Redemptive Leadership : Offering Second Chances as a Value-Added Management Practice

213 Pages·2016·2.22 MB·English

by  Joseph J

Joseph J. Bucci
R E D E M P T I V E
L E A D E R S H I P
Offering Second Chances as a
Value-Added Management Practice
Redemptive Leadership

Joseph   J.   Bucci
Redemptive
Leadership
Offering Second Chances as a Value-Added
Management Practice
Joseph   J.   Bucci, DBA
Assistant Professor, Department Chair
Business, Leadership and Management Department
College of Arts and Sciences, Regent University
Virginia Beach, VA , USA
ISBN 978-3-319-31342-9 ISBN 978-3-319-31343-6 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-31343-6
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016948765
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2 016
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To my loving wife, Debi. You patiently endured my distracted attention
while I worked to fi nish this project. I am touched by your tenderness and
support, and I hope I can offer the same to you as you pursue your own
dreams. You are a faithful friend, partner, and love of my life.

A
CKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My thanks to …
• To my kids and everyone who endured my limited input into other
avenues of life while I invested myself into this project.
• To my teachers, mentors, and friends in the Christian Business
Faculty Association and my alma mater Anderson University in
Anderson, IN, for allowing me to use my doctoral studies and post-
doctoral research to pursue the concepts that ultimately resulted in
the development of this book.
• To my colleagues and the leadership at Regent University, who chal-
lenged me to pursue something I thought was beyond my abilities.
• To Dr. Gary Roberts, my colleague and friend, who opened the
doors to the wonderful staff of Palgrave Macmillan and showed me
the path to achieve this goal.
• And especially to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for planting a
desire in my heart to pursue this topic and for providing a continu-
ous sense that I must persevere to the end. To Him be all praise and
glory forever—Amen!
Cover graphic: Matthew 6:26 - Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the
air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly
Father feeds them.” Are you not much more valuable than they?
vii

P
REFACE
The musical L es Misérables has become more well-known since the release
of a motion picture based on the book by Victor Hugo and the play of
the same name in 2012. The original story, written in 1862, focuses on
the life of Jean Valjean, a convict unjustly sentenced to nineteen years
of hard labor for the crime of stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family
(Woodruff, 2012). In the musical version, Valjean seeks to leave his past
life and return to a life of normalcy. Meanwhile, the antagonist, inspector
of the law Javert, reminds Valjean that he will always be a felon for life
(Woodruff, 2012). As he tries to fi nd shelter for the night, Valjean’s yellow
passport informs everyone of his past life as a criminal (Morales, 2011).
Valjean’s heart is hardened and cold as he fi ghts against the judgment of
the inspector but sees the impact of his past mistakes.
Finally, Valjean stumbles upon a kind bishop, who offers Valjean sup-
per and a bed for the night. This hospitality is mystifying to the former
criminal; but it is what happens next that changes his life. Valjean lets his
bitter heart and the temptation to repay good with evil get the best of
him, and early the next morning he takes the silver tableware from the
bishop’s home and sneaks away (Woodruff, 2012). Valjean is later appre-
hended and returned to the bishop’s residence with the silver as evidence.
All the bishop needs to do is confi rm that the items were stolen. It seems
that Valjean will return to prison, and all hope is lost (Woodruff, 2012).
But the bishop does a remarkable thing: the compassionate bishop offers
Valjean the silver candlesticks as well. The bishop conveys to the police that
all of the silver was offered as a gift. The bishop’s actions offer redemption
to Valjean (Woodruff, 2012). In the musical, it is here where the bishop
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