Kingdom Leadership with Brent Jasper of Jasper Ventures

[The information referenced in this blog is extracted from an interview on the subject of “Kingdom Leadership with Brent Jasper, Owner of Jasper Ventures.]

Brent Jasper, the CEO of Jasper Ventures, was raised in the church, but he walked away from God during his college years. As he navigated adult life, Brent grew more and more distant from the Lord. He went through a divorce, found himself at rock bottom, and, in his words, “went crawling back to the throne,” seeking a relationship with Christ.

“The Lord drew me in,” said Brent. He went through several discipleship courses at his church and was on fire for Jesus. He felt called to help his sister run the company their dad had founded, seeing it as a platform to be “all in” as a Kingdom business.

Since that time Brent has faced obstacles, built relationships, made sacrifices, and overcome fears. He used to have crippling terror at the thought of speaking in front of a few people. Now, supernaturally, Brent can speak to thousands. If given a mic, he will proclaim the Lord.

God has been faithful to guide Brent, gift him beyond his natural abilities, and grow a thriving community at Jasper Ventures. He’s has learned a lot on this journey. During a recent interview, Brent shared the following characteristics of a Kingdom leader.

Characteristics of a Kingdom Leader:

1. Loving. Everything a leader does must be done in love. Business leaders make tough decisions and do hard things. But through all that, a Kingdom leader must love everyone regardless of personality, upbringing, background, conflict, etc.
2. Forgiving. Kingdom leaders need to cultivate a forgiving nature. They must be able to forgive others and know when to ask for forgiveness.
3. Sacrificial. The world tells us to hold tightly to things like money, image, reputation, etc. But Kingdom leaders are able to let go of these things as God leads them.
4. Vulnerable. Vulnerability breaks down walls and puts everyone on an even playing field. Brent has shared his personal testimony with every person in his company, from executives to front-line workers. He always receives feedback that his story helps everyone realize that there’s no real difference between them.
5. Vigilant. Kingdom leadership involves keeping everyone on task and engaged with the greater vision they’re all pursuing together. Everyone can get distracted, but a good leader helps the team stay on task and on mission.
6. Selfless. Kingdom leaders put others before themselves. This sometimes involves making company decisions that aren’t what the leader personally wants but are best for the whole.
7. Tough. When we think of a forgiving, sacrificial, vulnerable leader, we may not imagine a tough person. But Kingdom leaders aren’t pushovers. They have to do hard things like fire people and defend their company’s values. “Loving” and “Tough” are characteristics that bring balance to a leader.

Those characteristics don’t happen by accident; they require intentionality. Brent shared some practices that have helped him and his leadership team grow into Kingdom leaders.

Practices to Build Kingdom Leaders:

1. Admit mistakes and ask for forgiveness. Kingdom leaders may need to admit mistakes to employees, other leaders, clients, vendors, and the community. The buck stops with leaders, so an apology is required when you, your team, or your company misses the mark.
2. Pray publicly. Prayer is expected and accepted at church, but praying within a business setting is not the norm. As Brent and his team have stretched themselves to pray–including publicly–within the work space, they have seen tremendous growth.
3. Participate in faith-based opportunities in the workplace. People may or may not go to church, but they have to go to work! Kingdom leaders at Jasper Ventures offer prayer, Bible study, discipleship courses, marriage enrichment, etc. in the workplace. These opportunities grow both leaders and front-line workers.
4. Attend a Kingdom Leadership Workshop. Brent and his team have been in relationship with Kingdom at Work and the Betenbough family for many years, and they’re thankful for the testimonies, teachings, friendships, and support.

Brent shared honestly that Kingdom leadership is expensive–not just regarding money and profits, but also in personal sacrifice. Kingdom leadership isn’t possible without full submission to God. But it’s worth it. It’s definitely a business, and not everyone there is a Christian, but their workplace is a community of people who share the highs and lows of life. He says, “There aren’t a lot of places you can go and have that kind of support network.”

If you or your executive leaders would like to further your journey as a Kingdom leader, we invite you to register for a Kingdom Leadership Workshop. If you’d like a similar experience for your front-line workers and mid-level management, check out our Work with Purpose Conference! All events can be found here!