
Weak Enough to Lead
What the Bible Tells Us about Powerful Leadership
James C. Howell(Author)
Abingdon Press
Published on 17. October 2017
Book
Paperback/Softback
164 pages
978-1-5018-4263-4 (ISBN)
Description
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."
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Nashville, Tennessee
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 9 mm
Weight
216 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5018-4263-4 (9781501842634)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
10/2017
Abingdon Press
€22.49
Available for download
Person
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.