This article is based on the following books:

1. Leighton Ford’s “Transforming Leadership: Jesus’ Way of Creating Vision, Shaping Values & Empowering Change,”
2. J. Thomas Wren’s “The Leader’s Companion: Insights on Leadership Through the Ages,”
3. Peter Northouse’s “Leadership: Theory and Practice, 8th edition.”

Ford and Wren: An Analysis of Their Similarities and Differences

Over this semester, Ford and Wren have been instrumental in helping to develop a clear and thorough understanding of transformational leadership from a Biblical and secular perspective. Each provides essential and valuable leadership theories, philosophies, and practical applications for developing aspiring leaders. For example, Ford's transformational leadership theory illustrates the value of looking at leadership through the various qualities of the Ultimate Leader, Jesus Christ (Ford, 134). He does this throughout his book, "Transforming Leadership," across ten chapters. In addition, part of Ford's leadership theory begins with a discussion on defining transactional and transformational leaders. In doing so, Ford paints a beautiful picture of the contrast between the two, bringing to light the difference in complacency within one's leadership style and moving the needle while developing others. He does this through three specific examples, stating, "transactional leaders work within the situation, transformational leaders change the situation," "transactional leaders accept what can be talked about; transformational leaders change what can be talked about," and lastly, "transactional leaders accept the rules and values; transformational leaders change them" (Ford, 127). With these three illustrations, it becomes apparent the value that Ford places on embracing change while in a leadership position. Ford does not diminish the value of remaining focused as a leader but portrays the benefits of being flexible and open to change in different situations. However, the primary focus of Ford's work remains on providing a thorough analysis of leadership as it relates to specific qualities of Christ, developing healthy interpersonal qualities, and building healthy habits to facilitate such relationships. Wren takes more of a secular approach to his leadership theory and communication with readers, with a stronger focus on interpersonal dynamics in the workplace while finding a common ethical and moral ground with biblical principles. Wren also allows for examples outside the biblical text to help illustrate his points. For example, when discussing transformational and transactional leadership, James Burns mentions in Chapter 19 that "…transforming leadership ultimately becomes moral in that it raises the level of human conduct and ethical aspiration of both leader and led, and thus it has a transforming effect on both." He cites Gandhi as a modern example of this type of leadership: "Perhaps the best modern example is Gandhi, who aroused and elevated the hopes and demands of millions of Indians and whose life and personality were enhanced in the process" (Wren, 100).

Ford's philosophy of transformational leadership lies in the foundation that "transformational leaders motivate us to do more than we expected to do, by raising our awareness of different values, by getting us to transcend our self-interests for the cause and by expanding our portfolio of needs and wants" (Ford, 134). Wren's philosophy discusses the importance of understanding where, as leaders, we are leading our followers. He essentially makes the point that when leaders fail to think critically and challenge assumptions, there is a danger of shepherding their followers toward disaster (Wren, 383). Instead, leaders should be skilled in putting their visions into practice by emphasizing specific interpersonal behaviors on a one-to-one basis (Wren, 406). This is accomplished through focusing others' attention on key issues, (or helping followers understand and become committed to a leader's vision) effectively communicating (actively listening, being specific, being descriptive), being consistently trustworthy, displaying respect both for oneself and others, and understanding how to take calculated risks with commitment (Wren, 406). All of these habits involve developing relationships with others over time. Put into practice, the skills of a leader in Part 12 of Wren's book discusses applying the philosophy outlined throughout the earlier section. An article by Michele Darling, the executive vice president of human resources at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, provides an article in Wren's book in which she states, "Leadership that seeks to take a simple vision and then teach, nurture, and shape a company is a challenging, demanding, and exciting concept that ultimately brings success," thus supporting the traits and habits that were encouraged in Wren's philosophy for leaders to develop with intentionality (Wren, 476). 

The organization of Ford's work is done in direct relation to biblical principles and attributes of Christ as a leader. He identifies, through ten chapters, ten different attributes, such as The Leader as Son, The Leader as Strategist, The Leader as Seeker, The Leader as Seer, The Leader as Strong One, The Leader as Servant, The Leader as Spokesperson, The Leader as Struggler, and The Leader as Sustainer. He illustrates the different traits of successful leaders in this manner because we cannot just "baptize secular leadership models and import them into our work for Christ without subjecting them to critical examination" (Ford, 264). He discusses a book by Charles Colson in which he imagines the Confessing Church pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, speaking with a German broadcasting company just before giving a speech. Colson says (imagining the words of Bonhoeffer), "Should the leader allow self to succumb to the wishes of those he leads, who will also seek to turn him into an idol, then the leader will gradually become the 'mis-leader'…This is the leader who makes an idol of himself and his office, thus mocking God" (Ford, 264). These sentences frame the foundation for which we should develop our leadership principles and the focus they should have on Christ.

Ford illustrates these concepts masterfully throughout his work. He shows that Jesus knew who He was, saying that "leadership is first of all not something one does but something one is. This comes out clearly in the story of Jesus when his Father affirms him as his special son (Mt 3:17; Mk 1:11; Lk 3:22)" (Ford, 277). Further, "Christ had a quiet sense of confidence that grew from His relationship with His Father" (Ford, 277). Further, Jesus knew where He was going, as He had a powerful sense of purpose. Similar to Wren's focus on a leader having a clear vision, and then developing habits through which people will want to be part of that vision, Ford demonstrates this on a biblical foundation by discussing how Christ's "very first message was, 'The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!' (Mk 1:15)" (Ford, 497). This was clearly Christ's compelling passion from His first message to His last. On the same note of having a vision, as Wren demonstrated clearly in his work, Ford also discusses the importance of a leader having a vision. He relates this to Christ, saying, "Jesus saw things clearly – he had a steady vision" (Ford, 1039). In short, Ford provides that the values of a successful transformational leader are built upon the character of Christ. These include having a strong sense of purpose (Ford, 408), the correct values (Ford, 788), a steady vision (Ford, 1039), strong morals and character (Ford, 1280), willing to serve others (Ford, 1517), a desire for developing leaders (Ford, 1777), strong communication (Ford, 2575), prepared to face conflict (Ford, 2935), and to remain committed to the future (Ford, 3199). Consistently, Ford draws on the biblical material to sustain His understanding and communication of successful transformational leadership, casting a new light on many well-known passages. Ford utilizes these Biblical accounts (such as Jesus' first message remaining the foundation of His vision for His entire life and ministry or John the Baptist's ability to effectively communicate) to provide an impressive list of leadership qualities that Jesus had, challenging the reader to begin to grow and incorporate these attributes in their own life. However, merely seeing these qualities and acknowledging them does not automatically equip us with all of the same attributes. Rather, they are acquired through an intentional application. Wren's described attributes for successful transformational leaders, while listed differently than Ford's, also draw upon similar biblical principles and their practical application in one's life. A few of the skills that he describes of an effective leader are: being able to think critically (Wren, 379), strategically adapting to change based on one's environment (Wren, 395), having a strong vision, and being able to hold that vision over a long period of time (Wren, 405), having strong communication skills, stating, "Leadership is human (symbolic) communication which modifies the attitudes and behaviors of others in order to meet group goals and needs," (Wren, 428), and having systems in place which resolve disputes (Wren, 432). While each of these also corresponds reasonably closely with Ford's attributes, Wren's section on "Practicing Moral Leadership" seems to delineate slightly from its similarities with Ford.

Wren states, regarding moral leadership, that "even the Golden Rule is inadequate, for it measures the wants and needs of others simply by our own." While this is a popular, modern, philosophical view of the Golden Rule (Matt. 7:12), it is incorrect. Wren's statement is based upon the assumption that Christ did not know the human heart and its selfishness, or even worse, ignored it. With this required assumption in mind, Wren provides his statement outside the context with which Christ delivered the Golden Rule. In the verse directly before verse 12, Matthew 7:11, Christ describes the human heart as innately "evil."

Further, to outright say that the Golden Rule is inadequate is to blatantly say that the Old Testament Law is therefore inadequate, which again in Scripture, we see that this is not the case (Matt. 5:17). The Golden Rule said by Christ in Matthew 7:12 is in reference to Leviticus 19:18, "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD." God illustrates in His Word that He knows we are naturally selfish and lovers of ourselves. The command Jesus quotes from Leviticus is brilliant because He uses this flaw of humanity (our innate selfish desires) and His deep understanding of it, turns it on its head, and uses it as the foundation through which we should treat others. If Wren were to lean into this teaching of Christ, it would better support his leadership principles found in the book's last chapter. This is because the Golden Rule is different from all other religions and is often misquoted among Christians and secular humanists alike in that Christ used it in the positive. It is often used as a negative or offered passively. In our culture today, we may find many secular leaders saying, "do not do something to someone that you do not want them to do to you," Christ is saying, "go and do things for others that you want them to do for you." It is a call to action. At its core, the Golden Rule is a command to love others actively, which is, ironically, the first trait Wren provides as a "universal human value" (Wren, 502). He quotes Jeane Kirkpatrick discussing political differences, saying, "there was a kind of assumption, on the part of almost everyone, that people would help one another at the personal level." Kirkpatrick addresses the assumption that people would actively love and help others. Or in other words, she directly reflects the command Jesus gave in Matthew 7:12, which Wren dismisses in the pages just before.

Wren wraps up his book by listing leadership principles that are also foundationally supported in Scripture, such as truthfulness (Wren, 502), fairness (Wren, 503), unity (Wren, 504), tolerance (Wren, 505), responsibility (Wren, 505), and respect for life (Wren, 506). Finally, he seeks for readers to apply these values by considering the question, "Whose values will you teach?" (Wren, 508).

Ford ends his book with an epilogue in which a list of questions are asked by young readers and answered by Christ's words from the gospels, each answer being given by one of the ten leadership attributes listed throughout the book. These answers provide the reader with real-world applications of the text through a biblical world-view, showing developing leaders how Christ’s attributes can help us develop into effective transformational leaders.

The Church as a Business: Similarities and Differences

There are several aspects through which we can apply the work of Wren to a ministry setting, and this begins with understanding the ways in which a church or ministry operates like a business and the ways in which it does not. To ignore the ways in which the church operates as a business from the leadership, serious financial trouble could be introduced to the ministry, which could easily cripple a church or business quickly. From a managerial (or leadership) perspective, there are many commonalities between churches and the secular world. For example, while congregants are encouraged to attend church each week, there is a real cost (an actual number), that a church spends on average per person in attendance. For a church of roughly 160 attendees, a family of four costs, on average, $95.20 (Shearer, 2019). It’s vital for a church or ministry leader to be able to recognize that there is a real cost to operating a church or ministry, much in the same way that a business operates. It’s also important to understand the importance of delegating certain managerial tasks to individuals or teams that are skilled in these areas. Wren states, “I don’t care how many hours a leader works, how much management by walking around the leader may do, how intelligent or financially adept that person is. It is simply impossible to pull all the strands together on one desk” (Wren, 474). Further, the way that businesses spend their time and their money is a direct reflection of their priorities. The same is true with churches. Much like the Heinz Corporation’s policy of corporate ethics in May of 1976, sound businesses are intentional with the systems that they put in place to evaluate their expenditures constantly (Wren, 494). If secular businesses employ systems to ensure that they are spending financial assets wisely, churches should be in the same mindset, if not more so (Rainer, 2020). Additionally, healthy businesses are constantly learning more about their audience and prioritizing their efforts toward understanding, and healthy churches should be doing the same. Businesses do not stay in business unless they develop and possess a deep and clear understanding of both their market and their customer base, and this is because “corporations are becoming more and more accountable – to customers, shareholders, suppliers, regulators, fiscally-strapped governments and, increasingly, the general public” (Wren, 474). Additionally, successful “leaders (also) recognize that they should manage their businesses to maximize the value of (their) customer base” (Markey, 2020). Even though churches don’t have customers and niche markets in the same manner that businesses and corporations do, we still have a clear vision and directive from Christ, saying, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20a). Without a basic missional understanding of the community surrounding the church or the people in the congregation, it would be incredibly difficult to have a clear idea of where to go, when to go, and how to do so (Rainer, 2020).  

While it is true that churches can, and at times, should, operate like a business, businesses and corporations can also operate in a manner somewhat resembling a church. Leighton Ford speaks to this quite extensively in his book. The application of these principles found within Scripture can be applied to various aspects of our lives, managing, and leading a business or corporation included. Specifically, the Bible discusses, as it relates to leaders, the role of concern for followers (love), the place of truth in leadership (integrity), bringing order out of chaos (1 Timothy, Titus), leaders as ethical and moral models (1 Timothy, Titus, 1 Corinthians 11:1), as well as generational and gender relationships (1 Timothy, Titus). Ford discusses a believers role within a corporate business setting as it relates to Matthew 28:16-20, saying, “business can be the place for carrying out God's call, but the kingdom-seeker looks beyond making a living, to fulfilling a sense of calling” (Ford, 998-999). Ford emphasizes a desire within the heart of a believer to do more than just cash a paycheck. So often in our culture today, we experience this new phrase known as “quiet quitting,” in which employees show up, do a minimal amount of work, receive a paycheck, and go home all while hopefully scooting just under the radar. But we’re called to so much more than that. We’re called to invest in others, to actively show them love, care, and compassion. In the business world, that means getting to know the people that one leads, whether that be the great things going on in their life and work, frustrations, or simply hearing what they have to say. Ford also discusses this, saying that “business leaders are learning that the best management does not take place by writing tidy organization charts or carefully constructed memos” (Ford, 2753). A leader who micromanages their team, or tries to lead without relating or understanding the pain points or victories of their team is destined for failure. Ford continues on, briefly painting a picture of what a successful leader in a corporate setting looks like, “It (the best management) takes place by walking around and seeing and listening to the people who are doing the work-knowing their problems and frustration, listening to their ideas and solutions” (Ford, 2755). It’s also easy when managers manage well, or leaders led well, to develop an ego, or over confidence. When we view our work through the lens of Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,” we can gain a better perspective on the mindset that we should have whether working in a corporate or religious setting. All that we do should be for the glory of God. Ford phrases it beautifully, saying “…the biggest thing is too small a thing when it is not done to the glory of God and for the global purpose of Jesus Christ. To build the biggest house, the biggest law practice, the biggest business, or the biggest church is too small a thing if it is not done to the glory of God and for the global purpose of Jesus Christ” (Ford, 1026-1027).

Transformational Leadership: Uniquely Biblical?

Transformational leadership is a topic that is being widely discussed among business and ministry leaders in today’s culture. While not uniquely a biblical concept, transformational leadership is closely tied to biblical principles and attributes of Christ. It could be argued that transformational leadership’s foundation is rooted in the principles of Scripture, but at times some of the attributes can become distorted in the secular world. For example, we could cite Wren’s misinterpretation of the Golden Rule found in Matthew 7:12 as one such distortion. Peter Northouse specifically discusses transformational leadership in his book, “Leadership: Theory and Practice, 8th Edition.” Before diving into the topic immediately, he first defines leadership, saying that it “is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal” (Northouse, 5). Later he builds upon this definition, saying that relationships, as they relate to leadership, are “transformational in that they assist leaders and followers in moving beyond their own self-interests to accomplish the greater good of the team and organization” (Northouse, 219). With these two concepts in mind, Northouse, who takes a secular approach to leadership in his book, ultimately defines transformational leadership as a process through which an individual develops relationships with others who as a group are striving to achieve a common goal, and thereby moves beyond one’s own self-interests to accomplish the greater good of the team. Similar to Wren, we also see Northouse discuss foundational elements to transformational leadership that ultimately have their foundation in Scripture. He discusses these traits, saying that transformational leaders are “concerned with emotions, values, ethics, standards, and long-term goals” (Northouse, 243). This mirrors several of Ford’s characteristics of Christ, thus emphasizing the biblical foundational truths of transformational leadership. Northouse’s characteristics of transformational leaders being concerned with emotions mirrors Ford’s attribute of Christ as The Leader as Struggler. The characteristic of leaders being concerned with values and ethics mirrors Ford’s attribute of Christ as The Leader as Seeker, in which Ford states that “Jesus had his own standard of success-he stood for the values of the kingdom” (Ford, 788). Leaders being concerned with standards mirrors Ford’s attribute of Christ as The Leader as Strategist, in which “Jesus knew where he was going-he had a great purpose.” Ford quotes Warren Bennis in applying this concept at a deeper level, saying, “Managers want to do things right-leaders want to do the right thing” (Ford, 408). Lastly, when Northouse comments that transformational leaders are concerned with long-term goals, this mirrors Ford’s attribute of Christ as The Leader as Sustainer. Ford states that “Jesus made provision to keep the movement going-he was committed to the future.” He continues, quoting two more people, Max Depree and David McKenna, who said, “The art of leadership dwells a good deal in the future…By the very nature of their role, incarnate leaders must plan to make an exit” (Ford, 3198). As we look back across history, we can see example after example of specific instances in which powerful leaders failed to meet the challenge of the future. However, “Jesus realized that a transforming leader must provide not only a legacy but also a way of sustaining and renewing momentum” (Ford, 3214). Rather than have principles from secular business leaders discussing the importance of leaders accounting for the future, Scripture lays the same foundation but then builds upon it.

Sources:

Ford, Leighton. Transforming Leadership: Jesus' Way of Creating Vision, Shaping Values & Empowering Change. Kindle Edition. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1991. 

Markey, Rob. “Are You Undervaluing Your Customers?” Harvard Business Review January-February, 2020 (January 1, 2020). 

Rainer, Thom S. “Five Healthy Ways to Run Your Church like a Business.” Church Answers, February 7, 2020. https://churchanswers.com/blog/five-healthy-ways-to-run-your-church-like-a-business/. 

Shearer, Darren. “Why Most Churches Are Businesses.” Theology of Business Institute, November 20, 2019. https://www.theologyofbusiness.com/why-most-churches-are-businesses/. 

Wren, J. Thomas. The Leader's Companion: Insights on Leadership through the Ages. Kindle Edition. New York, NY: Free Press, 1995. 

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