Book Review: The Way Of The Shepherd

Abstract: There are numerous definitions of leadership, all of which contain elements related to people (the leader and the follower(s)), communicating in person or by the written word, actions (organizing, directing, coaching, and/or motivating), and for a purpose (meeting a goal(s) or accomplishing a task(s)) (ADP 6-22) (Fisher 2015) (Bolden 2013) (Hogan 2005). Additionally, everything done occurs within a given context. Effective leaders are poised, proficient, pertinent, and practical in the application of the art of leadership. This means leaders are ready to engage the group with effective methods and

Leadership and authority have been two debated ideas. Leadership is management by persuasion and inspiration, rather than direct or implied coercion. Leadership is an influence process, where a leader influences people toward shared goals, mutual respect, and mobilize others in a positive way (Schafer, 2005, p.231). A leader is an individual who takes the initiative, risk, or assist the group or individual towards goals or a more beneficial place. Within taking the initiative, a leader must have a vision, communication skills, trust, and respect. Over time, studies have shown that is less important who makes the decisions, but how they are made, what they are, and how they are put into place (Walker, 1993, p.230). This paper examines a leader’s role in conflict, decision-making, and problem and providing a rationale through strategies for roles taken by leaders.

In one of our class text Reframing Organizations the authors Lee Bolman and Terrance Deal converses about leadership theories in education and there application in organizations. The authors sets a firm foundation for leadership by discussing the difference between leadership and management. Chapter seventeen discussed the difference between management and leadership; oftentimes the two concepts are easily mistaken to mean the same but in theory they are very different. Management is the formal roles that promote stability in a company (2014, p.10). And leadership is the exploration of new territory, management exploits existing territory. The text cite “The best leaders has not followers, but men and women working with him” (1927, p.235). Throughout his life Adam exemplifies a leader who was able to convince numerous volunteers to work without payment.

Leaders in the workplace play a unique and vital role in the success or failure of a business. Their responsibilities are great in number and are continuously evolving to meet the growing needs of the employees and the communities they serve. In order to be effective, leaders must constantly strive to create a work environment conducive for team unity and collaboration (Llopis, 2012). Good leaders pride themselves on being visionaries with the ability to lead by example. They have a charismatic gift to inspire and encourage others to work together to meet a common goal (Bateman and Snell, 2009). Contrary to what some believe, leadership is a shared vision. It involves accepting feedback from all involved and the competence to put

The topic of leadership evokes curiosity about our leaders and their approaches in decision making, leadership styles and the effectiveness of their leadership. At time leaders are critiqued for their actions or views on different business affairs. In today’s working environment leaders set the tone, vision, and goals of any organization. Leadership has a huge impact on the culture of an organization and how people communicate within the organization (Northouse, 2009). The actions of leaders should inspire and positively impact their followers. The approach of leaders in handling adversities highlights many features of their character.

Every group, team, or organization has a leader. That leader has to have certain qualities to be well respected and followed by his or her following. Not only does the leader have qualities and responsibilities to maintain but also the group’s members. Both the leader and individuals in the group must have respect, fear, and honesty among each other to be a productive group.

Leadership is the elaboration of group inspiration. One person entrusted as leader can implore the aid, and support of supporters in the accomplishment of a common mission. According to Gurdjian, Halbeisen, and Lane “Becoming a more effective leader often requires changing behavior. But although most companies recognize that this also means adjusting underlying mind-sets, too often these organizations are reluctant to address the root causes of why leaders act the way they do” (Gurdjian, Halbeisen, and Lane, 2014) However, today abundant businesses engross importance on the improvement of leaders. Some of the ultimate leaders were formerly followers, such as in instructive businesses. One aspect as leaders many have to contemplate in striving

Businesses also have a variety of different leaders controlling the organization. Some executives attain a high-level position, placing them in a leadership role. However, there are many leadership positions that do not actually “lead” a team. A leader does not decide to be a leader overnight. A leader possesses a particular set of qualities and

The theme of leadership is relevant today for many areas of life. After consulting the dictionary, one can construe the leadership as an inner force that manifests in the ability to influence and to control others. A person possesses this quality when he/she can guide masses and move them to the goal, take the consequences and realize the responsibility for himself/herself and others. Shakespeare once remarked that to be a good leader, first of all, one should serve faithfully and loyally. Otherwise, leadership is a destructive force: either you succeed, or it destroys you. “Macbeth” and “Lord of The Flies’ are epitomes of both leadership patterns and worth.

Business leaders can get caught up in the overwhelming pressures of preparing their companies to grow and meet the challenges in a global economy. These leaders understand the need for organizational changes and adaptations but fall short of achieving their goals when their leadership styles do not inspire or motivate their followers. It is critical that leaders understand their particular style of leadership and the impact it has on employees, peers, and company success. The need for effective leadership is just as critical in the public sector as it is in business.

Referring to Dr. Laniak’s book, he concentrated on the three roles of shepherding – provision, protection, and guidance. I think these three roles should still be the central focuses for the Christian leaders today. However, it is also true that the concept of shepherding leadership becomes vague and sentimental sometimes; as a result, we see leaders have too much power and responsibility in today’s churches. In fact, this situation happens not only in the present, but also in all history. We can find complaining leaders in the Mosaic period; we can find leaders who did whatever they liked in the period of Judges; we see kings who did evil in the sigh of the Lord; we see arguments within the group of leadership in the early church; we see the

The authors of “Why Should Anyone Be Led by You” are Robert Goffee and Gareth Jones. Goffee is a founding partner of the organizational consulting firm, Creative Management Associates, professor of Organizational Behavior at London Business School, professional speaker, and an author of numerous books. Gareth Jones is the co-author and a Fellow of the Center for Management Development at London Business School, a visiting professor from IE Business School in Madrid, and is an author and speaker as well. Their main contention in their book “Why Should Anyone Be Led by You” is that numerous or most companies in the world are not led by “true leaders,” but they are simply managed by pencil pushers and employees playing different roles on the company’s professional stage. In my evaluation of the book “Why Should Anyone be Led by You” written by Goffee and Gareth, I will be using different personal examples from my own life to expound on the book’s strengths, my likes, and the book’s limitations and weaknesses as well.

Within each organization there should be effective leaders who should be able to maintain an organization’s vision and mission. These leaders are part of the management that can effectively lead a growing organization to succeed. There are various tools such as character traits, influence, persuasion, and change which can help an effective leader manage. A manger/leader should be prepared to persuade and influence others by using their character traits. Theories of leadership, management, and influence and change will be a major topic in this paper. This paper will discuss each of the elements of leadership and management, and how influence, persuasion, and change can affect the outcome.

In his book Maxwell shows the reader the paths that are adoptable to achieve the role of a leader. This book emphasizes on the servant leadership and about the significance of helping others to achieve the common goal. The techniques mentioned in the book revolve around instilling love and confidence in the followers and gaining their respect. Maxwell accepts the diversity among people and

A leader is defined as a person with responsibility to influence one or more followers and directing them to achieve a set objective (Sethuraman, 2014). In order to achieve that set of objectives effortlessly, effectively, and efficiently, the most important and valued trait of a leader is an effective leadership styles. Effective leadership styles are required in every organization at every level to be successful. The success or failure of an organization depends on the quality of leadership particularly on the part of top management. An effective leadership style can be developed on the basis of understanding of the situations (Sethuraman, 2014). Top management should know which leadership style is needed based on the situation to be most effective to gain trust and respect from their employee. There is no single method of influencing the behavior of employees for every situation. The employee’s level of knowledge on the task and can determine which leadership style that will be most effective for the situation. Preparing leaders to lead