Leadership is challenging. I’m not sure if there is anyone who read that opening sentence and disagreed. I, however, am convinced that Christian leadership is even more challenging. The expectations that come with being a Christ-centered leader are often unfair and sometimes even unbiblical. Accountability can be seen as un-Christlike. Expectations can be seen as demanding. A firing can be the ultimate example of “lacking grace.” And you know what? Sometimes, as Christian leaders, we are all of those things. That’s why Christian leadership is so challenging. We are expected to steer a ship without making any waves. But my position today is that waves aren’t bad. In fact, when managed well, they are critical to a Christ-centered culture.
Culture matters. Many scholars believe it may matter more than anything else. It can provide stability. Unity. Trust. It also causes chaos and a lack of respect for authority. But what is culture? And furthermore, what is a Christian culture? Many scholars have shared the sentiment that culture is what you tolerate. If a colleague regularly shows up late for work and that behavior is never addressed, then accountability for timeliness is not valued in the culture. If a colleague is celebrated for her commitment to the mission of your organization, then loyalty is valued in the culture. A Christ-centered culture values the behaviors and attitudes of a biblically defined Christian according to the gospel. And this is where the leadership challenge comes.
Christian leaders have to make very difficult decisions on a daily basis in order to be the best possible stewards of the leadership God gave them in their organizations. Staying true to Christian principles and mission is not a simple task. The Apostle Paul says in his last days, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith,” (2 Timothy 4:7). Our Christian leadership is not designed to be a cakewalk. It’s a fight … a race with the Enemy. It’s a calling worthy of Jesus being a Lamb for our weakness and a Lion for our strength (Revelation 5). The truth and urgency of the gospel demand strong Christian leaders who will provide paths for their people and help those who are off path find their way back home.
So, let’s talk about those “off path” folks. Every leader can visualize that one colleague who they are avoiding a hard conversation with. Every organization has several team members who either out of ignorance (most of the time) or arrogance (sometimes) wander off into a territory that requires some corrective dialogue. Who is that colleague for you? What is the concern that you have with that person? Why is it causing so much internal, or even external, tension in your organization? What is keeping you from holding that person accountable to the expectations of the organization? Playing relational and emotional games is draining. As a leader, not addressing a behavior or a negative pattern will always result in the “meeting after the meeting,” where other colleagues ask, “Why does _________ get a pass?”
From my experience, there are a few main reasons why leaders fail to provide accountability. Often, leaders have put off a hard conversation for so long that it feels “weird” to do something at the current time. Other times, leaders feel insecure about their own vision, and they don’t even know what to say about what they know is wrong. Even other times, they are just too busy and find it easier to put their head in the sand and ignore it. Maybe the problem will go away, right?
Spoiler alert. It doesn’t go away. In fact, it becomes highlighted within the organization that “off path” behavior is actually okay, because remember, “culture is what you tolerate.” I can promise you this: you do not want the scenario where your employees are not held to accountability any more than you want a Savior who does not hold us to accountability. The prize is won by the narrow gate, which is expressly why you cannot have a truly Christ-centered culture without commitment to the hard conversations.
Why leaders should commit to hard conversations is one thing, but how to have them is an entirely different topic. Toward that end, I encourage you to get very curious about how to lead culture. Read! Listen to an audiobook for faster consumption. You have to be the lead learner if you’re going to be effective as a Christ-centered leader. Here are a couple of fantastic resources to start your curiosity tour:
- Boundaries for Leaders: Results, Relationships, and Being Ridiculously in Charge, Cloud 2013
- Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Grenny et al., 2022
As a closing note, I want to remind you that you are not responsible for your colleague’s response to a hard conversation. They may be upset. They may be defensive. They may be grateful. With any response, the leader’s responsibility is to model what it means to lead from the Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). The fruit doesn’t lack accountability. It is the accountability.
About the Author:
Mike Allen is an organizational leader who is passionate about culture, communication, and connection. Having worked in education for 20 years and in educational administration for over a decade, Mike’s ultimate vision for his leadership is to help other leaders move their people and organizations forward…positively. He currently serves as the Superintendent of Evansville Christian School, a multi-campus school system providing a Christ-centered education to 1,100+ students, PS-12. Mike is married to his wife, Kim, with whom he shares four incredible children.