Values-Centered Leadership: A Biblical Worldview for Understanding the Driving Forces Behind Individual and Organizational Behavior

By Mckinley Johnson

Why we need values-centered leaders

What is a leader? A leader is someone who takes charge, manages risk, and stands firm in the face of adversity. But leaders who pay strict attention to their core values excel to greatness. Character is key. Dr. McKinley Johnson examines leadership from a biblical perspective--why some leaders soar and others fail.

The author, a leadership specialist, discusses both the nature and role of values, its significance on individual and organizational behavior and how leaders can identify, integrate, and adopt values that lead to rich fulfillment. Jesus serves as our perfect example for His values defined every miracle He performed and He encourages us as His disciples to do likewise.  

• Language: English
• Publisher: Creation House
• Release date: May 3, 2016
• ISBN: 9781629985183

Book preview

VALUES-CENTERED LEADERSHIP by McKinley Johnson

Published by Creation House

A Charisma Media Company

600 Rinehart Road

Lake Mary, Florida 32746

www.charismamedia.com

This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the New King James Version of the Bible. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., publishers. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked MEV are from the Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Design Director: Justin Evans

Cover design by Judith McKittrick-Wright

Copyright © 2016 by McKinley Johnson

All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: 2016930248

International Standard Book Number: 978-1-62998-517-6 E-book International Standard Book Number: 978-1-62998-518-3

While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers and Internet addresses at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors or for changes that occur after publication.

This book is dedicated to the following people:

To my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ—Your wisdom enables me to live an abundant life. Thank You for blessing me.

To my family and friends—your continued support means a great deal to me.

To you, the reader—thank you for all that you do.

CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

1: What Are Values, and Where Do They Come From?

2: Understanding the Nature and Characteristics of Values

3: Values-Based Mentoring

4: Benefits of a Values-Based Strategy

5: A Deeper Understanding of Values and Their Impact on Individual and Organizational Behavior

6: Characteristics of a Successful Values-Based Strategy

7: The Intrinsic Nature of Values

8: The Significance of Values-Driven Strategies in Futures Expectations

9: The Role of Values in Diversity and Globalization

10: Values Are the Blueprint of Organizational Design

Conclusion

Notes

Suggested Readings

About the Author

PREFACE

IN THE WAKE of corporate corruption, political incivility, economic upheaval, and social unrest, values serve as anchors for grounding our understanding of individual and organizational behavior. Many of the ills facing our corporate, political, and socioeconomic structures can be resolved by adhering to biblical values. Understanding the role and nature of values diminishes the need for asking why questions (i.e., why do individuals and organizations behave the way they do?). In this book I will discuss both the nature and role of values; their significance on individual and organizational behavior; and how leaders can identify, integrate, and adopt those values which lead to individual and organizational success.

INTRODUCTION

WHY STUDY VALUES? Values are the heartbeat of civilization, for they guide our decisions and actions by giving us a clear sense of direction, whether right or wrong. These enduring beliefs reveal who we are, what we stand for, and what we will or will not do in the face of adversity. This is evidenced by the lives of men and women whose legacies of greatness serve as a testimony for identifying, integrating, and adopting right values.

Undoubtedly, Jesus stands out in human history as a man whose values changed the face of a nation and ultimately the world. In the face of religious persecution, Jesus’s values-centered leadership empowered people to see, think, and act strategically in order to satisfy ever-changing needs. His values caused Him to heal the sick, raise the dead, and feed multitudes of people with very little at hand. A key biblical principle is demonstrated here: little becomes much when placed in the Master’s hands. In fact, John’s Gospel says that anyone who believes in Jesus will also do the works that He did; and greater works than those will they do, because Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father (John 14:11–12).

According to Acts 1:8, Jesus prophesied about the coming age, saying, But you will receive power [virtue] when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Jesus expected His followers’ behavior to mirror that of His, holding the high moral standard of God through faith by the Holy Spirit. In doing so, the gospel of the kingdom would open doors for people who are marginalized, forsaken, and forgotten by the world. The values of the kingdom wage an unconventional war against religious persecution, institutionalized ideologies, and philosophies that keep people bound and oppressed for years.

1

WHAT ARE VALUES, AND WHERE DO THEY COME FROM?

THE IMPACT OF Jesus’s values continues to have a ripple effect on modern civilization. In fact, many of the structural ills of the twenty-first century can be cured by identifying, integrating, and adopting right values.

Before I can continue this study in values relative to leadership, two pertinent questions must be answered. First, what are values? In his book Understanding Human Values, Milton Rokeach, an early scholar of human values, best defines values as enduring beliefs that direct the conduct of personally and socially acceptable behavior which is preferable to an equal but opposite mode of conduct.¹ To paraphrase Rokeach, values give expression to deeply held beliefs. The life and ministry of Jesus serves as an example of this expression.

In His Sermon on the Mount of Olives, Jesus identified the core values He expected His followers to exhibit. For example, consider Matthew 5:3–11:

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

2. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

3. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

5. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

6. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

8. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

9. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

Moreover, Jesus admonishes His followers to rejoice and be excited when these things are happening to them, because they are in great company (Matt. 5:12). Clearly, the Sermon on the Mount implies that values are not inherent but rather learned as people grow and mature. With this in mind, Jesus knew that effective leadership is dependent upon identifying, integrating, and adopting godly values. Since values exist at a deeper level than superficial attitudes and beliefs, they ought to be carefully weighed against the backdrop of