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| Christian Reflections on the Leadership Challenge
ISBN: 9780470730461
Platform/Publisher: Ebook Central / John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated
Digital rights: Users: Unlimited; Printing: Limited; Download: 7 Days at a Time
Subjects: Religion;
More than two decades ago, authors Kouzes and Posner (The Leadership Challenge; Leadership Practices Inventory) first presented what they call the five "exemplary leadership" practices: "Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart." Here they join forces with contributors John Maxwell, Ken Blanchard, Patrick Lencioni (The Five Temptations of a CEO), Wesley Theological Seminary president David McAllister-Wilson and pastor Nancy Ortberg to reveal how Christian leaders in secular and faith-based organizations can learn to apply those five practices and, in the words of Maxwell, "rise to that 'Jesus pattern' of leadership." Each section opens with Old and New Testament scriptures that capture Christian leadership philosophy in a tidy, biblical sound bite: "Where there is no vision, the people perish," warns Proverbs 29:18, while Matthew 23:11 advises, "The greatest among you will be your servant." As these leaders examine being living models for their employees or congregations by inspiring, challenging, enabling and encouraging their work, they arrive at the "Jesus pattern," in which one serves others and guides through parables and model behavior. In the chapter "Enable Others to Act," Ortberg reminds readers that, "Jesus did not talk about leadership very often, and every time he did, he talked about serving." The motivational how-to mantra sometimes sits awkwardly with the spiritual lessons it aspires to engender; however, preaching service and respect as a business tactic is refreshing amid the "how to get ahead" messages of other business manuals, and Christian leaders may certainly glean wisdom from this approach. (Apr.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Includes Insights on Faith and Leadership From: Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner are the award-winning authors of the best-selling The Leadership Challenge and developers of the highly acclaimed Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) , a 360-degree questionnaire assessing leadership behavior. The LPI is one of the most widely used leadership assessment instruments in the world. John C. Maxwell is the founder of several organizations, including Maximum Impact, dedicated to helping people reach their leadership potential. He is the author of more than thirty books, including Thinking for a Change, There's No Such Thing as Business Ethics , and The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership . David McAllister-Wilson is the president of Wesley Theological Seminary. He has focused his preaching and speaking in an effort to help revitalize the mainline Protestant church, encouraging men and women to consider God's call to ministry, and preparing them for leadership. Patrick Lencioni is president of The Table Group, a San Francisco Bay Area management consulting firm, and author of the best-selling books The Five Temptations of a CEO, The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team , and Death by Meeting . Nancy Ortberg is a former teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church. Nancy speaks to churches all over the world on issues of leadership, community, and the next generation. Ken Blanchard is the cofounder and chief spiritual officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies, a global leader in workplace learning, employee productivity, and leadership effectiveness. He is the coauthor of The One Minute Manager, Raving Fans, Gung Ho! , and Whale Done! |
