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Entrepreneurial Leadership: Finding Your Calling, Making a Difference
What does good theology have to do with good entrepreneurship? In this pioneering work, Richard Goossen and R. Paul Stevens have written what many are already declaring to be the essential resource for Christian entrepreneurial leadership, based on exhaustive research, practical experience and decades of teaching marketplace theology. Entrepreneurial Leadership addresses both the "how-come" and the "how-to," not only grounding the entrepreneurial calling in its proper source in the triune God but also providing practical guides for how to be an effective leader. Be inspired to find your calling and to make a difference in the marketplace, church and beyond.
- GenresLeadershipBusiness
185 pages, Paperback
First published March 6, 2013
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51 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 7, 2014
This book fills a void in publishing from a Christian perspective on entrepreneurship. Richard Goossen leads the Entrepreneurial Leaders Organization and R Paul Stevens is a seminary professor who was both worked in the marketplace and thought and written deeply in the area of the theology and practice of work. The book is based on research from the Entrepreneurial Leaders Research Project and so combines good empirical evidence and theological acuity.
The book begins with chapters on entrepreneurship and leadership and contrast Christian and humanist models, focusing on the difference that sourcing such leadership in God rather than oneself makes. Following this are chapters on soul and spirituality in the workplace, meaning and work ethic, risk and reward and a chapter on finding your calling that provides a very helpful rubric for discerning calling.
The latter part of the book focuses heavily on principles for practicing and sustaining entrepreneurial leadership. One of the most illuminating sections for me was the section on dealing with betrayal. Rarely do I hear this talked about and yet I've known a number of people who were deeply wounded by personal betrayals in the workplace.
They finish with a chapter on making a difference that has a challenging section on entrepreneurs and the church. They found (as have I) that churches neither know what to do with entrepreneurs (other than ask them for money!) nor do they often support and affirm their calling and provide theological teaching that equips them for Christian service in the marketplace.
This is a travesty. The authors observe at one point that it may well be the case that the marketplace will be one of our main fields of mission in the twenty-first century. Woe to us if we fail to see beyond our church walls to these ripe fields! Hopefully this work, and others that I hope will follow will change the church's posture toward these gifted people who are also pursuing the call of God.
The book begins with chapters on entrepreneurship and leadership and contrast Christian and humanist models, focusing on the difference that sourcing such leadership in God rather than oneself makes. Following this are chapters on soul and spirituality in the workplace, meaning and work ethic, risk and reward and a chapter on finding your calling that provides a very helpful rubric for discerning calling.
The latter part of the book focuses heavily on principles for practicing and sustaining entrepreneurial leadership. One of the most illuminating sections for me was the section on dealing with betrayal. Rarely do I hear this talked about and yet I've known a number of people who were deeply wounded by personal betrayals in the workplace.
They finish with a chapter on making a difference that has a challenging section on entrepreneurs and the church. They found (as have I) that churches neither know what to do with entrepreneurs (other than ask them for money!) nor do they often support and affirm their calling and provide theological teaching that equips them for Christian service in the marketplace.
This is a travesty. The authors observe at one point that it may well be the case that the marketplace will be one of our main fields of mission in the twenty-first century. Woe to us if we fail to see beyond our church walls to these ripe fields! Hopefully this work, and others that I hope will follow will change the church's posture toward these gifted people who are also pursuing the call of God.
January 30, 2020
Theologically-grounded and accessible, worth the effort.
January 20, 2014
I don’t read a lot of books on leadership or business. Entrepreneurial Leadership grabbed my attention because it was written from an explicitly Christian worldview. Plus my wife is an entrepreneur and I’ve dabbled in some entrepreneurial endeavors in the past.
What I really loved is the way Roosen and Stevens rooted their understanding of leadership in the creation narrative and the image of God. These currents flow through out the book and are foundational in their understanding. Out of this comes the realization that all work is Spirit empowered work. They say,
“Spiritual work” (such as that of a pastor or missionary) is not more holy or acceptable to God than homemaking, business, law and trades. Both are doing “the Lord’s work.” (p. 59)
One of the most edifying sections discusses the idea of calling for the average person. As I was reading through the book, my wife and I would discuss some of the big concepts in relation to our average nine to five jobs. We spent a good hour discussing the merits of this idea of calling. They draw on the work of Spurgeon as he talks through calling for ministers and apply it to the everyman. First, you must have a passion for the work. Second, your skill must be recognized. Third, effectiveness should be present. Last, affirmation from others demonstrates sustainability (pp. 118-119). Loved this section. They go on to tackle the doctrine of God’s will and dismantle the idea that we must find God’s one plan for our life and if we don’t we might spend our life doing his backup plan.
My only concerns came in the intermittent emphasis on subjective leading and risk discussion. They recommend Catholic mystics as guides for discerning subjective leadings from God. For me this runs counter to the excellent discussion on God’s will on page one hundred and nineteen. You can not both have freedom to work and create within God’s sovereign plan and be subjected to subjective leadings for your life. What if you misread one of these subjective leadings from God?
For all the excellent emphasis and unfolding of the gospel as story through out Entrepreneurial Leadership, they drop the ball when describing God as a risk-taker in the Garden. They say,
Genesis tells us that God placed the man and the woman in a garden of opportunity--but God did not determine what they were to do with it. . . . He placed them in a world where everything was open to change, and he took the risk that they would fail. But at the same time God was prepared, should they make a mess of their human vocation, to somehow redeem them and their mistake to make something even better. (p. 95)
This paragraph undermines the centrality of Christ within the gospel narrative. Redemption in Christ Jesus was always plan A. Jesus was never a contingency plan.
I still give this book high marks and will enjoy sharing it with other friends who are in business fields. Goosen and Stevens show the gospel is central for understanding all of our work, not just what we’ve typically considered sacred. Without a foundation in creation and the image of God, which they nail, all sorts of errors creep in the church. Sadly this deficit impacts the majority of church as most of us are not in what is traditionally considered ministry work. That’s why books like this are needed.
What I really loved is the way Roosen and Stevens rooted their understanding of leadership in the creation narrative and the image of God. These currents flow through out the book and are foundational in their understanding. Out of this comes the realization that all work is Spirit empowered work. They say,
“Spiritual work” (such as that of a pastor or missionary) is not more holy or acceptable to God than homemaking, business, law and trades. Both are doing “the Lord’s work.” (p. 59)
One of the most edifying sections discusses the idea of calling for the average person. As I was reading through the book, my wife and I would discuss some of the big concepts in relation to our average nine to five jobs. We spent a good hour discussing the merits of this idea of calling. They draw on the work of Spurgeon as he talks through calling for ministers and apply it to the everyman. First, you must have a passion for the work. Second, your skill must be recognized. Third, effectiveness should be present. Last, affirmation from others demonstrates sustainability (pp. 118-119). Loved this section. They go on to tackle the doctrine of God’s will and dismantle the idea that we must find God’s one plan for our life and if we don’t we might spend our life doing his backup plan.
My only concerns came in the intermittent emphasis on subjective leading and risk discussion. They recommend Catholic mystics as guides for discerning subjective leadings from God. For me this runs counter to the excellent discussion on God’s will on page one hundred and nineteen. You can not both have freedom to work and create within God’s sovereign plan and be subjected to subjective leadings for your life. What if you misread one of these subjective leadings from God?
For all the excellent emphasis and unfolding of the gospel as story through out Entrepreneurial Leadership, they drop the ball when describing God as a risk-taker in the Garden. They say,
Genesis tells us that God placed the man and the woman in a garden of opportunity--but God did not determine what they were to do with it. . . . He placed them in a world where everything was open to change, and he took the risk that they would fail. But at the same time God was prepared, should they make a mess of their human vocation, to somehow redeem them and their mistake to make something even better. (p. 95)
This paragraph undermines the centrality of Christ within the gospel narrative. Redemption in Christ Jesus was always plan A. Jesus was never a contingency plan.
I still give this book high marks and will enjoy sharing it with other friends who are in business fields. Goosen and Stevens show the gospel is central for understanding all of our work, not just what we’ve typically considered sacred. Without a foundation in creation and the image of God, which they nail, all sorts of errors creep in the church. Sadly this deficit impacts the majority of church as most of us are not in what is traditionally considered ministry work. That’s why books like this are needed.
June 22, 2013
I found this to be a really important book that helped me understand my role as a Christian entrepreneur. Full of thoughtful and well researched content that validated how I often feel as a business leader. Paul Stevens and Rick Goossen have taken ideas from Peter Drucker, John Maxwell, the Bible and many entrepreneurial interviews to bring us clarity and and a strong foundation in understanding these leadership roles. They source Stephen Spinelli and Jeffry Timmons who say there are six dominant themes that have emerged from what successful
entrepreneurs do and how they perform: Commitment and determination; leadership; opportunity obsession, tolerance of risk, tolerance of ambiguity and uncertainty; creativity, self-reliance and adaptability; and motivation to excel.
I loved the chapter on risk and reward which covers The Risk Taking God, The Trinity and Entrepreneurship, and Thoughtful and Careful Risk Taking-
I think this would be an excellent book to read with others and discuss it together. Not a quick read on how to be a better leader but a thoughtful, content rich discourse on who we really are and how we can live out our calling. I commend the authors for giving us this great work and Inter Varsity Press for making it available.
entrepreneurs do and how they perform: Commitment and determination; leadership; opportunity obsession, tolerance of risk, tolerance of ambiguity and uncertainty; creativity, self-reliance and adaptability; and motivation to excel.
I loved the chapter on risk and reward which covers The Risk Taking God, The Trinity and Entrepreneurship, and Thoughtful and Careful Risk Taking-
I think this would be an excellent book to read with others and discuss it together. Not a quick read on how to be a better leader but a thoughtful, content rich discourse on who we really are and how we can live out our calling. I commend the authors for giving us this great work and Inter Varsity Press for making it available.
May 21, 2013
Not really a book about Entrepreneurial Leadership. A better title would be "Christian Work and Service." The authors' principles are very general and rarely apply specifically to entrepreneurship, and a few chapters in the book are distracted by an ideological beef the authors have with humanism. They contrast a Christian worldview with a humanist worldview as polar opposites, even though Christian humanism has been around since the Italian Renaissance.
It's not a horrible book and says some good things, but stay away if you're looking for a book on the topic that is suggested by the book's title.
It's not a horrible book and says some good things, but stay away if you're looking for a book on the topic that is suggested by the book's title.
May 11, 2013
I reviewed this book here: http://thoughtsprayersandsongs.com/20...
I think it is a pretty great Christian business book. Theologically thoughtful and engaging.
I think it is a pretty great Christian business book. Theologically thoughtful and engaging.
February 10, 2016
This is an awesome book for Christians with an entrepreneurial spirit looking to understand their relationship with the church as well as their calling. The whole book is rooted in Scripture without giving in to a patronizing spiritualization that some might offer christians in business.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews