The Theory of Leadership: A Moral Construct of Biblical Leaders Whose Character Caused the Rise and Fall of a Nation

By Mckinley Johnson

Can you imagine hearing a newly elected official taking the following oath of office: “Do you solemnly swear that if you are not here to help us you at least won't hurt us?”

That may sound far-fetched, but it isn’t. For the strength of any nation is directly related to the overall well-being of its citizens. In God’s eyes, how well a nation's leaders treat those who have been marginalized by the larger society has more to do with the country’s rise or fall than its political, military, or intellectual might.

If you are concerned for the plight of humanity, this book is for you. Though written from a leader’s perspective, its biblical principles and practices are universal.

You will see which personal characteristics cause a leader to rise or fall. From that, you will gain valuable leadership tools for yourself by learning how other leaders have been able to garner the favor of God during difficult leadership situations.
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Creation House
• Release date: May 3, 2016
• ISBN: 9781629985268

Book preview

Author

PREFACE

CONTRARY TO POPULAR opinion, the rise and fall of a nation has little to do with its political, military, or intellectual might, but is due to its moral plight (i.e., moral philosophy)—the principles and practices by which it governs itself. The true litmus test for this determination is how well a nation’s leadership deals with its citizens—primarily the nation’s poor, those who have been marginalized, forsaken, and forgotten by society. The Great Recession of 2008 greatly increased the number of displaced people, causing a significant rise among our nation’s poor.

More and more people are falling through the cracks of society at an alarming rate in both developed and developing countries. The question that remains to be answered is the following: why isn’t more being done to create strategies and structures to facilitate their needs (i.e., personal and professional development, job creation, etc.) so that the lower stratum is above the line of poverty rather than missing from the equation altogether? Every person, regardless of race, creed, color, economic status, religious background, etc., has significance, value, and worth—just like the wealthiest among us. They deserve a seat at the table and to be heard.

With a little support, whether financial, educational, psychological, religious, or otherwise, they too can discover their God-given purpose and become a vital part of our community and productive members of society. There, but for the grace of God, go I … As the citizenry goes, so goes the nation; therefore, the strength of any nation is directly related to the overall well-being of its citizens. A simple solution for any nation that has veered off course in the pursuit of vanity (self-serving endeavors) is to reset its moral compass toward a higher purpose, its true calling: to care for the least among them. Therein lies the real wealth of any nation—its human capital. According to John W. Gardner,

Leaders have a significant role in creating the state of mind that is the society. They can serve as symbols of the moral unity of the society. They can express the values that hold the society together. Most important, they can conceive and articulate goals that lift people out of their petty preoccupations, carry them above the conflicts that tear a society apart, and unite them in the pursuit of objectives worthy of their best efforts.¹

Therefore, leaders serve a crucial role in society, for they coordinate the activities of others, and ensure that a harmonious, synergistic performance has the greatest impact on society for good. The unofficial oath taken by leaders when they assume their roles ought to be the following: if you are not here to help us, at least don’t hurt us. Therefore, in this book I will explore the moral construct of key biblical leaders whose character caused the rise and fall of a nation.

ENDNOTE

1. Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus, Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge (New York, NY: Harper & Row, 1985).

INTRODUCTION

IF VALUES ARE the heartbeat of civilization, then morality serves as the embodiment of those values, for they give tangible expression and a visible representation to deeply held beliefs about how best to behave in society.¹ This systemic mode of conduct has been handed down from generation to generation since the beginning of time, and more notably, during the life of Moses, who became the author of the Ten Commandments. Now, before the Decalogue was instituted, society had an oral tradition that communicated how people should behave in various situations. The people responsible for communicating this systemic mode of conduct are known as social architects: A social architect is one who understands [society] and shapes the way it works.²

These unwritten rules about how best to behave in a particular setting formed the basis of normative behavior which became known as social norms. Social norms are defined as the unwritten rules about how best to behave in [society]. They provide us with an expected idea of how to behave in a particular [context].³ Although social norms are intangible expressions, they do communicate the values and norm that govern our decisions and actions. Notwithstanding, with the introduction of sin, oral traditions quickly descended into the abyss of chaos and confusion. Prior to sin, there was no need for laws since the hearts of humanity were good—perfect in every dimension. Each person esteemed the needs of the other as more important than their own. Sin, however, turned esteem for others to self-esteem as individuals put the needs of themselves before the needs of others. Self-preservation became the rule of nature.

ENDNOTES

1. McKinley Johnson, Natural Leadership Development (Lake Mary, FL: Creation House, 2006).

2. Bennis and Nanus, Leaders.

3. See http://www.simplypsychology.org/social-roles.html, accessed 12 February 2016.

Chapter 1

GOD’S ORIGINAL INTENT

IMAGINE A WORLD with no sense of right or wrong, good or bad. Everything is good since the inherent nature of humankind is only good. For help with examining the environment of the creation account, let us consider Genesis 1–3. In the beginning, God created the perfect situation for humanity to inhabit. He created the birds of the air, fish of the sea, beast of the fields, every creeping thing, and every insect one can dream of. Now, out of the ground grew the most beautiful trees laden with fruits that were good for eating and an irrigation system to boot. Then God created His crown jewel, man and woman, and placed them in the garden. Together they were to rule over His creation in the similitude of God’s supreme rule. They were to replicate God’s leadership in the Earth.

At this point in our discussion, a mnemonic device for understanding the role of leadership may be helpful: Learning Effectively Across Disciplines Ensures Right Strategies Helping Improve Productivity. Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus say, Leaders are perpetual learners—voracious readers, learning from others, and learning from experience.¹ [Learn] everything because you never know where the next great idea will come from.² The biblical principle to be gleaned is key: Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10).

Therefore, Adam and Eve were equipped to lead God’s creations with the endowment of knowledge and skill given to them in the beginning. It’s important to note that Adam and Eve were not expected to manage creation (i.e., maintain the status quo) but rather lead it from glory to glory ad infinitum. As leaders, they were to come up with ideas, new policies, and methodologies that satisfied the needs of creation.³ As long as the Earth remains, leaders are to be on a continuum of growth and development moving creation forward from one level to the next in whatever spheres of influence are given to them. Again, the oral tradition starts with God commanding Adam: Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die (Gen. 2:16–17).

The tree of knowledge sitting in the midst of the garden shows that man and woman are free moral agents with all the rights and privileges appertaining thereunto. The commandment was to be handed down from generation to generation. God’s original intent was for humanity to live in community with each other, sharing information and resources concerning God’s realm, rule, and reign—which would have also included the information concerning the tree of knowledge. However, the plan was quickly thwarted by curiosity and disobedience.

Typically, curiosity is considered the mother of invention; however, it became a moral dilemma for Adam and Eve, who eventually decided to follow their own hearts rather than the command of God. This act of defiance changed the nature of their thoughts forever, transforming their minds from spirituality to carnality. They became more concerned with the things of the world than the things of God, as was originally intended. The knowledge of good and evil changed the attitude of their hearts. Now they had to deal with competing ideas that were diametrically opposed to each another. The mind became the stage upon which men and women cultivated their thoughts—right or wrong. The environment became the field wherein these carefully crafted thoughts manifested themselves. In other words, the battle takes place in the mind long before it ever takes place in the field. So do not allow sinful thoughts to rule your heart and rob you of the abundant life you are supposed to live. Live each day purposefully.

While singleness of mind and heart produces success, once sin entered the picture, failure became inevitable. James Allen observes,

A particular trend of thought persisted in, be it good or bad, cannot fail to produce its results on the character and circumstances. A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances.⁴

Failure became the pursuit of the wrong course of action that resulted in negative consequences. The resulting effects of pain and suffering purged the wrong pursuits and moved them into a more favorable direction which was in harmony with God’s plan and purposes.

The fall ushered in a whole new era consisting of pain and suffering, which ultimately ended in death. Again, pain and suffering are directly related to misdirection. If we were to dissect misdirection, we would find at its core fear and doubt. Doubt and fear cannot cohabitate with peace; therefore, the absence of peace is a clear indication that something is awry. Fear and doubt are cautionary signs that, when adhered to, can save a person from unnecessary heartache. According to James Allen, Those who conquer doubt and fear conquer failure.⁵ In addition, Those who accurately understand their situation can develop solution-oriented strategies.⁶

To conquer those cautionary signs one only has to pursue the course of righteousness which leads to joy and peace. Nevertheless, the fall ushered in a new era that would be experienced by every succeeding generation. This illustration shows the potential impact one bad decision can have on others. A key biblical principle is demonstrated here: deception and disaster are certain when leaders fail to follow God’s instructions. Despite the disaster brought about by sin, God graciously created a way of escape so humanity can continue its pursuit of God’s plan and purposes. However, God’s plan of salvation banned them from the garden forever.

This gracious act of love and kindness toward creation made it impossible for Adam and Eve to eat of the tree of life; thereby, they would live in a state of perpetual sin throughout eternity. In light of this fact, God used death as an end to the sin problem for future generations, as the beauty of salvation began to unfold. A hint to the wise is sufficient: leaders should always have an exit strategy on hand in case the current strategy goes awry. Creating an exit strategy ensures that the lifeboat doesn’t sink with the ship. As a leader, you can tailor your strategy toward a specific product or service that no longer serves its purpose or fits within the organization’s current strategy.

Remember: the goal of any strategic formula is to explore the depth, breadth, length, and height of an endeavor. In other words, take the organization deeper and wider so it can go higher and higher. So God creates a way of escape whereby humanity is redeemed from destruction. The fall required that new modes of conduct had to be established quickly due to the rapid moral decline. Just one generation removed from perfection seven of the deadliest sins known to man gripped the heart of Adam and Eve’s offspring—Cain. As a result, Adam and his wife Eve stand out in biblical history as leaders whose moral character caused the fall of a nation, for they failed in their responsibility to honor God in their leadership.

ENDNOTES

1. Bennis and Nanus, Leaders.

2. Dale A. Dauten, The Max Strategy: How a Businessman Got Stuck at an Airport and Learned to Make His Career Take Off (New York, NY: William Morrow, 1996).

3. Bennis and Nanus, Leaders.

4. James Allen, As a Man Thinketh (Salt Lake City, UT: Bookcraft, 2002).

5. Ibid.

6. Marcus Buckingham, The One Thing You Need to Know (New York, NY: Free Press, 2005).

Chapter 2

INSIGHT FROM CAIN AND ABEL

GENESIS 4:1 SAYS, Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain. In the process of time, Eve became pregnant a second time and bore another son, calling him Abel. As the boys grew in wisdom and stature, they chose careers for themselves that would enable them to fulfill their God-given vision, mission, and purpose. Their careers centered on their individual passion and purpose. They discovered their passion and purpose through their individual assignments. The lesson to be gleaned is key: pay strict attention to your passions, for therein lies your God-given purpose. Since they had the care of the whole of creation, it became easy for them to select their careers based on their natural giftings (i.e., the things that they loved doing most/best—effortlessly). Sometimes individuals have to search rigorously before they find the thing they do best—effortlessly.

Typically, purpose is discovered when the work you do touches the deepest part of you. Once your purpose is discovered, create a strategy to ensure you reach your desired destination. The vision of what life could be serves as the driving force behind corresponding actions. Marcus Buckingham put it this way: The Leader in his head carries a vivid image of what the future could be, and this image drives him on.¹ The strategy keeps you from looking to the left or right. It keeps you focused. Cain and Abel each earned their living—tilling the ground and caring for livestock respectively. Since the brothers were earning a living, they were also required to bring the Lord an offering.

God instituted the offering and spelled out the terms and conditions with which the offering would be acceptable. As a result, Cain and his brother Abel knew what God required of them; therefore, they were without excuse. The offering (i.e., tithe) served a twofold purpose: First, it represented a heart of gratitude, and second, a life of servitude. Those who followed this path escaped the dangers of covetousness and disobedience. The tithe, or sin offering as it were, was established by God as atonement for one’s sins. This practice took place once a year on the Day of Atonement as it would be later called. The tithe was defined biblically as one-tenth part of one’s income (i.e., produce, livestock, and/or land).

This practice dates back to the fall of Adam and Eve who taught their children God’s method of giving. As new members of the working community, Cain and Abel were required to bring an acceptable offering to the Lord. So Cain brought of his resources (e.g., the fruit of the ground), and Abel also brought of his resources (e.g., the firstborn of his flock and of their fat) to the Lord. God rejected Cain’s offering but received Abel’s. Since Abel’s offering was accepted, it stands to reason why Cain’s offering was rejected. Abel brought God what was required: the firstborn of the flock and their fat. God required an animal sacrifice as a means of atoning for one’s sins.

What was Cain’s responsibility since he was a tiller of the ground? Cain, knowing that the Day of Atonement was coming,