As most of you know, I am hugely focused on leadership development and have been so for over 30 years.
Everything I do is directed toward: Encouraging, equipping, empowering, resourcing and praying for and weeping with the next generation of leaders in local churches.
My marching orders are Matthew 9:36-38 where Jesus mentions the lack of leaders, encourages his disciples to pray for them and then sends them out!
In my quest to do the best I can with leaders, I’m always reading, writing, thinking and looking for ideas and resources. One of my core beliefs is thatleaders are readers.
Recently I finished two business books I felt were outstanding on the subject of leadership and had lots to say for those of us leading from a “Christian World View.”
The first of these two books is A Passion for Leadership by Robert Gates. He served as Secretary of Defense for a period of time, was President of Texas A&M and served in numerous other top leadership roles.
If you go to my website you will find a Book Note on this outstanding book. He shares from 50 years of public service. Here are a few quotes from the book to whet your appetite:
“All such institutions have one thing in common: the need for bold, visionary leaders at all levels who can discern a different and better future for the organization, no matter its size, and who can map a realistic path to attaining that future.”
“Ironically, the more information I was willing to share, the more people were inclined to trust me—and support what I was trying to do. I think that is almost always the case in leadership positions. Leaders who exclude others from decision-making run a high rise of failure.”
“If you fundamentally don’t like or respect most people, or if you think you are superior to others, chances are you won’t be much of a leader—at least in a democracy like ours. Just because you are high on the organizational ladder and can tell people what to do doesn’t make you a leader. Just a boss.”
Read the “Book Note” and then buy the book…you’ll love it and profit from it.
The 2nd book (Work Rules by Laszlo Bock) is all about what makes Google the success it has become. Bock gives us an incredible inside look at what makes Google work and why it’s the most sought-after place to work on the planet, according to Linkedin.
I learned so much about culture making, how to treat people and how to motivate and inspire people from this outstanding book. Once again here are a few quote to whet your appetite:
“Larry and Sergey (founders of Google) had ambitions beyond developing a great search engine. They started out knowing how they wanted people to be treated. Quixotic as it sounds, they both wanted to create a company where work was meaningful, employees felt free to pursue their passions, and people and their families were cared for.”
“Managers find many reasons not to trust their people. Most organizations are designed to resist change and enfeeble employees.”
“Think of your work as a calling, with a mission that matters. Give people slightly more trust, freedom, and authority than you are comfortable giving them. If you’re not nervous, you haven’t given them enough.”
Read the “Book Note” and then buy the book…you’ll love it and profit from it.
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