Justin A. Irving - Leadership in Christian Perspective: Biblical Foundations and Contemporary Practices for Servant Leaders

PART 1 OF THIS BOOK focused on beginning with authentic leaders. Based on this foundation of authentic and purposeful leaders, we now turn to understanding the priority of people in part 2. In this part of the book, we emphasize the importance of leaders prioritizing and focusing on followers. This focus on followers begins with the leaders role in valuing and appreciating (chap. 4). Although it is important to appreciate the contribution that individuals make to the team and organization, the chapter begins with a more basic affirmation of the intrinsic value of people made in Gods image. Leaders see this inherent value and find ways to communicate the care and value they have for the people with whom they work.

Based on this leadership practice of valuing and appreciating people, we turn in our next chapter to the leaders work of creating a place for individuality (chap. 5). In the twentieth century, approaches like scientific management aimed to standardize work and minimize human variation. Treating organizations and people like machines has some degree of efficiency, but this approach sacrifices the uniqueness of human creativitycreativity that provides real value to organizations. We call leaders to see and create a place for follower individuality in their work.

As leaders understand the priority of people, it becomes a top priority for these leaders to understand effective relational skills as well (chap. 6). As leaders foster collaboration, value and appreciate followers, and create space for follower individuality, all of this work necessitates effective relational skill on the part of the leader. In this chapter we engage the relational and intercultural skills needed to work effectively with followers in todays organizations.