Product Description

Instructing those who hold leadership positions—not only in religious capacities but also including CEOs and teachers—best-selling authors Henry and Richard Blackaby teach on approaching leadership from a biblical perspective. The twenty-first century is the most advanced age in history, but effective biblical leadership has never been more needed. Spiritual Leadership will equip those called to lead with the tools to move God’s people on to His agenda.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39851 in Books
• Published on: 2001-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 306 pages

About the Author
Henry T. Blackaby serves as a special consultant to the presidents of the North American Mission Board, International Mission Board, and LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. He is a popular speaker and writer whose study course Experiencing God has sold more than 3,000,000 copies. Blackaby lives in Rex, Georgia.

Richard Blackaby is president of the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary in Cochrane, Alberta. He previously co-authored Experiencing God Day by Day, When God Speaks, and God’s Invitation with his father.

Customer Reviews

Outstanding
Have read many books on leadership. This one tops them all. Useful at home as well as at work. Focuses on who's vision we are really following.

Christian Leadership
This is one of the best books on leadership today. It teaches leaders at every level how to get Christians from focusing on a personal agenda to getting on God's agenda. One of the best books on leadership ever written. I use it for small group leadership training.

Paradigm-shifting leadership book, showing the centrality of prayer
Henry and Richard Blackaby (father and son) are leaders the Southern Baptist denomination, with leadership demonstrated in the business and academic realms respectively. "Spiritual Leadership" is an attempt to tempter the current crop of leadership books, which focus on the American concept of rugged individualism and creating vision. Blackaby and Blackaby, in "Spiritual Leadership" recognize the practical wisdom contained in such books, yet seek to ground their arguments in the foundational concepts of service to Christ and fervent prayer.

Indeed, prayer and submission to God are the central elements around with the rest of the book turns. The authors argue that "creating a vision" and reliance upon human wisdom are foreign concepts Biblical teachings on leadership. They argue that man does not determine his own paths, but rather God prepares activities for his servants, works through them to accomplish these tasks, and then follows up to produce the success (defined by God himself) of the endeavor. To determine what this pre-determined activity is, Blackaby and Blackaby argue that prayer is essential.

The message is simple--seek God's will in strengthening your faith, in your major life decisions, and even in your day-to-day activities through prayer, then (once God's will is determined) humble yourself and faithfully carry out that will. Yet, the message is not simplistic. The authors present the concept thoroughly, addressing growing prayer life and leadership style; showing what spiritual leadership is and is not; addressing short-term issues and long-term ones; showing how this style of leadership plays out in a variety of settings; and providing pastoral encouragement. Although the simple message is consistent, the book never becomes repetitive or boring; rather the prose is fresh and stimulating throughout.

Now, I must admit skepticism based on certain doctrinal and practical principles. On the doctrinal side, I confess my belief that God communicates and communes with man through means--Scripture and Sacraments. On the practical side, I fear that people will simply imagine that God is "telling" them what they want to hear anyway--that is, that people will ascribe to God their man-centered ideas.

Although I still believe both hold water, I decided to follow Blackaby and Blackaby's advice and pray more fervently in the way they recommend to see if any change comes about. Indeed it had. Consistently praying (both prayers common to the church like the Lord's Prayer, Luther's Morning Prayer, and the weekly collects as well as idiosyncratic prayers), I found that my perceived connection to God strengthened, stress reduced, major decisions made with a strong sense of peace as I acknowledged God's direction, and even new, exciting opportunities presented.

While I would have liked to see this book focus a little more on holistic spirituality (e.g. the role of worship, daily Bible reading, Sacraments, etc) in the thorough way they presented holistic leadership, the fact remains that "Spiritual Leadership" is a positive, paradigm-changing book. This is true on the intellectual level (faithful servant versus rugged individual paradigms) and the spirituality level (my spirituality has deepened as a result of following the advice of the book).

How the arguments of "Spiritual Leadership" will play out in my life beyond the month trial or how my opinion of the book will shift as I increase in my understanding of prayer remains to be seen. Nevertheless, the command of our Lord to pray fervently remains, and Blackaby and Blackaby do a great service in showing how this command can be practically lived in a variety of situations.