Book Review: Sticky Teams, by Larry Osborne

Book Review: Sticky Teams, by Larry Osborne (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010). 221 Pages Reviewed.

One of the things I chose to do a few years back was broaden my reading from just theological works to those involving business, leadership, church ministry, history, and an occasional fictional work. I kicked off 2012 with a casually paced read through this book. I intentionally wanted to take the read slow…so I could absorb the details and apply them along the way.

Osborne gives an amazingly unfiltered treatment of the subject of pastoral or ministerial leadership. Workings within the confines of the corporate structure of a business are far more predictable than those of the church. Business principles can INFORM a person on how to lead effectively, but they do not apply perfectly.

Everything in the book discusses the leader’s responsibility to develop a team that lasts. This often involves inheriting a team and transforming it. The principles…and the direct instructions that Osborne shares, specifically address the lessons he learned in transforming a team.

Some of the crossovers from this book to the traditional business structure relate to how a leader directs his executive team in a company. Whether working with a Board of Directors or motivating teams of senior managers, the principles are applicable.

The two biggest takeaways for me in the book relates to unity of the team and expectations of the team. First, “Unity that insists on uniformity is not unity at all” (p.29). A healthy team environment cultivates conflict to work through situations and develop the best outcomes. Unity is a commitment to the values and the goals of the organization that provide the framework and impetus that guide the conflict to excellence. Second is the leader’s willingness to PUSH his team on to excellence. Osborne asserts that a leader who will not push his team to get better demonstrates a lack of confidence in the team. The highest compliment a leader can give a team member is to expect more from them.

This book will not be read once and then set aside. It will be a reference throughout my career. For me, as a church leader, it is directly applicable; however, I think it is useful to any leader who is required to work in a team environment to accomplish a task. I can easily envision this as a required staff read or a “board” read for the discerning executive. There is much to be gained.

Thanks Larry for such a powerful tool!

You can purchase a copy of this book from your local bookstore or from Amazon HERE.

Book Review: Winning with People, by John Maxwell

Book Review: Winning with People: Discover the People Principles that Work for You Every Time, by John C. Maxwell (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2004) 311 pages.

Someone once said that John Maxwell has only written one book and published it under dozens of different titles. This is certainly a stretch but it does recognize the fact that Maxwell has articulated a number of leadership and communication principles and expertly applies them to various facets of human relationships.

I picked this book up as a refresher on some interpersonal communication principles. After all, Solomon once said that there is nothing “new” under the sun. I find it useful to vary my own reading with a cross-section of history, leadership, business, practical religious works, and theological works. I purchased this particular book about eight months ago and placed it on my shelf.

Maxwell addresses the desire of a person to be successful in a “people business.” Whether one is a pastor (as I am) or a salesperson, a public employee, or someone who works on the front lines with customers, these principles are beneficial. No one will read this and find the “magic bullet” to success with people; rather, one will be reminded that working with people is hard work! The book is replete with stories and examples that accurately illustrate the principles espoused. This is both helpful and entertaining. In addition, Maxwell draws on the wisdom of Scripture through the text to explain the origins of these principles.

I recommend this book as it is sound and useful for a wide range of people. It is work to build relationships, but with Maxwell, the work is made easier to handle. Thanks John!!

You can purchase a copy from Amazon HERE.

Book Review: Pershing: Commander of the Great War, by John Perry

Pershing: Commander of the Great War, in “The Generals” Series by John Perry (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2011).

John Perry does an excellent job in bringing this book to the public. It is interesting and is easy to read. Do not think of it as a stuff “history book” like those you were forced to read in school. Perry brings this general to life and allows the reader to experience along with Pershing in the telling of his story.

I consider myself a student of military history. I have always admired the great generals; Eisenhower, MacArthur, Patton…but had never paid significant attention to Pershing. (He was just a namesake of a missile to me). After reading Perry’s book…I have come to understand this man more and learned, along the way, some interesting facts that blew me away.

For instance, Pershing is the only man selected as “General of the Armies”- a six star billet during his lifetime. He commanded men like MacArthur and Patton. He was responsible for a force of over 1 million men in France during the Great War. Most of his family was killed in a house fire while he served his country in another state and he continued to serve. He was a dedicated family man to his wife (before her death) and his son (his sole surviving child from the Presidion fire.)

Pershing, though a powerful military commander, gained great fame as a man who sought diplomatic solutions as alternatives to military action. He fought with dignity and honor. A West Point graduate and the First Captain of his class, Pershing was a rigid disciplinarian and maintained the highest of standards of appearance, decorum, training, and discipline for his men. He was hated by many for his rigid nature…but many of those same men survived the horrors of war.

Pershing was a general who fought from the front and demanded the same of his officers. He was and is a true example to those who lead…military and civilian.

It is unfortunate that history has not given due credit to Pershing and has aggrandized the more notable generals like MacArthur and Patton. Nonetheless, Perry has captured the essence of this man’s contribution to our nation and provided for the discerning readers of our day…a picture worthy of consideration.

I recommend this book without any hesitation and look forward to my next book in the series. A treasure awaits!

You can purchase a copy at your local bookstore or through Amazon HERE.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Leaders Who Last, by Dave Kraft

Book Review. Leaders who Last, by Dave Kraft (pastoral team, Mars Hill Church). (Wheaton, IL, Crossway Publishers, 2010). 144 Pages.

Dave Kraft draws on decades of experience in ministry and organizational management as he delves into the subject of leadership. The book consists of two primary sections: The characteristics of leaders/leadership…and the practical approach of a leader. The first two thirds of the book relate to the characteristics of the leader. Explored are subjects like what is a leader “made of.” He speaks of foundation and calling. Each leader must clearly understand his calling…why he exists.

Kraft then dives into the development of the leader’s raw skills. How does a leader continue to learn, develop, and become. Each leader must move on and continue to mature. In a “thought-provoking” way, he suggests the question, “do you have “x” number of years of experience…or one year of experience repeated multiple times?” Unfortunately, too many “disciples” are in the latter category.

Finally, Kraft wraps up the book by speaking of the leader’s legacy. Will he be an organizational manager or a visionary leader? Will he add to his church, or multiply his church? Multiplication requires difficult and intentional choices to allocate time and resources for maximum impact.

I found the book to be well written and easy to read. Many points along the way made me stop, simply to consider my life in light of the truth offered. I grew in understanding and in application having read this book. I recommend it to those seeking to move forward in their development…and not simply repeat the previous year’s lessons.

You can get your copy from Amazon HERE!

Book Review: Decision Points, by former President George W. Bush

Decision Points by George W. Bush. (New York: Crown Publishers, 2010). 481 pages.  

This is the best book of its genre that I have ever read. As a pastor, I have spent more than a few hours reading biographies and autobiographies of legendary figures. My personal library has numerous volumes that offer insight into the lives of men and women who have influenced history. None are more riveting, encouraging, thought provoking or pride evoking than this book.

Leadership is a lonely business. Leaders are charged with many tasks, but more significant than the task of making decisions. President Bush pulls no punches as he explains his encounters with the decision points that affected and still affect the world that we live in.

While the book possesses several noteworthy characteristics, a couple rise above the rest and are important to mention here.

First is the humility of the author. The former President has taken his share of criticism for “arrogance” and “ignorance.” The evidence of his life and the approach of this book speak to the opposite. I found his candor about failures and successes to be refreshing.

Second is his love and desires for his children. Something I have said often is that I want my children to grow up to live for a cause greater than themselves. My wife and I have been careful not to define the cause but we have unapologetically asserted that to live one’s life for anything less…is a waste of God-ordained gifts. I saw, read, and sensed the same heart and passion in this book.

Finally, the President’s passion for his country and zeal for the ideals of our nation come across as unparalleled.

As a leader, (though on a much smaller scale than that of the Chief Executive of the world’s sole superpower) I am constantly aware of the pressure to make decisions. Doing so requires sobriety, vision, and good counselors. This book accentuates another key element…COURAGE. I highly recommend this book to leaders, but not only to leaders…to every American. I do not know of a more clear and insightful picture into the life and daily responsibility of a leader…a President…than Decision Points.

You can purchase a copy of this book from Amazon HERE.

“Who ‘brung’ who” is the question of the hour

This article is posted in response to a ”Point of View” piece by Dr. John Sullivan, Executive Director-Treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention. His piece appeared in the Florida Baptist Witness dated April 23, 2009 and is entitled “Dancing with the one who ‘brung’ you.” To preface my response, let me say that I have great respect for Dr. Sullivan and for his ministry. I believe him to be a man of God with a powerful and effective ministry. This post is not about Dr. Sullivan, but addresses the mindset that seems to inform the article he wrote.

I am also a big fan of the church with great and high hopes for her. I believe the best days for the church are ahead. I am also a firmly committed and “cooperating” Southern Baptist and have led the churches I have served to support the cooperative efforts of the Convention. I planted an SBC Church in Upstate New York. I am committed to the Cooperative Program and the Cooperative ideology which has made the SBC what it is today. 

I am also one of over 1200 signatories (to date) on the document “The Great Commission Resurgence Declaration,” which articulates a conviction and commitment to seeing our Convention experience a resurgence of gospel-centric and effective ministry efforts in cooperation with others of like mind.

One of the great concerns for all of us as a Convention is our gradual but steady decline. Some have postulated that the “Kingdom” is advancing but the SBC is declining BECAUSE many good and godly pastors are leaving the Convention. This is, in part, the impetus for the article in the Florida Baptist Witness. The second underlying prong in the article is that some churches have “stepped back” from traditional commitments to giving to the Cooperative Program and are dually aligned with other missional networks. The concern, from those who know far more than I do about how this affects the Convention, is that without sustained and growing commitment to the Cooperative Program, the Convention will not be able to indefinitely continue its operations as they exist today. Hence, the local church (and its pastor) is challenged to “dance” with the one who “brung” it. 

Most guys I know, which is admittedly not all of the pastors in our Convention…or even a majority, have some heartburn with the percentages of missions dollars that never leave our state. We recognize that wise men are making decisions, but question if they are the hard decisions and the right decisions for the culture we live in today. Should it be so…that 60% of the monies given by the people of the local church should never leave the State of Florida? Granted…we are a mission field and I am passionate about reaching this field….but isn’t that what I am doing as the pastor of a local church? If I have already decided (as a church) how much money to send forward in cooperative efforts with the thousands of other churches for the cause of missions…then I have also decided how much to invest and utilize as a local church to reach my area of influence. I do so in full knowledge that other pastors around me are doing the same thing and with overlapping influence, we are fairly well positioned to accomplish the task in our area. Certainly we are not doing it perfectly…but arguably, we are going to be more effective than a department in another city hours away.

Perhaps, as Southern Baptists, our “Point of View” is skewed. Perhaps we have come to believe that the churches have a responsibility to send missions resources to a State Convention out of obligation…and perhaps that has created a perception that the State Convention is an entity distinct from the churches. Perhaps the State Convention is the Cooperative Program to some and therefore it is believed that the churches should “dance” with the State Convention because the State Convention “brung” the church to the dance. If it is true that the State Convention and the local church are distinct entities…then it may be true that we misunderstand “who ‘brung’ who?”

The concept of cooperation began as a Convention of local churches organized to do missions/ministry better. Out of that was birthed the Cooperative Program. “Who ‘brung’ who?”

I propose that if the Convention understood “who ‘brung’ who” as it relates to the Cooperative program, it would more accurately reflect the missional convictions of the local church in its operations. The Convention would know that if the local churches desired for missions dollars to go to the function of missionary enterprise through the IMB (International Mission Board), NAMB (North American Mission Board), and Theological Education (to train pastors and missionaries so they might equip the saints for service- Ephesians 4), then to dance with the local church…this must be done. While we as a convention do many wonderful things together that we could never do well independently, we must admit that some of our cooperative ministry at a Convention level is less critical than “the mission.” Refusing to address these matters and adjust course to reflect the “lead” of our local churches, is to not “dance with the one who ‘brung’ us.”

I concur with Dr. Sullivan, we should dance with the one who “brung” us…but we should also realize “who ‘brung’ who.” Let’s not castigate those who, under firm conviction of the Holy Spirit, choose to engage in “the mission” in more effective ways, or imply that they are somehow disloyal in following their convictions; rather, let’s dance with them…by becoming the most effective cooperative agency (Convention) ever, responsive to the “lead” of the local church and its Scripturally appointed leaders, and dance with the one who “brung” us.