Executives – Chief Executive Officers and executive team members – are in continual need of new information and knowledge that will help them meet the challenges of organizational leadership. These are the people whose impact goes a long way to determine the meaning, health, and effectiveness of ministry organizations in accomplishing their mission.

The challenge is that the environment in which these people lead is undergoing continual change. In addition, organizational life is increasingly complex, making an executive’s job more difficult.

These leaders need to be in a continual learning mode – not just formally, but in the day-to-day experiences of doing their job. To these people – whether just beginning or taking the next step of the leadership journey – we dedicate the contents of this section.

Among the key result areas of the work they oversee are:

• Strategic Planning and Management
• Mission and Ministry
• Human Resources Management
• Board Development
• Organizational Administration
• Funding Development
• Marketing and Public Relations
• Facilities care and development

All of this work begins with leadership and a management process that includes:

• Planning - addressing the future and how to get there
• Organizing - working with people and structure to fulfill plans
• Staffing - the right people in the right job working together
• Directing - leading people and teams in accomplishing the mission
• Controlling - providing accountability and clarifying mission accomplishment

With that in mind, here are some resources that could prove to be invaluable.

PERSONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
As a leader, no matter how much experience you have, it is important that you continue to be intentional about your development. That is why the Christian Leadership Advance has created the LEAD WELL! Learning Guide as a practical tool for engaging in personal leadership development. At the heart of this document is its “Roadmap to Effective Leadership “ – a listing of 36 of a leader’s developing attributes. Check this out on this site at “Your Growth” because there is much here that will impact an executive’s effectiveness over time.

MANAGEMENT RESOURCES
Christian Management Association
Management resources and leadership training for Christian organizations and growing churches. Check them out at www.cmaonline.org

American Management Association
A global membership based association that provides a full range of management training and educational services. Check them out at www.amanet.org

PUBLICATIONS
Leadership Journal, a practical journal for church leaders published by Christianity Today. Check them out at www.leadershipjournal.net

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Getting Things Done by David Allen (published by Penguin Books, 2001). Allen provides a practical model on the art of getting things done and the practice of stress-free productivity. Every leader needs to hone the skills of getting work done effectively, and this book is a good place to begin.

Leadership is an Art by Max DePree (published by Doubleday, 1989). Every leader needs to be introduced to Max DePree, and this is the place to begin. For DePree, leadership is more of an art-form rather than a science, is learned and practiced over time, and highly values relationships.

Managing the Nonprofit Organization: Principles and Practices by Peter F. Drucker (published by HarperCollins, 1990). Drucker may be the all-time management and leadership thinker. He has always had a heart for non-profit organizations, and this book is his central contribution to their work.

Three Dimensions of Leadership: Practical Insight on Managmeent, Finance and Boards for Churches and Christian Organizations by Olan Hendrix (published by ChurchSmart Resources, 2000). Hendrix could be called the “father of Christian management” and this book is a highly valuable 150 page guide for new executives in Christian leadership.

Freedom from Tyranny of the Urgent by Charles E. Hummel (published by InterVarsity Press, 1997). Managing time to accomplish what is important is the practical teaching in this book, an expansion of Hummel’s all time classic booklet, Tyranny of the Urgent.

Developing the Leader Within You by John C. Maxwell (published by Nelson, 1992). This is a great introduction to John Maxwell’s writing on leadership, a classic that deals with both the inward and outward aspects of personal growth as a leader.

Leading People from the Middle: The Universal Mission of Heart and Mind by William P. Robinson (published by Executive Excellence, 2002). Robinson (President of Whitworth College) wrestles with the five paradoxes of leadership, defines the necessities for leadership in the 21st century, covers trait-based, style-based, and transformational leadership, finally ending up with a model for changing one’s behavior. The book offers a warm, practical and relational approach for the leader who must wear many hats, especially in the mid-sized organization.

Basic Christian Leadership: Biblical Models of Church, Gospel and Ministry by John Stott (published by InterVarsity Press, 2002). Stott makes us think hard about the nature of Christian leadership as found in Paul’s First Letter to the Christians at Corinth.

Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives by Richard A. Swenson (NavPress, 1992). Sooner or later the leader usually finds his or herself overloaded by the demands of the ministry. This book offers plenty of practical help that is vitally necessary.

Return to top