For a Christian executive, effective, biblical performance reviews must treat accountability as standing alongside stewardship. Jesus’ parable of the talents assumes a day when the master “came and settled accounts” with his servants (Matthew 25:19, ESV). Settling accounts is not optional; it is woven into faithful stewardship.

I grew up in Kansas. I loved riding in the combine with my grandfather during harvest. As we harvested the wheat, we would take it to the elevator, which rose like a concrete cathedral from the Kansas plains. I remember watching trucks line up, each driver trusting that someone inside those tall silos was tracking quantities, quality, and timing with care. If the elevator manager was careless or corrupt, he could lose an entire season’s labor.