What is a real Christian leader?

It’s not what you say but how you act

When asked, “Who are you?”, how do you respond? I used to respond by telling people about my job. But I’ve realised I’m so much more than what I do. I’m a husband, father, Pa, brother, uncle, friend, colleague, accountant, PhD, neighbour, sports fan, and so much more. Who I am is complicated, and a lot of it is grounded in how I view the world and my place within it.

A worldview is defined by James Olthuis as “a framework or set of fundamental beliefs through which we view the world and our calling and future in it”[i]. This includes the foundations on which we base our life and our connection with the world around us. Many worldviews are based on some form of organised thinking. Examples include Christianity, Islam, postmodernism and naturalism (atheism). Without us necessarily realising it, our worldview reflects how we answer the big questions in life. Questions such as, What is a human being? What happens to a person when they die? And even, How do we know what is right and wrong?

The choices we make in response to these questions influence everything—our decisions, activities, relationships—including the way we lead. As noted by Valk et al, “leaders take action in the world from a clear place; they are anchored in a particular view of the world.”[ii]

For those of us who profess to be Christian leaders, what does it mean in how our leadership is expressed? Jim Sire notes[iii] a Christian worldview includes the following:

• God is our prime reality;
• We are created in the image of God and are fallen but redeemable;
• Our knowledge is based on revelation from God and human reason;
• Our morality is based on God’s character and commands, and;
• Our core commitment or purpose is to glorify God and seek first His kingdom.

It’s time we reflected on how these actually manifest in our leadership. We can be smug promoting Christianity as our purpose, but does it really make an impact on what we do and how we view others? Are our leadership decisions and actions influenced by people who are created in the image of God and while fallen are redeemable? Or do we consider people expendable “assets”? Do we rely more on human reason than divine revelation? And are we reflecting God’s character and commands or interpretations that suit our convenience and objectives? Is the glorification of God and the seeking first of His kingdom reflected in our vision and mission? Or is our vision and mission platitudes wrapped in corporate speak?

It’s one thing to say—and even believe—our worldview is Christian and that our motives, actions and relationships are based on this. But Jim Sire issues a caution on which we would do well to reflect: “Our worldview may or may not be what we think it is. It is rather what we show it to be by our words and actions . . . . Our very actions may belie our self-knowledge.” [iv]

Perhaps now is the time to take a few moments to consider if we really are Christian leaders, or just think we are?

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[i]J. Olthuis, (1985), On Worldviews, Christian Scholar’s Review. Vol. 14 Issue 2, p. 155

[ii]J. Valk, S. Belding, A. Crumpton, N. Harter and J. Reams, (2011), Worldviews and Leadership: Thinking and Acting the Bigger Pictures, Journal of Leadership Studies Vol. 5 Issue 2, p. 61

[iii]  J Sire, (2020), The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog (6^th ed.) pp 8-10.  

[iv]  Ibid. p.8