Learning to Lead

by Fred Smith

Publisher:

Christianity Today

, 1986

Overview

Where have all the leaders gone?

Despite jokes about “too many chiefs and not enough Indians,” genuine leadership is in short supply in most churches.

“Leadership,” according to Fred Smith, “is what enables any group to bridge the chasm between where they are and where they should be. Crossing the Red Sea, passing through the desert, or facing any immediate difficulty, a group needs leadership to make progress.”

True leaders attract followers and bring out the best in them.

This book offers fresh insight into what leadership demands and suggests practical ways to become a better leader—of yourself, of your co-workers, of your congregation. It is important for those who recognize that leadership is important for any church to grow and penetrate the community.

Fred smith, a business executive and contributing editor of LEADERSHIP JOURNAL, has spent his life in decision-making roles.

This is the fifth volume of THE LEADERSHIP LIBRARY, a continuing series from LEADERSHIP, the practical journal for church leaders published by Christianity Today, Inc. Others in the series have included Well-intentioned Dragons by Marshall Shelly, Liberating the Leader’s Prayer Life by Terry Muck, Clergy Couples in Crisis by Dean Merrill and When It’s Time to Move by Paul D. Robbins.

THE LEADERSHIP LIBRARY is more than a collection of theory; it provides ways of coping with the most difficult areas of everyday church life. It offers practical, proven routes to effective ministry.

Contents

Top Highlights

“What was worse, these people rarely recognized their lack of ability. They assumed leadership was a position when in fact it is a function. Leadership is not a title that grants you license to force others to knuckle under; it’s a skill you perform, a service you render for the whole group.” (Page 15)

“‘A leader is not a person who can do the work better than his followers; he is a person who can get his followers to do the work better than he can.’” (Pages 9–10)

“Because leadership is what enables an organization to bridge the chasm between where it is and where it should be.” (Page 21)

“3. Get both organizational and personal acceptance of the vision.” (Page 36)

“Yes, you lead by serving, but the major expression of your service is your leadership.” (Page 24)

Product Details

• Title: Learning to Lead
• Author: Fred Smith
• Publisher: CTI
• Publication Date: 1986
• Pages: 182

About Fred Smith

Dr. Peterson earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the Master of Divinity from Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the Doctor of Philosophy degree from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. He served as pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church in Winger, Minnesota, and of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lexington, Virginia. With particular expertise in Greek, Pauline letters and theology, and Johannine literature, Dr. Peterson has published articles in scholarly journals including Interpretation and Horizons in Biblical Theology, and is a frequent contributor to Lectionary Homiletics. He joined the LTSS faculty in 1998.