Are you a leader?
Sorry, that was a silly question. Of course, you’re a leader! You’re a woman of influence whether you carry a fancy title or simply lead by example.
Let’s start over. Do you want to become a better leader?
Here are 6 must-have leadership books for you if you want to get equipped for the next chapter in your life:
1. Lead by Paul David Tripp
For every celebrity pastor exiting the ministry in the spotlight, there are many more lesser-known pastors leaving in the shadows. Paul David Tripp argues that lurking behind every pastoral failure is the lack of a strong leadership community.
Tripp draws on his decades of ministry experience to give churches 12 gospel principles necessary to combat this leadership crisis. Each of these principles, built upon characteristics such as humility, dependency, and accountability, will enable new and experienced leaders alike to focus their attention on the ultimate leadership model: the gospel.
2. Developing Female Leaders by Kadi Cole
Kadi Cole offers a practical strategy to help church and organizational leaders craft cultures that facilitate the development of women as volunteer and staff leaders.
Using interviews and surveys of more than one thousand women in key church and organizational roles, combined with current research, the author has created eight easy-to-implement “best practices” that help accelerate a woman’s organizational contribution.
3. Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley Barton
Ruth Haley Barton invites us to an honest exploration of what happens when spiritual leaders lose track of their souls. Weaving together contemporary illustrations with penetrating insight from the life of Moses, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership explores topics such as responding to the dynamics of calling, facing the loneliness of leadership, leading from your authentic self, cultivating spiritual community, re-envisioning the promised land, and discerning God’s will together.
Each chapter includes a spiritual practice to ensure your soul gets the nourishment it needs. Forging and maintaining a life-giving connection with God is the best choice you can make for yourself and for those you lead.
4. Seasons of a Leader’s Life by Jeff Iorg
Learning, leading, and leaving a legacy are the seasons of a leader’s life. The beginning phase involves the passion of youth and excitement for the future and is a time of earning degrees, finding mentors, and more. And while leaders are always learners, soon enough the true season of leadership arrives where the leader leads, employing key practices to advance the mission of their work. Finally, a leader must consider her legacy—the wisdom gained, the people influenced, and the model of leadership that’s left behind to inspire a subsequent generation ahead.
This book identifies Peter as someone who lives through all three phases in the New Testament. In the gospels, he was a learner. In Acts, he was a leader. And in 1 and 2 Peter, he wrote his legacy.
5. The Painful Side of Leadership by Jeff Iorg
Christian leadership is often likened to the peaceful image of a shepherd leading his sheep. But the truth is that sheep tend to wander toward trouble, and shepherds don’t always handle the challenges of their job with grace and ease.
The Painful Side of Leadership encourages and equips Christian leaders with biblical insights to better manage painful ministry circumstances, relationships, and choices. Author and seminary president Jeff Iorg writes candidly throughout to those who may feel beaten up by their mistakes, their critics, or having to make unpopular decisions. His insights are framed with chapters about why painful things happen to Christian leaders in the first place and the hope that God always provides when a leader is hurting.
6. Christ-Centered Conflict Resolution by Tony Merida
Have you ever noticed that conflict is everywhere? Though we all want harmony in our relationships and our world, peace seems so hard to come by. Maybe for you, conflict looks like the latest culture war that relentlessly screams at you to pick a side, and you’re tired of all the fighting. Or perhaps it takes another shape, like a hot-tempered spouse, rebellious child, passive-aggressive friend, difficult church member, withdrawn roommate, or angry social media comment. No matter its form, conflict always finds us. And often, we let it overtake us.
In this short, biblical, and practical book, Tony Merida shows us that it doesn’t have to be this way. He not only paints a stunning picture of Christ our Peacemaker, he also shows us how to stop wishing for peace and go make it.
Which leadership resource is next on your list?