Running Head: KINGDOM ORIENTED LEADERSHIP

Kingdom-Oriented Leadership

Raymond Chang
KINGDOM ORIENTED LEADERSHIP

The world is always in need of leaders. It needs leaders because the world is constantly

changing. Whether we are the ones who drive change efforts or not, things are constantly

changing around us. Changes tend to create new problems that need solving, new dilemmas that

need addressing, and new issues that need tackling. With such changes, people who can help

navigate the shifting landscape of new challenges and opportunities are needed. And the changes

are many. There are technological, demographic, resource, policy, social, cultural, and personal

changes, which shape the challenges and opportunities that need to be addressed.

At the time of writing, the world has been shifting in major ways: a pandemic has

overtaken the globe, the wealth gap has widened, discourse around racial injustice has led people

to take to the streets throughout the United States and beyond, political divides have deepened,

artificial intelligence is advancing and the fourth industrial revolution is underway, China is

poised to become the leading economy in the world, and climate change continues to threaten

life in many ways. From what it appears, leaders of churches, organizations, businesses, and

governments do not seem to be prepared to navigate the historical moment. The world needs

leaders prepared for the complexities of our time.

Our world needs leaders who know themselves, the people they are leading, the contexts

they are in, and where things could go without leadership and should go with upright leadership.

My leadership philosophy draws on five primary leadership theories: (a) authentic leadership, (b)

transformational leadership, (c) situational leadership, (d) adaptive leadership, and (e) servant

leadership. They are also grounded deeply in my faith commitments, cultural values, and

personal convictions.

As Stogdill (1974) wrote, “there are almost as many different definitions of leadership as

there are persons who have attempted to define the concept” (p. 7). Defining leadership is a lot

1
KINGDOM ORIENTED LEADERSHIP

like defining concepts and realities such as faith, hope, and love. Concepts like leadership are

often easier to describe than they are to define.

Leadership requires consciousness, competency, capacity, and the ability to forge change.

Leadership requires consciousness, or awareness, about self and others, along with the problems

and dilemmas that need to be addressed. It requires competency to make a difference, mobilize,

inspire, and empower people towards productive action. It also requires mental, emotional,

physical, spiritual, and relational capacity. Finally, leadership requires the ability to navigate and

drive change. As Northouse (2016) explains, there are four components that are identified in the

literature as central to a definition of leadership: “(a) leadership is a process, (b) leadership

involves influence, (c) leadership occurs in groups, and (d) leadership involves common goals”

(6).

I define leadership as the process of driving intentional change. Undergirding this

definition are a consideration of elements like knowledge of self, knowledge of others,

knowledge of the contexts one is leading in, and a knowledge of where one desires and intends to

go. One must understand their strengths and limitations, as well as the obstacles and hurdles to

achieving their goals or accomplishing their mission. However, defining leadership as merely the

process of driving intentional change ultimately falls short. if I were to factor in the fullness of

my faith values and convictions, I would define leadership in the following manner: leadership is

driving intentional change for the utmost good of humanity unto the glory of God, with a

particular attention on those who are marginalized and oppressed. To this end, it is important to

have an understanding of self, of others, of the context we are leading in, and the end to which

we are leading.

2
KINGDOM ORIENTED LEADERSHIP

Though I understand the value of discussing leadership as a discipline, as a Christian, I

struggle to separate any meaningful form of leadership from its telos or its ultimate aims.

Questions about leadership apart from morality, integrity, and teleology seem insufficient to me.

It's akin to talking about the process of manufacturing without knowing what is being

manufactured. For me, leadership is in part, only as valuable as where people are being led. This

is why I find myself troubled when people ask the question, “Was Adolf Hitler a good leader?”

Both the words ‘good’ and ‘leader’ are operative here. If people “lead” people to destruction, can

we say they are a good leader? Can we say they are a leader? Thankfully, there is a term for

immoral leadership. Hitler could be categorized as a pseudotransformational leader, one who

puts his own interests above everyone else’s (Bass, 1998).

Knowing self

John Calvin wrote, “Nearly all wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom,

consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves” (Inst. I.1.i). “Know thyself” is

inscribed in the oracle of Delphi. Self-knowledge, or to know oneself, is a fundamental call in

the field of leadership. You cannot lead out of your true self unless you know who you are.

Without a sufficient knowledge of self, you can easily become reactive instead of responsive and

undisciplined instead of principled.

Authentic leadership requires a base level of self-awareness (Luthans & Avolio, 2003). In

fact, a critical element of authentic leadership is self-knowledge (Luthans & Avolio, 2003). The

intrapersonal aspect of leadership is a key focus of Authentic Leadership (Northouse, 2016).

Walumba et al. (2008) defined authentic leadership as “a pattern of leader behavior that draws

upon and promotes both positive psychological capacities and a moral perspective, balanced

processing of information, and relational transparency on the part of leaders working with

3
KINGDOM ORIENTED LEADERSHIP

followers, fostering positive self-development” (p. 94). Though authentic leadership is defined in

many ways by many people, it holds to a view of congruency, that one acts and leads out of their

true selves, which through positive psychological capacities, moral reasoning, balanced

processing, and internal moral perspective, are expressed (Luthans & Avolio, 2003).

Leadership should flow from one’s truest self. Unfortunately, many lose themselves to

the currents around them because they do not have a clear awareness of themselves. Further,

most people lose themselves to the pressures of life in this world. As Frederick Buechner wrote,

“The original, shimmering self gets buried so deep that most of us end up hardly living out of it

at all. Instead we live out all the other selves, which we are constantly putting on and taking off

like coats and hats against the world’s weather.” This is important because leadership is

relationship and reciprocal, we offer who we are, which impacts those who lead us or follow us,

and the same happens in reverse where we are impacted by others (Eagly, 2005). We shape the

leadership dynamic whether we are self-aware or not, but, being self-aware can help mitigate

some avoidable challenges.

Between the Self and the Other

However, a knowledge of self and a knowledge of others (which is the second principle)

must be understood in a backdrop of a greater framework – a framework of a whole humanity.

An understanding about human nature and the human story is important for one to consider when

considering what it means to lead authentically. According to the Bible, “the heart is deceitful

above all things” (Jer. 17:9). In Genesis 3, as sin entered the world it unleashed selfishness,

destruction, and death. The reformed tradition calls the outcome of sin’s entrance on humanity

“total depravity.”

4
KINGDOM ORIENTED LEADERSHIP

Christians also hold to the view that all people are made in the image of God, and thus

bear God’s image. To be an image bearer of God means that all people have inherent worth, and

that all people are wired to long for a God sized relationship. This is perhaps why Augustine

argued, “our souls are restless until they find their rest in God.” Inherent to all people is a

semblance of a moral conscience, one that the framework of authentic leadership would identify

as moral reasoning and an internalized moral perspective (Luthans & Avolio, 2003). The notion

that a moral conscience exists is indication that there is an external source of morality. As C.S.

Lewis (2017) wrote, "conscience reveals to us a moral law whose source cannot be found in the

natural world, thus pointing to a supernatural Lawgiver."

Knowing Others

One of the central tenants of the Christian faith is the love of neighbor. The Bible defines

neighbor expansively, from literal neighbors (Mark 12:31) to one’s worst enemy (Matt. 5:44).

However, love requires knowledge of the other. You cannot love what you do not know and you

cannot love who you do not know. A knowledge of others and a love for them work in tandem as

people want to be both known and loved. As Tim Keller wrote, “To be loved but not known is

comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known

and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It

liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any

difficulty life can throw at us.” A deep knowledge (and I would argue, love) of others is at the

heart of transformational leadership.

To know others means we meaningfully connect with others in a way that draws people

in and pushes people up. As Burns (1978) asserts, transformational leadership hinges on the

interchange between leaders and followers so that people can live up to their fullest potential.

5
KINGDOM ORIENTED LEADERSHIP

You cannot help people achieve their fullest potential without knowing the unique mix of

strengths and weaknesses they possess.

The Bible is clear that discipleship is the mandate of all believers. All who profess faith

in Christ are called to disciple others. To lead is to disciple, and to disciple is to seek

transformation. This is consistent with the aims of transformational leadership. One of the

driving commitments of transformational leadership is to treat people as full human beings so

that they become all they are capable of becoming (Northouse, 2016). To treat people as full

humans means that we seek their flourishing, that we seek their thriving, and that we prioritize

their well being.

Knowing Context

Leadership is never performed in a vacuum. It is always exercised in time and space.

Even Jesus was born as a Jewish boy in a particular moment in history. The particularity of Jesus’

incarnate and embodied life means that he had to address particular needs and issues that arose at

that particular time.

Knowing the context is critical to leadership. Understanding the environment, the

resources that are available, the culture that governs the values, and the history that shapes the

present are important to leading effectively. It is also important to know who the gatekeepers and

influencers are, as well as the ones who will serve as hurdles and obstacles to change.

The situational approach to leadership (Hersey & Blanchard, 1969) emphasizes the

importance of knowing context. Different situations demand different expressions of leadership

(Northouse, 2016). Environments shape the leadership landscape. Thus, the first question the

leader needs to ask is to understand what the situation is (Blanchard et al., 1992).

6
KINGDOM ORIENTED LEADERSHIP

The situational approach is helpful in understanding the importance of context. However,

in the situational model, the emphasis seems to remain on the leader. The adaptive model of

leadership takes a process approach to leadership and focuses on the exchange between leaders

and followers in a dynamic world (Heifetz & Linsky, 2017). Further, the adaptive leadership

model is more follower centered (Heifetz et al., 2009). It focuses on helping leaders help others

do what is needed (Northouse, 2016). As the situational approach to leadership assumes that

circumstances are constantly changing and need tending to, adaptive leadership emphasizes the

importance of being able to adjust to the changes and pivot where necessary, helping people cope

with, navigate, and bring their best self in the midst of change situations (Heifetz & Linsky,

2017). The situational approach considers the complexity of factors as it remains mindful of the

contextual realities that drive contextual needs, and makes adjustments to address them.

Knowing telos

“Begin with the end in mind” (Covey, 2004, 95) is one of the seven principles of highly

effective people. Direction and destination are integral to leadership. The Bible says, “Without a

vision people perish” (Prov. 29:18). Leaders need to understand where they are headed lest they

lead people astray.

As Christians, we live as Kingdom people. We live on mission as God’s ambassadors,

which calls for a “committed participation as God’s people, at God’s invitation and command, in

God’s own mission within the history of God’s world for the redemption of God’s creation”

(Wright, 2006, 23). The call to “seek the welfare of the city” in the book of Jeremiah is informed

and influenced by a vision of God’s Kingdom and thus are guided by a teleological aim that is

both moral and ethical.

7
KINGDOM ORIENTED LEADERSHIP

The telos shapes how we “live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). The telos

shapes both our posture and our gestures (Crouch, 2008) because a telos gives people a vision of

not just what to accomplish, but the values and ethics that shape how we get there. This is where

the ethics of leadership is important. Ethics is the application of morality and values (Northouse,

2016). When the telos informs morality, leaders need to contend with both the means people

employ and the ends to which they work (Bass & Steidlmeier, 1999). To lead with the telos in

mind, suggests helping followers move into alignment with the values and ethics that define the

end (Burns, 1978).

The way of God’s Kingdom, however, is opposite the world. The ethics of God’s

Kingdom is the reverse of the ethics of a self-centered and self-absorbed world. Regardless of the

context one is leading in, if leaders are living in accordance to Kingdom values, “the way up is

down” (Graves, 2020). In fact, humility is the competency we need to exhibit and operate from

(Hess, 2017). This is where the servant leadership model is so much aligned with my personal

leadership philosophy. Regardless of the industry, organization, or context one finds themselves

leading, the posture and disposition of leadership should be one of servanthood (Greenleaf,

1970). A servant leader often displays characteristics that are aligned with the fruit of the spirit

found in the book of Galatians (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness,

faithfulness, and self-control). Spears (2002) compiled a list of ten traits that define a servant

leader according to Greenleaf’s literature: (a) listening, (b) empathy, (c) healing, (d) awareness,

(e) persuasion, (f) conceptualization, (g) foresight, (h) stewardship, (i) commitment to the growth

of people, and (j) building community. Servant leadership seeks to put others ahead of the self in

alignment with the mission and vision and telos.

Conclusion

8
KINGDOM ORIENTED LEADERSHIP

Leadership is easier to describe than it is to define, but living with integrity to core

principles, values, and morals unto an end that is not easily achieved is far more difficult. Yet, as

Christians, “we do not lose heart” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) because we do all things unto the

glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31) by the power of God (Col. 1:11). Leadership is a stewardship in

facilitating change for the flourishing of the world unto the glory of God.

9
KINGDOM ORIENTED LEADERSHIP

References

Augustine. (1998). Confessions. New York: Oxford University Press.

Bass, B. M. (1998). The ethics of transformational leadership. In J. Ciulla (Ed.), Ethics: The
heart of leadership (pp. 169-192). Westport, CT: Praeger.

Bass, B. M. & Steidlmeier, P. (1999). Ethics, character, and authentic transformational

leadership behavior. Leadership Quarterly, 10(2), 181-217.

Blanchard, K., Zigarmi, P., & Zigarmi, D. (1992). Game plan for leadership and the one minute
manager. Escondido, CA: Blanchard Training and Development.

Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York: Harper & Row.

Covey, S. R. (2004). The 7 habits of highly effective people: Restoring the character ethic. New
York: Free Press.

Eagly, A. H. (2005). Achieving relational authenticity in leadership: Does gender matter?

Leadership Quarterly, 16, 459-474.

Graves, M. (2020) The way up is down: Becoming yourself by forgetting yourself. Downers
Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press.

Greenleaf, R. K. (1972). The servant as leader. Westfield, IN: Greenleaf Center for Servant
leadership.

Heifetz, R. A., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M. (2009) The practice of adaptive leadership: Tools
and tactics for changing your organization and the world. Boston, MA: Harvard
Business School Press.

Heifetz, R. A., & Linsky, M. (2017) Leadership on the line: Staying alive through the dangers of
change. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.

Hersey, P., & Blanchard, K. H. (1969a). Life-cycle theory of leadership. Training and
Development Journal, 23, 26-34.

Hess, E. D. & Ludwig, K. (2017) Humility is the new smart. New York: Penguin.

Keller, T. (2013) Meaning of Marriage. New York: Penguin.

Lewis, C. S. (2017) Mere Christianity. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.

Luthans, F., & Avolio, B. J. (2003). Authentic leadership development. In K. A. Cameron, J. E.

Dutton, & R. E. Quinn (Eds.), Positive organizational scholarship (pp. 241-258). San
Fransisco: Berrett-Koehler.

10
KINGDOM ORIENTED LEADERSHIP

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Sage: Los Angeles.

Spears, L. C. (2002). Tracing the past, present, and future of servant-leadership. In L. C. Spears
& M. Lawrence (Eds.), Focus on leadership: Servant leadership for the 21st century (pp.
1-16). New York: Wiley.

Walumba, F. O., Avolio, B. J., Gardner, W. L., Wernsing, T. S., & Peterson, S. J. (2008).
Authentic leadership: Development and validation of a theory-based measure. Journal of
Management, 34(1), 89-126.

Wright, C. H. (2006). The mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s grand narrative. Downers
Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press.

11