mandela detests prejudice of any kind. He is open to all views, but of course, he is discerning of which one to accept. “Quitting is leading too.” A good leader is humble enough to know when his view or opinion will not hold up and knows when to quit selling his idea when no one else agrees with it. He may try to persuade people, but in the end, he knows he cannot always be right. On the other hand, Adolf Hitler is one leader whose leadership is overwhelmed by his own worldview that he was “an agent of Providence, a man of Destiny, whose vision of the future was infallible” (De Luca, 1983). He was so full of himself that he did not have any space left in his leadership to listen to others’ opinions. His egoistic leadership made him even more arrogant than when he was not the leader yet. He was convinced that without any doubt, he alone possessed the vision, will power and political and military insight to restore Germany to its rightful place among other powerful nations in the world. Such overconfidence did not allow him to accept criticism from those who did not agree with him and sometimes, his temper would flare up, as the dictator within him would intimidate others to just agree with him (Braunbeck, 1997). He can be one-track minded that when he arrives at a decision, it is almost impossible to change his mind. Although Hitler had some leadership qualities worthy of worldly adulation such as his uncanny ability to commit precise details to memory and communication skills that he adjusts according to his audience’ mentality and needs (Braunbeck, 1997), he was flawed by his overriding thirst for power that blinded him from his heroic goals. He had difficulty trusting people, even his most experienced officers. By not trusting them, Hitler took away the very essence of leadership—allowing subordinate commanders the freedom to make decisions based on their experience and knowledge of the battlefield (Braunbeck, 1997). He overestimated his own will to win and this affected his battlefield decisions. He refused to accept advise from others, thereby losing his common sense to face reality, as he only focused on his obsession for power. His arrogance made him believe that he was a true military genius who knew how to strategize an unchallenged victory for Germany (Duffy & Guderian, 1952). He resorted to desperate decisions that claimed thousands of lives and resulted in furious upheavals. His leadership brought more war instead of peace. The stark differences between the two leaders, Mandela, whose leadership shows Christian values, and Hitler, whose leadership revolved around himself, lie in how effective they were in reaching their goals with their followers. Mandela, like Jesus Christ, was out to serve others and reflect glory back to them instead of basking in it himself, unlike Hitler, who hungered for the limelight. Followers of a Christ-centered leadership imbibe the value that there is someone higher to answer to beyond its leader, and that is God. With Hitler, it seems to project that he believes he is a god himself, and all his orders are considered the law. Anyone who disobeys gets severely punished. A leader with a biblical worldview is the opposite. He decides what is best for his group even if painful decisions have to be made. He is ready to sacrifice his own convenience for the good of the majority. He is not after his own personal glory but the welfare and triumph of the whole group. His mettle is tested when times get difficult and everyone looks up to him to lead them out of the dark. A good leader has a clear vision of where he is going and sets directions to others towards that vision. He collaborates with other people on ways and means to reach their goals and not focus the authority on himself. In doing so, he empowers them to be confident in their abilities and motivates them to welcome challenges and opportunities. Because of his positive influence, he gains the respect of everyone to follow his lead while pursuing a common mission for the growth and development of the organization (Leithwood & Riehl,2003). Christian leaders are comfortable with ambiguity and this shows that leaders do not know everything. In a research reported by French, Simpson and Harvey (2001), a good leader is also equipped with ‘negative capability’. “The underpinning image of leadership is based on knowing and is manifested through activity, work and achievement. There is, however, a quite other dimension of leadership, based on not knowing, on not doing, on being-done-to, and on being no longer in control of one’s own situation.” (French, Simpson & Harvey, 2001). This implies that a leader should be humble enough to admit when he does not really know instead of putting up a façade of being all-knowing. Tolerating enough ambiguity to keep the creative juices flowing in the organization is balanced with seeking coherence in the chaos. A Christ-centered leadership turns to prayer, acknowledging that in seeking divine guidance, enlightenment in chaos will follow. A Christ-centered leadership is always open to learning something new, and not haughty enough to claim that he is already “made”.” Being human and fallible is one trait that all members of the group share, and what better quality to relate to than that? Group members will even feel important enough to share the burden of thinking up solutions to problems with their leader. Clark (2008) discusses a study reported by Lamb and McKee (2004) that concludes that the most important keys to effective leadership are trust and confidence as well as effective communication. Having trust and confidence in a capable leader was shown to be a reliable predictor of employee satisfaction in an organization. These employees are assured that they are in good hands and that there are safely on a journey aboard a tight ship run by an efficient captain. Such trust and confidence are won with effective communication prevalent in the organization. This is shown in three critical areas. One is in the area of helping employees understand the organization’s overall strategies. Another is in helping employees understand how they can contribute in meeting the organizational goals and objectives. The last area where effective communication must take place is in sharing information with employees how their group is performing in relation to the organizational objectives. The heart of a Christ-centered leadership is emulating Jesus Christ’s human and divine traits and asking “What would Jesus do in such a situation?” Consulting the bible and imbibing the wisdom it offers and appropriately applying it to one’s worldview is what a judicious leader would do. References Braunbeck, P. (1997) A military leadership analysis of Adolf Hitler. A research paper presented to Dr. Richard MullerAir Command and Staff College, March, 1997. Available at http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/acsc/97-0609h.pdf Clark, D. (2008) Concepts of Leadership in Hutter, A.D. (1982) Poetry in psychoanalysis: Hopkins, Rosetti, Winnicott. International Review of Psycho- Analysis 9, 303-16. Available at : http://nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadcon.html De Luca, A. (1983) Personality, Power, and Politics: Observations on the Historical Significance of Napoleon, Bismarck, Lenin, and Hitler. Cambridge: Schenkman, Duffy and Guderian, H. (1952) Panzer Leader, translated by Constantine Fitzgibbon. New York: Dutton & Co. Five Practices of the Exemplary Leader (n.d.) Retrieved on Sept. 30, 2010 from www.managementcentre.co.uk/knowledge_base.../exemplary_leader.pdf French, R., Simpson, P. & Harvey, C. (2001), ‘Negative capability’: the key to creative leadership. Presented at the International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organizations 2001 Symposium. Retrieved on Oct. 4, 2010 from www.sba.oakland.edu/ispso/html/2001Symposium/french.htm Fullan, M. (2004) Leading in a Culture of Change Personal Action Guide and Workbook. Jossey-Bass Heylighen, F. (2000)What is a world view?, Retrieved on October 3, 2010 from http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/worlview.html Houston, T. (2004) Biblical Models of Leadership, Transformation 21/4 October 2004 Kouzes, J. & Posner, B. (2007). The leadership challenge, 4th edition. San Francisco, Ca: Jossey- Bass Lamb, L. F., McKee, K. B. (2004). Applied Public Relations: Cases in Stakeholder Management. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Routledge U.S. Army Handbook (1973). Military Leadership. Liethwood, K.A. & Riehl, C. 2003 ) What We Know About Successful School Leadership. NCSL. Prindle, S. (2006) Evaluating John Maxwell’s Leadership Principles Through a Biblical Worldview. Retrieved on Sept. 30, 2010 from http://rhrp.wordpress.com/2006/11/19/evaluating-john-maxwells-leadership- principles-through-a-biblical-worldview/ Stengel, R. (2008) Mandela: his 8 lessons of leadership, Time Magazine, July 9, 2008. Retrieved on October 1, 2010 from http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1821467,00.html Read More