c***@bcwinstitute.com
2008-05-23 23:31:32 UTC
The Multifaceted Face of Faithfulness in Workplace Leadership
All of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) have a profoundly
positive impact in the workplace, but faithfulness, especially
faithfulness as exemplified by the leaders of an organization, has an
exceptionally potent draw on employee dedication. For just as God's
faithfulness gives us reason to put our trust in Him and be "faith
full", so too, a leader's faithfulness to his employees results in
their loyalty to the organization.
In order to know what faithfulness is, let us look to the example of a
faithful God.
- God faithfully keeps his promises (Heb 10:23). God's words don't
just reflect the truth, they ARE truth - He says, "Let there be . . .
" (Gen 1:3, etc.) and it is. In the same way, leaders should be known
to keep their word.
- God "remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself" (II Tim 2:13); He
cannot go against His own character. In other words, because He is
God He must act as God would. Likewise leaders need to faithfully
carry out the obligations of a leader - goal setting, decision making,
equipping others to do their jobs, etc.
- Because God is faithful, He is consistent. It is said of God that
"there is no shadow of turning" in the context of Him being the giver
of good gifts (James 1:7). The relationship between "good gifts" and
God's unchanging nature can be either that His immutability is a good
gift in and of itself (in that He can be trusted and we don't have to
worry that our relationshp with Him could ever change) or it could be
that He is consistenly good. Both are true and so is it for a leader
in an organization. You should bless yoru employees by being
consistent - let them know what to expect from you, be fair, don't
lose your temper - and especially be consitenly a giver fo good gifts
- praise, meaningful work, empowerment, etc.
- God is the "faithful Creator" (1 Pet 4:19); He did not wind the
clock and then walk away. We see this exemplified when "God
remembered Noah" and made the floodwaters subside so that life could
continue on earth (Gen 8:1). So too, an organization's leaders need
to follow-through with the programs they begin. They can't leave
their staff high and dry (or wet if we continue the analogy), rather
they need to be there to help in times of trial.
Our ultimate faithfulness should be to God, but in being faithful to
God, we are faithful to those who have been made in His image and whom
He loves. In doing so, we become trustworthy and instill a deep-
seated devotion to our vocational calling from those to whom we are
faithful. Further godly employees will be faithful to an organizaion
that is faithfully carrrying out the work of the Kingdom.
-Carrie Cavanaugh
Best Christian workplaces
http://www.bcwinstitute.com
Our vision is that Christian workplaces should be the best, most
effective workplaces in the world.
All of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) have a profoundly
positive impact in the workplace, but faithfulness, especially
faithfulness as exemplified by the leaders of an organization, has an
exceptionally potent draw on employee dedication. For just as God's
faithfulness gives us reason to put our trust in Him and be "faith
full", so too, a leader's faithfulness to his employees results in
their loyalty to the organization.
In order to know what faithfulness is, let us look to the example of a
faithful God.
- God faithfully keeps his promises (Heb 10:23). God's words don't
just reflect the truth, they ARE truth - He says, "Let there be . . .
" (Gen 1:3, etc.) and it is. In the same way, leaders should be known
to keep their word.
- God "remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself" (II Tim 2:13); He
cannot go against His own character. In other words, because He is
God He must act as God would. Likewise leaders need to faithfully
carry out the obligations of a leader - goal setting, decision making,
equipping others to do their jobs, etc.
- Because God is faithful, He is consistent. It is said of God that
"there is no shadow of turning" in the context of Him being the giver
of good gifts (James 1:7). The relationship between "good gifts" and
God's unchanging nature can be either that His immutability is a good
gift in and of itself (in that He can be trusted and we don't have to
worry that our relationshp with Him could ever change) or it could be
that He is consistenly good. Both are true and so is it for a leader
in an organization. You should bless yoru employees by being
consistent - let them know what to expect from you, be fair, don't
lose your temper - and especially be consitenly a giver fo good gifts
- praise, meaningful work, empowerment, etc.
- God is the "faithful Creator" (1 Pet 4:19); He did not wind the
clock and then walk away. We see this exemplified when "God
remembered Noah" and made the floodwaters subside so that life could
continue on earth (Gen 8:1). So too, an organization's leaders need
to follow-through with the programs they begin. They can't leave
their staff high and dry (or wet if we continue the analogy), rather
they need to be there to help in times of trial.
Our ultimate faithfulness should be to God, but in being faithful to
God, we are faithful to those who have been made in His image and whom
He loves. In doing so, we become trustworthy and instill a deep-
seated devotion to our vocational calling from those to whom we are
faithful. Further godly employees will be faithful to an organizaion
that is faithfully carrrying out the work of the Kingdom.
-Carrie Cavanaugh
Best Christian workplaces
http://www.bcwinstitute.com
Our vision is that Christian workplaces should be the best, most
effective workplaces in the world.