Great leaders are visionaries; they are decisive, energetic, reflective, perceptive, and resilient. Adroit at articulating compelling visions, they can generate productive enthusiasm. They treasure unwavering convictions and yet are ingenious negotiators. Unfazed by criticism, they believe in a cause that is larger than themselves and are ready to pay a personal price for it. They attempt to convince others by using the power of ideas to win people’s hearts and minds rather than threatening, intimidating, harassing, or bribing them. Great leaders inspire others to pivot from a self-centered life to devote themselves to a cause that is greater than self-satisfaction and personal interests. In that sense, they are catalysts, envisioning opportunities where others see problems, helping to unleash latent talents, gifts, and energies to create a new reality in a community.
The effective leader is called to tirelessly initiate, maintain, or restore a higher-level order in a relentless struggle against the ostensibly boundless energy of inertia—to engage against the subtle forces of stagnation that seem to successfully neutralize every attempt to implement the much-needed changes. When the forces of chaos seem to successfully impose their cruel tyranny, when the naysayers become jubilant, when unethical individuals appear to conclusively subvert the fundamental values of the organization, when the narrow-minded appear to effectively neutralize any effort for creativity and innovation, that is when resolute leaders, unfazed visionaries, and ingenious negotiators enter into action. They articulate and communicate a vision that resonates as a solemn call to form a coalition of the willing. Consequently, people of good will everywhere realize that it is not enough to avoid following the multitude to do evil and that it is insufficient to simply be part of the silent majority. It is instead the moment to actively engage to support a worthy cause and a great ideal. Then, amazingly, a small group of restive, disparate people become a formidable alliance of the willing, metamorphosed in a dynamic team, focused on the mission, devoted to a treasured undertaking, ready to become a wellspring of blessings for the community and deliver seemingly impossible outcomes.
This issue of the Journal of Applied Christian Leadership tells the stories of such resolute leaders, unfazed visionaries, and ingenious negotiators. Their journeys meander through the apex and nadir of leadership, where euphoria and enthusiasm intermingle with disappointments and sacrifices.
In our Biblical Reflection, Pardon Mwansa, by studying the historical context of a pericope taken from the book of Nehemiah, explores the circumstances in which it is legitimate—even an obligation—to “break policies for the higher good of others.” He mentions several other great leaders, including Gandhi, Mother Theresa, and Martin Luther King, Jr., who made enormous personal sacrifices for a worthy cause.
In our first Leadership Interview, Kimberly Dunker introduces readers to Dr. Sandy Roberts, a trailblazing female minister who defied the odds to become a very influential and successful leader in the Adventist Church. In this interview, Roberts shares how other people have helped nurture and prepare her for challenging roles. She invites us all to empower people and give them the support they need to fulfill their God-given potential.
Our second interview is a continuation of a series started in our last issue. In this interview, Larry Geraty reflects on his presidencies at Atlantic Union College in Massachusetts and La Sierra University in California. He reluctantly gave up a promising career as an archeologist and researcher to embrace the role of university president. He explains how he put together his leadership team and how he brought financial stability to an institution that was millions of dollars in the red. Cultivating the connections of the institutions with the local community remained a priority during his tenure at both institutions. He advises future university presidents to have a clear vision for their institution, to maintain a balanced life, and to remain connected with the constituency.
Our first Feature Article, focused on Adventist healthcare, is written by Cesiah Pimentel-Melendez and Duane Covrig. These authors report the findings of a qualitative study among a sample of “experienced healthcare leaders,” some of whom question the applicability of these 19th-century founding values. The authors present the areas of strong consensus. They expand on moral and spiritual integrity as they explore the “founding values and organizational change within Adventist healthcare.” They discuss the danger of “organizational drift,” and they express the hope that Adventist healthcare can evolve without losing its core values as it strives to navigate the tension between the ideal and the reality of daily practices.
In our second Feature Article, Michael Gayle, leaning on his personal experience in human resources management, questions the “objectification” of people—often considered as “useful resources in the service of capital gain.” After reviewing several theories of organizational behavior, he proposes a new theory of human resource: the “peer-friend human resource,” shaped by love and social responsibility, in which people are seen as “a gift from God.”
According to Nancy Koehn (2020), real leaders “are forged in crisis” (para. 2). That statement summarizes our Leadership Lived written by Ivan Riapolov, who candidly shares his professional journey as an educator and church employee. He looks back at his contributions to the establishment of 47 new schools in the Euro-Asia Division in turbulent times, through the pandemic, and during the war in Ukraine—his native country. He recounts the development of an “Education Emergency Response Plan” to solicit support around the world to assist Ukrainian students severely affected by the war. These adverse circumstances forced him to grow as a leader.
In this issue, there are two articles focused on Adventist healthcare. The second one, a Dialogue brought to us by Sharon Aka, reflects on the integrity of the board of trustees of faith-based healthcare organizations. Aka is concerned especially about ethics in relation to their professed faith. She notes that board members have the important responsibility to maintain the focus on the unique mission of Adventist health ministry and recommends that they consistently follow best practices to prevent even the “appearance of evil” (1 Thess. 5:22, KJV). They are invited to be actively engaged in the decision-making process and take their sacred responsibility seriously.
As in our previous “special issue,” this issue closes with book reviews from Andrews University Leadership Department faculty, staff, and students, as well as dissertation notices from our own Leadership Department students.
We hope and pray that you will be inspired, encouraged, and compelled by these stories of resolute leaders and unfazed visionaries. May God bless you as you delve into this issue of the Journal of Applied Christian Leadership.
Bordes Henry Saturné, PhD, currently serves as chair of the Andrews University School of Leadership in Berrien Springs, MI. An ordained minister, he served in New York as a church pastor, school principal, and conference superintendent of schools. He was vice president of Atlantic Union College in Massachusetts and vice president of Asia-Pacific International University in Thailand. He is a New York state certified school district administrator. His research interests focus on leadership development and the challenges and opportunities unique to faith-based educational institutions. He may be reached at bordes@andrews.edu.
Reference
Koehn, N. (2020). Real leaders are forged in crisis. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/04/real-leaders-are-forged-in-crisis