The Many Paths To Covenantal Leadership

I was engaged in a dynamic conversation with a colleague in reference to subpar productivity of a particular office in which we work alongside. We went down the list of what the support staff (follower) were not doing, areas that lacked proficiency, and how to possibly address it. All of a sudden, my colleague stated, “Leadership is everything!” What is Leadership? What is Followership? Leadership is defined as “a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal” (Northouse, p. 5, 2013). Followership “is the capacity or willingness to follow a leader” (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). Northouse (2013) makes it clear “that both leader and follower are involved together in the leadership process” (p. 6). Kouzes and Posner (2012) said, “Collaborating across offices to get the job done also facilitates innovation and experimentation” (p. 12). I would like to borrow there statement and interject that collaborating across global markets to get the job done has and continues to facilitate innovation and experimentation. This article will define globalization, global leadership, and explore the integral leader follower relationship from a Global perspective. Then it will address principles for competent development of global leaders. Finally, the article will offer guidance on leaders and followers from a Biblical standpoint.

We do our best and most excellent work, and then offer it to him to go beyond our work and to change a child’s heart to have faith, to restore parents back into unity, and to bring peace to homes filled with strife. A great leader is a dependent leader.

Every person has a different definition of what makes a leader. Some feel a leader is inspirational, while others regard leadership as someone who can give criticism and make the tough decisions. Each definition is unique, and each is vague. This is why the definitions of leadership people use aren’t always accurate. Bolman and Deal, however, do an excellent job of presenting four frames of leadership people use to successfully—or unsuccessfully—support and lead a group of people. The four frames presented by the authors are: human resource, symbolic, structural, and political. The human resource frame is used by leaders to empathize with their followers, the symbolic frame is used to inspire and unite followers around a vision, the structural frame is used to emphasize the importance of a process, and the political frame establishes competition and focuses on creating allies.

Throughout both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, the motif of shepherding as an example of leadership can be found. According to Borchert, (1996). “The image of the shepherd is an extremely important biblical picture of a “leader” because it implies not only an intensely personal relationship between God’s people and their leaders but a style or model of leadership exemplified by Jesus” (p. 332). In John 10:1-21, Jesus describes himself as a good shepherd, and this passage can be seen as a guide for how leaders can shepherd those in their “flock” that God has entrusted to them.

Robert H. Jerry, II, Leadership and Followership, 44 U. Tol. L. Rev. 345 (2013), available at http://scholarship.law.ufl.edu/facultypub/

Before I took the Leadership Skills Questionnaire, I took a moment to read the role of a leader, and selected the two types of leader I categorized myself as to be (1) Transformational and (2) Charismatic from the list. It is interestingly to notice that my Leadership Skills results were exactly the two styles that I have chosen. According to the Leadership Self-Assessment, the role of the leader in the Transformational Leadership would be to motivate and inspire others. In addition, the leader would be charismatic, inspirational, role model, and work well with others in the group. This type of role resonates well with my leadership style, without a doubt. Next, is the role of the Charismatic Leadership, which describes trust, self –confident,

In their book, Churches, Cultures and Leadership, Mark Lau Branson and Juan F. Martinez point out the perspective of “Practical Theology.” (Part 1, 39) They also explain the purpose of “Interpretive Leadership.” (133) Their stories helped me understand how the circumstances challenge church leaders. (Introduction, 19)

The Protestant church consists of many different denominations. Each of these have are different when the idea of women clergy is presented. Djupe (2014) studied specific congregations in the Presbyterian, United Methodist, United Congregational, and the Evangelical Lutheran Churches. For these observed churches, Djupe (2014) found that even with varied numbers an average of about twenty percent of clergy were females. Of the congregations that women clergy are found, it is often seen that they hold less prestigious positions. The positions of women clergy are found to be in the smaller, more rural congregations.

According to the Fiedler contingency model, effective group performance depends on the proper match between the leader’s style and the degree to which the situation gives control to the leader (Robbins and Judge, 2009). In crusade evangelism, I feel that leaders should have a healthy balance between being task oriented and relationship oriented.

I obtain experience from countless leadership roles, however, the one I am most proud of having is the role of a Bible study leader. There, I acquired many leadership skills, lessons, and experiences that will always impact who I am today. More importantly, I have the opportunity to influence others and help solve personal issues. I hold the opportunity, currently every Tuesday, to speak and give teachings about the word of God; moreover, about topics that influence and encourage others. I provide them with a helping hand to get through problems that shatter and dismay them; moreover, helping their panicked mind find a solution. This leadership role is something that I will never take for granted because the love I bear for helping people.

covenant leaders are more about the ‘us’, ‘we’ and ‘our’, covenant leaders are not about the fame and glory and seeking out the attention and constant admiration that the narcissistic leaders do. Covenant or “True spiritual leaders give their lives for the sheep in the same way the Lord Jesus did” (Mattera, 2013 para. 6) while on the other hand the “narcissistic leaders will fleece the sheep and financially jeopardize their organizations for the sake of their own self-indulgent lifestyles” (Mattera, 2013 para 6). Narcissistic leaders will blame those around them when the decisions and choices they make fail while covenant leaders take accountability for the choices that are made. Narcissistic leaders lack empathy, or compassion for others

The group therapy leader is one of the most essential variables that will influence the group’s success or breakdown. Group therapy leaders need to have very important group leadership skills before they can go into helping individuals deal with their own problems. Group leaders must have knowledge of how groups best function and that they individual posses the skills to intervene in timely and effective ways. When a group leader creates a group climate that fosters interpersonal norms such as directness, openness, respect and concern for one another, these norms will create therapeutic interactions among the members. Essential leader behavior is to cultivate a group climate that is secure, constructive, and encouraging, yet strong enough to at times withstand highly charged emotions, challenges, and interactions between members. In addition to personal characteristics, group leaders need to acquire a body of knowledge and a set of skills specific to group work. Counseling skills can be taught, but there is also an element of art involved in using these skills. The objective of this paper is to compile a list of the important factors and traits that allow therapists to be successful group therapy leaders.

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.

Authentic leaders create healthy enterprises for the long term and almost without exception, emerging leaders have solid values and a sense of purpose. We are looking to make a difference, to contribute to a worthwhile cause through our work and to find a reasonable balance between our work and home lives. In addition, to work where we trust the leaders and share a common set of values is essential to the chemistry involved in organizational leadership. “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully” (Romans 12:6-8, 1984, NIV).

Leaders are appointed to serve here on earth on behalf of Christ since Christ is the good and chief shepherd. Leaders should lead the believers based on how Christ related with the church when he was on earth[5]. Shepherds had to feed the people of God and to protect them from predators[6]. Churches today ought to do things how the New Testament churches did[7].