knowledge

During his fourth missionary journey, Paul had instructed Timothy to care for the church at Ephesus while he went on to Macedonia.( 1 Timothy 1:3) When he realized that he might not return to Ephesus in the near future, he wrote the first letter to Timothy. Paul chooses his words carefully as he instructs Timothy “As I besought thee to abide till at Ephesus” This is a strong word which Paul used to convey a sense of urgency to show that the Christian leader is responsible to instruct those he leads. In 1 Timothy 3:15, Paul articulates the reason for the letter and clarifies his instruction to the young Timothy: “But if I tarry long, that thou may knowest how thou oughtest to behave thyself”

A leader that is willing to expend resources without clearly defined and articulated values is essentially creating a formula for failure. Enthusiasm, excitement, innovation, and zeal can be great traits with proper direction. Values constitute this direction. If leaders do not deliberately shape organization values, the organization will form its own. ‘Your organization will be guided by values, whether or not you deliberately decide what those values are. It can’t be assumed that naturally occurring values will be desirable.”

In a time where books were scarce, Paul was undoubtedly aware that the letter would be read to the entire congregation. Though the letter was addressed to Timothy, it was designed for the benefit of the entire church to provide instruction on the conduct of leadership. Leaders at every level must be aware of how their personal values shape the values-based culture. This does not mean that they have to infuse their own values into the organization. However, leaders who ignore their responsibility to shape organizational values will create a culture that is not moving in the direction they want to go. “If organizational culture is left to self-formation, it will run to the lowest common denominator and form its own restrictive and counterproductive rulebook.” Anyone aspiring to leadership should be carefully chosen, trained, and developed.

Hoover, John and Valenti, Angelo (2005). Unleashing Leadership: Aligning What People Do Best With What Organizations Need Most. Franklin Lakes, New Jersey: The Career Press.

Lieutenant Ken Rice is an Active Duty Naval Officer stationed in Norfolk VA. He is currently assigned to Commander, Naval Surface Force’s Warfare Requirments Directorate as the FORCEnet Requirements Officer. Lieutenant Rice is responsible for the program analasys and budget oversight for Information Technology Transformation for the Surface Fleet. He is currently enrolled at Regent University working towards a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership.

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