Leading with a Limp Workbook: Discover How to Turn Your Struggles into Strengths

by Dan B. Allender

It’s time to turn your weaknesses into your greatest strengths as a leader.

We’ve been taught that leaders will never achieve greatness unless they overcome their limitations and minimize their mistakes. But the biblical pattern is just the God chooses people who have major flaws and makes them effective leaders, not in spite of their weaknesses but because of them.
This workbook takes you from the frustration of feeling hampered by your limitations to a place of effective leadership, where God uses all of who you are in leading others. Based on the core principles from the book Leading With a Limp , this workbook will guide you

·Gain a clear understanding of why God has placed you in leadership
·Recognize how God is powerfully using the very things you consider to be your worst qualifications for leadership
·Overcome feelings of being stuck or defeated by your mistakes
·Practice authentic leadership, which compels others to follow you.

You will discover powerful and unexpected insights as you work through personal inventories, studies in biblical leadership, revealing discussion questions, and stories from contemporary leaders who gained effectiveness through authentic brokenness. With this workbook as a guide, you can turn what you once considered to be major liabilities into the greatest assets you possess as a leader.

The companion workbook to Leading With a Limp, by Dan B. Allender, PhD

Genres: Leadership, Christian, Nonfiction, Counselling, Theology, Psychology, Faith

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2006

About the author

Dan B. Allender, Ph.D, is a fly fisherman who also serves as president and professor of counseling at Mars Hill Graduate School near Seattle, Washington. He is a therapist in private practice, and a frequent speaker and seminar leader. Dan received his M.Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary and his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Michigan State University. He is the author of To Be Told: Know Your Story / Shape Your Future, How Children Raise Parents, and The Healing Path, as well as The Wounded Heart, Bold Love, and Intimate Allies. He and his wife, Rebecca, are the parents of three children.

Reviews

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The primary lesson of this book is that you should be open about your weaknesses and let them drive your leadership style. Covering up, hiding, or compensating for weakness are the main failures of most leaders today. There is good wisdom here, but there is a aura of defensiveness that permeates the book. Allender almost speaks as if firing people is at the center of strong leadership, and having bad things said about you is the main consequence of being a good leader. After I read the book, I went back through it and took notes on the practical advice that he gives for staying humble and broken as a leader. But the overall tone did turn me off.


Note: After reading this book, I did a little bit of research on Allender and Mars Hill Graduate School (now the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology). It turns out that he was in the midst of defending a sexual discrimination lawsuit against the school when he wrote this book, and the plaintiff, a former professor and founding member, won a judgment against the school. When the judgment was declared, after this book had been published, Allender made several public statements that appear almost certainly to be untrue, and many others that seemed somewhat mean-spirited and defensive. I don't know if this affects the book at all, but it appeared that his own strategy in trial was quite different from what he preached here.

[Tanusha Attanti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay so at first, I really wasn’t sold on this book. It’s been a long time coming, but many people have recommended this read to me and I wasn’t finding anything particularly revolutionary when it comes to the first half. However, things changed when I got to chapter 8 about the realities of loneliness in leadership and even more so with chapter 9 on exhaustion and burnout. As someone who struggles with burnout often, chapter 9 was such a fantastic and convicting read that I’ll find myself going back to often. I’d pick the book up just for the last half of the book and how well Dan Allender discusses the challenges that leaders face and the roots underlying them. I’d recommend this to anyone looking to examine leadership from a biblical perspective and love the emphasis on how we lead out of our weaknesses and dependency on Christ.

[Dan Wolgemuth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I nearly ran out of marker ink on this one. Published over ten years ago, the insights on leadership are powerful and strong. The book implores leaders to live humble and transparent lives... in full awareness and confession of weaknesses and sin. This was timely and compelling to me.

[Zachary T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. Loved how prophetic it was! Dr. Allender does an excellent and effortless job at lighting your ego on fire and making you watch. He understands the contours of the heart and I found myself saying “Ope” every chapter. Some of it went over my head, but I love his radically humble vision of a broken leader. This is the best model of leadership I have read.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not one to read leadership books on purpose, but I'm glad this one was given to me. An excellent book for anyone on the staff at a church or other religious institution- it transcends the Dale Carnegie nonsense of many "Christian" leadership books and skips all the garbage about leaders being exalted people. Very postmodern in its approach, there is much emphasis on storytelling and metanarratives being used to cast a vision for people and lead them toward it-this really resonated with me. Also lots of very good material about staff dynamics in an organization and-again related to metanarratives-understanding the roles people play and how they can compliment or conflict with other peoples' roles. Not "role" as in "position," so much as "role" on the stage of life. The most useful leadership book I've read.

[Samuel Kassing · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the best leadership books I’ve ever read. It’s vintage Allender, raw, honest, practical, and biblical.

There are multiple chapters in this book that I’m going to be coming back to again and again. Like “The Problem of Complexity” or “The Community of Character”.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Allender is so wise. I re-read Leading with a Limp with our pastors and directors after probably fifteen years. It’s amazing how much more powerful a book like this grows over the years.

It’s true that Allender might overemphasize leading through weakness (I agree we have also been called to lead through our strengths and gifting (1 Cor 12)), but the book is filled with gold. Any leader ought to read this book every few years. It’s good for the soul.

For more reviews see thebeehive.live.

[Purshia Gambles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay the whole book is good and necessary and helpful, but so officially the first 2-3 chapters and the last chapter on Kings, Priests, and Prophets are GOLDEN. This book oozes wisdom and humility from a man who wants his readers to reap the benefit of him paying leadership dumb tax on our behalf. This book also made me want to honestly assess and embrace the shortcoming in my leadership that I otherwise want to ignore or neglect.

[Ted Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few years ago, I thought I had finished developing the needed character to step into most leadership roles. What I assumed I needed was strategic thought development, technical skills, and opportunities. I quickly learned just how false my assumption was. What I realized I desperately lacked were almost all character traits. Dan Allender honestly and sharply refutes the notions that you have about leadership. It really is about stepping into a new role where God is going to refine your character. Allender's thesis is that by being vulnerable, sharing your weaknesses and acknowledging your failures, leaders not only develop their own character but they develop the character of those around them. Many leaders, myself included, don't realize that by signing up to lead, you are signing up for a season of intense personal growth. Living in the public spotlight has magnified my short-comings and personal failures. The author offers a vital solution to this problem. What we desperately need is to see the truth of ourselves (our failures and shortcomings) and the truth of the Gospel (God's incredible love and kindness towards sinners). When we see this, then we can truly function as the "chief sinner," or the one who leads by living a more open and public sanctification process. I was touched by Allender's reflection on the story of Jacob and God wrestling. Jacob hurts his leg in the process and comes away with a limp. "Embrace the limp. It slows you down, invites quiet, and focuses your energy towards pleasing the Lord." "If we open ourselves to meet God, he will meet us, and we'll walk away with an unpredictable gait." The limp represents the sin struggles and failures that are visible to those we lead. Based on my experience, I know Dan is right. When we acknowledge our short-comings and call on those we lead to follow our example, we create better environments for growth, both personally and for our followers. Read this book!

[Tamara M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a usual leadership book, but that is what I loved about it. It's main focus is being an authentic, humble and genuine leader. It's about being honest and vulnerable about our weaknesses and surrounding ourselves with people who are willing to support us, but also confront us with wisdom and care. Even though some thoughts feel a bit repetitive, I still think that this is a unique and valuable read on leadership.

[Joe Poppino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read

Best book I've read this year, and perhaps my favorite book on leadership. That said, it is not an easy book to practice. It requires great courage and determination to be a "limping leader", and not all churches/organizations will receive limping leadership well. May God give us all the grave and courage to lead in this way...

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although unnecessarily written with Christianese, I really liked this book’s central premise that a healthy leader is one who has realized their greatest weakness and embraced it. Running counter to my perfectionistic and performative masks to cover my fear, it was inspiring to read about an alternative that isn’t easier, but is more life giving.

[Patrick Dickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leading with a Limp is a great book on servant leadership and the role of humility and character. Dan draws great conclusions and offers real life examples. Towards the middle, I felt the experiences and advice given was limited to a narrower crowd of individuals leading an organization but the book overall was helpful.

[Ryan Beneke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first started reading this back in 2007, soon after it came out, without getting much out of it. Now, picking it up again after serving as a ministry leader for the past several years, it makes a lot more sense. It’s a less a book about what to do as a leader than how to be. But I still found many points of application for how I relate to others on my team and to those I serve.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fresh perspective on leadership, focusing on character, rather than just definitions, skills and techniques. The author's experience as counselor provides practical stories and insights.

I read it quickly but couldn't help slowing down to enjoy and mark out key phrases.

[Anthony Rivers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I had to read this for an assignment. I finished this book with a good understanding of the author’s personality, but less of an understanding of leadership. I’m not a fan of cutting and pasting stories from the Bible onto leadership principles. It has a few good principles in the midst of chaotic writing.

[Evan Hoekzema · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good, between 3 and 4 stars. The general premise of the book is solid, the author just takes 200 pages to thoroughly reiterate what he’s already said. I appreciated the stories, and the encouragement to lean into being the organization’s “chief sinner”. He exhorts us to press into our failures, own our brokenness, and lead from a place of weakness. Overall a good book.

[Cagefighter18 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on leading with humility and honesty in our human brokenness.

[Želimir Stanić · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely one of the best books I’ve ever read!! A must-read for all those sincere individuals who struggle with the revelation of their own weaknesses and the call to point others to the One who can redeem our brokenness.

[Christine Wingate · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If you're a leader, you're in the battle of your life." - Dan B. Allender

In "Leading with a Limp", Allender explores the challenges of leadership and how they interact with our personal weaknesses. The premise of the book is that leadership is not at all easy It is an "absurdity" that is full of chaos, complexity, and weariness (among other hardships). However, according to Allender, the best leaders are "leader-fools" who know their own brokenness, surrender the "tried-and-true," and bring their inability before Jesus, shaping their lives around His character.

I picked this book up at random at a Christian library in Germany (hello Connections!) and enjoyed the first few pages so much that I went home and bought a copy for myself. The premise is a necessary one; I find myself shying away from leadership because I am hyper-aware of my weaknesses, but Allender makes a strong case for how awareness of our imperfections can be an asset. He offers a crucial reality-check about the hardships of leadership - his multi-chapter explanation of leadership challenges and our response to them was one of my favorite parts of the book. Other parts were not as helpful; I especially found the last chapter a little confusing, though perhaps it resonates more with those who have been in leadership longer. Overall, this was a very worthwhile read. I would recommend it to anyone who is a leader, who "thinks' they want to be a leader, or who thinks their flaws disqualify them from leadership.

[Autumn E. Thomason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: This book discipled me. I cried through some of its preliminary chapters as I saw my depraved way of responding to crisis and complexity - things which I had regarded were to be avoided. Now I have a better understanding of what it means that complexity is an opportunity to go deeper with the Lord, to adopt a greater vision, to delve into His heart.

I'm not a huge fan of leadership books but this one is really more of a story of following Jesus, under the guise of a leadership book. Through this book He touched wounded and calloused places in my heart. There is so much wisdom in Leading With a Limp, and the point is Jesus. That's what I love. Pursuit of the face of Jesus is not compromised here. Allender appeals to both the dreamer and the practical person in me - the dreamer who desires deep vision and purpose beyond what man can provide, and the practical person who wants at least some clue of how to even begin. Everything (or at least most things) he describes in theory is accompanied by an example that not only supports but breathes texture to his point - something I deeply need, as a dreamer who can get lost in words and hopes and needs context.

Thank you Dan B. Allender for this novel. Thank you for reminding me that life following Jesus doesn't mean being a solution-provider in my relationships. And thank you Jesus for being the only One who can truly bring me through to the end with a limp.

[Yolanda Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, excellent, excellent. I love how Dan Allender shapes words into beautiful, meaningful thoughts and articulates with such depth and insight. This book allowed me to feel seen and heard and called me to further discern and express my strengths and weaknesses in light of the glorious gospel of Christ. Fully human, fully flawed, deeply loved, richly called.

*edited to add this is now a reread, which is a rare occurrence for me these days. If I’m rereading a book, it’s at the top of the top!

[Linnea Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took me months to read as it required a lot of thinking and processing to some of these in-depth ideas of leadership.

This felt like a highly intellectual book and I’m not even sure I took the time or have the brains to fully maximize everything that’s in it.

Highlighted a lot though:

- [ ] “Leading with a limp works by inversion and paradox. You are the strongest when you are weak, and you are the most courageous when you are broken. You find your greatest effectiveness as a leader when you lead with a distinct limp.”
- [ ] The core assumption of the book: “The degree you face and name and deal with your failures as a leader, to that same extent you will create an environment conducive to growing and retaining productive and committed colleagues.”
- [ ] “It is through leading that I’ve known the greatest need for a deep, personal, and abiding relationship with Jesus.”
- [ ] If you don’t have the capacity to confess, acknowledging in real time how much you mess up, the result will be a workplace that becomes more cowardly and employees who grow more self-committed, more closed to you and to one another, and more manipulative. The truth about confession is that it doesn’t lead to people’s weakness and disrespect; instead, it transforms the leaders character and earns her greater respect and power. To the degree you attempt to hide and dissemble your weaknesses, the more you will need to control those you lead, the more insecure you will become, and the more rigidity you will impose - prompting the ultimate departure of your best people.
- [ ] “Why does Good love a reluctant leader? Here is one reason: the reluctant leader is not easily seduced by power, pride, or ambition.”
- [ ] “A reluctant leader gets to boast in the foolishness of God…we can more rightly say, “I had a great idea, and I worked like a madman. But left to myself I would have created a nightmare. God turned it good!”
- [ ] “Crisis exposed either your lack of preparation or the foolishness of your presumption of security.”
- [ ] “A leader whose power comes from control invariably uses his authority to punish failure. Staff members expend enormous effort to avoid a confrontation. They are overly cautious and do their job only to the measure required….he uses intimidation and shame to silence any who might get near enough to the curtain to see that the mighty Wizard of Oz is nothing more than a middle-aged man who isn’t quite sure how he got there.”
- [ ] “A leader needs confidence in the goodness of God much more than he needs any false sense of control. But a leader will trust in the goodness of God only to the degree that has has a history with brokenness and surrender.”
- [ ] “Every decision you make in such adverse circumstances will be favored by some and opposed by others. And in such circumstances, someone will certainly consider you a failure. Leading invites humiliation and brokenness….The only option for leaders who want to mature is to embrace being broken.”
- [ ] “A leader who has either not faced his wounds or acknowledged the defenses he has erected as protection from harm may become cruel, defensive, belittling, arrogant, emotionally insulated- reflecting some of the characteristics we associate with the term narcissism.”
- [ ] “But leading out of your woundedness is a two-edged sword for your followers. I worked with a narcissistic leader who was impervious to criticism yet devoured any rival to her thrown. She was brilliant at reading the fears of her staff and used that “empathy” to cement the loyalty of some while turning staff members against one another. Her favorite ploy was to “feel” the pain of her staff and then suggest how someone else in the organization was either the cause of the pain or insensitive to the struggle. She became the only source of comfort and solution. Seldom if ever was the staff person encouraged to deal with the problem or own his part in it. In short, the narcissist leader is usually brilliant in the art of gossip, the dynamics of office politics, and the strategy of divide and conquer.”
- [ ] “Becoming more human involves confessing ones need for others. To confess that I need you to help me think through a decision or to have compassion on my struggles is to admit that I am not enough, period. I am not enough, and neither are you enough for what I need, but together we are more than I can ever be alone. And to tell the troth is to remain simultaneously open and loyal to what the process will reveal.”
- [ ] “But the burned out leader has allowed the intensity and exhaustion of his calling to take away the pleasure of hope. Every leader is desperately in need of hope, but two factors entangle us: unlimited need and expanding opportunity. And those factors do their best to extinguish hope.”
- [ ] “The more honestly I name what is true about myself, the less I need to hide and defend and posture and pretend. And the freer I am to accept help from any source, the greater will be my gratitude for any sacrament of kindness I receive and the more I will desire to give grace rather than to make others pay for their real or perceived failures. So a successful leader names his failures without being a confesion junkie or inviting pity from others. Admitting failure opens the real discussion and a plan for movement that addresses the harm without minimizing the injury.”

[Bill Pence · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author, Professor of Counseling Psychology at The Seattle School, tells us that nothing is more difficult than leading, and it is likely the most costly thing you will ever do. He writes that to the degree you face and name and deal with your failures as a leader, to that same extent you will create an environment conducive to growing and retaining productive and committed colleagues. The author writes that we must acknowledge and embrace our weaknesses, for good can come out of them.
The author states that when we muster the courage to name our fears, we gain greater confidence and far greater trust from others. Leading with a limp works by inversion and paradox. He writes that you are the strongest when you are weak, and you are the most courageous when you are broken.
The author tells us that leaders are called to lead with character. The purpose of limping leadership is the maturing of character.
He describes a leader as anyone who wrestles with an uncertain future on behalf of others—anyone who uses their gifts, talents, and skills to influence the direction of others for the greater good. He tells leaders to prepare to admit to your staff that you are the organization’s chief sinner. He describes God’s leadership model as follows: He chooses fools to live foolishly in order to reveal the economy of heaven, which reverses and inverts the wisdom of this world. He calls us to brokenness, not performance; to relationships, not commotion; to grace, not success.
The author addresses many topics related to leadership, among them are being a reluctant leader (another name for a servant leader), counting the cost of leadership, isolation, loneliness, weariness, stories, chaos, blame, crisis, shame, a broken leader, confidence, courage, being a fool, betrayal, a narcissistic leader, gratitude, hiding, truth, honesty, busyness, disillusionment, hope, character, awe, dignity, depravity, and the three offices of leadership (prophet, priest, and king).
Throughout the book, the author shares helpful stories from the Bible, his own life and others. Leading With a Limp will probably be unlike any leadership book you have read in the past. It would be a good book to read slowly and discuss with others.
Here are some helpful quotes from the book:
• The reluctant leader doesn’t merely give accolades to others. It is her true joy to see others awaken to their potential and exceed their greatest dreams.
• We all need a model. We all need to know how to lead from having watched someone we respect.
• God loves reluctant leaders and, even better, he loves reluctant leaders who know they are frightened, confused, and broken. In fact, he seems to have a special fondness for rebels and fools.
• Leaders are primarily storytellers and story makers; and troubled people are called to be leaders because they create and tell compelling stories.
• Most leaders had no intention or desire to lead; instead, they were thrown into the mess by being discontent. If they had been willing to endure life as it was, then they would never have become leaders.
• A controlling leader always gets what he deserves—the bare minimum and conformity without creativity.
• The only viable option for leaders who want to mature is to embrace being broken.
• Betrayal is certain; what is uncertain is how we will embrace betrayal and use it for the growth of character.
• When you live and lead with a deep sense of God’s grace, you can’t avoid gratitude. It’s humbling to give God all the credit, and it’s also a place of deep rest.
• A leadership team is meant to be a community of friends who suffer and delight in one another.
• The sole reason to serve as a Christian is Jesus, yet he is easily lost in the various activities that consume our days. The real cost of busyness, therefore, is the loss of our spiritual vitality.
• Seldom do leaders take on their burdens merely to maintain the status quo. A true visionary pursues a dream that she can transform what exists and create a better way.
• The hope that renews and refreshes limping leaders comes with the freedom of knowing one’s limitations. When you admit that you can’t do everything, you are then free to more fully embrace the call of God.
• God calls leaders to be servants. And we are to lead our organizations from good to great by serving, by giving credit to others when success occurs and by accepting the blame when failure ensues.
• A leader—whether in the home, church, business, community, or government—has authority due to her role, but her positional power will not bring about good for individuals or organizations unless it is backed up by the capital of character.
• Leading people requires throwing yourself into a process that is fragile and tension-filled in order to help them not only do their jobs and fulfill the organization’s mission but also grow as characters with character.

[hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ironically, the book “Leading with a Limp” starts with the word “leader” and ends with the word “strong”. Ironically, this book fully highlights that leaders need to lead in brokenness. If you are looking for a sugar-coated, step-by-step manual on how to be a perfect leader, this is not the right book for you. “Leading with a Limp” is an honest, biblical, educational, leadership book on embracing our humanity's broken parts. Dan B. Allender writes the following in the introduction “Every one of your weaknesses is the doorway not only to better character but to leadership dividends so enormous that avoiding the necessary risk is utter foolishness. So face your fear, your narcissism, and your addictions, and begin to enjoy the freedom, the peace, and the power of leading with a limp.” “Leading with a Limp”, is a toolbox full of how to effectively utilize your weaknesses and take full advantage of your flaws, all while leading with a Christian character. Although, through all the powerful messages in this book, I would be lying if I said it isn’t targeted toward a particular audience. This book, most definitely, would be best suited for someone in the ministry or training for the ministry. However, that does not subvert the powerful message this book displays, instead, it gives those who are not in the ministry a look into challenges that arise for those in the ministry. As someone who strives to have a heart of servant leadership, rather than a selfish leadership role, there were many great topics published in this book, such as being the chief sinner, gratitude, and truth. This book shares that leaders, who have a servant's heart, will accept their flaws, and by acknowledging their imperfections will spend far less time protecting themselves than creating an honest community. Another quote that I love from this book is “God inverts expectations, paradigms, and human wisdom. He chooses the foolish and the weak to subvert our natural tendency to pride.” Dan B. Allender crafted artwork of a book, a book of truth, of humility and mostly the allure of brokenness. I found that his examples and explanations were not dreary or overemphasized, instead, they were captivating and engaging. In conclusion, this book would be a brilliant read for anyone, since we all lead in one way or another, but it would be the most effective for those in the ministry. As you turn each page you will come to realize leadership is not about dollar bills raining upon you, instead it is the clashing of swords and the fight of your life.

[Peter Saunders · Rating 4 out of 5]

When asked to talk about what enables a leader to lead, we often use words such as authority, power, confidence or charisma. Our strengths may help us with certain tasks and opportunities but it is actually our frailty and sin that make known the glory of God’s story.

The message of this book is that God favours leaders who make the most of the power that comes from brokenness. The most effective leaders lead with power because of their weakness and authenticity in ‘limping’.

The beauty of a limp is that slows you down, forces you to take more time and prevents you from doing as much as you'd like to do.

In exposing our sin using weaknesses God reminds us again and again about dependency on him and directs our praise to the only one who is worthy of it.

Much of the book is devoted to how we deal with five key leadership challenges: crisis, complexity, betrayal, loneliness and weariness. The author argues that for each of these there is a typical ineffective response but also the option of an effective solution.

Crisis should be met with courage not cowardice; Complexity with depth not rigidity; Betrayal with gratitude not narcissism; Loneliness with openness not hiding; Weariness with hope rather than fatalism.

True strength must be courageous enough to confess cowardice and tender enough to admit self-absorption. In addition, a limping leader must delight in the dignity of those who offer feedback about his failure even if they do so in a manner that lacks finesse or wisdom.

The reluctant limping leader doesn’t merely give accolades to others. It is his true joy to see others awaken to their potential and exceed their greatest dreams. It is the hope of every good teacher to have students who take their work further than the teacher was able to do. To be surpassed as the ideal. To be replaced as the goal not a sign of failure.

This is a deep and challenging book and one which I'm sure I will go back to again and again to reread and reflect.

[Jeffrey Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an imperfect book in many ways. I was particularly challenged by the anger in Allender’s writing on some of challenges faced by him at his school. It felt wrong to me for him to be writing in that way when he could have edited those parts out to make a statement that was more palatable. But, maybe that’s part of the lesson of the book itself.

Regardless of that, the lessons of this book are invaluable to people leading today. First, the argument that brokenness (and foolishness) is necessary for all leaders was excellent. But it didn’t stop there, I was particularly pleased with the final few chapters when Allender dives into very practical advice and his metaphor of the king, priest, and prophet. It was helpful for me to think through my own strengths and weaknesses as a leader using this lens and I suspect other leaders would benefit greatly from what this book has to offer.

4/5, would recommend for all leaders, especially those in Christian organizations.

[Mark Casper · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best books on Christian leadership I've ever read.

"Paul calls leaders not merely to be humble and self-effacing but to be desperate and honest. It is not enough to be self-revealing, authentic, and transparent. Our calling goes far beyond that. We are called to be reluctant, limping, chief-sinner leaders, and even more, to be stories. The word that Paul uses is that a leader is to be an “example,” but what that implies is more than a figure on a flannel board. He calls us to be a living portrayal of the very gospel we beseech others to believe. And that requires a leader to see himself as being equally prone to deceive as he is to tell the truth, to manipulate as he is to bless, to cower as he is to be bold. A leader is both a hero and a fool, a saint and a felon." #casperreads2018 📚📚📚

[Jobe (Bookslayer) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a despicably bad book. Allender flops around unable to make clear and sound arguments to defend the statements he makes. He grossly misapplies Pauls statement that he is "chief of all sinners." He teaches dangerously that leaders should not tell the whole truth, but rather paint a picture that shows they are sinful and in need of help. He continually repeats the mantra that leaders are broken, but he only barely demonstrates the faithfulness of God.

Allender says some general truths in this book, but when he does present those truths he offers poor explanation as to why they are true, or worse, he derives truths from falsities. Yes, it is true that good leadership recognizes weakness, but those weaknesses point us to the strength and grace of God. Allender fails miserably to communicate this truth

[Ben Kendrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Betrayal is a deep psychic wound that hardens the heart against grief and deadens its hunger for intimacy. Betrayal comes primarily in one of two forms: abandonment or abuse." - p.98

“On the task of ministry - “What keeps you going? What encourages you? Why would you remain in the madness when you can make a living somewhere else?” She modeled maturity and a passion for the Gospel for many years. When I asked her why she was asking such questions, she said, “I’m ready to quit almost every day. I just wondered how you remain faithful for another day.” The risk is ridiculous. The obstacles are daily. Past employees spread lies and gossip or threaten to sue. Current employees are reluctant to take necessary risks. Leading others is a house of mirrors and a madhouse, a three-ring circus combined with an animal farm and a firefight. One must choose how he will lead.” - p.140