I’ve had a bunch of folks ask about books. I’m not reading much outside of seminary books lately, but I wanted to give you some of my favorites. I may blog about each of these at some point but, for now, here they are. Get started!
Each of these books has shaped my leadership significantly…and in many ways…kicked my butt!
They are in no order and in ROUGH categories. Each has a link, so that you can read more.
Leading Teams
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – This is a great look into the complexity of running a team with different personalities…when to bend and when to call it quits. Anything by Lencioni is worth your time…short and powerful books.
Leadership and Self-Deception - Once you get past the terminology of “getting out of the box,” this book really challenged me personally as a leader.
Now, Discover Your Strengths – Be careful with this book! Don’t use it as an excuse to get out of stuff you don’t like to do. Use it to focus and see how powerful this concept can be.
Effective and Sustainable Ministry
How People Grow – A fairly technical and long read…but awesome for those of us in ministry. If you need the “why” behind community…this will give you hundreds of pages of it. While you read them, you can’t help but to see your ministry and how to make it better.
The E Myth Revisited - A complete business book with huge ministry applications. I have heard this was a huge resource in the creation of North Point. This is a must read for those of us who need systems to bring sanity to our lives.
Choosing to Cheat – Again…be careful with this book! Don’t abuse the powerful advice here from Andy. If you’re young and single…buy it and put it on the shelf. Read it once you get married or turn 28. If you want to be a happy old ministry worker…you need to read this book.
7 Practices of Effective Ministry - This is the first book I recommend for folks who would like to look into modeling their ministry strategies after North Point.
Good To Great - I bet I use the concepts in this book more than any other ministry or leadership book. Solid…Solid…Solid.
Personal Leadership and Faith – REAL Butt Kickers!
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality – My favorite book in the last couple of years. If you are in ministry, this book will hit you right between the eyes.
Inside Out – Wow…I don’t even know what to say here. If you are interested in doing some of the hard personal work…this one is incredible.
The Noteworthy Bible - I know…I know…of course I would list the Bible. Actually, I am listing this specific one. This one has the text on one side and a blank sheet on the other – of every page. I love to be able to write while I read. I take notes every time I use the verse in a talk and I use it in every class. Someday, I will have a Bible with God’s words and my thoughts to use and hand off to my kids. Love this idea.
