Formational Leadership

Book excerpt: This book addresses the problem of toxic leadership in Christian contexts. Toxic leadership behaviors of narcissistic and obsessive-compulsive leaders will be emphasized. To counteract toxic Christian leadership, this book proposes a leadership development model, called formational leadership, which is based mostly on Wesleyan spirituality, but also includes monastic and Pentecostal spiritualities. Formational leadership is an eclectic leadership development model that includes components of transformational, authentic, and primal leadership approaches. Formational leadership emphasizes the spiritual, emotional, and ethical development processes in the leader and includes an analysis of orthokardia, orthodynamis, and orthopraxis. These components have a circular relationship with one another. Orthokardia includes the concepts of spiritual and emotional maturity that a Christian leader needs to develop in order to become an ethical and effective leader. Orthodynamis includes right power and influence motives based on Christian affections that should inform formational leadership. Orthopraxis refers to “right” and “just” leadership behaviors informed by Wesley’s social holiness and justice values that need to be adopted as organizational core values. The implications of these components for leadership development are outlined in chapters 4–6 that include practical steps for helping toxic leaders change their dysfunctional and harmful intentions and behaviors.