The Reciprocal Relationship
How do Christian organizations and management refocus the biblical ‘Beatitudes’ found in Matthew 5-7 in leading and managing employees?
Leaders and employees must work towards specific goals and objectives for the organization. Organizations are known by their motives; their sole purpose is gaining wealth by taking customers’ money or the supervisors storing up reports for high output at the expense of their employees’ health and welfare. The critical aspect of an organization comes from values and beliefs. Will your organization be known as a customer ahead of profit and employee’s health and welfare as the one to work for? Life is more than just profits alone. Organizational longevity will foster the benefits of employees desiring to work well for the leader who looks out for them.
Leadership Strategies in the Spirit of the Beatitudes
A leadership strategy in the spirit of the beatitudes is “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Humility goes a long way. A leader who is tried and tested by fire will stand for what is right. Standing up for what is right means becoming a bondservant for your employees. Employees will be more than willing to go above and beyond the scope of work.
Consider everyone in your organization as a treasure in heaven, building righteous relationships as a soul you can be accounted for in heaven, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Today, an influential Christian leader has a strategic opportunity to integrate the Beatitudes critically in importance to value the employees of any organization. Building righteous relationships, you can take with you. Where might you ask? Have you heard the statement? You will never see a U-Haul truck behind anyone going to heaven. A leader following the model of Jesus exemplified motives with a reward. Does your organization need a reset? Now is the time to gain valuable assets in your people. Jesus ensures God honors our actions, being led for His sake, and performs these actions for righteousness.
Organizations are built for purpose and to perform; the leader or owner knows the rewards of good work, and an increase in material possessions is not what we seek in life because it is the ‘love of money that becomes the root of all evil.’ What is required is the correct focus. The treasure is not in the money but in your people; this should be the focus of where your treasure is, and so is the heart of a man or woman.
“Managers are people who do things right, and leaders do the right thing. Both roles are crucial, and they differ profoundly. I often observe top-level people doing the wrong things well.”—Warren Bennis.
The ‘pure in heart’ leader will look out for the needs and concerns of their employees. Is it time for a heart check? Where is your treasure? Gaining wealth or drawing out your people’s treasures for achieving the organization’s long-term goals and objectives. Keeping the main thing the main thing. Modesty and humility are found in great men and women. The implementation processes of drawing value from your employees consider each employee through personality assessment and leadership communication for each personality. The discipline of a leader creates advancement for the employee to flourish. Preparation is considering personality assessments; your organization will thrive when the right motives, person, mission, and each person’s talents are recognized for each position.
How Much More
Productivity from the organization’s view via the manager is testing the heart and providing the tools they need to do the work, such as efficient equipment, training, methods, and systems. The tasks leaders offer to their followers are the core values. Jesus provided core values through the Beatitudes, and we are reminded to offer open-door policies to our employees to—ask. According to Jesus in Matthew 7:10-12 states, “Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him? Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
The core values come from vision, and leadership will be able to communicate the organization’s critical roles and valuable skills to foster free thinking. Effective leadership guides people’s behavior through vision. Leadership communicates to critical stakeholders for business alignment towards specific goals. The results are the ability to make definitive and difficult choices and decisions, committing to each. Lastly, influential leaders will continue to articulate a vision and challenge the status quo to guide followers through times of change.
Given what he asks from his leadership, the employee’s productivity will produce the results one would desire to receive firm foundations built on the rock, not those made on the sands for destruction. Wise leadership places lessons for productivity into practice, leading to fruitful harvests for followers. Remember, according to Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” The fruitful harvest of an organization through its employees is recognition through rewards built by trust in promoting collaboration in teamwork. Effective leaders encourage and reward the ‘hired heart.’ Leaders reward accomplishments. In the military, members receive certificates and medals for a job well done. Management and Supervisors provide employees with an Employee of the Month plaques’ for recognition or performance Evaluations for organizational bonuses and raises. They listened intently to diverse viewpoints and treated others with respect and dignity. The culture a leader develops with their employees creates the environment for the contribution to the greater move of God. Organizations exist to meet the needs of others contributing to worthy causes.
Remember the Seeds
Continue to practice and model the behavior you desire your employees to exemplify, encourage the heart with authentic celebrations, show appreciation, and be a shining light to others. The harvest of your organization would bear the fruit that is sweet because the leader remains on the vine, and with all the necessary work to grow and prune the vines, the organization will provide the right environment with the essential nutrients for the fruit to grow and naturally produce the desired results.
As a reminder, according to Galatians 5:16-18, “the works of the flesh are evident, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The seeds planted in your organization and your employees will be the direct representatives producing fruit from your natural leadership qualities. The reciprocal relationship between leaders and employees will exemplify the laws of empowerment, freely walking in the power to act in trust and responsibility.
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