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Running Head: LEADER INTERVIEW AND PAPER

Leader Interview and Paper 

Rosy Lattanavong 

Dallas Baptist University

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LEADER INTERVIEW AND PAPER
Abstract

The purpose of this leadership interview paper is to find a leadership figure who the

interviewer believes exemplifies how a Christian can integrate faith and work. The interview

focuses on how that leader integrates his faith with his work. The Interviewee, Mr. Rodney

Baker, shares his life story and his leadership insights during the interview. He was willing to

share his thoughts on the integration of faith and work in relation to the concepts from the

interviewer’s lecture. Also, Mr. Baker shared his views about Christian leadership and its

effectiveness today. 

Leader Interview and Paper

The chosen leader for this paper is Mr. Rodney Baker. Mr. Baker holds the title of the

Manager of Facility Services at Texas Christian University. His position as a Manager of Facility

Services comes with a lot of responsibilities on the TCU campus. During the interview, he

shared that he oversees 125 staff that takes care of TCU’s 5.2 million sq. ft of cleanable space. In

addition, Mr. Baker manages a team that provides the university with services such as setting up

and cleaning up on campus event centers. He also manages third party contracts for Athletics

venues, Chancellor Mansion and all the Academic sponsored research events. 

Mr. Baker strongly integrates faith into his daily work and personal life. His job requires

him to interact with many other faculty staff on campus, and he shared that many of his decisions

made at work are influenced by his faith. During his workdays, he sometimes has staff come to

him to express their concerns. The concerns range from some team members not doing their job,

to staff needing days off and needing replacements for the shifts. Mr. Baker shared that dealing

with 125 adults is not easy; however, his faith is able to guide him through his work. His faith

allows him to maintain a healthy work environment. He works every day to exemplify Christ
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through being humble, patient, and empowering to his team. With his manager title, he shared

that it is easy for some to become arrogant because of the title and responsibilities one hold in a

workplace; however, Mr. Baker truly believes in putting others first. Although his staff make

mistakes, Mr. Baker continuously expresses compassion and guidance. He shared that he is

thankful every day that he can support his staff in their pursuits to take care of their families.

Mr. Baker spoke about his life story and how God has worked in and through his life. He

grew up in Batesville, Mississippi in a family of nine children and his father died when he was

two years old. The center of his life revolved around school and serving in the local church as

ushers, and he was a choir member. Growing up with eight other siblings was not easy for him

because he did not get along with some of his siblings. His mother had to take care of all nine

kids which led her to being stressed and absent in his life. Despite the hardships, Mr. Baker was

able to keep his relationship with God and it is the relationship that got him through the hard

times. Spending time with the Lord and starting his day with a prayer has always been important

to him. At eighteen, he decided to join the military and became part of the Navy for 25 years.

Being an African American soldier in the Navy and at sea was not easy because he experienced

racism towards him on the base. Although racism existed, he knew that God was with him. He

knows that his work was to glorify God, and not to please others who were in the Navy with him.

He also has faith that God’s calling to work in the Navy is God’s way of using his talents. This

mindset is believed to get him through the Navy. Amid the darkest times, He believed that

through God’s grace, he got to meet his wife who was also in the Navy at the time as a nurse.

They are happily married and are blessed with their son who is now twenty-eight years old. 

Mr. Baker believes that his faith does change the way he makes his daily decisions at

work and in his personal life. He thinks that his foundation in believing that everyone is here for
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a purpose influences his daily decisions. Mr. Baker says that God has appointed him his current

position that is unique to him. He truly believes that God has called him to always leave an area

better than when he found it; therefore, he said that he must live faithfully and truthfully to the

goal.

If he did not integrate his faith, he shares that he would have not done things differently.

Along with his faith, Mr. Baker believes that his personality also plays a big part in the decisions

he makes daily. Even if he did not have his faith, he claims that he would have not done things

differently. He was raised to treat people right, and to be humble. Without the foundation of his

faith, he still would have put others first and empower them because of how he was taught

growing up and the personal experiences he had to go through. His rough childhood and the

racism that he experienced shaped his style of leadership today. He shared that he does not wish

what he experienced on anyone else. Although having a foundation of faith is an important part

of one’s decision-making process; Mr. Baker made it clear that faith is not the only factor that

allows him to be a great servant leader. 

Mr. Baker shared the important qualities of an effective leader. First, he claims that great

leaders must be able to listen attentively. Effective leaders must have the ability and willingness

to listen to their followers’ needs and concerns. Leaders who do not care to listen to those around

them often face challenges such as the lack of teamwork, employees not showing up to work,

family members not getting along, and many more. Secondly, another quality that efficient

leaders need is the ability to empower his or her employees. When his family members or his

employees make mistakes or are having a rough day, Mr. Baker emphasizes on the importance of

being empowering instead of discouraging. He does not believe in the act of correcting someone

and making them look or feel incompetent infront of others. Such an act is not Christ-like and
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that is not a quality of a great servant leader. Mr. Baker believes that great leaders must know

how to praise and uplift those around him. If any mistakes occur in a workplace or in his

household, he mentioned that he would always correct the person in private. When correcting

someone, he shared that a great leaders must know how to correct with love because sometimes

their employee or family member may be going through some crisis. 

Mr. Baker mentioned his opinion on Christian leadership and the concept of integrating

faith and work. He says that Christian leadership is never leading with the phrase “As a Christian

I would do.” Instead, Christian leadership is allowing the Christ-like qualities to speak through

their work and the way they live life, and that will be what encourages others to follow his or her

example. In other words, actions speak louder than words. One may say they are a Christian;

however, they do not act Christ-like. Mr. Baker was presented with Wilkes’ concept of Jesus'

model of leadership and seven principles of leadership (Wilkes, 1998, p.11). Although Mr. Baker

agrees with Wilkes’ seven principles of servant leadership, Wilkes’ writing was more for an

ideal world. With the way the world functions today, he says the principles would be difficult to

follow. Unfortunately, Mr. Baker believes that this Christian leadership model is ineffective in

today’s world. Through his personal experiences with working with other leaders around him

who claim to be Christians, he says that too many people in Christian Leadership are following

the path of so many in society, seeking power and wealth, and not leading with love and

compassion. He claims that many Christian leaders seen today are not being servant leaders. 

Mr. Baker is an abundant leader who exemplifies Christian Leadership. Through the

interview, his style of leadership aligns with the leadership style, openness, that is presented by

Duane Elmer’s Cross-Cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility. The

principle of openness is defined as the “ability to welcome people into your presence and make
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them feel safe” (Elmer, 2006, p.39). Mr. Baker's responses during the interview shows that he

strives to make sure that those around him feel safe and comfortable to express their concerns.

Mr. Baker’s belief of putting others first evidently shows that he lives the life of choosing the

towel over wearing the robe. According to Elmer, choosing the towel means “serving others,”

“thinking of others more highly than oneself,” and “putting other people’s needs before oneself”

(Elmer, 2006, p.22). Although Mr. Baker believed that Wilkes’ seven principles of leadership are

harder for leaders to follow, his leadership depicts some of the principles: for example, humility

and being a follower first. Mr. Baker’s strived to glorify God and not please others around him

depicts Whelchel’s belief that the idea of God’s calling is to serve and glorify God’s purpose for

his creation (Whelchel, 2012, p.49). It is evident that Mr. Baker’s leadership style reveals many

qualities of Christian leadership that are mentioned in the course readings and as well as the

other scholarly sources. His interview shows that although Christian leadership may be hard to

follow for some leaders today, it is not impossible to practice the Jesus’s model of leadership.

Conclusion

Overall, it was very interesting and eye opening to converse with a leadership figure who

exemplifies Christian leadership. It was eye opening to hear the leader say that he would not

have done anything different if he did not have his faith. It is fascinating to know that faith is not

the one factor that plays a role in the decision-making process. For further inquiries, it would be

interesting to talk to other leaders and see their views on Christian leadership and its

effectiveness, and the concept of integrating faith and work. 

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References 

Elmer, D. (2006). Cross-cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility.

Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Whelchel, H. (2012). How then should we work?: Rediscovering the Biblical doctrine of work. 

Bloomington, IN: West Bow Press.

Wilkes, C. G. (1998). Jesus on leadership: Timeless Wisdom on Servant Leadership. Wheaton, 

IL: Tyndale House Publishers.