Christian Reflections on the Leadership Challenge

According to the authors and contributors, the example of Jesus Christ contains indispensable lessons for leadership. However, in the Gospel, Jesus seems to have commanded disciples primarily to love God and one another. He never seems to have promised success in worldly business affairs or to have offered managerial precepts. On the other hand, in the parable of talents he taught his followers to be fiscally conservative and to invest wisely. To their credit, the authors and editors who compiled this book acknowledge that Christianity never set itself up specifically as a recipe for business success. Regardless, they conclude that applying the precepts they identify will lead to success. The leadership guidelines they quote make sense and do not exclude thoughtful businesspeople of any theological background. The authors illustrate their advice with amusing, instructive anecdotes. The counsel is accessible, ethically illuminating and personally inspiring, although if you usually skip the sermon, it may not be for you. getAbstract.com believes that its primary appeal will be to Christians who seek to serve as servant leaders in their communities and workplaces. Editor’s Note: The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership is a registered trademark.