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Leadership is central to congregational vitality. Opportunities for individuals to grow and evolve are critical for faith communities. Discern the best approaches to developing servant leaders who demonstrate clear vision, commitment to mission, strong values, and staying power.
LEADERSHIP : Leadership Development
  First, Break All The Rules: What The World's Greatest Managers Do Differently (Book)
Marcus Buckingham, Curt Coffman, Authors.
New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1999.
Just as great managers focus on employee talents, great congregational leaders effectively learn how to implement programs and leadership opportunities by honoring each person’s individual, spiritual gifts.
For Life Abundant: Practical Theology, Theological Education, and Christian Ministry (Book)
Dorothy C. Bass, Craig Dykstra, Authors.
Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2008.
For Life Abundant redirects theological education by using the tools of practical theology as a resource for developing and sustaining excellent pastors who both embody and teach the ways of Christian abundant life.
The Leader's Journey: Accepting the Call to Personal and Congregational Transformation (Book)
Jim Herrington, R. Robert Creech, Trisha Taylor, Authors.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2003.
Effective leadership requires the continual transformational of congregational leaders. Drawing on systems theory, the authors of The Leader's Journey seek to assist congregational leaders along this transformational journey.
Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive through the Dangers of Leading (Book)
Ronald A. Heifetz, Marty Linsky, Authors.
Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 2002.
Congregational leaders will find the skills to implement adaptive change: gaining perspective, developing allies, allowing issues to ripen, controlling the heat of conflict, and giving the work back to those who must make the change.
Leadership Without Easy Answers (Book)
Ronald A. Heifetz, Author.
Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1994.
The book offers key distinctions regarding leadership and works through them in theoretical and practical ways. Although not aimed at religious leaders, it will be useful to them.
Leading Change (Book)
John P. Kotter, Author.
Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 1996.
A world expert on business leadership argues that change strategies often fail because they do not alter behavior.
Leading Congregational Change: A Practical Guide for the Transformational Journey (Book)
Jim Herrington, Mike Bonem, James H. Furr, Authors.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2000.
This resource explores the spiritual and relational vitality congregations need to survive change, the skills leaders need to constructively manage conflict, and the disciplines they must master to lead congregations through difficult times.
Lift: Becoming a Positive Force in Any Situation (Book)
Ryan W. Quinn, Robert E. Quinn, Authors.
San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2009.
Using the history and science of flight as a metaphor, Ryan and Robert Quinn explain the four principles of "lift" (being purpose-centered, internally-directed, other-focused, and externally-open) and how all of these principles work together.
  Center for Creative Leadership (Organization)
The Center for Creative Leadership offers educational programs and materials on individual, team, and organizational leadership. A nonprofit organization, the center promotes the understanding and practical development of leadership throughout society.
The Connect Effect: Building Strong Personal, Professional, and Virtual Networks (Book)
Michael Dulworth, Author.
San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2008.
Michael Dulworth explains how to build and maintain a network as well as how to improve networking skills. He also explores various types of networks and their benefits, and relays stories about his own experiences as a network builder.
Educating Clergy: Teaching Practices and Pastoral Imagination (Book)
Charles R. Foster, Lisa Dahill, Larry Golemon, Barbara Wang Tolentino, Authors.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2005.
This book reports the authors' findings on how Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish seminaries prepare clergy to fulfill their complex roles and responsibilities, with an emphasis on interpretation, formation, context, and performance.
Effective Church Leadership: Building on the Twelve Keys (Book)
Kennon L. Callahan, Author.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1990.
With the current decline of mainline churches in our pluralistic culture, the “professional” pastor must give way to the “missional” pastor; the book defines and lists the major resources of a missional pastor-leader.
Faith Coaching: A Conversational Approach to Helping Others Move Forward in Faith (Book)
Chad Hall, Bill Copper, Kathryn McElveen, Authors.
Hickory, NC: Coach Approach Ministries, 2009.
The authors explain the principles of faith coaching, delineating the differences between coaching and related fields and helping equip people to coach effectively. Case studies and action steps bring coaching principles into one's ministry.
A Generous Presence: Spiritual Leadership and the Art of Coaching (Book)
Rochelle Melander, Author.
Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 2006.
Offering tools that can be used to support our own growth and the growth of others, A Generous Presence introduces readers to the art of spiritual coaching and the dimensions of a coaching relationship.
LeaderResources (Organization)
LeaderResources provides programs that enable Christian congregations to grow as faithful learning communities. Materials offered by this organization support the ongoing spiritual formation of children, youth, and adults.
Leadership for a Changing Church: Charting the Shape of the River (Book)
Robert D. Dale, Author.
Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1998.
Robert Dale asserts that, in the 21st century, effective leaders are those who are versatile; bring an attitude of service, stewardship, and partnership to the leadership role; and create vision and meaning.
Leadership Network (Organization)
The Leadership Network runs various programs aimed at identifying and generating a conversation among leaders of vital, growing churches.
Leading Change: Overcoming the Ideology of Comfort and the Tyranny of Custom (Book)
James O'Toole, Author.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1995.
Recognizing that efforts by leaders to change organizations and systems often fail, James O'Toole offers a philosophy of leadership that is focused on the fundamental moral principle of respect for people.
Leading Quietly: An Unorthodox Guide to Doing the Right Thing (Book)
Joseph L. Badaracco Jr., Author.
Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 2002.
Exploring "quiet leadership," leadership’s common and least-acknowledged form, the author affirms incremental change and describes eight characteristics of quiet leadership. Case studies and close analysis of problem resolution are included.
Masterful Coaching (Book)
Robert Hargrove, Author.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2003.
A masterful coach triggers passion for a future that vitally encompasses everyone. Robert Hargrove combines teaching with illuminating case studies and diagrams that provide the tools necessary to become a masterful coach.
Now, Discover Your Strengths (Book)
Marcus Buckingham, D.O. Clifton, Authors.
Free Press, 2001.
Used in connection with an exploration of spiritual gifts, this resource has the potential to produce a substantial contribution to the ministry of the congregation and its members.
Our Gifts: Identifying and Developing Leaders (Book)
David P. Mayer, Author.
Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress Press, 2002.
David Mayer provides a simple and practical, yet theologically rich, guide for equipping all of God's people as disciple leaders.
The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World (Book)
Ronald A. Heifetz, Alexander Grashow, Marty Linsky, Authors.
Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 2009.
The authors have written a practical guide for those seeking to understand and implement adaptive leadership ("the practice of mobilizing people to tackle tough challenges and thrive") in their congregations.
 Reinventing Leadership (Media)
Distributed by Guilford Publications. Duration: 40 minutes.
This video describes how communities become dysfunctional when they are gripped by anxiety and how such communities tend to sabotage healthy leadership.
Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership (Organization)
This organization seeks to improve the quality of caring of institutions by helping people understand the principles and practices of servant leaders and providing resources and opportunities for sharing on the subject.
Servant Leadership for Church Renewal: Shepherds by the Living Springs (Book)
David S. Young, Author.
Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1999.
Young argues that servant leadership is at the core of church renewal. "It starts with learning to kneel, to listen to God, and to be attentive to directives from God." Servant leaders, he says,"discover God in their midst and then point o
Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness (Book)
Robert K. Greenleaf, Author.
Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1977.
Calling for institutions to continually develop people’s servant leadership capacity, author Robert Greenleaf explores the “servant leadership” concept in three institutional settings: the church, the academy, and the corporation.
Spiritlinking Leadership: Working through Resistance to Organizational Change (Book)
Donna J. Markham, Author.
Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1999.
Exploring the obstacles that block transformative organizational change, author Donna Markham names as “spiritlinking” the courageous leader who finds a way around such obstacles to a future filled with vitality and purpose.
Trustee Leadership Development (Organization)
TLD is a national leadership education and networking program for the leaders and boards of nonprofit organizations, religious groups, and civic communities.
Worshipful-Work: Center for Transforming Religious Leadership (Organization)
Leaders of religious and other nonprofit organizations can use spiritual discernment to develop leadership and guide governance of their organizations.
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