Fall 2018 · Vol. 47 No. 2 · pp. 239–251
Growing Leaders: Six Practices of Christian Leadership
One of my favorite biblical heroes is Nehemiah. Despite intense opposition, he courageously mobilized a community to accomplish the impossible. What can we learn about growing leaders from God’s story about Nehemiah?
The biblical narrative picks up Nehemiah’s story as he is serving as an official wine tester in the service of Artaxerxes, king of the mighty Persian Empire.
All is going well until an entourage from Jerusalem shows up on Nehemiah’s doorstep. They bring news of the state of Jerusalem. It is not a happy story.
Nehemiah weeps. He pours out his heart to God.
If we believe that God gifts us for specific purposes, then it follows that our talents and abilities may indicate where God wants us to serve.
Four months later, Nehemiah is still grieved over the destruction of Jerusalem. His grief is so obvious that the king notices and questions him about his sadness.
Nehemiah shares why his heart is broken and, after praying, asks the king for permission to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls. He also asks for a letter of safe-conduct and another letter to secure wooden beams for the city gates. {240}
Because God’s gracious hand is upon Nehemiah, the king grants Nehemiah’s requests.
After being in Jerusalem three days, Nehemiah sets out at night to inspect the walls. Then, he gathers the people and says: “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace” (Neh 2:17).
Once the people hear about how God granted Nehemiah favor in the king’s eyes, they rally to Nehemiah’s vision and begin the work.
However, right from the beginning, Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem (probably government officials in the region) oppose the rebuilding effort. The possibility of a resurgent Israel was apparently threatening to them. They mock and ridicule the workers at every opportunity. Nehemiah responds: “The God of heaven will give us success. We, his servants, will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it” (2:20).
Many people from different walks of life join the building project. Goldsmiths, perfume-makers, merchants, rulers, priests, Levites, and others take on sections of the wall. People from other cities also join the locals in their rebuilding efforts.
As the building project progresses, Sanballat and Tobiah continue to ridicule the workers: “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are . . . What they are building—if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones” (4:2–3).
Ouch!
How does Nehemiah respond? He prays: “Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity” (4:4).
Despite the opposition, the people work with all their heart until the wall is half-done.
Of course, Israel’s enemies are not impressed and begin to plot how they will attack Jerusalem. Nehemiah again responds with prayer and by posting a guard day and night to meet the threat.
At this point, the Jewish workers begin to get discouraged and overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the task. The ongoing barrage of threats intimidates some of the Jews.
Nehemiah addresses this challenge by stationing guards at the lowest points in the wall. He encourages the workers by saying: “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes” (4:14). {241}
From that point on, all the workers carry a weapon and the work continues.
If protecting themselves from attack wasn’t enough, Nehemiah also faces another significant challenge. Famine had ravaged the land and some of the wealthy Jews had loaned money to their struggling neighbors. The problem—they were also charging interest. Some of those who had received loans had already sold their children as slaves because of their inability to pay back what they owed.
Now, if I was Nehemiah, I would have been tempted to put this issue on hold until we had finished the wall. Yet, Nehemiah wisely recognizes that God’s blessing was contingent upon the people’s obedience. Sin in the camp could potentially undermine the accomplishment of God’s vision. So, Nehemiah confronts the guilty parties and they make things right.
Even though the walls were taking shape quickly, Israel’s enemies had not given up. Their new tactic—to lure Nehemiah out of the city and kill him. However, Nehemiah discerns their evil intent and replies, “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” (6:3).
At every turn, Sanballat and his allies try to frighten and discourage the Jews, hoping that their hands will get too weak to do the work. In response, Nehemiah prays, “Now strengthen my hands” (6:9).
Nehemiah’s enemies even pay one of the Jews to lure Nehemiah into the temple under the pretense that someone is trying to assassinate him. Doing so would have been a sin, discrediting Nehemiah’s leadership. Nehemiah stands firm.
After much prayer and hard work, the people complete the wall in just fifty-two days. As Nehemiah reports: “When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God” (6:16).
With God’s help, Nehemiah and the Jewish people did the impossible.
What was it about Nehemiah that made him such a useful vessel in God’s hands? God’s story about Nehemiah shows us six important practices of leadership that can help us focus on what is most important as we seek to grow (and help others grow) as leaders whom God can use in a maximum way. The six practices are: (1) growing a deeper relationship with God, (2) developing godly character, (3) discerning personal calling, (4) growing deep communities, (5) building healthy teams, and (6) strengthening skills. {242}
1. GROWING A DEEPER RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
Nehemiah was a man of God as seen in his godly character, commitment to God’s purposes, and a vibrant prayer life. I will look at Nehemiah’s character and determination to live out God’s calling later in the article. For now, I will focus on his prayer life.
When someone walks closely with God, prayer is a natural response to life’s challenges. We see this in Nehemiah. He sat down and prayed when he heard about the devastation in his beloved city of Jerusalem (Neh 1:4–11). He confessed the sins of the people, including himself, who had brought this destruction upon themselves (1:6–7). He turned to the Lord before asking the king for permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (2:4–5). Nehemiah responded with prayer to the opposition from the local governors around Jerusalem (4:7–9). It is evident Nehemiah had a strong relationship with God and that this was foundational to his success as a leader.
As we see in Nehemiah and in many other biblical characters, the desired foundation of Christian leadership is a growing relationship with God. In the New Testament, we see that all Christians (including leaders) must continue to live in Christ, rooted and built up in him (Col 2:6–7). As we abide in Christ, he will bear fruit through us (John 15).
I find the practice of spiritual disciplines, when done in a meaningful way, rallies me to God and his plans for my life. One of the most useful tools I have found for establishing and growing these disciplines is a Rule of Life. A Rule of Life is an intentional plan to deepen one’s relationship with God and to position oneself to love and serve others more effectively. Like what Peter Scazzero says in Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, 1 I am learning that one’s Rule of Life should encompass all of life. This would include practicing traditional spiritual disciplines such as prayer and listening to God through his word, but also cultivating healthy relationships, fostering emotional health, and taking care of my body (among others). Everything should be an act of worship to God as we live all of life with spiritual discipline.
My church, South Langley MB, recently held a week of prayer. We received prayer guides to focus our prayers on key aspects of church life. On the Thursday morning, the scripted prayer was that “we would be people who seek God deeply in prayer and worship and depend radically on the Holy Spirit.”
I must confess that I probably prayed that prayer more for others than myself. Yet, within a few days, God was doing a much deeper work in my prayer life. The floodgates began to open as I saw prayer opportunities all around me. Interactions have increasingly become an opportunity to pray into the lives of others. Ordinary objects are coming to life as prayer reminders. {243}
In her book, Enjoying the Presence of God, 2 Jan Johnson describes how we can move towards praying continually—practicing and enjoying God’s presence throughout the day. How do we do this? Johnson quotes Jean Nicholas Grou who clarifies the meaning of continual prayer: “We are not incessantly making vocal prayers, but our heart is always turned toward God, always listening for the voice of God, always ready to do His holy will.” 3
Spiritual disciplines are vitally important. Yet, the goal is to practice spiritual discipline all of the time, so our lives are a continuous offering of praise and worship to God.
2. DEVELOPING GODLY CHARACTER
Throughout the Nehemiah narrative, we see evidence of Nehemiah’s godly character.
Being a wine tester in the Persian royal court showed he was trustworthy.
We see his humility in his opening prayer where he poured out his heart to God in confession and repentance.
Nehemiah demonstrated compassion when he wept over the disgrace God’s people were experiencing.
He executed justice in dealing with the rich landowners who were charging interest on loans to their neighbors.
Nehemiah was a man of courage. He risked his job and perhaps even his life when he asked the king if he could leave to rebuild the walls in Jerusalem. He bravely faced both internal and external challenges that threatened to derail the building project.
We also see Nehemiah’s generosity as he fed 150 people each day from his own pocket (Neh 5:17–18).
Throughout the biblical account, we catch glimpses of Nehemiah’s wisdom. Even when he asked the king for permission to go to Jerusalem, Nehemiah had the foresight to ask for letters of safe-conduct and supplies to rebuild the gates. In addition, he wisely responded to opposition and the problem of charging interest on loans.
We see Nehemiah’s integrity when he refused to hide in the temple after he became aware of a supposed plot to assassinate him.
Another admirable character quality that surfaces in Nehemiah’s story is his responsiveness. He hears about the need in Jerusalem and immediately responds. He hears about the poor people selling their kids into slavery to repay their debts and he deals with it. As threats come, he addresses them quickly without losing sight of the bigger vision.
Facing a difficult task made even more challenging by internal and external threats, Nehemiah persevered. I admire how Nehemiah hung in there and was willing to face the opposition and internal discord. {244}
Obviously, Nehemiah had weaknesses and even character flaws. Yet, throughout the book bearing his name, we see a man of godly character worthy of emulation.
From a New Testament perspective, how do we develop godly, Christ-like character? As we increasingly submit ourselves to Christ’s lordship and experience an ongoing filling of the Holy Spirit, we will be able to imitate God and follow Jesus’s example of love (Eph 5:1–2). Scripture describes many admirable character qualities, such as the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22–23) and being wise (Prov 2:1–5), holy (1 Pet 1:15–16), just (Micah 6:8), humble (Phil 2:5–8), and courageous (Josh 1:6–9). Growth in these kinds of qualities greatly enhances our ability to reflect Christ and lead in God-honoring ways. We will acquire these traits in increasing measure as we surrender ourselves to God, deal with sin in our lives, associate with godly people, leverage Scripture to bring about necessary change, allow trials to shape our character, and expose ourselves to opportunities that foster growth in desired areas.
Why is developing godly character important for Christian leaders? Obviously, it is a biblical mandate. In addition, leaders often gain a following when they grow in Christ-likeness. People are more likely to follow someone who cares for them and who is trustworthy. Leaders with compassion are more likely to touch the hearts of those around them. Humble leaders often work better with people and can build more cohesive and productive teams. Christ-like character development makes a huge difference in our leadership effectiveness.
3. DISCERNING PERSONAL CALLING
Nehemiah also understood God’s purpose. On the surface, God’s plan for Nehemiah was to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. However, the deeper purpose was to restore God’s honor in Israel by revitalizing the people spiritually.
Understanding and living out one’s God-given calling is another key ingredient for effective Christian leadership. Scripture says that God created us in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand (Eph 2:10). This suggests that God has a unique plan for each of our lives. What is this plan or calling? I use a process with my students at MB Seminary to help them understand their God-given calling, which includes life purpose, core values, and vision. 4 The process invites participants to prayerfully explore Scripture, their defining moments (which often contain God-ordained themes that point people in certain directions), their interests, desirable character traits, areas where they and others see God’s blessing on their endeavors, and their areas of gifting and strength. As people discover or re-envision God’s call on their lives, they are in a good position to determine where and how they should serve. In addition, they {245} are often filled with purpose, passion, and a willingness to make sacrifices to live out that calling. This kind of understanding and passion is essential for effective Christian leadership.
I vividly remember the leadership retreat several years ago when a facilitator led our church staff through a personal refocusing process. The lights came on for me as I understood in a much deeper way God’s call on my life. That process of understanding my personal calling fanned into flame a strong sense of purpose that continues to guide me to this day.
God has created and shaped us for a purpose. Our calling is God’s game plan for our lives. It’s also part of his larger plan for the church and the world.
What happens when we understand our calling and decide to live it out in God’s strength and for his glory? We have a strong sense of direction—we know our game plan (or at least parts of it). Because we believe that our game plan is from our loving Lord, we will want to carry it out with passion, courage, and determination. We will engage in extraordinary efforts in the struggle to realize God’s calling.
Of course, many factors can distract us from the game plan or diminish our passion to execute the plan. That is why it is imperative that we keep coming back to the Lord for guidance and strength. We also need to keep the plan in front of us and prayerfully discern when God would have us adjust it. Having a strong network of prayer supporters and encouragers will help us to stay the course, as well.
Some people may get discouraged when they don’t see much progress in accomplishing God’s calling. I am learning that living out God’s calling often has many detours; yet, I believe that even the detours have a purpose in God’s economy. Our role is to do our best, in God’s strength, to struggle forward in carrying out God’s calling. As Theodore Roosevelt said, “The credit belongs to the man [and woman] who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion, and spends himself in a worthy cause.” 5
Growing leaders understand that there is no cause more worthy than living out God’s calling on our lives.
4. GROWING DEEP COMMUNITIES
Nehemiah strengthened community, whether he was dealing with the rift between the rich landowners and the families who had sold their children to pay off their debts or getting people to work around a common vision. We see many people with diverse skills working together to rebuild the walls. The community banded together around a common vision. Even the finished wall provided a place of safety and solidarity—a place for building an even stronger community. {246}
Growing leaders need companions in the journey of life—people who support us along the way (and whom we support, too). In Maximum Discipleship in the Church, I argue that loving, Christ-centered communities provide a place where maximum discipleship can occur. 6
A Christian community is one characterized by love; its members practice the “one anothers” of Scripture. For us to grow in our relationship with God, we need this kind of “life on life” community where we not only give to others, but receive from them, as well. Deep discipleship occurs in deep community.
In these deep communities, people worship with one another (Eph 5:19–20). They love each other so much that the outside world knows that they are following Jesus’s example (John 13:34–35). They encourage and build each other up (1 Thess 5:11). They are kind, compassionate, and forgiving (Eph 4:32). Christ’s acceptance of us is the standard by which group members accept one another unconditionally (Rom 15:7). Their mutual love fosters an enduring devotion and loyalty to each other (Rom 12:10).
Those in loving, Christ-centered communities value others more than they value themselves (Phil 2:3–4). This humble attitude helps individuals put aside personal agendas and live in harmony with one another (Rom 12:16). Yet, this unity is not a superficial absence of conflict. People are still willing to be tough with one another—to teach and admonish out of a growing relationship with Jesus (Col 3:16). Of course, we don’t want to provoke one another (Gal 5:25–26), but we do want to partner with the Holy Spirit to provide the necessary tension in ourselves and others to stimulate optimal growth.
In Maximum Discipleship in the Church, I describe eight characteristics of relationships in effective disciple-making communities: (1) transparency, (2) investment, (3) levity, (4) intensity, (5) prayerfulness, (6) intentionality, (7) interdependence, and (8) a missional focus.
From a leadership perspective, we want to model transparency and provide safe places where people can be vulnerable with one another. Developing deep relationships requires a willingness to invest deeply in the lives of others. Deep communities experience levity, which is the gateway to and moderator of the intensity often required for deep discipleship. Yet, God is ultimately the One who does the lasting work in people’s lives. As we pray for one another, we unleash God’s power in people’s lives. Effective discipleship is an intentional process where we deliberately help people take necessary next steps. As we go through this intentional process, we recognize that we need each other. A healthy interdependence will help facilitate deep growth. Even as we invest deeply in one another’s lives, we need to have a missional focus that drives us to {247} love unbelievers in Jesus’s name. As we rally around a common mission, we will find ourselves drawing even closer to one another.
Building strong community is critical for leading effective groups and organizations. We must grow in our ability to love one another deeply from pure hearts (1 Pet 1:22). It is in the context of healthy relationships that people can build trust with each other (of course, there are other elements to building trust such as the perceived competence and credibility of others, but relational “chemistry” is certainly an important piece). A loving Christian community is also a powerful witness to the world. Leaders can foster relational development by setting a strong example of loving others and by providing opportunities for people to build relational bridges with each other.
5. BUILDING HEALTHY TEAMS
Nehemiah leveraged the power of team. He couldn’t have rebuilt the walls by himself. He mobilized people to make it happen with God’s help.
The leadership development literature gives considerable attention to team-building. Jesus taught the masses and ministered to individuals, but his primary training was with his team of disciples. He poured his life into them.
Why do I distinguish between growing deep communities and building healthy teams? There is obviously overlap between the two. However, in this leadership approach, the “Growing Deep Communities” practice focuses more on relationships while the “Building Healthy Teams” practice is concerned more about how a team functions.
We probably have all experienced groups that are relationally tight, but which don’t really accomplish much beyond strengthening their own little community (their functionality related to external mission is weak). On the other side, we may have experienced groups where people don’t really like each other, but they have learned to function well together as a team (e.g., a sports team where team members work hard to win even though they may not get along).
Effective Christian leaders know that a team can often accomplish more than what team members could achieve individually. Strong teams learn how to work together. They know each other’s strengths and weaknesses (e.g., through a Myers Briggs assessment or by doing the StrengthsFinder inventory). More than that, they empower each other to use their current strengths and even go beyond them. They practice functioning as a team (e.g., doing activities and challenges that encourage team members to leverage their strengths on behalf of the team). Healthy teams engage in strong communication designed to maximize efficiency, develop bonds (which may or may not become caring relationships), transform conflict into team gains, and address barriers that arise. {248}
According to Stephen M. R. Covey, the one thing every healthy team needs is trust: “That one thing has the potential to create unparalleled success and prosperity in every dimension of life.” 7 The Apostle Paul reminds us that those who truly love one another will always trust (1 Cor 13:7). Patrick Lencioni, in The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, contends that an absence of trust is a fundamental problem on many teams that can lead to other problems, like a fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results. 8
Growing leaders understand the importance of healthy teams and how they can strengthen them to accomplish God’s mission.
6. STRENGTHENING SKILLS
We also see that Nehemiah used different skills. He inspected the wall, he cast the vision for rebuilding it, and he responded to opposition with wise countermeasures like arming the workers. He mobilized people and supported them in this important work. Nehemiah demonstrated numerous key leadership skills.
Effective leaders are lifelong learners. We need to continually hone our skills related to important leadership practices, like managing conflict, making wise decisions, developing leaders, building and communicating vision, and fostering a learning orientation within our organizations. In addition, the rapid pace of societal change means leaders must acquire new competencies to increase their effectiveness. The key questions are: (1) What skills (and level of proficiency within those skills) are necessary to live out God’s call on our lives within the teams in which we serve, and (2) how can we best develop those skills?
Even as we develop new skills and shore up weaker skills, our primary focus must be developing the strengths God entrusts to us. Although there are some potential dangers associated with strengths-based leadership, there are four reasons for focusing most of our time and energy on using our strengths and helping others use their strengths.
1. You Will be More Engaged in Your Work
According to a 2007 Gallup poll, “People who do have the opportunity to focus on their strengths every day are six times as likely to be engaged in their jobs and more than three times as likely to report having an excellent quality of life in general.” 9
The Gallup research clearly indicates that we will be more excited about our work when we get to use our strengths. The paid staff and volunteers on our teams will be more motivated to serve when we help them use their strengths in meaningful ways. In fact, Rath and Conchie discovered that when organizational leaders focus on peoples’ strengths, {249} there is a 73 percent chance that they will be engaged in their work (compared to 9 percent when leaders do not focus on others’ strengths). 10
When we are engaged in our ministry, we are much more willing to make significant investments in that ministry. Our enthusiasm level is higher, which spreads to others. We’re more likely to persevere with a project and stick with a ministry long-term.
Andy Stanley has said, “Don’t strive to be a well-rounded leader. Instead, discover your zone and stay there. Then delegate everything else.” 11
In other words, focus on your strengths.
2. God Wants Us to Wisely Invest What He Gives Us
The parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14–30 teaches us to be wise stewards of what God entrusts to us. I believe this includes our strengths and abilities. God has gifted us for a purpose and it makes sense that we would use what he has given us to accomplish his plans for our lives and the teams on which we serve.
Of course, we also know that God uses us in our weakness. In fact, his strength is made evident in our weaknesses (2 Cor 12:9). God, in his wisdom, will sometimes call us to serve in an area where we are humanly weak. Yet, even as we use our strengths for God, we must do so in humility and in utter dependence on him. We are always weak compared to him and the power he wants to pour in and through our lives.
3. Our Strengths May Indicate Where God Wants Us to Serve
If we believe that God gifts us for specific purposes, then it follows that our talents and abilities may indicate where God wants us to serve (at least, in a general way). I still remember my second-grade teacher asking me to teach the rest of the class how to tell time. I learned that day and through subsequent speaking opportunities that I had some skill in public communication. Knowing I had this ability helped me to discern God’s calling into pastoral ministry and, later on, into a teaching and training ministry.
4. It’s Often the Best Use of Our Time and Energy
Some, like Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers, 12 would suggest we can become world-class in any field with enough practice. Even if this was true, why would we want to invest 10,000 hours or more to turn a weakness into a strength when we could use that same time to actually use our existing strengths to serve others (and to develop those strengths even more in the process)? {250}
Now, I recognize we sometimes need to build up areas of weakness in our lives to accomplish God’s purposes. Leaders, especially young leaders, may have undeveloped strengths that would grow exponentially with some practice. I also realize that we may be in a work situation where we do not have the luxury of using our strengths consistently. However, it is still important that we look for opportunities to utilize the talents God has given us.
John Maxwell encourages leaders to spend 80 percent of their time working on their strengths. In his words, “Growing in a weak area might bring you up to average in that area. But growth in a strength area has the potential to make you exceptional!” 13
SUMMARY
Nehemiah had a growing relationship with God. He demonstrated godly character. He knew God’s calling on his life and lived it out. Nehemiah sought to strengthen the community of which he was a part and mobilized a team of workers to do a great work. Through it all, Nehemiah led skillfully. What is particularly intriguing about these leadership practices is that we see the same pattern throughout Scripture. They provide a biblical approach for developing others and ourselves as leaders whom God can use in a maximum way.
I love building capacity in seasoned and emerging Christian leaders so they can serve God more effectively. As I do so, I have found it helpful to focus my energies on these six key leadership practices (see diagram below). Questions I ask are, how am I personally growing in these six areas and how can I help others grow in these practices, as well?
Six Christian Leadership Practices
{251} Using a pyramid to represent these six Christian leadership practices has its shortcomings; however, one of the strengths of the pyramid metaphor is that it clearly portrays the importance of the foundational layers. We can have extensive knowledge and exceptional leadership skills. We may be able to build strong teams and foster meaningful communities. Yet, without a growing relationship with God, can we reflect him in a vibrant and sustainable way? Will we truly hear God’s call and have what it takes to live it out daily?
I believe Christian leaders who desire to serve in God-honoring and effective ways grow each of the six leadership practices in themselves and others while prioritizing the foundational elements. Why? So we might be more effective in loving God, loving others, and making growing disciples of Jesus both where we live and around the world. That is Christian leadership at its best.
NOTES
- Peter Scazzero. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: Unleash the Power of Authentic Life in Christ (Franklin, TN: Integrity Publishers, 2006), 195–210.
- Jan Johnson, Enjoying the Presence of God: Discovering Intimacy with God in the Daily Rhythms of Life (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1996).
- Johnson, 16.
- I originally learned this process from Dave Jackson who directs Titus Connection, www.titusconnection.ca.
- Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., “Citizenship in a Republic,” speech delivered at the Sorbonne in Paris, France, on April 23, 1910.
- Randy Wollf, Maximum Discipleship in the Church (Columbia, SC: Amazon Digital Services LLC, 2017).
- Stephen M. R. Covey, The Speed of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything (New York: Free Press, 2006), 1.
- Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2002).
- Tom Rath, StrengthsFinder 2.0 (New York: Gallup Press, 2007), iii.
- Tom Rath and Barry Conchie, Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams, and Why People Follow (New York: Gallup Press, 2008), 14.
- Andy Stanley, Next Generation Leader (Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah, 2003), 14.
- Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers (New York: Little, Brown, and Company, 2008).
- John Maxwell, “Insights on Improvement for the New Year,” John Maxwell on Leadership (blog), The John Maxwell Co., January 8, 2014, http://blog.johnmaxwell.com/blog/insights-on-improvement-for-the-new-year.
