Reviewing Leadership: A Christian Evaluation

Abstract

The concept of leadership has been examined by many philosophers, sociologists, and theologists throughout history. Various styles and forms of leadership have been described, and several approaches to leadership have been proposed by scholars over the years. The topic of leadership has attracted the widespread attention of writers who provided theoretical and practical assessments of leadership, its role, and its function.

While the book Reviewing Leadership: A Christian Evaluation of Current Approaches by Robert Banks and Bernice M. Ledbetter also seeks to provide an overview of various leadership theories, the authors aim to analyze the influence of leadership from a theological point of view. In particular, the authors focus on Christian treatments of leadership and use the bible as a basis for their theoretical framework.

The book covers both the past and the present of leadership. At the beginning of the book, the writers discuss the growing interest in the concept of leadership and the factors which attribute to this phenomenon. In particular, the writers single out such factors, as change and uncertainty, as contributing to the growing interest towards leadership in literature¹. It can be argued that economic or political instability has contributed to the discussions on leaders and leadership in general². In the time of crisis, there is a strong interested in leadership.

The more difficult it gets to manage organizations, the more interest people show in what determines the successful leader, what qualities result in better decisions, better management, and better outcomes as a whole. As Banks and Ledbetter put it, “the character of a leader may be one of the most important factors in determining the success of an organization”³. In times such as current, the concept of leadership becomes the focus of the public’s attention, and people seek ethical and religious leaders, who are thought to be capable of getting people out of the crisis⁴⁵.

The writers then turn to various approaches and theories of leadership and provide a variety of definitions of leadership and connected concepts, such as management versus leadership. A broad overview of several theories is presented, including trait theory, transformational and transactional leadership, contingency theory, and others. The overview is comprehensive enough and acts as a guide to the world of leadership theory.

In the later chapters, the writers focus on a Christian evaluation of leadership, as a concept of servant leadership, based on the values of faithfulness and integrity. The writers inform their research by the works of various scholars who studied servant leadership. Servant leadership, the writers claim, does not contradict the exercise of power, but rather suggests acting in the best interests of the followers. By including several case studies, the writers aim to move beyond a theoretical approach, and highlight the role of certain traits, such as intelligence or character, in successful leaders.

Banks and Ledbetter create a densely packed piece of writing which seeks to address both the concept of leadership from a Christian point of view, while also introducing the reader to a variety of recognized theories and approaches. The theological analysis, performed by the writers, helps the reader better understand the influence of leadership in today’s world.

Concrete Response

The theoretical concepts discussed in Banks and Ledbetter’s book reminded me of those times when I was in a position to lead. Back when I was in school, I had the opportunity to work on a creative project with my classmates. It was a team project which required every participating student to make some effort and contribute to the project. I was selected as the leader for the project. As it goes with school students, not every student in our team was enthusiastic about working on the project. Some did not find it particularly interesting; others were simply inclined to let others do the job.

As a team leader, I was in a position to ensure that every student was involved and that all of them were working on a common objective. I quickly realized I had to share my vision and gather input from every student to get them involved. I also realized that collaboration was the key to the project’s success. Back then, I had a very vague understanding of the concepts of leadership, integrity, or collaboration. It just seemed a natural thing to do. The book by Banks and Ledbetter reminded me of the requirements placed on leaders.

The leader has to inspire other people, make them follow them, keep their followers engaged, and make sure the objective set is achieved in the allocated amount of time. The complexity of human interactions and various organizational environments mean that exercising Christian values in the position of the leader is quite difficult, despite being a necessity. Sometimes, compromises have to be made to achieve a certain goal and be an honest, faithful leader.

Reflection

This book makes me question the role of leaders in contemporary society. An approachable leader with a certain vision of the future can bring radical and has the power to change what exists for the better. However, this fact makes me wonder, what makes a good leader? This question is especially important in the context of exceptional leadership. Banks and Ledbetter allocate a substantial part of the book to the concept of leadership from a Christian point of view. The bible has its list of Christian qualities, such as gentleness, kindness, and goodness⁶.

However, traditional views on leadership imply the leader having at least some level of control, authority, and be driven, essentially, by the desire to lead others. Scientific studies show that among other things, dominance is frequently associated with leadership⁷. Can a leader be gentle while exercising power? Since at least several styles of leadership are practiced and recognized, not all of them are in line with Christian values. The authors seem to imply that leadership, in Christian views, should be based upon faithfulness, integrity, and service.

While democratic, or participatory leadership, can be aligned with this approach, other styles, such as autocratic leadership, rely on vastly different concepts. Democratic leadership encourages the active participation of the team in the decision-making process and provides team members with a certain level of autonomy⁸. As such, democratic leadership is based on the values of honesty and can be viewed as a service. However, depending on the circumstances, different styles of leadership can be most effective.

Laissez-faire leadership can be beneficial for those teams who are highly autonomous and have the skills and knowledge to self-direct their efforts. Laissez-faire leadership gives a great amount of autonomy to the followers. This style of leadership implies supporting the followers with guidance only when requested and means that the leader is largely not involved in the processes of an organization. How can the concept of faithfulness, integrity, and service be applied in the context of laissez-faire leadership?

There is also the question of to what extent integrity is applicable in the context of leadership. Leadership implies aligning people to achieve a common goal, and as such, leaders are to be focused on their goal. To what extent can integrity be compromised if it means better results or better outcomes for the followers? Leaders might not always disclose certain things to their followers for the greater good. Does this mean that such leaders compromise integrity?

The thing that bothers me with the book is the lack of a clear definition of how Christian values can be kept intact in complicated circumstances. The authors seem to miss the point of leadership as being a directed, goal-oriented process. Leadership, while a theoretical concept, is something that has a clear, practical application. It can be argued that the whole point of the study of leadership is, in fact, practical application. Maybe the book could be made more appealing if the writers focused more on the practical application of concepts rather than on leadership theory.

Action

There is no doubt that the book by Banks and Ledbetter has made me more knowledgeable about what it means to be a servant-leader. The book has also introduced several leadership-related concepts that I will apply in my life as a result of the reading. The first change is focusing on the needs of others more than on my needs.

There are many ways to lead people, but no matter what leads a person is, it is crucial to focus on empowering others rather than exercising power oneself. Every time I will make a decision that affects others in one way or another, I will, first, ask myself, is there an option which will make their lives better? Then, I will ask for their input and act accordingly.

I believe in the value of communication and feedback, and I am a very supportive and respecting person. I agree with the authors that as a leader, I will have to exercise faith by being honest and promoting the values of justice, integrity, and social responsibility. In the position of a leader, I have to establish an open environment that encourages reporting problems and sharing ideas. When working with my colleagues, I have to maintain clear boundaries between personal and professional relations and comply with professional standards to create a safe and efficient educational environment.

I feel that I need to develop some attributes to be a better leader. These attributes include being more confident and developing my authoritative voice. As the bible puts it, a leader has to be able to “give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it”⁹. I should develop my self-belief by being more honest and kind to others and be prepared to stand up for the decisions I make and values I believe in. Depending on the situation, it might be beneficial to take control of the group and dictate what is to be done.

Bibliography

Emily Schuster, “Leadership During Times of Crisis”, ASTC, 2015.

Emmanuel Ogbonna and Lloyd Harris. “Leadership style, organizational culture and performance: empirical evidence from UK companies”, International Journal of Human Resource Management 11, no. 4 (2000): 766-788: 776.

Marie-Line Germain, “Traits and skills theories as the nexus between leadership and expertise: Reality or fallacy?” Performance Improvement 51, no. 5 (2012), 32-39. Web.

Michael A. Hogg, “Social Instability and Self-Uncertainty: Fertile Ground for Political Polarization, Ideological Schism, and Directive Leadership”, The Sydney Symposium of Social Psychology, 2014.

Robert J. Banks and Bernice M. Ledbetter, Reviewing Leadership: A Christian Evaluation of Current Approaches (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004).

Footnotes

1. Robert J. Banks and Bernice M. Ledbetter, Reviewing Leadership: A Christian Evaluation of Current Approaches (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004): 15.
2. Michael A. Hogg, “Social Instability and Self-Uncertainty: Fertile Ground for Political Polarization, Ideological Schism, and Directive Leadership”, The Sydney Symposium of Social Psychology, 2014. Web.
3. Robert J. Banks and Bernice M. Ledbetter, Reviewing Leadership: A Christian Evaluation of Current Approaches (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004): 9.
4. Robert J. Banks and Bernice M. Ledbetter, Reviewing Leadership: A Christian Evaluation of Current Approaches (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004): 21.
5. Emily Schuster, “Leadership During Times of Crisis”, ASTC, 2015. Web.
6. Galatians 5:22-23.
7. Marie-Line Germain, “Traits and skills theories as to the nexus between leadership and expertise: Reality or fallacy?” Performance Improvement 51, no. 5 (2012), 32-39. Web.
8. Emmanuel Ogbonna and Lloyd Harris. “Leadership style, organizational culture and performance: empirical evidence from UK companies”, International Journal of Human Resource Management 11, no. 4 (2000): 766-788: 776.
9. Titus 1:7-14.