I am a Christian. I believe the Christian story of reality is true. Really true, in the sense that it is true whether someone believes it or not. That doesn’t make Christianity true, of course, but that is what I mean when I say that I believe it is true. God either exists or doesn’t. Jesus either rose from the dead or he didn’t. These things are not opinions or preferences.

But how does that influence me as a leader? If I am not working in a church or a Christian ministry, what difference does my Christian faith make to my leadership?

At the risk of gross oversimplification, let me suggest three ways that my faith influences my leadership.

 

My Faith Directs What I Try to Do

 

The things I am trying to accomplish should be good. Some goals are not good. Accomplishing them might be an example of being an effective leader, but not a good leader, because the goal is not good. For example, regardless of how profitable it might be, I should not build and lead a drug cartel, human trafficking organization, chain of strip clubs, or predatory lending offices.

How do I know whether what I am trying to do is good? One helpful filter is Jesus’ summary of God’s commandments: Love God and love others. Does what I am trying to accomplish do either of those things?

One doesn’t have to do religious work to serve God. God cares about good teaching, plumbing, engineering, software development, medicine, law, etc., because all of these things lead to human flourishing. Doing them well can be an example of loving others.

 

My Faith Directs How I Try to Do It

 

As a Christian, one of my goals in life is to be more like Jesus. Therefore, the way I lead should try to reflect the way Jesus led and loved those who followed him.

Am I leading humbly? Am I seeking to serve others through my leadership or my own fame?

Am I leading diligently? Am I working hard for both those who pay me and those who follow me?

Am I leading honestly? Do I tell the truth? Do I embellish things? Am I as transparent as possible?

Am I leading cheerfully? Despite the difficulties and demands of leadership, do I spread joy? Do I smile and laugh easily?

Am I leading gratefully? Do I slow down and remind myself that I won’t always have the opportunity to lead these people?

Am I leading courageously? Doing the right thing is often difficult and scary. Am I doing it anyway?

Am I leading sacrificially? Am I considering the needs of others and not simply my own?

Am I leading prayerfully? Am I recognizing my own limitations in wisdom, intelligence, ability, resources, and time, and asking for help?

Am I leading with excellence? Does the quality of my work reflect well on Jesus and all those who call themselves Christians?

Am I leading as if I work for the Lord, not simply for myself or a company?

These questions help me assess whether my leadership is aligned with my faith.

 

My Faith Directs My Sense of Identity

 

This might be the most important way that my faith influences my leadership. My faith directs my identity. It tells me who I am. The Bible teaches that, because of what Jesus has done, I have a grace-based relationship with God, not a performance-based relationship. It would be difficult to exaggerate the significance of this.

I am not loved and valued by God because I am a good leader or because I accomplish impressive things.

Do I want to live a life that demonstrates a love for God and a love for others? Of course.

Do I want to lead in a way that is pleasing and honoring to God? Of course.

But I strive to do these things from a place of love and acceptance, not to gain love and acceptance.

My hard work isn’t driven by fear and insecurity.

I am not trying to fill a void with my accomplishments.

I lead from a place of deep security, already having love and acceptance.

If I fail, my identity is fine. God loves me.

If I succeed, my identity is fine. God loves me.

 

I confess that having my faith influence my leadership is a constant struggle. I am often a poor example of what a Christian leader should do and how a Christian leader should do it. It is a never-ending process of failing forward. I am inconsistent, at best. But my goal, my desire, is to have my faith direct my leadership; to lead others to accomplish good things; to lead in a way that honors God and loves others.

 

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