Weak Enough to Lead: What the Bible Tells Us about Powerful Leadership
The Bible’s version of leadership is pretty different from—and sometimes alien to—that of the business world. It is also dissimilar from our usual assumptions about what makes a great leader in the church, where we tend to focus on preaching ability, strategic hutzpah, and managerial savvy. But what if the Bible actually points toward a different set of characteristics necessary for leadership? What if our weakness is an essential qualification? Do we know our limitations, our inabilities? Do we see clearly our vulnerable, broken selves? Do we really believe that God’s strength is perfected in our weakness, and do we lead with that as a core belief? James Howell’s Weak Enough to Lead is not a list of “leadership principles” from the Bible. This book is an examination of stories about leaders from the Old Testament, where we discover not only them but ourselves. How does family dysfunction or depression or tragic bad luck or larger historical forces figure into the leadership equation? How do biblical characters prosper despite themselves or stumble even while being holy? Can we get inside the head, heart, and the actual administration of King David and reckon with his strength and foibles? How is strength in leadership almost always the downfall of the biblical leader? What kind of leader would Jesus, Esther, Moses, Jeremiah, or Paul be today? Howell explores the careers, struggles, joys, and devastations of various biblical leaders, believing that immersion in scripture’s stories is what modern Christian leaders need—not to succeed so much as to be God’s people in the world. He roots this unique exploration of leadership in a prayer of Jehoshaphat: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.”
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Weak Enough to Lead: What the Bible Tells Us about Powerful Leadership
The Bible’s version of leadership is pretty different from—and sometimes alien to—that of the business world. It is also dissimilar from our usual assumptions about what makes a great leader in the church, where we tend to focus on preaching ability, strategic hutzpah, and managerial savvy. But what if the Bible actually points toward a different set of characteristics necessary for leadership? What if our weakness is an essential qualification? Do we know our limitations, our inabilities? Do we see clearly our vulnerable, broken selves? Do we really believe that God’s strength is perfected in our weakness, and do we lead with that as a core belief? James Howell’s Weak Enough to Lead is not a list of “leadership principles” from the Bible. This book is an examination of stories about leaders from the Old Testament, where we discover not only them but ourselves. How does family dysfunction or depression or tragic bad luck or larger historical forces figure into the leadership equation? How do biblical characters prosper despite themselves or stumble even while being holy? Can we get inside the head, heart, and the actual administration of King David and reckon with his strength and foibles? How is strength in leadership almost always the downfall of the biblical leader? What kind of leader would Jesus, Esther, Moses, Jeremiah, or Paul be today? Howell explores the careers, struggles, joys, and devastations of various biblical leaders, believing that immersion in scripture’s stories is what modern Christian leaders need—not to succeed so much as to be God’s people in the world. He roots this unique exploration of leadership in a prayer of Jehoshaphat: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.”
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Weak Enough to Lead: What the Bible Tells Us about Powerful Leadership

Weak Enough to Lead: What the Bible Tells Us about Powerful Leadership

by James C Howell
Weak Enough to Lead: What the Bible Tells Us about Powerful Leadership

Weak Enough to Lead: What the Bible Tells Us about Powerful Leadership

by James C Howell

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Overview

The Bible’s version of leadership is pretty different from—and sometimes alien to—that of the business world. It is also dissimilar from our usual assumptions about what makes a great leader in the church, where we tend to focus on preaching ability, strategic hutzpah, and managerial savvy. But what if the Bible actually points toward a different set of characteristics necessary for leadership? What if our weakness is an essential qualification? Do we know our limitations, our inabilities? Do we see clearly our vulnerable, broken selves? Do we really believe that God’s strength is perfected in our weakness, and do we lead with that as a core belief? James Howell’s Weak Enough to Lead is not a list of “leadership principles” from the Bible. This book is an examination of stories about leaders from the Old Testament, where we discover not only them but ourselves. How does family dysfunction or depression or tragic bad luck or larger historical forces figure into the leadership equation? How do biblical characters prosper despite themselves or stumble even while being holy? Can we get inside the head, heart, and the actual administration of King David and reckon with his strength and foibles? How is strength in leadership almost always the downfall of the biblical leader? What kind of leader would Jesus, Esther, Moses, Jeremiah, or Paul be today? Howell explores the careers, struggles, joys, and devastations of various biblical leaders, believing that immersion in scripture’s stories is what modern Christian leaders need—not to succeed so much as to be God’s people in the world. He roots this unique exploration of leadership in a prayer of Jehoshaphat: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.”

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781501842634
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Publication date: 10/17/2017
Pages: 164
Product dimensions: 8.40(w) x 5.50(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

James C. Howell is the senior pastor of Myers Park United Methodist Church in Charlotte, NC, and the author of more than 20 books, including Weak Enough to Lead, Conversations with St. Francis, The Life We Claim, and The Beautiful Work of Learning to Pray. His podcast, “Maybe I’m Amazed,” blogs, and retreats are popular, as are his work on leadership and community activism.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Prayer of Jehoshaphat ix

Jesus: A Little Child Shall Lead Them 1

Hannah: Listening, and Letting Go 11

Saul: Tragically Flawed 17

David: The Natural 26

Kings and a Queen: Failures and Providence 42

Elijah: Loneliness and Renewal 50

Elisha: Mentoring and Humility 60

Micaiah: Yes-Men versus Truth-Tellers 65

Jeremiah: Courage and Its Costs 69

Amos, Second Isaiah: Judgment and Redemption 75

Genesis: Responsibility and Big Plans 81

Moses: Called, but Frustrated 88

Joshua and Samson: Commitment and Burnout 101

Priests: Thinking and Acting Institutionally 104

Sages: Elusive Wisdom 114

Peter and Paul: Downward Mobility 122

Epilogue: How Weakness Helps 130

Notes 133

Index of Names 145

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