Where do business leaders turn for advice to improve their leadership skills? Many successful leaders like Dan Cathy, President and COO of Chick-fil-A turn to the Bible. Speaking at Trinity College in Illinois, "Cathy discussed how scripture dictates Chick-fil-A's business plan."

Few people are fortunate to have experienced mentors guide them on a path to be successful leaders with principles that are consistent with their Christian values. This book presents time tested leadership guidance that has worked for hundreds of years, and is still relevant in today's high tech, fast-paced world. It provides the root stock knowledge from which leadership skills can grow and flourish for both new and experienced leaders. The book links its lessons to scripture. It encourages us to apply the lessons both at home and at work.

Thoughts on Leadership from a Higher Level

Leadership Lessons from the BibleBy R. J. Stepansky

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 R. J. Stepansky
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4620-6728-2

Contents

Introduction: The Holy Grail of Leadership Knowledge.....................1The Bible's lessons are relevant today...................................2Your thoughts are important..............................................7Interpret and apply the scriptures.......................................8Part 1 - General Leadership Guidance.....................................11Trust that God loves us..................................................11Align with God's plan....................................................12Balance and harmony in the world.........................................12God provides help........................................................13Treat people with respect................................................14We are of one spirit and purpose.........................................16Learn and grow...........................................................18Training must be practiced...............................................19We have gifts to share...................................................22Our journey and trials in life...........................................23Part 2 – Take the Bible's lessons to work..........................27Introduction.............................................................27Leadership Topics........................................................27Management by walking around.............................................27Be proactive.............................................................30Learn from the master planner............................................32Know your sheep..........................................................34Reduce stress............................................................37Communicate effectively..................................................39Seek experienced guidance................................................40Leaders must delegate to succeed.........................................42Team members have responsibilities.......................................43Leaders have responsibilities to society.................................45Vision and Strategy Development..........................................49Build your vision for the future.........................................49Elements of a strong vision statement....................................50Create business plan strategies..........................................53Communicate the business plan............................................54Get customers and stakeholders involved..................................58Help people accept change................................................59Break down communication barriers........................................62Promote teamwork.........................................................64Sell the strategy to all levels..........................................65The business we are not in...............................................66Develop performance parameters...........................................67Set aggressive goals.....................................................68Customer and Market Focus................................................69Nothing is new in the world..............................................69Respect your stakeholders................................................69Be direct and honest with customers......................................70Put yourself in their shoes..............................................71Deepen your customer understanding.......................................73Profits enable good works................................................74Generate new life........................................................75Be persistent............................................................76Delegate responsibility..................................................78Knowledge Management.....................................................80Measure and analyze performance..........................................80Develop a business review calendar.......................................82Data reporting is expensive..............................................83Real time data is best...................................................84Design effective information systems.....................................84Ensure performance data is reliable......................................85Collect data frugally....................................................86Minimize historical data storage.........................................88Bring information to life................................................89Train associates to use data effectively.................................89Create positive feedback.................................................90Information should correct not criticize.................................91Share best practices.....................................................92Managing the Internal Process............................................95Maintain Christian values................................................95Take corrective action...................................................96Minimize process variation...............................................97Promote continuous improvement...........................................99Create opportunities for customers.......................................100Organizational Results...................................................102Do not micromanage.......................................................102Reports must create action...............................................103Monitor competitors......................................................104Develop partnerships.....................................................105Prepare for a crisis.....................................................106Stay focused on God......................................................107Human Resource Development...............................................110Develop a common business language.......................................110Use words that evoke pictures............................................111Share business information...............................................113Recruit the best people..................................................115Training reduces stress..................................................116Recognize and reward associate skills....................................118Plan for your replacement................................................118Review succession plans annually.........................................120Build a diverse organization.............................................120Train people to interview job candidates.................................121Drive out the fear of failure............................................123Use equitable performance reviews........................................123Communicate expectations to employees....................................125Discipline to improve performance........................................127Ethical Behavior.........................................................130Honesty is the foundation to build on....................................130Avoid improprieties......................................................130Maintain integrity to build trust........................................131Have a code of conduct...................................................132Communicate and enforce ethical standards................................133Charity..................................................................134Charity is a priority....................................................134God helps people who help others.........................................135Extend help to the disadvantaged.........................................136Charity aligns us with God's plan........................................137Our goal at retirement...................................................139Conclusion...............................................................141

Chapter One

General Leadership Guidance

Trust that God loves us

We can become good leaders and managers by using the lessons in the Bible. We must first accept some simple facts to achieve this. Without this acceptance, we cannot expect to improve ourselves. First, we have to accept that God loves us unconditionally, and He gave us the lessons in the Bible to help us. For most people this is not a challenge, but many people struggle to understand God's role in their lives. Secondly, we need to accept that God created the universe with a plan in mind and that everything He created was for a reason, and He created nothing by chance. Human nature often makes us curious why things are the way they are. Scientists spend lifetimes to analyze creation and often fail to understand what creation really means. We may not fully understand the reasons behind many of God's creations, but we have to accept that there was a definite reason, a purpose for them. We are comforted to know that God is an all-generous and loving God. His creations are for our benefit. John's gospel tells us that God made all things.

John 1:1-3

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.

Align with God's plan

Once we affirm a strong foundation in the belief of God, we can look at the link between Him and ourselves. Successful leadership at home or at work does not only come from the application of theory and practices. The path and work we choose must be in alignment with God's plans for the universe and the treatment He expects for His peoples across the globe. Throughout history, tyrants and dictators like Hitler have been deposed not because they had bad leadership skills or bad managers who worked for them. They lost their leadership position and power because their path and practices did not align with God's will. Moreover, the Bible teaches that God's plan for the world stresses peace and tranquility versus stress and mayhem. God expects leaders, who He gave the gifts of both ability and success, to deliver with His help, a good life to the people in their care. Consequently, greed and the sole pursuit of personal fame and money as drivers in business life will never be enough to satisfy us. These drivers alone will cause us to fall short of the potential we have and not reap true long-term satisfaction that work can give us when we help others. God makes His determination clear in Psalms to create peace and tranquility and eliminate mayhem and suffering. He wants us to work with Him to achieve this and travel together down the same path.

Psalms 46:9

He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.

Balance and harmony in the world

God created the world with balance and harmony at its core and science tells us how this works. One of the lessons I learned as a university engineering student is that simple rules and laws of balance explain most of the phenomena in nature. A typical example is the concept of mass-energy equivalence. It is a principle that states that the total energy of an object is constant. It either is in the form of radiant energy, like sunlight, or as energy stored in matter like coal. The famous equation, which governs this principle, is:

Energy = Mass * C² (C is a conversion constant)

This equation says mass can be converted into energy. It allows a scientist to calculate the amount of energy the mass can generate. A good example is the burning of a piece of wood in a bonfire. We watch as the wood's mass diminishes while the energy released warms us. This principle shows a simple harmony and balance that exists in nature between matter and energy. The Bible reinforces this theory by stating that God's energy created and formed us. Genesis states that He used His energy to create us from dust taken from the ground.

Genesis 3:19

For dust, thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

God created us from His pure energy. His energy is stored in our body to help us. God's energy is unlimited so there is no lack of His help to get things done.

God provides help

The energy we have in us needs to be controlled. It must be at equilibrium otherwise we will be explosive like a bomb. Many times these forces may go out of balance, but God is always ready to help us restore the balance. Many of the lessons in the Bible spring from nature where shifts in balance are constantly taking place to reduce stress and to equalize the energies of life to create the beautiful life that God wants for us. We only have to observe a thunderstorm to see how these shifts in energy take place with the result being a sunny and fertile land. God is always there to help us through turbulent and stormy times and provide for us in an abundant way. We need to ask for help and He will generously provide it. As Matthew points out, God does much for the things He has created, even the simple flower, and He will do even more for us who He loves and created in His image and likeness.

Matthew 6:28-29

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

God does not create disorder and stress in either our personal or business lives. People through poor business and personal practices create stress. The role of the leader/manager is to remove stress through effective planning, delegation, and communications and to allow the free but balanced flow of employee energies to create and build an organization and business. Leaders who create an organization free from stress align themselves with God's will for His people. Leaders who do not create this environment are in conflict with the basic principles of nature. They cannot succeed in the end even though they are intelligent and technically skillful. The ancient leaders and Pharaohs of Egypt had great managers and engineers who could organize people and build the Pyramids. We herald these structures as great achievements and wonders of the world. Despite the achievements of the Pharaohs, their empire suffered grievously. Their actions toward people did not align with God's goals to treat people fairly, to treat them with respect, and to minimize their stress.

Treat people with respect

Exodus tells us how God harshly dealt with people who mistreated the Jewish workers during the Pharaoh's time. The Pharaoh's sufferings from the poor treatment of his workers should be a lesson to all of us. It shows how strongly God feels that we should align ourselves with His path and the fate that awaits leaders who do not. Exodus tells us how God eventually freed the Jews from their masters.

Exodus 1:11, 12:30-31

Therefore, they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh Treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt for there was not a house where there was not one dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said.

Leaders must remind themselves that in God's eyes we are all equal. That was a lesson the Pharaohs never learned. God gave us unique talents, and we have different roles to play in the world. The status or power we achieve in business does not make us any better than the lowest paid person in the organization in God's eyes. We can be caught up in the power and prestige of a position and forget this lesson. Luke reminds us that as leaders, we may be first in power and prestige but we may end up last at judgment.

Luke 13:30

And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.

It is important that the leader not only "talk the talk" but also "walk the walk" when it comes to treating people equally and with respect. Leaders set the example by how they treat employees, and their actions echo throughout the organization. Matthew reminds us that we should not follow the example of leaders who do not do as they say.

Matthew 23:3-4

All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe and do: but do not ye after their works: for they say and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

If there is not fair treatment, a "them and us" mentally will prevail which will condemn the organization to mediocre status full of stressful discontent. James tells us that God sees no difference between rich and poor. James warns us not to discriminate by wealth or status because this is evil. A leader respects everyone.

James 2:2-5

For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which he hath promised to them, that love him?

We are of one spirit and purpose

Not everyone in business will be a leader or manage people, but we must all manage our personal lives effectively to achieve the peace and balance that God wills for families, friends, and us. St. Paul notes that each of us has a different role in the world, but we must all be of one spirit and purpose to achieve peace in our lives whether it is in a business or family environment.

1 Corinthians 12:4-7

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

It takes work to manage both our public and private lives. It is not easy to be successful. Pressures and stresses face us daily. They come from family life problems, pressures at school and the work place. We cannot control these external stresses since we do not always get a choice. It is most important, however, that we control our personal emotions and stress levels to prevent anger and aggression that destroys the peace and harmony that God wants for us. Ecclesiastes tells us to control our emotions and not make hasty comments or take hasty actions that make us look the fool.

Ecclesiastes 7:9

Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

There are many techniques to help reduce personal stress like doing exercise, using a proper diet, creating a quiet reflective time each day, and getting proper rest. All these things help achieve a calm life. When events occur that can potentially bring stress, we need to be patient about what could happen or might happen in the future because of the event. Matthew tells us that worry does nothing to help the situation get resolved and that we should focus on today's issues. Do not agonize about the future over which we have little control.

Matthew 6:27, 34

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

It is better to focus our energy on positive ways to resolve or mitigate issues than to permit negative thoughts to grow in us. Negative thoughts drain energy and do not allow us to address problems effectively. Many a crisis we face today may seem like it is bringing about the end of life, as we know it. However, when we look back on the crises that occurred five years ago, in most cases, they do not seem to have been as tough to resolve or live through as we thought they were at the time. We need to have confidence that we can work things through with God's help. He has promised the faithful His help throughout the ages. Isaiah tells of us God's promise to His people.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Thoughts on Leadership from a Higher Levelby R. J. Stepansky Copyright © 2011 by R. J. Stepansky. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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