Leighton Ford, Transforming Leadership: Jesus’ Way of Creating Vision, Shaping Values, and Empowering Change. InterVarsity Press, 1993.
Referenced in: Servant Leadership
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
Ford discusses the leadership principles typical of books of this genre, demonstrating how they were manifested in the life of Jesus. He also integrates insights from Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus, Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge.
Chapters look at the life Jesus through several different leadership metaphors – son (obedient to God), strategist, kingdom-seeker, seer (visionary), strong one (character, moral authority), servant, shepherd, shepherd-maker (mentor), spokesperson (communicator), struggler (conflict, peacemaker), and sustainer.
Ford is the brother-in-law of Billy Graham, and is recognized for his thirty-year association with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, often as an alternate speaker on his programs. He is also the founder and president of Leighton Ford Ministries. He is especially known for his work in mentoring young leaders, which moved Todd Hahn and James Osterhaus to write a story tribute, The Mentoring Tree: A Leadership Legacy of Leighton Ford (accessible by a link on his website). One may also find a series of articles by Ford linked on his website.
From the Publisher
A book for leaders, by leaders, about the greatest leader of them all.
In our rapidly changing and ever more complex world, we suffer a crisis of leadership. Leighton Ford sees the growing dearth of bold leaders—in the marketplace, religion and public life. In this powerful book, Ford calls Christians to be transformational leaders.
Many leaders work within situations; transformational leaders change situations. Many leaders accept what can be talked about; transformational leaders change what can be talked about. Many leaders talk about payoffs; transformational leaders talk about goals. Many leaders bargain; transformational leaders appeal to a common vision. Ford realizes that desperately needed Christian and transformational leadership will not emerge until we have a model of the transforming leader. And what more powerful example of leadership could there be than Jesus? Insightfully examining Jesus’ work and the best recent books on leadership, Ford presents —the leader as strategist —the leader as seer —the leader as seeker —the leader as servant —the leader as struggler —the leader as sustainer
Executives, pastors, managers, professionals—all will benefit from this fresh, in-depth treatment by a man who is himself one of the world’s finest Christian leaders.
About the Author
Leighton Ford heads Leighton Ford Ministries, which seeks to help young leaders worldwide to lead more like Jesus and more to Jesus. For many years, Ford communicated Christ around the globe through speaking, writing and media outreach. He describes his current mission to be “an artist of the soul and a friend on the journey.” He is the author of Transforming Leadership.
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