Practicing Greatness: 7 Disciplines of Extraordinary Spiritual Leaders

Reggie McNeal is an excellent author. His material is insightful and practical. This book did not disappoint, even though he his held to a high standard. He goes over seven disciplines that will help a minister practice greatness for God. In the church today, there is a great need for godly men to help with the mission of God in the local flocks. There is a culture that sometimes seeks to destroy talented men for God, but this book will help a leader to practice that which is most important. The author looks at self-awareness, self-management, self-development, the disciple of mission, of decision making, of belonging, and of aloneness. All of the chapters provide insightful advice on the role of the minister in being a man of God that is leading other people to the blessings of the Lord. Being a spiritual leader is different from being a business leader, there are some shared dynamics, but there are also some major differences. I highly recommend this book. Read it slowly, read it during some off time to recharge. You need to allow the words to sink into your heart. This book will make you a better minister.

Seems as though there is a character gap in our leaders today. Well actually there has ALWAYS been a character gap in most of our leaders. The position, power, money and or stress always seems to compromise men in women whenever they appear to have it all together. Spiritual leaders are not immune to this reality. Reggie McNeal does a wonderful job in this book of giving us few guidelines (disciplines) that will help all of us stay true to our self and to our followers. Reggie states that humility and popularity can coexist. Because great leaders keep the perspective of the true source of their strength. We all have known a handful of "great" leaders in a sea of "good" leaders. Reggie's wisdom makes it very clear that great leadership is earned. It is not a gift...it is a reward. The first three disciplines revolve around the leaders self-awareness, self-management and self-development. While the final four disciplines provide clarity for the leader in the areas of mission, decision making, belonging and aloneness. If you are a spiritual leader or coach and you have the desire to have a lasting impact on the people around you, you should read and reread PRACTICING GREATNESS.

This has become one of my all-time favorite books on the subject of leadership (and I've read books by some of the most well-know leadership experts). Usually I run into two problems with other leadership books. First, some of them are just boring to me. Sometimes I have felt like I'm reading through some dry, academic work. This is not too fun--it seems counterintuitive to try to sharpen your skills with a dull book. Secondly, some leadership books are too repetitive and vague. The information kind of runs together, with one chapter looking suspiciously like the previous chapter. McNeal's book is different. It was a joy to read, and each of the 7 disciplines made a lot of sense to me. Practicing Greatness is more about being a leader than "doing" leadership roles. This book further confirmed my decision to stay in my current ministry and continue to do something that I'm gifted for and passionate about. I hope you'll take time to read it.

If the intention of Dr. McNeal was to cause the reader of this book to reflect and evaluate his/her life inwardly and to feel compelled to advance in the disciplines elaborated in this book, then, he succeeded in my case. I feel that the author has written with wisdom and maturity on a critically important facet of leadership, especially "spiritual" leadership. The disciplines of "self" outlined in this book have been overlooked for too long, making this work much needed and timely for those who realize that today's leadership is in need of reformation. McNeal makes his case with both positive and negative examples in each chapter, writing from his vast experience, and with a sense of having developed these disciplines in his own life. If you are a leader, or an aspiring leader, please make this book a priority to read. It will certainly make a great contribution to your thinking, and to the formation of "great" leadership in your life. In my opinion, these disciplines are not optional, they are ESSENTIAL. This is definitely an excellent treatment of the greatest leadership challenge you will ever face - leading your self! Let's face it, you will only be successful at leading others to the degree that you have learned to lead your self.

This book is not only for leaders, but for ALL people. Go for great -- isn't that something we can all aspire to? We get stuck in the rut of evaluating OTHERS and THEIR failures and miss the opportunity for personal growth. I had rarely wondered why another's behaviour made me feel the way it did and always thought, "They have a problem." Now that I realize that I can look at situations and make an effort to control how I deal with those people, thus bringing the focus in on ME and MY relationship with the Lord. What a concept -- it's hard enough to control our own behaviour, let alone someone elses, so why not just focus on ourself. In the end, it is between YOU and the Father, no one else. Thank you, Mr. McNeal for allowing the Lord to work through you to bring this powerful insight to the world.