In an age where leadership is often driven by performance metrics and hustle culture, LeAnn Brown, PhD, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, offers a refreshing perspective rooted in purpose, faith, and global engagement.
As the new chair of the Thomas School of Global Leadership at Mid-America Christian University (MACU), Brown brings over 20 years of experience in higher education, corporate leadership development, and global education to the role — blending scholarly insight with real-world experience.
Brown’s mission is to inspire and prepare students for global leadership through MACU’s online Master of Arts (MA) in Leadership program, while also expanding the scope of the school’s faith-driven leadership development and international studies offerings.
From a Classroom in China to Division Chair at MACU
Brown’s journey into global leadership began in an unexpected place: a classroom in China. Teaching leadership concepts as she had learned them in the United States to Chinese students, she quickly began questioning whether her American leadership frameworks truly resonated with these students.
She wondered: “‘Is what I’m teaching from a Western perspective really the thing that these 18- to 22-year-old students need to know about leadership, and how to lead, in China?’”
That reflective moment inspired her to pursue a doctorate in global leadership to expand her perspective on leadership practices. Since then, Brown has become a scholar-practitioner whose work spans executive coaching, leadership development, strategic consulting, and, most recently, program development at MACU.
Brown currently has the unique opportunity to witness the impact of MACU’s programs not just professionally, but personally. Her son attends MACU, where he is studying psychology. Now a member of the worship team and a budding guitarist, her son has experienced personal growth that reflects the University’s commitment to holistic, faith-based development.
“I was somewhat familiar with MACU before he attended here, but it’s been wonderful to see the person he has become,” she says. “He’s a chaplain now. He’s vice president of student government. He completely came out of his shell and has had such a wonderful experience here that it was like, wow.
“MACU is doing some incredible work, and I see the transformation in my son. The University continues to grow and is really making an impact, so when I saw the job description for the Thomas School of Global Leadership and read through it, I felt like it was aligned with my personal mission statement and who I am as an educator.”
Brown’s daughter, now a high school senior, plans to attend MACU next year to pursue a degree in elementary education.
In addition to spearheading the school’s growth initiatives, Brown serves as an instructor in the online Master of Arts in Leadership program. Brown and her colleagues, including program director and long-time MACU professor, Dr. Jesus Sampedro, create a supportive virtual environment for students seeking an advanced degree within a faith-based community.
“I love it when they’re posting their weekly devotionals and I’m able to hear how they’re growing as leaders, how MACU has impacted them, how God even led them to MACU in the first place, and then how they’re able to see God at work in their lives,” she says.
Performance-Driven vs. Purpose-Driven Leadership
Given her combination of experience in both the corporate and academic worlds, it is no surprise that Brown is challenging MACU students to think critically about the culture and their calling.
Brown has seen how leaders are often told to keep pushing, keep climbing, keep performing — even if it costs them quality time with their family, their emotional well-being, and their spiritual health. Drawing from both her personal journey and her professional experience, Brown challenges today’s leaders to step away from the grind and pursue something greater: purpose-driven, Christ-led leadership.
“I think in today’s culture, many of us are leading from a performance-driven mindset rather than a purpose-driven life, where we believe we need to sacrifice our family, our relationships, and even our health in order to perform,” Brown says. “Hustle culture pushes leaders to a place of burnout. And that’s not what God called us to do at all. But that’s what happens when we feel like we have to perform — carrying it all on our own instead of partnering with Jesus as we lead our organizations.”
Many of today’s leaders find themselves operating under popular models of success, according to Brown. Whether the pressure is to meet metrics or climb corporate ladders, it is easy to let culture define what it means to lead well. But Brown urges leaders to resist that pull.
To remember what matters most, Brown encourages leaders to look to the model of Jesus. “Really look at the Scripture,” she says. “What does it mean to lead as Jesus? What does it mean to partner with Jesus as we cast vision, work with our employees, and lead from a place of peace, joy, and trust that He is leading and guiding us, rather than striving out of a performance mindset?”
What Today’s Global Leaders Need
Brown offers compelling insights into the traits and priorities that she believes define global leadership. Here are some of the core traits that Brown says global leaders should embody today.
Knowledge of Who You Are in Christ
Global leadership, according to Brown, begins with identity. By this, she means specifically a kingdom identity rooted in a relationship with Christ.
“One of the first traits is related to kingdom leadership and knowing who we are in Christ,” she says. This clarity in identity empowers Christian leaders to lead with purpose and authenticity.
Self-Care and Spiritual Practice
Brown emphasizes that leadership is not just about business skills and strategies. Leaders must care for their own mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being if they want their organizations to thrive.
“Healthy leaders grow healthy organizations,” she says. “I feel like, oftentimes in leadership, we’re focusing only on skills, but we’re not prioritizing self-care.”
Brown advises leaders to center their efforts on self-care as a spiritual practice. She says, “This is who God created me to be. This is my leadership potential. But also, how am I taking care of myself mentally and emotionally and physically?”
Global Awareness and Cultural Intelligence
When it comes to global leadership specifically, Brown believes that knowledge of and respect for other cultures is crucial. “Global awareness and cultural intelligence is another trait that I think we need to incorporate into global education,” Brown says. “Being able to provide students with the skill set to be able to lead in a global context — that, I would say, is an emphasis of the school.”
Beyond just hearing about other cultures and global communities, a mission of the Thomas School of Global Leadership is to foster global engagement by providing students with the opportunity to go overseas and experience the world outside of the classroom.
“Developing cultural competence for our students is important. It’s also one of our ENDS policies to raise global awareness, provide our students with opportunities to engage globally, and to learn how to solve local and global challenges,” says Brown.
In all things, faith is central. Brown explains that she and other professors leading the program think carefully about developing global and well-integrated leaders by asking a simple question: “How do we equip leaders to be able to integrate faith and work in leadership — whether they’re local or global in their context?”
Adaptability in Times of Change
Brown explains her approach to leadership as contextual. She sees the ability to adapt one’s leadership style and approach to the circumstances as crucial to any leader’s success.
This need to be adaptable and context-aware is true for all leaders, Brown says, not just for those working in a global setting. For example, she sees there are differences even between rural leadership and urban leadership.
Flexibility and cultural acumen are especially important during times of change like today. According to Harvard Business Impact’s annual report, 40% of surveyed organizations said they placed a greater emphasis on becoming a “change-ready” organization in 2025 than they did in the previous year.
“Regardless of where you may find yourself as a leader,” Brown says, it’s important to “have skills not only to lead change, but also to support your employees as they’re experiencing change.”
Inside the Vision for the Thomas School of Global Leadership
The Thomas School of Global Leadership is in the process of developing a bold, multifaceted growth plan that goes beyond traditional classroom instruction. According to Brown, one of the key voices behind the initiative along with Sampedro, the school is being intentionally structured around three major pillars: academic programs, international partnerships, and professional and continuing education.
1. Academic Programs: A Growing Portfolio in Leadership Training
Currently, the MA in Leadership program is the cornerstone of the academic offering, but this is just the beginning. The school is discussing plans to launch both a bachelor’s degree program and a doctorate program in leadership, as well as additional credentials or certificates designed to meet the evolving needs of students and the workforce.
The team is also discussing adding new emphasis areas in global leadership and nonprofit leadership under the master’s degree program. “We’re also looking at how we incorporate AI [artificial intelligence] into the program,” she says.
This academic growth is designed to provide students with not just more options but also deeper expertise, especially in global leadership, a theme that runs through every facet of the Thomas School’s strategy.
2. International Partnerships: Real-World Global Experience
The second pillar — international partnerships — is where the Thomas School really begins to differentiate itself. Brown emphasizes that it’s about more than short-term study abroad; it’s about meaningful cross-cultural integration on multiple levels.
“We’re exploring international partnerships that give our students opportunities to study abroad, engage in global project-based learning, and even participate in student and faculty exchanges with universities around the world,” she says.
Through these partnerships, the school aims to develop globally competent Christian leaders.
3. Professional and Continuing Education: Leadership That Multiplies
The third and final pillar is focused on leadership development outside of traditional degree programs.
The school is exploring providing workshops, training, and conferences in leadership for local organizations as well as global organizations. These short-form experiences would pull from the same high-level content used in the academic programs but would be tailored for working professionals.
Additionally, the Thomas School is not just concerned with developing leaders — it wants those leaders to be able to mentor others. “How do we equip leaders to be able to develop other leaders in the marketplace?” Brown says. “How do we equip pastors and church leaders to be able to multiply and develop other kingdom leaders?”
As this vision becomes reality, one thing is clear: The Thomas School isn’t just interested in training leaders; its goal is to develop what servant leadership can look like on a global stage.
Leadership as a Calling
For working professionals looking to grow their global leadership skills in a Christian community, the online leadership degree program at MACU may be a perfect fit.
Students have the opportunity to take leadership classes with professors who share their faith, including Dr. Jesus Sampedro, Program Director, and Dr. LeAnn M. Brown.
“One of the strengths of the Master of Arts in Leadership at MACU is the integration of faith, leadership, and work,” Brown says. “If someone is wanting to seek how do I grow as a leader personally and professionally and do this in a place where I can integrate my faith as part of my learning, MACU is definitely the place to be.”
The MA in Leadership at the Thomas School of Global Leadership is a 30-credit hour accelerated program designed for flexibility and impact. Students can complete the degree program in as little as 18 months by taking just 10 courses in six-week terms.
The program is highly customizable, offering emphasis areas in public administration, business management, ministry leadership, higher education, and communication. This allows students not only to build strong core leadership competencies but also to tailor their learning to the context most relevant to their personal and professional goals.
Ready to take the next step in your education as a leader? Learn more about MACU’s leadership program today.
Recommended Readings
The Value of a Christian Education in Today’s World
Servant Leadership Training: How Can Leaders Learn to Serve?
The Role of Ethical Decision-Making in Business Success
Sources:
Harvard Business Impact, “2025 Global Leadership Development Study”
Mid-America Christian University, MACU Relaunches Thomas School of Global Leadership