Christian Leadership in the Workplace

Introduction 

Leadership is seen as one of the critical areas that determine success or possibilities of failure within a company or organizational setting, as it allows for efficiency in the overall structure of management (Longenecker, McKinney, & Moore, 2004). Laws have been put in place as structures that seek to intimate on the need for having a structured approach to leadership with the focus being towards building overall levels of efficiency in terms of management. On the other hand, it is essential to take note of the fact that leaders are also expected to embrace biblical law in their bid to establishing positivity in their leadership. The primary expectation of this is that it builds on a proactive platform through which to ensure that leaders manage their businesses effectively while paving the way for an advanced capacity to improve on the quality of leadership. 

The main focus for this report is to examine the value that can be placed on Christian leadership as part of the workplace environment while considering the overall possibility that leaders would not only consider laws but would also take into significant consideration biblical laws. The need for having to analyze biblical foundations as they relate to the workplace environment is driven by the fact that a considerable number of leaders often have what can be considered as secular perspectives to their workplaces. In such cases, most of these leaders often ignore the fact that they are expected to incorporate the biblical foundation as part of their structure of understanding of leadership and management. From that view, it must be noted that indeed having to examine the biblical foundation would serve as one of the key aspects that would aid in maximizing on the general understanding of Christian leadership. 

Biblical Foundations 

Operations management course capitalizes on the provision of adequate knowledge and information concerning various processes undertaken within an organization with the aim of enhancing productivity. A critical aspect of operations management is decision making, which is a crucial aspect that helps in determining the future of an organization based on the specific action plans undertaken by the managers. Considering that the course focuses on ensuring that managers can manage organizations effectively, various Christian principles may be used to enhance the curriculum. Christianity is a religion that bases its belief on maintaining integrity and justice to all members of the society despite the nature of the situation. Some biblical passages relate to the course considering that they offer insights on various ways to undertake the management process to capitalize on effectiveness and integrity within the entire process. 

The Christian worldview of the course is based on the principles that may be applied to overcome the dilemmas experienced during the process of undertaking the course and engaging in professional activities relating to the course. Firstly, the Christian worldview regarding the course is based on the aspect of enhancing commitment, excellence, and integrity in the management process. Considering that the course focuses on engaging in practices that help in enhancing organizational excellence, with the aim of improving commitment and integrity, the Christian values may be applied to achieve the set goals and objectives set within the course. Honesty is a crucial aspect of Christianity, which calls for the operations managers to capitalize on maintaining integrity in their business operations with the aim of enhancing effectiveness during various processes. The Christian view the operations managers as individuals that should maintain integrity in all the business operations to ensure that an organization is in a position to achieve its set goals and objectives. 

The second aspect relating to the Christian worldview about the course is the aspect of maintaining truth and honesty during the decision making process. Christianity affirms that the operations managers should focus on being righteous and ensure that they engage in truthful activities to provide that the operations undertaken play a significant role in promoting positivity within the organization. In that case, the view of the Christians regarding the course focuses on individuals that can remain truthful in all circumstances to capitalize on an effective decision-making process. According to Hitt, Xu, & Carnes, (2016), persons undertaking the course are required to have the ability to engage in effective decision-making process without the interference of external factors, which influence the strength of the individuals to make proper decisions. 

When focusing on critical aspects concerning the operations management course, there are various biblical that relate to the class. The biblical passages capitalize on the provision of relevant guidelines regarding strategies and principles that should be undertaken by the operations managers to promote effectiveness in different processes relating to the effective running of an organization. An important aspect of operations management capitalizes on engaging in effective plans, based on the vision and mission of an organization. The Bible indicates that, 

“ Then the LORD answered me and said: “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it” (Habakkuk 2:2 New International Version). 

The students undertaking the course should have the ability to engage in plans that aim to improve the operations within the organization and capitalize on making clear action plans that provide an insight to the future of the organization. 

Another critical aspect in the course entails the element of engaging in activities that the help in increasing knowledge that is helpful to overcome challenges and dilemmas associated with operations management. Based on this case, the Bible indicates that "A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel" (Proverbs 1:5 New International Version). The passage is an indicator that individuals undertaking the course should be willing to engage in measures that increase their learning, to gain knowledge regarding strategies to undertake the process of management within an organization. Another passage relating to the course maintains that "be diligent to know the state of your flocks and attend to your herds" (Proverbs 27:23 New International Version). The passage is an indicator that the course requires diligence to ensure that individuals are in a position to engage in the leadership process effectively. 

Considering that operations management focuses on personal attributes that help in enhancing leadership strategies that ensure adequate control of an organization, there is a secular and Christian perspective that relates to the course. On the secular view, the course is concerned with engaging in processes and business operations using the efficient methods possible to capitalize on enhancing the performance of an organization. On the other hand, the Christian perspective maintains that the course entails features that apply to various aspect of human life. Thus the need for applying Christian principles such as truthfulness and integrity to enhance different processes concerning the process involves in the course. Although both perspectives differ in their applicability, the focus of both is to capitalize on ensuring that the students and professionals can engage in measures that help in enhancing a smooth running of organizations with the aim of increasing productivity. 

Employee Relations 

The most important part of any business or company is its people. The people act as critical determinants of whether the company would be in any position allowing it to maximize on its position. That raises the need for having to evaluate the value associated with employee relations, which would aid in the overall need for having to build on capacity as part of the workplace environment. Employee relations can be viewed as the management of existing relationships between employees and their employers as a way of defining the overall possibilities of enhanced performance. One of the critical roles associated with any given leader is that he or she is expected to create an advanced platform through which to build on employee relationship, which can be considered from both the legal and biblical perspective. 

The application of biblical law would be viewed as one of the critical areas of considerations towards the building of a proactive avenue through which to ensure that one becomes useful in the secular world. Ketokivi & McIntosh (2017) argue that one of the critical challenges that Christians face today revolves around how they would be able to maintain their efficiency in the secular world while considering what is expected of them from a biblical perspective. That means that a Christian may find him or herself in a position that portends him or her to not only focus on his or her biblical perspective but would also be expected to focus on the expectations from the secular work. Primarily, this can be considered as having notable impacts towards defining dilemmas that leaders face in their respective work environments. 

The crucial first expectation for leaders, in their approach to employee relations, while considering the biblical law is that they must always deal with facts rather than fiction, as this would allow them to always stand for the truth. That can be supported by the Bible, as it says that, 

“ The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy” (Proverbs 12:22 New International Version). 

That serves as a clear indication of the fact that indeed leaders are always expected to focus much of their attention towards the truth while ensuring that they build on faithfulness as part of their leadership. From this verse, what can be noted is that God delights in Faithfulness, which means that a leader should always be faithful in everything that he or she does, especially concerning others in the workplace environment. 

Leaders should also learn the value of having to ensure that they build on positive relations not only with the employees but also with other individuals within the workplace environment. That is one of the key expectations from a biblical perspective, which would emphasize the value and importance of Christian leadership as part of the workplace. The Bible says that, 

“ The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 13:31 New International Version). 

What can be seen from this verse of the Bible is that it places a lot of emphasis on the need for leaders to always learn the critical role that they place on building positive relations. That would serve as one of the ways through which to ensure that leaders indeed create an environment that supports growth and development for other employees in a company or organization. 

The crucial second expectation for Christian leaders, working within the secular world, is that they must always see the value of being servants rather than being authoritative bosses. That means that leaders should always learn the importance of serving others while seeking to ensure that they create an environment that others would emulate. The Bible indicates that, 

“ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45 New International Version). 

That supports the notion that leaders should learn the value of serving others rather than being served, which would advance their positions not only in the workplace but also from a biblical perspective. The outcome is that this would help create a lasting relationship to support possibilities of success. 

From this analysis, it is clear that Christianity ought to be considered as a critical part of any business environment, as it would serve to determine whether leaders can maximize on their positions to define performance. The embracing of biblical laws would help create an environment where it becomes much more comfortable for leaders to learn the value of interconnecting their religious lives to their professions. That means that it becomes much more comfortable for Christian leaders to learn the importance of having to build on an effective platform through which to maximize positive management. The ultimate expectation is that leaders would determine the value of living a life that emulates God regardless of their expectations as part of their engagement in leadership. 

Alternative Dispute Resolution 

Disputes are a common occurrence within the workplace environment (Snow, 2018). That creates the need for leaders to develop structured approaches through which to deal with the disputes effectively while ensuring that they form a framework through which to provide that they stand for justice. The adoption of Christian leadership as part of the workplace environment seeks to highlight the need for leaders to embrace alternative dispute resolution with the sole intention being towards handling disputes in a Christian manner. That emphasizes the overall positioning that indeed Christian leaders would be able to embrace their Christianity as part of the whole approach through which to deal with disputes in an effective manner. 

Embracing the Christian worldview on alternative dispute resolution reflects on the need for having to develop the right perspective on the conflict, as this would aid towards creating a more integral perception on Christian leadership in the secular world. Walker, Chicksand, Radnor, & Watson (2015) point to the need for Christian leaders to always work hard towards ensuring that they use the biblical process in their bid to finding a lasting solution to some of the disputes that they encounter. The Bible indicates that, 

“ If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses’” (Matthew 18: 15-16 New International Version). 

In these verses, what is clear is that the overall need for having to use a Christian front in dealing with conflict is highlighted as a critical approach to consider in dispute resolution. 

Christian leaders should learn the value of having to ensure that they create Christian perspectives that would allow them to control or deal with disputes in an effective manner. The ultimate expectation is that this would pave the way for easier handling of issues arising within the workplace environment. The idea of creating Christian perspectives is driven by the need to ensure that the leaders learn the importance of making prayer, which would aid in providing that the leaders can resolve some of the arising issues efficiently. The leaders should determine the value of allowing God to remain in control of their abilities to deal with the conflicts in a way that would be beneficial for all parties involved. The Bible says that "…in order that Satan might not outwit us, for we are not unaware of his schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11 New International Version). 

The other key aspect that Christian leaders ought to consider in their approach towards adopting alternative dispute resolution approaches is that they ought to gain as much information as possible regarding the issue at hand. That can be supported from the Bible, as it says that, “In a lawsuit, the first to speak seems right until someone comes forward and cross-examines” (Proverbs 18:17 New International Version). From this verse, it can be noted that indeed it becomes essential for the leaders involved to learn the value of having as much information as possible. The news that they gather concerning the issue at hand would serve as a critical determinant of their abilities to make decisions as they relate to the possibilities of a dispute occurring within the workplace environment. 

Christian leaders should embrace the need for always having to admit a mistake and learn the importance of asking for forgiveness. Forgiveness is at the very center of Christianity, as it reflects on the fact that every human being is bound to make a mistake and must be forgiven for the same. In a leadership perspective, it must be noted that most of the leaders in the secular world often find themselves in a situation where they do not admit the occurrence of a mistake. That creates a situation where it becomes hard or challenging for them actually to capitalize on their leadership wisely. Instead, it paves the way for a situation where most of the leaders often start blaming others for their mistakes, which only serves to prolong the conflicts. By admitting a mistake, a leader would be able to create a foresight for others within the workplace to build on efficiency in advanced performance. 

From a Christian perspective, leaders ought to embrace the values of alternative dispute resolution, as this would not only play a critical role towards dealing with the disputes but would also pave the way for maintaining positive relations. The ultimate expectation when using this worldview as part of the leadership framework is that it will play a critical role in maximizing on one's ability to remain as an effective leader. Additionally, this would also mean that leaders would be in a better position allowing them to steer their followers in the right direction as part of their strategic approaches to success achievement. The idea of embracing alternative dispute resolution should be at the very core any all Christian leaders working within the secular world. 

Choosing the Appropriate Type of Business Entity 

Choosing the appropriate type of business entity is essential for any investor or entrepreneur, as it seeks to ensure that the entity selected is effective towards building on the overall possibilities of success. In the case of Christian leaders, the idea of choosing the appropriate type of business entity is driven by the need to ensure that the selected entity does not build on profitability but also maximize on the connection to God. That means that the leaders are often expected to build on a proactive avenue through which to ensure that they apply some of the Christian principles in their bid to selecting the most appropriate type of business entity. The ultimate result of this is that it would help change the need for persons to establish their Christian faith as part of the business approaches. 

The crucial first aspect that the leaders ought to embrace when choosing the type of business entity is that they must always maintain their trust in God throughout the entire process regardless of the outcomes. The Bible says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6 New International Version). The verses highlight the need for leaders to always build on their capacities from a leadership perspective based on their understanding of God. That means that for every decision that the leaders would make, they would find themselves in a position that is guided by the knowledge and understanding from God. That would also mean that the business entity selected serves the purpose of worshiping God, which is one of the critical expectations for any Christian leader in the secular world. 

The second key aspect that would most likely drive Christian leaders when choosing the most appropriate business entity is the need for them always to maintain courage regardless of the decisions that they make as part of their choosing. The choosing of a proper business entity reflects on the process of having to evaluate a wide array of aspects regarding the performance of the business model (Leppakari, & Griffin, 2016). That means that leaders often find themselves in a situation where it is essential for them to maintain the highest standards of courage as a way of ensuring that their decisions remain valid from all perspective. That also means that the leaders would be in a somewhat proactive position of having to say ‘no' when faced with a business entity that does not match overall expectations. 

Christian leaders ought to understand that the relationship that they create with God would serve as one of the key aspects that allow them to make effective decisions. From a legal perspective, the three main factors that leaders are expected to consider when deciding on the appropriate business entity are the liability, taxation, and record-keeping (Joullié, 2016). However, their engagement as part of their Christian understanding of the secular world provides them with a somewhat proactive knowledge of what should be expected in their bid to building efficiency. That means that it becomes essential for them to integrate both the Christian worldview as it relates to their abilities to make such decisions. 

Another critical aspect of consideration that would be necessary to consider when choosing the appropriate business entity is integrity. According to Haksever, & Render (2017), honesty is a significant element that should guide an individual to ensure that they are in a position to make appropriate choices regarding the type of business entity to engage in. Integrity is an aspect that helps in promoting effectiveness and efficiency in business operations and be in a position to overcome ethical dilemmas associated with lack of integrity in business operations. Considering the sinful nature of individuals in the society, there is a need to ensure that there are models of integrity in the business industry, which is an aspect that helps in providing that operations are active and can impact others. In that case, it is necessary to consider an individual's level of integrity when choosing an appropriate business entity considering there are entities that require a higher integrity level than others. 

Self-control is another crucial aspect that leaders ought to consider in their bid to selecting the most appropriate business entity that they would recognize as being viable to match their Christian worldview. That means that the leaders would focus much of their attention towards maximizing on an approach through which to ensure that they practice self-control while considering the overall impacts that this decision may have on their lives. 

Conclusion 

In summary, leadership is seen as one of the critical areas that determine success or possibilities of failure within a company or organizational setting. The need for having to analyze biblical foundations as they relate to the workplace environment is driven by the fact that a significant number of leaders often have what can be considered as secular perspectives to their workplaces. Christianity is a religion that bases its belief on maintaining integrity and justice to all members of the society despite the nature of the situation. The view of the Christians regarding the course focuses on individuals that can remain truthful in all circumstances to capitalize on an effective decision-making process. On the secular perspective, the course is concerned with engaging in processes and business operations using the efficient methods possible to capitalize on enhancing the performance of an organization. 

The application of biblical law would be viewed as one of the critical areas of considerations towards the building of a proactive avenue through which to ensure that one becomes useful in the secular world. Leaders should also learn the value of having to ensure that they build on positive relations not only with the employees but also with other individuals within the workplace environment. Embracing the Christian worldview on alternative dispute resolution reflects on the need for having to develop the right perspective on the conflict, as this would aid towards creating a more integral perception on Christian leadership in the secular world. Leaders are often expected to build on a proactive avenue through which to ensure that they apply some of the Christian principles in their bid to selecting the most appropriate type of business entity. 

References 

Haksever, C., & Render, B. (2017).  Service and Operations Management . World Scientific Publishing Company. 

Hitt, M. A., Xu, K., & Carnes, C. M. (2016). Resource-based theory in operations management research. Journal of Operations Management, 41, 77-94. 

Joullié, J. E. (2016). The philosophical foundations of management thought.  Academy of Management Learning & Education ,  15 (1), 157-179. 

Ketokivi, M., & McIntosh, C. N. (2017). Addressing the endogeneity dilemma in operations management research: Theoretical, empirical, and pragmatic considerations.  Journal of Operations Management ,  52 , 1-14. 

Leppakari, M., & Griffin, K. A. (Eds.). (2016).  Pilgrimage and Tourism to Holy Cities: Ideological and Management Perspectives . Cabi. 

Longenecker, J. G., McKinney, J. A., & Moore, C. W. (2004). Religious intensity, evangelical Christianity, and business ethics: An empirical study.  Journal of business ethics ,  55 (4), 371-384. 

Snow, J. (2018). World Christianity: Perspectives and Insights, Essays in Honor of Peter C. Phan.  Anglican and Episcopal History ,  87 (1), 90-96. 

Walker, H., Chicksand, D., Radnor, Z., & Watson, G. (2015). Theoretical perspectives in operations management: an analysis of the literature.  International Journal of Operations & Production Management ,  35 (8), 1182-1206.