Asbury University Adjunct Instructor of Business Dr. Christopher Slone continues to contribute to national conversations in higher education through scholarly research that explores leadership, mentorship, and organizational strategy: work that directly connects to Asbury’s mission of preparing students for lives of professional excellence and Christian service.
Slone, who teaches in Asbury’s Dayton School of Business, recently collaborated on an article titled: “Where Are the Faculty Leaders?” Published in the May issue of the Journal of Faculty Development, the article emerged from the 2024–25 Faculty Leadership Academy through the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, which brought together faculty members and administrators from institutions across Kentucky.
The article examines how early-career faculty members often develop leadership skills informally rather than through intentional mentorship and support. Slone and his collaborators also explored how unhealthy workplace cultures can discourage leadership growth and hinder professional development.
Fear-based leadership cultures suppress exactly the kind of openness and risk-taking that faculty development requires. Psychological safety is not just a nice idea; the research shows it has real consequences for whether faculty grow into leadership or retreat from it.”
Slone’s scholarship reflects Asbury faculty’s commitment to academic expertise, student mentorship, and preparing graduates for meaningful leadership in their careers and faith.
In the Dayton School of Business, faculty members combine professional experience, academic scholarship, and Christian perspective to help students develop the leadership skills they need for careers, graduate education, and faithful service after college.
In addition to the published article, Slone has another scholarly work forthcoming in the Journal of Strategy and Management titled: “Enacting Strategy Without Authority: A Conceptual Model of Strategy Translation by Middle Academic Leaders.”
The forthcoming paper focuses on department chairs, program coordinators, and other academic leaders who operate between senior administration and frontline faculty. Slone’s research examines how these leaders implement institutional strategy despite having limited formal authority.
“These leaders are expected to carry out institutional strategy, but they rarely have the formal authority to compel anyone to follow them,” Slone said. “The paper proposes a conceptual model for how that translation actually happens, what tools these leaders use, and what gets lost when the process breaks down.”
Together, both projects explore how institutions can better develop leaders who influence culture, mentor others, and guide organizations with wisdom and integrity: qualities Asbury seeks to cultivate in its students across every discipline.
Slone joined Asbury University as an adjunct instructor in 2023 and earned his Doctor of Business Administration degree in 2025. His scholarship reflects Asbury’s ongoing commitment to academic excellence, professional preparation, and Christ-centered leadership.
The DSB offers five majors (Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, Marketing, and Sport Management), five minors (Accounting, Business, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Sport Management), the MBA program, and the M.S. in Accounting program.