Wolak Religion and Contemporary Management

Moses as a Model for Effective Leadership
1. Auflage 2016
ISBN: 978-1-78308-601-6
Verlag: De Gruyter
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 170 Seiten

‘Leadership’ is crucial to contemporary business, politics, and organizations of every type, including the corporate, non-profit, educational, and government sectors. While modern leadership theorists suggest various models, traits, and approaches to leadership behavior that purport novelty, Ecclesiastes just may have been right that ‘There is nothing new under the sun’. The biblical figure of Moses – a familiar name both to adherents of the Western religious traditions and to people who are not – provides an exemplary model of effective leadership that is broadly applicable. Moses is depicted in the Bible as exhibiting ‘heroic’ and ‘charismatic’ tendencies. He was certainly empathic. Yet Moses also shows ‘transactional’, ‘transformational’ and ‘visionary’ leadership qualities. A leader of good character, Moses exhibits features similar to the Yiddish term, ‘mensch’ – someone showing responsibility and integrity, knowing right from wrong. Though few might think of Moses as a ‘leader’ or a ‘manager’ in the contemporary sense, Moses not only holds a firm place among the most significant leaders in Western civilization but is arguably the quintessential example of leadership from whom much can be learned by people entering and occupying leadership positions. While current leadership and management vocabulary might differ from the Hebrew Bible, many of the traits, behaviors and actions advocated by modern leadership theorists appear to emulate those of Moses. Wolak contrasts contemporary leadership ideas with biblical and rabbinic sources that show Moses’ leadership qualities, Moses serves as an ancient model with current relevance for what modern leadership theorists argue make for an effective leader. ‘Religion and Contemporary Management’ discusses and compares original and critical biblical and rabbinic sources with current business leadership and management literature, revealing what leadership theorists’ advocate today largely emulates what the Bible depicts as effective leadership through Moses’ example. Hence, Moses’ influence on current leadership trends in Western culture appears pervasive, even if contemporary leadership theorists do not typically cite Moses as an important source for leadership precedent.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Wolak, Arthur J.

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Religionswissenschaft Allgemein Religiöse und spirituelle Führer
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Betriebswirtschaft Bereichsspezifisches Management Management: Führung & Motivation
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Betriebswirtschaft Management

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Acknowledgements; Foreword by Ruth Sandberg; Foreword by Larry Pate; About the Author; Epigraph; Introduction; 1. Ancient Leadership for Present Times; 2. Defining Leadership; 3. Leaders and Managers; 4. Heroism, Charisma and Their Limitations; 5. Empathic Leadership; 6. Humility – the Antithesis of Arrogance; 7. Moses’ Essential Leadership Skills; 8. Assessing Moses’ Leadership Style; Glossary; Bibliography; Index

Über Autor(innen)

Dr. Arthur J. Wolak is President of CMI Chat Media Inc. He received his PhD in management from Macquarie University, Australia, and earned graduate degrees in comparative religion. He is a member of the Board of Governors of Gratz College. Wolak has published articles in ‘The International Journal of Organizational Analysis’, ‘The Australasian Canadian Studies Journal’ and ‘The Jewish Bible Quarterly’.