5. The Painful Side of Leadership: Moving Forward Even When It Hurts
by Jeff Iorg. This former pastor and now seminary president understands leadership and the pain that often accompanies it. He cautions that leaders should expect opposition and that they should gather around them people committed to praying for their ministry. Any leader who does not do that he describes as both arrogant and foolish. He also warns against having one's spouse as the only source of emotional support during leadership trials. The book is full of helpful information for anyone in a leadership role, and I would highly recommend it.4. Why Jesus?: Rediscovering His Truth in an Age of Mass Marketed Spirituality
by Ravi Zacharias. There is seldom a year that I do not read at least one of Zacharias' books. In this book he takes on the New Spirituality that is presented as gospel by such people as Deepak Chopra and Oprah Winfrey and shows how it pales in comparison to the true gospel of Jesus Christ. In my opinion no apologist today does a better job of explaining the superiority of Christianity over any other religious system. As church leaders we are continually confronted by people who hold to the teachings of the New Spirituality. Some of these people are even in our churches. We need to be able to point out the differences between these those beliefs and the Gospel, and this book can help you do that.3. The Ascent of a Leader: How Ordinary Relationships Develop Extraordinary Character and Influence by Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol, and Ken McElrath. According to the authors, most leaders are on a Capacity Ladder. That ladder can take them only as high as their individual potential will allow. Some can become very successful on that ladder, but they point out that there is another ladder that can enable a leader to go even further. That ladder is the Character Ladder. These two ladders can actually integrate with one another, and as the leader climbs this integrated ladder he or she becomes the kind of person others want to follow. This leads not only to greater success for the leader, but more importantly it allows for the organization to be more effective in its efforts. This is a great book for one who wants to improve his or her leadership abilities.
2.
The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Potential
by John Maxwell. Like Zacharias, there is not a year goes by that I don't read at least one book by Maxwell. One of the goals of every leader should be to reach his or her potential every year and then to expand that potential. This book can help one do that. No matter where one is in his or her development, there is always room for growth. I plan to read this book again in 2014 because I don't ever want to stop growing.1. Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It
by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. These leadership experts believe that leadership is something that one must earn every day because others will decide each day whether or not they are going to follow you. One of the critical components they will consider is whether or not they believe their leader is credible. Once a leader loses credibility it becomes very difficult to regain it. This book explains how to maintain credibility with those you are leading Being honest, being pro-active, developing relationships with those you lead, and listening well are only four of the things discussed in this book. I decided to make it my #1 pick because if we don't get this right we won't be leaders for long, and this book can help ensure the reader can remain a credible leader.That's the list. I did not include the New Testament in the list. I did read it through again this year, but I hope every Christian understands that it should always be at the top of our reading lists!
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