By Michael C. Mack
Ken Blanchard, widely known author and management expert, challenges leaders to think about this important question: “Are you truly leading by your values?”
Blanchard says he believes “when a company is truly leading by its values, there is only one boss””the values.”
As Christian leaders, our values are God-centered and biblically defined. When a church or any other Christian organization is truly leading by its values, we lead according to God”s purposes under his power. These values guide””or should guide””every aspect of church life: how staff members interact with one another, how senior leaders manage, how all church groups and ministries operate, and how the people themselves, the body of Christ, work together.
“¢ Do your people use the values consistently to make decisions for the good of the whole organization instead of for one department or individual?
“¢ Do your people participate in valuable, honest discussions because they know they are operating in a safe environment?
“¢ Do your people take pride not only in the organization as a whole, but also in their role in the company?
“¢ Do your people consider the company values to be actual rules of operation, not just suggestions?
Blanchard encourages leaders to clearly and constantly communicate these values to their people. Rather than burying them in a manual or a hard-to-find page on a website, build them into conversations, decision-making, problem-solving, and planning. “Leading by values,” says Blanchard, “means stating and restating your organization”s values until they become second nature.”
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