Dare Great Things For Christ

It might surprise many of us to remember that the saints themselves were oftentimes leaders and as such had to shoulder the heavy burden of leadership just like we do.  It can be helpful to learn from them; what did they do, how did they handle the daily stresses of life?  In this first class of Leadership Lessons From The Saints I look at John XXIII’s ten rules for a day – rules that he practiced every day and which certainly could help us as well.

Like anything stepping into leadership requires training.  Stepping into Christian leadership requires that we not just be skilled but also ethical and holy.  How to integrate these two worlds?  How to integrate our spirituality, our faith, and the realism of the world of business?  The Church’s Magisterium put forth a wonderful document that outlines a way forward.  By educating Christians in the principles of Christ, and in the use of the virtues, she points forward a way for us to not only do business but to lead.

 

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Without a doubt something that all leaders have in common is that we are men and women of action.  Practically oriented, skilled in social settings, leaders tend to rise to the top because they engage their talents in their situations to make a difference.  They are men and women of action.  Does the Christian faith have room for them and do they have room in their hearts for Christianity?  What about contemplation, receptivity, submission to God?  In this second part of our series on applying the gospel we explore these actions and more.

 

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It’s an amazing fact that we spend nearly half of our waking life at work.  The relationships we form there are real, intense, and impact our overall vision of life.  For the Christian this represents a real challenge.  How can I live the relationships I have at work or in my social setting in a way that glorifies God and helps others to know him better?  In this first of our series on Applying The Gospel we analyze the Catholic Church’s insistence that whatever we do serves to make communities of persons.  

 

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Whatever format it’s found in, teamwork has always played an essential role in getting anything done.  It’s so important in fact that much of contemporary literature around leadership focuses on a leader’s ability to generate and maintain healthy teams.  But isn’t the notion of a team something that is essential to the Christian religion?  And if so shouldn’t Christianity offer a special advantage to a Christian leader?  In this tenth episode of our series on the Christian advantage in leadership I take a look at this question.

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Most Christians charged with positions of leadership tend to separate what they have to do every day in a practical sphere from there growth as Christians.  Spirituality and practicality are often looked at as opposites.  When this happens though, two things occur:  firstly, the world of practicality is left bereft of spiritual guidance and, simultaneously, our spirituality loses the strength that comes from our practical endeavors.  By uniting the two the Christian has the advantage.

 

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The theme of putting your people first is popular today in leadership theory.  Many studies are done and cited that conclusively show that focusing on company culture affects the bottom line in a positive way.  But focusing on people and developing people has not always been the hallmark of western capitalism.  In fact many of the advances towards more humane work come from Christianity.  Why is this?  And how can harnessing it give us an advantage?

When it comes to leadership what we do on the outside flows from what we have on the inside.  Our thoughts and our motivations drive the actions which determine our success.  Here Christians have a distinct advantage.  Ever since Christ rose from the dead Christians know the truth about our final victory over evil and therefore our daily victory over problems.  In this seventh of our series on the Christian leadership advantage we explore the Christian power of positivity.

The Catholic church has always taught that work was genuinely a human activity.  Meaning that it was something that we did that made our lives better.  But with the increase of technology, social media, and the changing demographics of the work force, work itself seems to be a different kind of experience.  Nevertheless, the truth about work hasn’t changed.  And God’s vision for work laid out in the Bible remains the same.  This is a Christian advantage.  By letting the truth of our faith inform our leadership Christians protect and enhance the working environment for all involved.

In trying to understand the advantage that the Christian faith gives to us in our leadership, there’s no more powerful place to look than our perspective on heaven.  Afterall, eternal life is the backdrop behind everything a Christian does, the ultimate goal of all our motivations.  But what practical difference does this make in the perspective that we take at work.  Well, in fact, it makes a big difference if we let it.  In this fifth part of our series on The Christian Leader’s Advantage we explore the power of the idea of heaven.