Johan Beukes is a seasoned Leadership and Business Coach and registered Psychometrist. He has an MDiv in Theology, an MPhil in Leadership, and a PhD in Educational Psychology. He has fulfilled senior roles at various multinational companies and macro churches, is a board member of Mergon and Echurch, and actively coaches CEOs and high-profile leaders and teams.
Introduction
The challenges of today’s world may sometimes feel overwhelming. But as Christian business leaders we can engage with diversity and complexity in a meaningful way, because Christianity is a robust, sense-making faith that can successfully engage a pluralistic world. As touched upon in my previous article, we can respond to the challenges by bringing our spirituality into the workplace, and learning from others’ perspectives by using new business tools and frameworks (such as the in-Christ leadership paradigm introduced below).
The in-Christ leadership paradigm
The in-Christ leadership paradigm (which is founded on Romans 8) offers a life-giving, holistic and integrated way for staying in touch with a complex and pluralistic reality while growing deeper into Christ and bearing fruit of the Spirit.
It is ‘life-giving’ in the sense that being in Christ enables you as a leader to sustainably carry the burdens and pressures of leadership, while not putting undue burdens or pressures on others. As leaders, however, we can be rooted in many other things. In his soul-searching book Counterfeit Gods, Timothy Keller shows how often we are motivated by the “deep idols” of comfort, control, approval or power – which are not life-giving to ourselves or to others, because the fear of gaining (or not losing) these things drive our behaviour. Yet these idols cannot be dealt with simply by saying, “I need to de-emphasise this in my life. I must not let this drive me. I will stop it.” We are invited to be transformed into the image of Christ.
It is ‘holistic’ in the sense that in-Christ leadership considers the holistic nature of people. There is an awareness of the different dimensions of life, including people’s spiritual, physical, social, emotional, and mental realities, as well as the way these play out within the context of their primary relationships (with God, self, others, and the outside world).
Unfortunately, many believers arrive at a place where they do not experience (or believe) that their business, leadership and life are integrated. The in-Christ leadership paradigm provides ‘integration’ in the sense that it empowers leaders to weave their life and work dimensions together, which contributes to their overall well-being and broader leadership impact. This creates an organisational culture where other people can also live in an integrated way, and where by extension, different teams and departments can also function in an integrated way.
Applying Romans 8 to organisational culture
Romans 8 is famed for presenting the complete gospel in one chapter. Using this chapter as a lens through which leaders can view the complex and pluralistic world they’re in, the in-Christ leadership paradigm focuses on the following eight movements to create a life-giving organisational culture:
So how do these eight movements change the way we as leaders think about organisational culture?
Movement 1: Reflection (Rom. 1–7)
In-Christ leaders are able to reflect on how an organisational culture developed. They are also aware of the fact that people sometimes act in ways they did not intend to, due to being part of an overall culture that penalises certain types of behaviour, and rewards others. Useful questions for reflection would be:
Movement 2: Context (Rom. 8:1–8)
When Jesus came, he changed our whole context. Through his salvation, we moved from living under condemnation, to living under freedom and joy. Organisational cultures that are characterised by people and teams feeling predominantly condemned, hurt, smothered or used, will bother in-Christ leaders. Useful questions for considering the broader context would be:
Movement 3: Disconnectedness (Rom. 8:22–28)
There are always different relationships at play in organisations – many of these underpinned by unexpressed groans or yearnings. In-Christ leaders are aware that unmet expectations (even if unexpressed) can create feelings of being disconnected, which can undermine the positive relational glue of any organisation.
If your organisational culture is characterised by excessive worry, soul-destroying boredom, cowardice or anger, it should bother you as an in-Christ leader. Useful questions for addressing disconnection would be:
Movement 4: Connectedness (Rom. 8:18–21, 28–30)
In-Christ leaders create organisational cultures with a hopeful purpose towards Christlikeness, that enables people to overcome adversity. A high performance culture is necessary to remain profitable in any competitive industry, because it drives teams to be as effective as possible in achieving business goals. Yet as Timothy Keller writes in Counterfeit Gods, “Modern society puts great pressure on individuals to prove their worth through personal achievement. It is not enough to be a good citizen or family member. You must win, be on top, to show you are one of the best.”
If your organisation is characterised by a high performance culture that sacrifices the long term well-being of people on the altar of short term success, it will bother an in-Christ leader. Useful questions for thinking about interconnectedness would be:
Movement 5: Change (Rom. 8:5–11)
In-Christ leaders are aware of the temptation to live according to the flesh (i.e. the brokenness of the human heart) and the call to live according to the Spirit (which includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, as listed in Galatians 5:22–23). Yet many organisational cultures and leaders are rooted in the deep idols of comfort, control, approval, or power.
If your organisational culture is characterised by behaviours that seek power over people and the environment, and values these behaviours as being ‘business savvy’ – perhaps it is time to change or influence it. Useful questions for bringing about change would be:
Movement 6: Next steps and new rhythms (Rom. 8:12–17)
As mentioned before, in-Christ leaders will often come up against an organisational culture built on and shaped by people’s desire for comfort, control, approval, or power (probably all four!). The probability for experiencing more loneliness, reduced productivity, less independence, or feelings of being overburdened may be much higher in these environments.
As an in-Christ leader you will need to discern which outcomes to pursue through personal choice, and which outcomes to surrender in trust to Christ. Useful questions for creating new rhythms would be:
Movement 7: Gifts (Rom. 8:31–39)
In-Christ leaders have a sense of “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31) and therefore live, work and lead with a different attitude and approach to those rooted in the need to gain (or not lose) comfort, control, approval, or power. Yet life is full of uncertainty, injustice, failure, rejection, and disappointment – none of us can escape the chaos of life, and no money or worldly success can truly shield us from it. Only God can, and as in-Christ leaders we are called to respond with grace, gratitude and generosity to business and leadership challenges.
Useful questions to embrace living as ‘more than a conqueror’ would be:
Movement 8: Contemplation and celebration (Rom. 12, 15)
In-Christ leaders are aware that the world wants us to sacrifice ourselves in worship to it, without even thinking about it. A part of renewing our minds therefore is to contemplate our blindspots, to see where we are giving into the soul-destroying patterns of this complex, pluralistic world. Another part is to celebrate with others when they experience joy, and to recognise when someone is becoming more and more like Christ.
Useful questions for an in-Christ leader would be:
Conclusion
In conclusion, in-Christ leadership is a transformative journey that benefits not only you as a leader but also those around you. Remaining rooted in Christ shapes your character and leadership, providing a meaningful example for your team, family, and community. Your connection to Christ and the lens of faith through which you view the world will infuse your leadership and personal life with compassion and understanding. This has the potential to serve as a source of inspiration and guidance for those you lead, encouraging them to follow in your footsteps and embrace the life-giving essence of this holistic and integrated approach.
