Developing Christian Servant Leadership
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Developing Christian Servant Leadership Faith-based Character Growth at Work Gary E. Roberts
DEVELOPING CHRISTIAN SERVANT LEADERSHIP Copyright Gary E. Roberts, 2015 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2015 978-1-137-48963-0 All rights reserved. First published in 2015 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN in the United States a division of St. Martin s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Where this book is distributed in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world, this is by Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave and Macmillan are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. ISBN 978-1-349-50424-4 ISBN 978-1-137-49245-6 (ebook) DOI 10.1057/9781137492456 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data. Roberts, Gary E., 1956 Developing Christian servant leadership : faith-based character growth at work / Gary E. Roberts. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index.. 1. Servant leadership Religious aspects Christianity. 2. Leadership Religious aspects Christianity. 3. Management Religious aspects Christianity. I. Title. BV4597.53.L43R623 2015 253 dc23 2014042302 A catalogue record of the book is available from the British Library. Design by SPi Global. First edition: April 2015 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To my Lord and savior Jesus Christ who is the author and finisher of our faith and the foundation of this book. I thank my wonderful wife Connie, my beloved mother Joyce, sister Sharon, and my precious daughters Alyssa, Sandra, and Christin for their love and support. I dedicate this to my students and colleagues at Regent University with gratitude and humility.
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Contents List of Tables Introduction and Acknowledgments ix xi 1 The Definition of Christian Servant Leader Character 1 2 Servant Followership 27 3 Building Servant Leader Character 37 4 Spiritual Disciplines 47 5 Faith 67 6 Spiritual Virtues 85 7 God s Definition of Success 117 8 Building Workplaces of Integrity 131 9 Overcoming Life Obstacles 143 10 Pride 153 11 Overcoming Strongholds 167 12 Courage and Overcoming Fear 183 13 Workplace Apologetics 187 14 Prayers: Overcoming Doubts 207 15 Prayers: Overcoming Fear and Anxiety 211 16 Prayers: Overcoming Adversity 215 17 Reflections on Servant Leader Character: Moving into the Future 223 References 227 Index 237
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List of Tables 1.1 Key Servant Leader Character Elements Essential for Success 8 1.2 Servant Leader Attributes: Literature Summary 12 1.3 Servant Leader: Empirical Literature Summary 15 1.4 Frequency Count of Servant Leader Studies: Country and Continents of Origin 21 5.1 Stages of Faith Development 79
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Introduction and Acknowledgments This book is the fruit of my role as a professor at Regent University, instructing gifted and spirit-filled men and women in graduate level government, public administration, and business courses. The Holy Spirit is the author of all God-breathed inspiration, and I give the glory and praise to God for the fruit produced by teaching spirit-filled students. This book is a collection of weekly devotionals that are an important labor of love, promoting reflection in the faith integration process. The goal is to illustrate critical biblical character attributes that servant leaders need to develop in various life domains, but with a primary emphasis on the workplace. They reflect much of my own trials and tribulations as I work out my salvation with fear and trembling and share the encouragement and discipline I received from the Lord. These devotionals are self-contained and stand on their own merits. It was only after I achieved a critical mass that I recognized the value of assembling them into a collection for a wider audience. Hence, the reader can confidently read the entries in the order presented, or feel free to review the individual topic areas of interest. I have included discussion questions after each devotional to stimulate further reflection and growth. I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for this amazing gift of instructing students at a faith-based institution. I thank the administration of Regent University, including Chancellor Dr. Robertson, for his faithfulness in hearing the Lord and obeying his instructions. The fruit is a growing and influential university, producing Christian leaders to change the world. I am indebted as well to Dr. Barry Ryan, former Vice President for Academic Affairs, for hiring me and helping birth this great journey. A special thanks to my Regent School of Government, School of Business and Leadership colleagues and staff members who are wonderful men and women of the Lord who supported me faithfully over the years. Students are clearly the focus of the book: they inspire and humble me with their passion, gifts, and abilities. Finally, I want to thank my wonderful mother Joyce, beautiful wife Connie and our three wonderful daughters, Alyssa, Sandra, and Christin for their patience and love. They are truly gifts from God!