The way of Jesus is for organizations to nurture flourishing individuals and societies.

But many of us have experienced the devastating effects of a toxic work environment.

This is not the way God meant organizations to run. From the ancient Old Testament Scriptures and the teachings of Jesus and his Apostles, everything in life is meant for universal flourishing, or Shalom.

Our guest is Dr. Justin Irving, Professor of Christian Leadership at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. His newest book is titled, Healthy Leadership for Thriving Organizations: Creating Contexts Where People Flourish (Baker Academic, 2024), In it, he provides theological foundations for healthy Christian leadership in for-profit corporations, nonprofits, and churches. He also provides insights from interviewing over 200 executive leaders.

In our discussion, we discuss:

* Leadership for human flourishing

* Cultivating healthy teams

* Delegation for the good of the people we lead and for the organization

* What hinders good organizational communication

* How to measure how healthy an organizational culture is

* How to be sure that every aspect of an organization aligns with the organization’s values and beliefs

In our conversation, we discussed the Good Place Operating System (GPOS), from The Good Place Institute, for which Bob Robinson is a Partner Consultant. The GPOS is a systematic approach to clearly stating a purpose and mission in a charter, to build all the systems in an organization to align with the charter, and then to measure success on business dashboards. If you’d like to explore implementing an operating system meant for kingdom purposes in which people are valued, communities flourish, and profits are made for these regenerative purposes, connect with Bob by emailing him at Bob.Robinson@goodplaceinstitute.com .

Scroll down to learn more about Justin Irving.

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If you enjoyed this podcast, please share it with your friends. Your hosts are Dr. Bob Robinson and David Loughney. For further resources on reintegrating all of life with God’s mission, go to re-integrate.org.

Dr. Justin Irving

After serving for 20 years at Bethel Seminary in a variety of faculty and administrative roles, Dr. Justin Irving now serves as Professor of Leadership, Chair of the Department of Leadership and Discipleship, and Director of the Ed.D. program at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. Check out his Purpose in Leadership blog. Dr. Irving is a member at Sojourn Church Midtown in Louisville, Kentucky. He is married to Tasha, and they have five children.

Would you consider buying Dr. Irving’s books from independent booksellers Byron and Beth Borger at Hearts & Minds Bookstore? They are eager to serve God’s people with great books. Order online through their secure server or call 717-246-333. Mention that you heard about the book on the Reintegrate Podcast and get 20% off.