Leaders Who Last

Dave Kraft, a Pastor at Mars Hill Church (Seattle) has just released a new book on leadership, it is called: Leaders Who Last (ReLit Books). I do not have it yet, but you can read it online at Crossway. I perused it there and my initial impression was very positive.

Here is the the Table of Contents of the book:

Part One. Foundations
1. The Leader’s Power
2. The Leader’s Purpose
3. The Leader’s Passion
4. The Leader’s Priorities
5. The Leader’s Pacing
Thinking Things Through
Part Two. Formation
6. The Leader’s Calling
7. The Leader’s Gifts
8. The Leader’s Character
9. The Leader’s Growth
Thinking Things Through
Part Three. Fruitfulness
10. The Leader’s Vision
11. The Leader’s Influence
12. The Leader’s Legacy
Thinking Things Through


As I flipped through it, I came away with the impression that brother Kraft and I are kindred spirits. Much of what he covers is very similar to the topics and content that I use in the Ministry Leadership course I teach each year -- that is encouraging. You can purchase a hard copy, and as I said, the online edition is now available (free while its there) at the Crossway site. I'll go out on a limb here, and pre-recommend it.

In the meantime, the article below from the What's Best Next blog, highlights some observations and conclusions taken from Kraft's book:

The 7 Habits of Highly Ineffective Leaders
From Dave Kraft’s Leaders Who Last (Re: Lit Books), here’s his list:

1.They spend too much time managing and not enough time leading.

2.They spend too much time counseling the hurting people and not enough time developing the people with potential.

3.They spend too much time putting out fires and not enough time lighting fires.

4.They spend too much time doing and not enough time planning.

5.They spend too much time teaching the crowd and not enough time training the core.

6.They spend too much time doing it themselves and not enough time doing it through others.

7.They make too many decisions based on organizational politics and too few decisions based on biblical principles.

He then adds:

Notice in particular numbers 2, 5, and 6, which have to do with the kinds of people you spend time with. I say it again: the people you spend the majority of your time with can and will determine whether you are an effective or ineffective leader.

The fact is that many people in leadership roles gravitate toward hurting, draining, time-=consuming people because they have a need to be needed. They want to help people, to be there for people. If a leader has strong mercy gifts, leading becomes more difficult. Simply put, if you need people, you can’t lead people. There is an inability or lack of desire to make the tough calls, speak the truth, or do the hard things. Motivated by a fear of disappointing people, this inability will seriously hamper and work against your ability to lead.

Blessings
3 John 8
Bill H.