Leadership in Christian Perspective

Justin A. Irving and Mark L. Strauss (Baker Academic)
“Empowering leadership,” write Justin A. Irving and Mark L. Strauss, “is a process by which leaders and followers partner together for the purpose of achieving common goals and shared vision.” Such leaders must cultivate “authentic and purposeful character,” give “priority to people,” and move “toward effectiveness.” The insights in Leadership in Christian Perspective are grounded in the Bible, confirmed by contemporary leadership studies, and demonstrated to be relevant with practical advice to leaders at all levels.

Find Your Way

Carly Fiorina (Tyndale Momentum)
Carly Fiorina makes readers two promises in Find Your Way: You will learn to (1) solve problems and (2) realize your potential for leadership, defined as “changing the order of things for the better.” The book keeps both promises, showing readers a path to influence marked by courage, character, collaboration and optimism. Fiorina’s lessons have broad application to personal and professional — and even pastoral — contexts. “You are not yet all you can be,” she writes. That’s good news, as well as an agenda for change.

Excellence Wins

Horst Schulze (Zondervan)
Horst Schulze is a world-famous hotelier, co-founder of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and author of its motto: “We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen.” In Excellence Wins, he shows leaders in any profession, including ministry, how to succeed by caring for the deepest needs of people, whether customers or employees. Schulze’s advice grows out of his faith, which sees every person as “one of the ‘others’ Jesus had in mind when he gave the Golden Rule about treating them as I would want to be treated.”

This article originally appeared in the July/August 2019 edition of Influence magazine.