Kyalae T. Haywood
March 23, 2014
Making of a Christian Leader
What is Character
Human “character”, is the pattern of thinking and acting which runs right through someone, so that wherever you cut into them, you see the same person through and through [1]. The transformation of a person character is their virtue. Virtue is what happens when wise and courageous choices have become “second nature [2].” Wright differentiates a biblical framework from a Greek moral framework in that Jesus and his followers are offering the three-dimensional model toward Aristotle two-dimensional points [3]. Wright gives us excellent contrast between biblical and Greek moral framework and I agree with his positions. For example, Aristotle felt for someone
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Romans 13:2, “Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
[9] Badaracco, L. Joseph. Questions of Character: Illuminating the Heart of Leadership Through Literature. Copyright. 2006. P. 31
[10] Ibid. 40
[11] Ibid. 52
Yes I do see tension between Badaracco moral flexibility and Kouzes and Maxwell values in that Okonkwo didn’t take any responsibility in his failure and lacked a great deal of remorse. Badaracco states, “A sound moral code requires an ongoing, open engagement with the moral and practical life that surrounds the leader. On some occasions, the clearest sign of a good moral code is flexibility rather than firmness” [12]. Kouzes/Posner states, “Leadership is both something you are and something you do.” In other words, leadership is not just something you live but something you behave [13]. Okonkwo behavior represented who he really is and the content of his character. Kouzes/Posner states that people do what they see and his example was not good as it pertains to leadership. Okonkwo behavior was so fixed that he had no regard for going against the values of his tribe and jeopardized a traditional religious period of time, but rather accepted his punishment. Leaders need both the ability to be sensitive to community feelings when situations that require moral reactions and to confront failures looking for explanations as
As the Christ-centered Leader of one of the fastest growing Church’s in Houston, Texas, pastor Keion (pastor k.) Dwayne Henderson is No stranger to change or Leadership. He has grown his church by over 3,500% in less than five years. He has spent countless hours preaching the gospel to audiences in the USA, London, Africa, and around the World via television. Pastor k. has become both a pillar of Faith and a beacon of hope for all who hear his message. Pastor Henderson was called to Ministry in 1995 at the age of 14, just Prior to his freshman year of high School. He attended Indiana-Purdue University, Fort Wayne in his home state of Indiana where he distinguished himself as an athlete and campus leader. During his high school Career he won
Romans 12:1-21 is a defining moment and a gateway for leaders who are to become living sacrifices acceptable unto God, which is their reasonable service. “Throughout history, Christian leaders had to decide how to live under a civil state that either was less than ideal or, at times, was downright evil” (Nichols & McCarty, 2011, pg.594). Paul as a great role model of leadership explained about having a relationship with the state and its laws by describing how Christians should live in the troubled world concerning their attitudes like being responsible leaders to people whose faith is weak. He also explained that the gift of leading others refers more to caring for others than to authoritative government. Positioned as it is between giving and showing mercy, he believed the importance focused on pastoral dimension which individuals in
Author Eric H. F Law’s book The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb: A Spirituality for Leadership in a Multicultural Community was published at Chalice Press in 1993. Eric H. F. Law’s biographical information states that he is an Episcopalian priest. “He is also the founder and executive director of the Kaleidoscope Institute. The Kaleidoscope Institute’s mission is to create inclusive and sustainable churches and communities. For more than 25 years, he has provided transformative and comprehensive training and resources for churches and ministries in all the major church denominations in the United States and Canada.” (http://ehflaw.typepad.com/blog/). In addition to this task Eric also writes a weekly blog entitled The Sustainist: Spirituality for Sustainable Communities in a Networked World. Eric H. F Law is not a new comer to writing, he has 9 books published as of now in his career. (http://ehflaw.typepad.com/blog/)
Before defining an individual as a great leader, one must first understand the definition of leadership and the qualities that make a leader. According to businessdictionary.com, “leadership involves establishing a clear vision, sharing that vision with others so that they will follow willingly, providing the information, knowledge and methods to realize that vision, and coordinating and balancing the conflicting interests of all members and stakeholders.” The website goes on to say that “a leader is the one who steps up in times of crisis, and is able to think and act creatively in difficult situations. Unlike management, leadership cannot be taught, although it may be learned and enhanced through coaching or mentoring” (Leadership).
“Do not let the power of fear control us, comrades. Together without fear, we’ve conquered so much! Let us not stop now!” Squealer said, trying to calm the animals. Throughout the book, Animal Farm by George Orwell, the animals live in constant fear, Jones hurt and manipulated the animals while he was in power. Once he was banished the animals still felt a deep fear, Napoleon, who had banished Snowball, killed animals for plotting against him, and changing the seven commandments time and time again, brought the fear back to the animals.
A couple people may trust that leaders are considered and a couple people may feel that leaders are made. I envision that leaders lead their gathering from his or her potential outcomes and learning. Because of the Apostle Paul, God as a fruitful pioneer, a man that is known how to direct and is devoted to his or her run, picked him. As pioneers, we are vessels. On the off chance that we will be viable, our energy needs to surpass our Magnitude, be the vessel that floods with eagerness and fervor for your vision. The way to Paul 's self-way of life as a pioneer was his part as a messenger (Smith, 2014). The way to that part was the way that it was a celestial arrangement and that it included a mission instructed, and empowered by God and represented by the Spirit of God (Smith, 2014). An approach to consider 'authority ' as the way toward attracting individuals together to impact and "lead" them in a specific bearing (frequently to fulfill a specific errand). On the off chance that this is the thing that we mean by 'administration ', Paul was absolutely a pioneer (Smith, 2014).
I never thought to be a Christian leader. As a matter of fact, I am a person who did not know about God for 26 years. I was the center of my life, and there was no room for God to enter. Even when I was attending church service, I was trying not to be exposed to other church people. In other words, I was the kind of person who was afraid to walk into a life of faith. However, in the past three years, God has changed me in many ways, and showed me so many miraculous things. And, finally here I am. Being a Christian leader seems the most challenging job in the world. I am working as the chairman of a youth ministry, and walking on the path to be a church leader. When God called me to work for the
“1Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. 3 For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you.4 The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.” NLT
Sophocles, in Antigone says, if we cannot determine what is right or wrong, we should ignore pride and continue living by reasoning and follow God’s laws; however, if we don’t follow God’s law we will experience the wrath of God.
Servant leadership is one of several models that have some basis in ethics, according to Northouse (2013), in this way servant leadership distinguishes itself from trait, path-goal or transformational models. The aim of this paper will be to examine on attribute of servant-leadership, describing how the principles might be applied, and the impact of such an approach, in a practical setting. The second part of this paper will evaluate servant leadership’s relationship with the Christian religion and ask whether the model is compatible with other belief systems.
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
Persona: I am an explorer whose life is very adventurous. I have found this ancient journal and have deciphered the Egyptian hieroglyphs to discover a young Egyptian trip on the Nile, starting from Abu Simbel.
Countries disintegrate, place of worship and corporation fail, people become dysfunctional, descendants lose their direction, and mankind drift from God on behalf of one distracting reason; insufficiency of leadership. These disappointments are often for the reason that of the deficiency of instruction, appropriate leadership, and misperception on what Christian leadership subsists and exactly how that leadership is pertinent to every component of professional and personal life. From a Christian worldview perspective, Psalm 112:5 explains, “A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion” (NKJ). A Christian manager should always keep in mind that bounteousness and admiration for God, demonstrates that one has placed trust in Him, and not our material possessions.
Leadership can be rewarding in ministry as well as business if it is done in a biblical manner. Leadership can and will be challenging God does not tell us that doing things His way will be easy. Jesus tells us that following Him can and will come with persecution in 2 Timothy 3:12, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (English Standard Version).” Although we may be persecuted for living a godly life this is what we are called to do in ministry, business and home. When we are in a leadership position it is imperative that we lead a godly life because we are an influence on those we are leading. There are many challenges in leadership and we do not always put them in a
Effective leadership approaches from a biblical perspective consist of God’s nature in his manifested character. Christian leaders are willing to pay the price to lead in Christ’s affliction. Paul said there is a price to pay in order to lead and Jesus reminded us, “Remember what I told you: 'A servant is not greater than his master. ' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also” (John 15:20, New International Version). Christian leaders need core attributes of God’s styles and approaches, support and linkage from scriptures, and knowledge of his leadership models of truth for effective leadership. However, these perspectives will gave me a better appreciation and insight of who God is and who I can be with his guidance.