The Bible on Leadership: From Moses to Matthew -- Management Lessons for Contemporary Leaders

If you are looking for a well-written, easy-to-read, "non-bible-thumping" biblical perspective on leadership that can be applied to today's modern business environment, you have found it. Each of the ten chapters of this extensively-researched book focused on a different commonly-recognized leadership trait (honesty and integrity, purpose, kindness and compassion, humility, communication, performance management, team development, courage, justice and fairness, leadership development). Within each chapter, inter-related sub-chapters featured many leadership-related vignettes about biblical icons (Jesus, Moses, David, Solomon, etc.) and modern business leaders (Jack Welch (General Electric), Herb Kelleher (Southwest Airlines), Jack Stack (Springfield Remanufacturing), Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield (Ben & Jerry's), etc.). The final page of each chapter was a summary listing of the biblical leadership lessons highlighted throughout the chapter. I am not as great a student of the Bible as the author, and I believe my relative ignorance limited my appreciation of his impressive biblical knowledge and experience. I would have preferred a less ambitious approach with less diverse leadership material and more time spent setting up and presenting the Bible's 'case studies.' Still, the book provided many excellent leadership lessons from the Bible and the current business world that were informative and relevant to leaders at all levels.

Lorin Woolfe does a masterful job of exploring the bible for themes that should have relevance for both today's leaders and those aspiring to climb the proverbial ladder of success. Concentrating on everything from integrity, to team building to exhibiting fairness he explores the old and new testaments for shining examples of truely courageous leadership and draws parallels to modern day figures. In doing so he lends deeper meaning to such issues as finding "purpose", "effective communication" and "humility" in the workplace. It is an inspiring read for anyone yearning to travel his or her path with wisdom and fortitude.

"The Bible," leadership development consultant Lorin Woolfe contends, is the "greatest collection of leadership case studies ever written." He postulates that Biblical tales provide modern managers with "tremendously useful and insightful lessons," because these ancient stories "form some of the major archetypes of our collective consciousness."This well-researched book is rich with anecdotes from both antiquity and modernity illustrating both good and bad leadership. You'll find King David and Bill Gates; Queen Esther and Anita Roddick; Jesus and Jack Welch.In drawing parallels between the leadership challenges chronicled in the Bible and those faced by today's leaders, Woolfe concludes that successful leadership, then and now, derives from a set of ten "traits and skills."THE TEN LEADERSHIP IMPERATIVESLorin Woolfe (or his editor) had the good sense and judgment not to do what I'm going to do: Present his ten lessons, as drawn from the Judeo/Christian Bible, in the following cliche manner. 1. Thou shalt deal with thine followers with Honesty and Integrity.2. Thou shalt lead from a clear Purpose.3. Thou shalt treat all others with Kindness and Compassion.4. Thou shalt lead with Humility.5. Thou shalt master effective Communication.6. Thou shalt effect results by deploying Performance Management for thine colleagues.7. Thou shalt improve performance of thine operation through Team Development.8. Thou shalt demonstrate Courage in all thine affairs.9. Thou shalt deal with all others with Justice and Fairness.10. Thou shalt assureth continuity by giving priority to Leadership Development.BLESSED ARE THE LEADERSTo even the most casual student of leadership today, those themes ought ring quite familiar. Looking through the lens of modern leadership theory, one can, not surprisingly, find examples aplenty of these themes in the ancient stories of human shepherds leading their human flocks.Woolfe's extensive research does a good job of making the case that human nature, or at least the behaviors that are shaped by the West's familiar Judeo/Christian traditions, have remained pretty much the same over the millenia. So the methods that helped (or hindered) a leader's attempts to affect the behaviors of ancient, nomadic, desert-dwelling clans thousands of years ago are quite the same as those that influence contemporary, computerized cube-farm inhabitants. (Though modern leaders -- facing constituents with more choices for the leaders they'd willing follow -- probably tend to emphasize the less harsh end of the consequences spectrum.)The plethora of examples that Woolfe has mined from both the Good Book and today's business press amply make the case for each lesson the author presents. But too much so. The book often seems to read like: Ancient Anecdote...Ancient Anecdote... Modern Example...Modern Example...And then for variety: Modern Example...Modern Example...Ancient Anecdote...Ancient Anecdote... Or, alternatively, Ancient Anecdote... Modern Example...

I have titled my review "Surprisingly Well Done" because I frankly didn't expect the quality of reading I enjoyed in this book. I'll admit to being a bit jaundiced by one book after another comparing biblical characters and ancient historical figures like Attila the Hun to today's situations and leaders. But, if AMACOM, the publishing division of the American Management Association, is presenting this book, maybe there is some substance in these pages after all. I opened the book with apprehension, half-expecting a Bible-thumping worship of religious heroes. Surprise! I was captivated right away by the almost conversational tone of the writing that pulled me in. The messages are much more "real," than pushy. The preachiness I feared did not materialize. Instead, lessons were shared on the fundamentals of leadership, with examples from Biblical characters and modern-day corporate and political leaders. Woolfe is obviously quite conversant with the Bible, its stories, and its lessons. I am not, so I was frankly concerned that I wouldn't have the knowledge to relate to the book's teachings and message. I found that Woolfe described enough about each character and story that I understood. The people cited-Biblical and modern, are used as vehicles for Woolfe to make his points about ten attributes of leaders: honesty and integrity, purpose, kindness and compassion, humility, communication, performance management, team development, courage, justice and fairness, and leadership development. As you read this book, expect to pause to reflect frequently. It will be a comfortable experience, rather than an unsettling challenge to your morals. Each chapter concludes with Biblical lessons on the theme of the chapter-not religious, Biblical. It's sort of a comparison of management literature from two different eras and not at all intimidating. A good set of reference notes and an index add value to the book.Commentary: Understandably, this book addresses Judeo-Christian culture-both in its themes and it's content and treatment. It would be interesting to see a set of these books, with similar comparisons to perceived qualities of leaders and the religious literature of the culture that supports the written heritage.

This is a very straightforward, informative and practical book that uses biblical lessons as jumping off points to illustrate the use of ethics in the (modern) corporate world. I know this book has been recognized and used in many Christian management schools, but personally I care less about the religious aspects than the ethical ones. (And in today's world where we still have people killing in the name of god, I think there's a big distinction.) I frankly don't care if the book gets more people to think about or read the bible, but its lessons for leaders and leadership are right on target.Woolfe clearly did a lot of research for this book. The number and diversity of stories about different managers and corporations is wonderful, although my personal preference is for those I consider to be among the "socially responsible" leaders: Aaron Feuerstein, who continued to pay employees even after his factory burned down, and Ben & Jerry's who donated 7.5% percentage of profits to charitable causes.This book is very timely, with stories of Enron and unethical (not to mention illegal) corporate practices just beginning to fade. It should be incorporated into every business school curriculum. Now, I'd love to see Woolfe do "The Koran on Leadership".....