The Art of Listening with Love

The author defines leadership as influence in a positive or negative direction. Given this definition, Jesus was the greatest leader of all time. He was firmly grounded in the Rabinical Judaism of the time. With this background, He took the fledging Christian community on a Transformational Journey culminating in His own crucifixion and a fantastic earthquake conincidental with the Death and Resurrection. The author reminds us that the ultimate leader serves the community first and not himself/herself. Leadership comes from a variety of personal sources. i.e. - the heart is the center of the leadership thrust - the head formulates strategies and movement forward - the hands relate to crafting specific actions - the habits relate to consistency/predictability of actions Blanchard presents the contrast between the serving leader and the self-serving leader. The serving leader actively engages in acts on behalf of the community while the self-serving leader benefits himself mainly. In providing service, the serving leader implements specific plans to move the community forward. This was done very skillfully by Christ in His own time.

I've enjoyed Ken Balnchards resources through the years, like the One Minute Manager, but I have to admit: I'm not a huge fan of the parable-only books. This book breaks from that tradition to provide a more standard learning format and is filled with amazingly valuable and life changing information. I loved the five habits in the chapter titled "The Habits of a Servant Leader": 1) Solitude 2) Prayer 3) Study and application of Scripture 4) Accepting and responding to God's unconditional love 5) Involvement in supportive relationships I think "accepting and responding to God's unconditional love" is a very big issue for many Christians today. Sometimes we forget that He loves us and cares for us - not the perfect us we'd like to be. I think you'll enjoy this book, but you should know - as is obvious from the title - it certainly has a Christian slant to it. If this is fine with you - as it is with me, you'll love the book. Tom Carpenter

After selling fistfuls of Ken Blanchard's co-authored runaway bestseller THE ONE MINUTE MANAGER when I ran a bookstore in the 1980s, I was curious to see what he had to say in LEAD LIKE JESUS. Since the wildly popular ONE MINUTE MANAGER, Blanchard had pumped out a prolific number of general market business books. After becoming a Christian, this one evinces how it affects his writing and his business/life philosophy. Getting started: Blanchard and Phil Hodges encourage readers to ask themselves three key questions: Am I a leader? Am I willing to follow Jesus as my leadership role model? How do I lead like Jesus? Perhaps this is a good time to define what the authors mean by "leader." Anytime you seek to influence the thinking, behavior or development of people toward accomplishing a goal in their personal or professional lives, you are taking on the role of a "leader," they write. In other words, you don't have to be in business to benefit from this book. You might be a parent, a teacher, a nurse, a pastor, a coach, or an adult child helping her aging parents. There are differences between being a "life leader" (such as a parent) and an organizational leader (a manager in a company). Leaders are defined by how they use their influence, they say. If our instincts are self-promotion and self-protection, then we'll use our influence to fulfill these needs. (Self-interest, they believe, is the most difficult obstacle we face in leading like Jesus). Conversely, if we are driven by service and dedication to a cause or a relationship, then we will model and encourage these values in others. They look at four domains of leading like Jesus --- head, heart, hands and habits --- and carefully unpack each one. For those business book readers who enjoy charts and diagrams, there are a few here that might appeal (although I didn't find them particularly useful). Occasionally there's a trite phrase that makes you wince ("By seeking to serve rather than be served as I lead others, I will make Jesus smile") or a very bad pun ("Altaring" Your Leadership Ego). But these weak points are few in an otherwise strong book. The best moments are when the authors get practical rather than theoretical. Jesus welcomed disagreement and wasn't afraid of it. (Do you welcome feedback? Find someone who will tell you the truth!) Address your own credibility as an individual before trying to improve things at an organizational level. (Is your security based on what others think?) Have you planned for a successor in your job? (Does that seem threatening?) There's an excellent section on identifying pride and fear, and how it affects our ability to lead. Indeed, the examples of how pride and fear influence leadership are among the best parts of the book. Also helpful: a practical chart showing the four learning stages (novice, apprentice, journeyman, and master/teacher) and obstacles to success in each. There's specific help; rather than just telling readers to get into an acco

Finally I have found a book that departs thoroughly from the corporate model of leadership and embraces fully a unique Biblical model! Blanchard here goes deeper than just leading -- he speaks of being a leader and growing other leaders. Spirituality in this author's approach is vital -- it is not something that appears to be a mere overlay on a secular paradigm. I love reading titles on leadership, but have long felt there was something much more than just a Christianized version of secular theory. Blanchard identifies and defines a uniquely Christian approach, and does so in a very clear, readable fashion. This volume is the best book on Christian leadership I have read to date!

Blanchard (author of The One Minute Manager) and Hodges have written a comprehensive and concise manual for all that desire to equip themselves to lead like Jesus and to follow His mandate to be servant leaders, rather than self-serving leaders. The authors maintain that the world is in desperate need for the leadership role model that Jesus provides. We only need to look to the examples surrounding us to see abandoned values, betrayed trust, exploitation and manipulation by people in positions of power and influence to see this truth. They submit that, "It's not about you," that there is a better way--and that way is Jesus as a leadership model. Lead Like Jesus: Lessons From the Greatest Leadership Role Model of All Times provides clear-cut methods through Biblical stories, life-application examples and reflective questions that readers can incorporate into their lives. The methods will make a powerful impact in their own personal sphere of influence and in the world by being effective servant leaders. Blanchard and Hodges maintain that we all are leaders, whether we are parents, teachers or even a business CEO. This book shows how to lead with the head, heart, hands and habits of Jesus. Armchair Interviews says: By the time you finish reading you will have begun the journey to leading like Jesus. The book is powerful and we highly recommend it.