Description
Book SynopsisThe rich lessons of the Bible can be your leadership guidebook. Successful leaders don't rely solely on natural charisma and organizational authority as their tickets to success. Successful leadership is a learned art form and a developed discipline. You can master the art of leadership by examining the pitfalls and achievements of past leaders and penetrating the stories of our cultural and religious heritage. The Bible is the ultimate resource for learning by example: its stories of family relationships, political beginnings and even divine encounters provide valuable lessons about leading effectively. In this empowering guidebook, Nathan Laufer walks you through the stories at the very beginning of the Bible to examine the portraits of leadership success—and failure—they contain. He reveals the life-affirming values that the Bible uses to measure its leaders beginning in the Garden of Eden; analyzes the ups and downs in Abraham’s, and later Joseph’s, leadership journeys; and scrutinizes the many challenges faced by Moses—and God—in the books of Exodus and Numbers. Laufer draws out from Bible stories the lessons we can use every day—lessons not only of exemplary leadership, but also of failing to lead, leading with no direction and leading in the wrong direction or to a destructive destination. Through Laufer’s interpretive lenses, these ancient stories come alive to inform and inspire our leadership today and offer us direction for the future. "Nathan Laufer helps us see the stories of the [Bible] in new ways, he turns them into universal paradigms that relate to situations we all face every day, and he distills his insights into practical and powerful guidelines. There is no algorithm for leadership, no cookbook recipe, but it is hard to imagine a leader at any level of an enterprise whose capabilities will not be enhanced by studying this book." —from the Preface by Dr. Michael Hammer
Trade Review"A practical and inspiring vision of what it means to lead…. Anyone in a position of leadership or who aspires to be should read this perceptive, refreshingly frank and clearly written book." —Dennis Prager, nationally syndicated talk-show host and author of Why the Jews? The Reason for Anti-Semitism "Educational, instructive, profoundly inspirational…. A must read on political science, organizational and administrative theory, and leadership development. Few have added more intellectual heft and originality to this topic. Helps us to rethink the struggle for leadership and its authentic realization in groundbreaking new ways." —Dr. Ellen Cannon, professor of political science and public policy at Northeastern Illinois University and CEO of Cannon Consulting Group “Draws connections and gleans insights that are unlikely to have occurred even to experienced students of leadership or of the Bible. A unique read that will leave readers thinking long after they've finished turning the last page.” —Dr. Daniel Gordis, director of Mandel Leadership Institute “Draws masterful lessons from familiar stories…. Extends far beyond the functional; it illustrates the essentiality of values-based leadership. A must read for the leaders of our community and those aspiring to leadership positions.” —Ambassador Dan Kurtzer, professor, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University; former U.S. ambassador to Egypt and Israel “A wealth of insights…. Provides genuine wisdom for which all engaged in the task of inspiring and directing a group or an organization will be grateful. An important book.” —Rabbi David Ellenson, president, Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion
Table of ContentsForeword xi Preface xv Acknowledgments xix Introduction 1 Book I: In the Beginning … : Relationships, Responsibility, and the Primacy of Values in Leadership 7 Book II: The Ten Guiding Principles of Leadership 83 Book III: The Challenges of Leadership 165 Book IV: The Legacy of Leadership 225 Conclusion 245 Notes 247 About the Author 261
