books on the topic; some written from a
distinctly Christian position and some not necessarily from that
point.
However. because of my appreciation for Harry
Reeder, I read The Leadership Dynamic and immediately
concluded that this book needs to be the basic book for Leadership
101, 102, and 103. Reeder is right on the mark when he contends
that healthy churches must have healthy leaders. Reeder's desire
is for leaders who know their mission, who are unalterably
committed to achieving it by God's grace, who take c are of their
people, and who intentionally produce leaders. I react positively
to those things and also to the way the book connects training
leaders with discipleship. I have the same reaction when I read
that leaders must be grace-driven with a disciplined lifestyle.
Reeder’s 3-D Leadership paradigm of define,
develop and deploy gives a good context for all the specifics in
the book. Because one of the main points in the book is to train
and disciple leaders and potential leaders, this book will be a
valuable tool for a pastor to have and use in discipling church
leaders. My recommendation is to read it and use it in the
process.
As I was reading the book, I also gleaned
another entitled When Leadership and Discipleship Collide,
by Bill Hybels. Hybels is right; there are times when various
approaches to leadership collide. Do we use the American business
model, or a strictly biblical model, or what? Reeder gives an
excellent balance that incorporates the biblical principles of
leadership with good, common sense application. Again my reaction
and appreciation for this book centers around its concept that
leadership is connected to making kingdom disciples, for that is
what “world-shaking leaders look like,” where they come from, and
what they would do.