How is Leadership Assessed in the Greek Orthodox Church?

As I progressed through this course, I have contemplated the different aspects of my life where leadership played a vital role. Recently, I have been delving into the concept of servant leadership and have come to the realization that the ideal setting to demonstrate its application would be in my local Greek Orthodox Church. The church presents itself as a thought-provoking subject in this matter, as much of the material in this course relates to leadership theory in organizational settings and work. While it may appear that matters of faith have little connection to leadership concepts, I have adopted a perspective that evaluates leadership effectiveness in a broader context. By considering the viewpoints of both parishioners and priests, there is ample opportunity to delve into the structure of leadership within my Greek Orthodox Church and explore the nature of its functioning. Within my church, and within most churches, servant leadership is at the forefront of the driving message of the church. The underlying idea of servant leadership is rooted in the “desire to serve others so that they can develop themselves and therefore perform to meet organizational needs which, in turn, leads into those followers developing into servants themselves to help others in the organization which ultimately helps it collectively perform” (PSU WC, 2016, L10, p. 2). And ultimately, this is the basis of the mission statement of the church, in which parishioners utilize leadership as servants to emulate Christ and practice the teachings of the church, while also growing the church at the same time. In accordance with this practice, the emphasis is based on leaders being attentive to the concerns of their followers, to empathize with them, and nurture them (Northouse, 2021, p. 348). It is a theory that pushes the follower first and uplifts their personal capacities. This is supported by Greenleaf (1991), who states that in becoming a servant leader, a leader uses less institutional power and control while shifting authority to those who are being led (Northouse 2021, p. 350). 

The concept of servant leadership, credited to Robert Greenleaf, is rooted in a fictional character who had a natural desire to serve and then made a conscious choice to lead, which is in contrast to those who become leaders first and then choose to lead. However, this raises questions about whether someone who is already a leader can become a servant leader. Despite this, the significant issue is that Greenleaf’s theory of servant leadership, which many scholars have built upon, is not focused on the same type of servant leadership exemplified by Jesus Christ. Rather, it was developed for the purpose of advancing businesses and organizations, not out of humility and love for others as God loves them. Modern churches in society have adopted this approach in seeking the moral basis of successful business to enhance its popularity, success, and revenue. This shift raises concerns about the true nature and mission of the church in promoting servant leadership. The idea that servant leadership alone can be the source of growth and an effective leadership model in the church is flawed. The increasing attention given to servant leadership in Orthodox circles can create the impression that being a successful leader requires being a servant leader. However, it is essential to pause and ask critical questions. While Jesus is often cited as the ultimate example of a servant leader, does this notion fully define His leadership, or is it only one aspect of His character as a leader? Moreover, even if servanthood is a central aspect of Jesus’ leadership, how does this translate to contemporary leadership in the church?

In light of these questions, it would be appropriate to propose that the priests, as the leaders of the church, must play a specific role in the church to give further direction in encapsulating the essence of Christ’s leadership, and in utilizing leadership styles to express that. Correlations may be drawn from path-goal theory in the role that priests can take to maintain the health and vitality of the church, while also promoting the growth of the congregation. Pertinent leadership styles that can prove to have an effect are evident in goal-oriented, team-oriented, people-oriented, and relational approaches. With the priests at the forefront, they can help parishioners on a path to achieve goals for themselves and others, while also helping remove obstacles that hinder them from moving forward. I remember a fellow parishioner from my church who went through a challenging phase in his spiritual growth during his adolescent years. At times when he felt lost and needed support, my priest applied the path-goal theory by choosing leadership styles that were appropriate for the situation and the follower’s needs (PSU WC, 2016, L.6). He employed a directive leadership style when guidance and psychological structure were required and a supportive leadership style when providing nurturing and empathy was necessary (PSU WC, 2016, L.6). 

With the application of this approach, it provides a better map for attaining leadership effectiveness within the church setting that doesn’t lie solely within servant leadership. However, when examining the antecedent conditions of servant leadership models (Northouse, 2021), it becomes clear that context and culture play a crucial role in shaping the practice of servant leadership within my church. It’s important to note that my church is part of the Greek Archdiocese of America and primarily consists of individuals of Greek ethnicity. Within Greek culture, there is a high level of ethnocentrism, which is rooted in the perception that Greek culture is better or more natural than those of others. As our church predominantly consists of individuals of Greek ethnicity, the lack of recognition of the unique perspectives of others may hinder several aspects of servant leadership (Northouse, 2021, p. 623). Furthermore, “dimensions of culture play into the understanding of cross-cultural interactions and how they relate to leadership effectiveness” (Northouse, 2021, p. 624). Greek culture demonstrates a significant level of in-group collectivism to the degree in which there is a great expression of pride and loyalty to respective families and ethno-regions of Greece. To elaborate on this, there is a split of Greeks at my church that come from two neighboring islands. These being Chios, and Mytilini. In analyzing its correlation to this dimension, these groups expect care from others in these “in-groups” and have high degrees of loyalty to the group in return (Northouse, 2021, p. 627). This leads to some “cliques” being formed within our community that take away from critical aspects in servant leadership that focus on the growth and support of others. However, it’s worth noting that Greece’s leadership profile, particularly within the Eastern Europe cluster of countries, showcases leadership behaviors that align with those desired for path-goal theory and servant leadership, such as “team-oriented leadership, participative leadership, and humane-oriented leadership” (Northouse, 2021, p. 636). This ideal leadership profile highlights that the context and culture dimension is not entirely negative within the realm of servant leadership. Ultimately, there are multiple factors that play into the assessment of leadership within the church, and they all play in accordance with one another in various shapes and forms. 

References

Greenleaf, R.K. (1970). The servant as leader. Westfield, IN: The Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership.

Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). SAGE.

Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2016). PSYCH 281 Lesson 2: Introduction and History of I/O Psychology. Retrieved from https: / / courses.worldcampus. psu.edu/psych281sp1oxo3/ content/lessono2/printlesson.