In their book “Leaders”, Mr. Bennis and Mr. Nanus assert that a “leader is responsible for the set of ethics or norms that govern the behavior of people in the organization.” They go on to say that these ethics can be established by the leader’s own demonstration, “by choosing carefully the people with whom they surround themselves, by communicating a sense of purpose for the organization, by reinforcing appropriate behaviors, and by articulating these moral positions to external and internal constituencies.” This statement asserts that a leader is responsible for the ethics his people live by when acting under him, and then suggests means of encouraging the people to follow the ethics. This is a true assertion, and is completely compatible with a biblical, Christian worldview.

In the light of scripture, a leader is responsible for the ethics his
people follow. In fact, a leader is responsible not only for the
ethics, but also for his own actions, the actions of his organization, and the actions of his people as they pertain to the organization. A leader is the federal and covenant head of his organization, like a father is head of his family, and Christ is head of the church. He is under moral obligation to make sure his people are following laws that are true, lawful, and honoring to God. We know this from Jesus Christ, who was the ultimate example of this responsibility. He was responsible for His chosen people’s actions (sins) to the point of becoming sin for them, in order that they might be redeemed and truly become His people.

Because a leader is responsible for the ethics of his people, he must therefore figure out how to motivate them to follow the ethics. First and foremost, he must follow the ethics himself. After all, the definition of a leader is one who leads, and if a leader does not follow the ethics he sets forth, what else is he doing but leading those who follow him away from the ethics? General Robert E. Lee, leader of the Confederate Army, knew this well. He was a devout Christian, and his first and foremost desire was for His men to know the joy of being a child of God. He fashioned his character and actions to reflect that of his Savior in every area that he could, because he wanted his men to see God in him. To further this end he gave almost no indication of any anger or bitterness at the south‘s loss of the war, and his subsequent inhumane treatment by the United States government.

A leader should set the moral tone by carefully choosing those people with whom he surrounds himself. When a dynamic and outstanding leader is seen fraternizing with people whose character does not reflect the ethics that the leader has chosen to follow, he will lose respect inside and outside his organization. Not to mention risking the possibility of his being led astray by those other characters. This was demonstrated by Rehoboam, son of Solomon, King of Israel. Rehoboam sought advice from his father’s councilors and from his young, foolish friends. He then rejected the advice of his father’s wise men, and instead chose the advice of his friends. Therefore the Lord fulfilled the word He had spoken to Solomon, and split Israel into two kingdoms.

In addition, a leader must communicate a sense of purpose for the organization. No organization or structure of any kind can exist without a purpose, and most legitimate ones have a set of written goals they wish to accomplish. Because the leader is the visible and responsible figurehead, he must be forever working towards these goals in ways that will spur his followers onward themselves. He should also draw a parallel between following the ethics and the success of the enterprise. A good example of this would be the Bible, which includes God’s goal for His creation. In it we see many accounts of people who were blessed because they followed God’s ethics.

Stemming from that comes the well known practice of rewarding good behavior. If there is no incentive to follow the ethics, then human nature will dictate that people obey only so much as it benefits them. As parents reward their children for following their instructions, as students are awarded good grades for doing their schoolwork correctly, as Christians are rewarded with heaven after their life work, so a leader must reward his followers for obeying his instructions and the ethics correctly.

Finally, and most importantly, a leader must articulate the ethics to his followers. After all, what’s the point of expecting people to abide by the ethics you want them to follow when they don’t know what the ethics are? When telling the rules, it is a good idea to drive them home with examples (parables, in the case of Jesus), or perhaps by telling the rules in a memorable way. (“The first rule of fight club is: you do not talk about fight club. The second rule of fight club is: you do not talk about fight club.”)

In summary, it is clear that leadership means responsibility, and a big part of responsibility is making sure your followers obey the ethics. A Christian should be the best leader of all, for the ethics he has his people follow are the ethics of the Lord of the Universe.