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From Weakness to Strength: 8 Vulnerabilities That Can Bring Out the Best in Your Leadership
In this honest book, pastor and author Scott Sauls exposes the real struggles that Christian leaders and pastors regularly face. Sauls shares his own stories and those of other leaders from Scripture and throughout history to remind us that we are human, we are sinners, and we need Jesus to help us thrive as people and leaders.
For Christian leaders—both inside and outside of the church—weaknesses that are left unchecked can lead to a downfall that is both public and painful. They want to lead with character and live like Jesus, but ambition, isolation, criticism, envy, anticlimax, opposition, restlessness, and insecurity can get in the way. From Weakness to Strength provides leaders with tools to draw near to Jesus and stay encouraged and hopeful, even (and especially) when sin and struggle get in the way.
For Christian leaders—both inside and outside of the church—weaknesses that are left unchecked can lead to a downfall that is both public and painful. They want to lead with character and live like Jesus, but ambition, isolation, criticism, envy, anticlimax, opposition, restlessness, and insecurity can get in the way. From Weakness to Strength provides leaders with tools to draw near to Jesus and stay encouraged and hopeful, even (and especially) when sin and struggle get in the way.
208 pages, Hardcover
Published October 1, 2017
281 people are currently reading
618 people want to read
About the author
Scott Sauls
20 books203 followersScott Sauls is a pastor and author living in Nashville, Tennessee. Scott has served as senior pastor of Nashville's Christ Presbyterian Church, lead and preaching pastor of New York City's Redeemer Presbyterian Church, and was founding and senior pastor of Oak Hills Presbyterian Church in Kansas city and Riverside Church in St. Louis. Scott is also a frequent keynote speaker at conferences, leadership retreats, and to university students. He writes regularly on his blog at scottsauls.com and can also be found on Twitter at @scottsauls.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
January 29, 2020
For anyone in ministry or in leadership, this book is truly a must read!! Each chapter helped me better understand my heart and God and makes me want to serve people more faithfully!
December 28, 2017
This is one book that I think most leaders would be wise to take the time to read and ponder. As Sauls works through eight of the most prevalent weaknesses that Christian leaders face he deftly applies the gospel to those weaknesses. I found this book to be an excellent resource to work through over the last few days of the year as I pray and think about my life in the year to come. Excellent book!
September 25, 2023
In his introduction, Sauls gives a lengthy overview of those whom God used in a great way which all had weaknesses. Some of them major weaknesses. Although I have heard many lists like this in sermons or in other books, this list resonated with me particularly in my role as a pastor.
"Joseph, who was disowned by his brothers and thrown into an Egyptian prison, later became the prime minister of Egypt. Noah, a man who got drunk and passed out naked, rescued all the species on earth from extinction. Abraham, at times a cowardly husband and dysfunctional father, became the spiritual forerunner of all who have faith. Isaiah, a preacher who was rejected by his contem- poraries and sawed in half at his execution, became one of the most influential voices in the history of the world. David, the youngest of seven brothers and son of an obscure shepherd, became the king of Israel and writer of over half the Psalms.
Peter, a hotheaded fisherman and erratic disciple who denied Jesus three times, later became a bold truth teller who courageously gave up everything for Jesus and was crucified upside down. Mary, the unwed teenage girl from a small town, became the mother of God's Son. Ruth the foreigner, Rahab the prostitute, and Bathsheba the adulteress were honorably included in the family tree of Jesus. Paul, once a blasphemer and persecutor and bully and racist toward Gentiles, became apostle to the Gentiles and writer of one-third of the New Testament.
And then there was Jesus, who came to his own-but whose own did not receive him-who had nothing in his appearance that we should desire him, who died on a trash heap as a condemned criminal. Through this excruciating loss, Jesus won salvation for billions of souls and prepared the way for all things to be made new. Now and forevermore, the government of the whole universe rests squarely on the shoulders of the One who was despised and rejected by men.
Indeed, the most impactful, life-giving, and lasting leadership rests firmly on the shoulders of weakness. God chose the weak things..."
It was a reminder to me that if God used these people, He can use me too. Overall, the book encouraged me. Although there were a few items I did not agree with (the extent that we ought to support the endeavors of those living in wicked lifestyles), by and large, the principles presented are Scripturally sound. And to a degree, I saw elements of each chapter title in my own life. The subtitle of the book is "8 Vulnerabilities That Can Bring Out the Best in Your Leadership."
There were several quotes/paragraphs that stood out to me as I read the book. I present them here for you to ponder:
Chapter 1 - Ambition: The Catastrophe of Success
"Making much of his name is a far superior ambition than making a name for ourselves. Apart from Jesus, all men and women-even the most ambitious and successful and strong-will wither away like a vapor." p. 45
The author then gave a quote to end the chapter that really put time in perspective and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. It is a quote from Anne Lamott:
"One hundred years from now? All new people."
Chapter 2 - Isolation: The Soil for Collapse
"The Bible knows the human condition well. It reveals that in each of us there is potential for great good and potential for tremendous evil." p. 49
"This is in part why Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, warned not only against adultery but against lust in the heart. This is also why he warned not only against murder but against a grudge in the heart. Every adulterous fling begins with a 'harmless' thought or glance, and every murderous rampage begins with a seemingly insignificant grudge.
Wherever our hearts are vulnerable, it is essential to crush the acorn before it becomes a sprout, to dig up the sprout before it grows into a tree, to chop down the tree before it becomes a forest, to plow the forest before it takes over more and more land." p. 52
"That part of us that thinks it's harmless to flirt with lust, gossip, greed, or anger - just so long as we don't get into bed with it - is the fool in us. Quite possibly, we could end up in bed with it sooner than we think." p. 55
"Under the right circumstances, we pastors can be some of the best friends and advocates. But we pastors make very, very bad heroes. Turning us into heroes not only hurts our churches; it also hurts us." p. 63
Chapter 3 - Criticism: An Invitation to Self-Reflection
"If we are unable to handle criticism, we may want to consider doing something different with our lives." p. 69
"We need people in our lives to remind us that we have not arrived yet. Because we are not yet what we are meant to be, we all need honest voices in our lives to help us see in ourselves the sin that we cannot see and to confront us when we need confronting." p. 73
"The great civic leader Winston Churchill said that, though criticism may not be agreeable, it is necessary for all of us. Why? 'Because it fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to the unhealthy state of things.' " p. 78
"Those who resist criticism, especially fair criticism, show themselves to be unhealthy people. Unhealthy people, when criticized, tend to spin, manipulate, and regroup. True leaders, on the other hand, confess and repent." p. 78
Chapter 4 - Envy: A Thorn in the Soul
"Envy is the opposite of love because it does not rejoice with those who rejoice or mourn with those who mourn. Instead, envy, in its sick and sinister way, rejoices when others mourn and mourns when others rejoice." p. 92
"C.S. Lewis said the following about the rival spirit: 'Pride is essentially competitive... [It] gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next [person]. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better-looking than others...It's the pleasure of being above all the rest.' " p. 93
"I often want God's kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven, but with a caveat that his kingdom come through me more than it does through others." p. 96
Chapter 5 - Insecurity: Growing Big From Feeling Small
"When you've wrestled with God and prevailed with a blessing, it has a way of breaking the spell of insecurity and fear. It has a way of making you less needy for approval and applause and, therefore, more poised to love and to serve-which is precisely what a leader and influencer is meant to do." p. 121
"The love of God, when taken hold of, frees us from any need to be noticed, to make a name for ourselves, to find significance through achievement and advancement or from leading and influencing others." p. 122
Chapter 6 - Anticlimax: A Gateway to Hope
"What you are doing matters. Don't ever forget that." p. 145
Chapter 7 - Opposition: The Unlikely Pathway to Neighbor Love
"Our hope is not anchored in this present world but in the world to come...it will be a world in which, as C.S. Lewis has said, every day will be better than the day before." p. 154
"The more conservative we are in our belief that every word of Scripture is true, the more liberal we will become in how we love every kind of person. To the degree that we understand how loved and forgiven we are, we will be among the least offended and least offensive people in the world. We will also be among the most loving, others-oriented, and life-giving people in the world." p. 156
"C. S. Lewis said that, as we read history, we will find that those who did the most good for the present world were also the ones who thought the most of the next." p. 157
"Your neighbor, O child of God, is anyone who is near and anyone who hass a need." p. 165
Chapter 8 - Suffering: Leading With a Limp
"Sometimes the best, most life-giving way to lead is by suffering well. Sometimes the best, most life-giving way to lead is by refusing to allow death, mourning, crying, or pain to dictate the story line of our lives and of history." p. 184
"Joseph, who was disowned by his brothers and thrown into an Egyptian prison, later became the prime minister of Egypt. Noah, a man who got drunk and passed out naked, rescued all the species on earth from extinction. Abraham, at times a cowardly husband and dysfunctional father, became the spiritual forerunner of all who have faith. Isaiah, a preacher who was rejected by his contem- poraries and sawed in half at his execution, became one of the most influential voices in the history of the world. David, the youngest of seven brothers and son of an obscure shepherd, became the king of Israel and writer of over half the Psalms.
Peter, a hotheaded fisherman and erratic disciple who denied Jesus three times, later became a bold truth teller who courageously gave up everything for Jesus and was crucified upside down. Mary, the unwed teenage girl from a small town, became the mother of God's Son. Ruth the foreigner, Rahab the prostitute, and Bathsheba the adulteress were honorably included in the family tree of Jesus. Paul, once a blasphemer and persecutor and bully and racist toward Gentiles, became apostle to the Gentiles and writer of one-third of the New Testament.
And then there was Jesus, who came to his own-but whose own did not receive him-who had nothing in his appearance that we should desire him, who died on a trash heap as a condemned criminal. Through this excruciating loss, Jesus won salvation for billions of souls and prepared the way for all things to be made new. Now and forevermore, the government of the whole universe rests squarely on the shoulders of the One who was despised and rejected by men.
Indeed, the most impactful, life-giving, and lasting leadership rests firmly on the shoulders of weakness. God chose the weak things..."
It was a reminder to me that if God used these people, He can use me too. Overall, the book encouraged me. Although there were a few items I did not agree with (the extent that we ought to support the endeavors of those living in wicked lifestyles), by and large, the principles presented are Scripturally sound. And to a degree, I saw elements of each chapter title in my own life. The subtitle of the book is "8 Vulnerabilities That Can Bring Out the Best in Your Leadership."
There were several quotes/paragraphs that stood out to me as I read the book. I present them here for you to ponder:
Chapter 1 - Ambition: The Catastrophe of Success
"Making much of his name is a far superior ambition than making a name for ourselves. Apart from Jesus, all men and women-even the most ambitious and successful and strong-will wither away like a vapor." p. 45
The author then gave a quote to end the chapter that really put time in perspective and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. It is a quote from Anne Lamott:
"One hundred years from now? All new people."
Chapter 2 - Isolation: The Soil for Collapse
"The Bible knows the human condition well. It reveals that in each of us there is potential for great good and potential for tremendous evil." p. 49
"This is in part why Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, warned not only against adultery but against lust in the heart. This is also why he warned not only against murder but against a grudge in the heart. Every adulterous fling begins with a 'harmless' thought or glance, and every murderous rampage begins with a seemingly insignificant grudge.
Wherever our hearts are vulnerable, it is essential to crush the acorn before it becomes a sprout, to dig up the sprout before it grows into a tree, to chop down the tree before it becomes a forest, to plow the forest before it takes over more and more land." p. 52
"That part of us that thinks it's harmless to flirt with lust, gossip, greed, or anger - just so long as we don't get into bed with it - is the fool in us. Quite possibly, we could end up in bed with it sooner than we think." p. 55
"Under the right circumstances, we pastors can be some of the best friends and advocates. But we pastors make very, very bad heroes. Turning us into heroes not only hurts our churches; it also hurts us." p. 63
Chapter 3 - Criticism: An Invitation to Self-Reflection
"If we are unable to handle criticism, we may want to consider doing something different with our lives." p. 69
"We need people in our lives to remind us that we have not arrived yet. Because we are not yet what we are meant to be, we all need honest voices in our lives to help us see in ourselves the sin that we cannot see and to confront us when we need confronting." p. 73
"The great civic leader Winston Churchill said that, though criticism may not be agreeable, it is necessary for all of us. Why? 'Because it fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to the unhealthy state of things.' " p. 78
"Those who resist criticism, especially fair criticism, show themselves to be unhealthy people. Unhealthy people, when criticized, tend to spin, manipulate, and regroup. True leaders, on the other hand, confess and repent." p. 78
Chapter 4 - Envy: A Thorn in the Soul
"Envy is the opposite of love because it does not rejoice with those who rejoice or mourn with those who mourn. Instead, envy, in its sick and sinister way, rejoices when others mourn and mourns when others rejoice." p. 92
"C.S. Lewis said the following about the rival spirit: 'Pride is essentially competitive... [It] gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next [person]. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better-looking than others...It's the pleasure of being above all the rest.' " p. 93
"I often want God's kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven, but with a caveat that his kingdom come through me more than it does through others." p. 96
Chapter 5 - Insecurity: Growing Big From Feeling Small
"When you've wrestled with God and prevailed with a blessing, it has a way of breaking the spell of insecurity and fear. It has a way of making you less needy for approval and applause and, therefore, more poised to love and to serve-which is precisely what a leader and influencer is meant to do." p. 121
"The love of God, when taken hold of, frees us from any need to be noticed, to make a name for ourselves, to find significance through achievement and advancement or from leading and influencing others." p. 122
Chapter 6 - Anticlimax: A Gateway to Hope
"What you are doing matters. Don't ever forget that." p. 145
Chapter 7 - Opposition: The Unlikely Pathway to Neighbor Love
"Our hope is not anchored in this present world but in the world to come...it will be a world in which, as C.S. Lewis has said, every day will be better than the day before." p. 154
"The more conservative we are in our belief that every word of Scripture is true, the more liberal we will become in how we love every kind of person. To the degree that we understand how loved and forgiven we are, we will be among the least offended and least offensive people in the world. We will also be among the most loving, others-oriented, and life-giving people in the world." p. 156
"C. S. Lewis said that, as we read history, we will find that those who did the most good for the present world were also the ones who thought the most of the next." p. 157
"Your neighbor, O child of God, is anyone who is near and anyone who hass a need." p. 165
Chapter 8 - Suffering: Leading With a Limp
"Sometimes the best, most life-giving way to lead is by suffering well. Sometimes the best, most life-giving way to lead is by refusing to allow death, mourning, crying, or pain to dictate the story line of our lives and of history." p. 184
June 1, 2021
What type of leaders does the church need in our current season? How does God grow leaders who make a significant contribution to the kingdom? In From Weakness to Strength, Scott Sauls shares eight vulnerabilities that can bring out the best in your leadership.
Ambition: The Catastrophe of Success
I was immediately impacted by Chapter 1, when Sauls speaks of ambition as the catastrophe of success. Sauls shares the story of his “dream job” and working with Tim Keller, only to have it taken away. But he shares how God’s plans are better than our own, and how he has found God to provide greater blessings still.
He teaches us the lesson that our failures and disappointments reveal the state of our souls, and he shows how our successes and achievements are poor substitutes for Jesus. He calls us to make great the name of Jesus, and have this be our ultimate ambition. Because of this chapter, I have a new verse committed to memory in Jeremiah 45:5: “And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not.”
Envy: A Thorn in the Soul
Sauls describes envy as a thorn in the soul, and he frames the chapter with two celebrity stories. Sauls uses pop-culture especially well to illustrate his points. He tells how he heard that Tom Hanks had fallen off a top 500 celebrities list, and that he secretly was happy to hear of Hanks’ sad news. He admits that this feeling came from envy, pride, and having an overall rival spirit.
He closes the chapter with the story of Essena O’Neill, who was an influencer that admitted an “addiction to being liked.” Sauls shows how competition and comparing are rivalry and deceit. He calls us to cling to Jesus, that we would decrease and that Christ would increase.
Insecurity: Growing Big from Feeling Small
While Sauls excellently uses interesting stories to draw us in, his arguments all have a Biblical basis. By looking at the story of Jacob wrestling with God, he shows how insecurity is a means of growing big from feeling small. When Jacob wrestled with God, he tightened his grip, refusing to let go until God had blessed him.
He found the blessing of God to be worth more than the blessing of man. And Sauls takes us to the cross, where “Jesus lost the Father’s blessing and received a curse so that we, who have all our lives lived beneath a curse, could receive the Father’s blessing.”
The Strength that God Supplies
This book is for leaders who want to grow in Christ-likeness. Like the Apostle Paul, it will teach us to say that when I am weak, then I am strong. And it’s a book for all Christians to know what it really means to serve in the strength that God supplies.
I received a media copy of From Weakness to Strength and this is my honest review.
Ambition: The Catastrophe of Success
I was immediately impacted by Chapter 1, when Sauls speaks of ambition as the catastrophe of success. Sauls shares the story of his “dream job” and working with Tim Keller, only to have it taken away. But he shares how God’s plans are better than our own, and how he has found God to provide greater blessings still.
He teaches us the lesson that our failures and disappointments reveal the state of our souls, and he shows how our successes and achievements are poor substitutes for Jesus. He calls us to make great the name of Jesus, and have this be our ultimate ambition. Because of this chapter, I have a new verse committed to memory in Jeremiah 45:5: “And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not.”
Envy: A Thorn in the Soul
Sauls describes envy as a thorn in the soul, and he frames the chapter with two celebrity stories. Sauls uses pop-culture especially well to illustrate his points. He tells how he heard that Tom Hanks had fallen off a top 500 celebrities list, and that he secretly was happy to hear of Hanks’ sad news. He admits that this feeling came from envy, pride, and having an overall rival spirit.
He closes the chapter with the story of Essena O’Neill, who was an influencer that admitted an “addiction to being liked.” Sauls shows how competition and comparing are rivalry and deceit. He calls us to cling to Jesus, that we would decrease and that Christ would increase.
Insecurity: Growing Big from Feeling Small
While Sauls excellently uses interesting stories to draw us in, his arguments all have a Biblical basis. By looking at the story of Jacob wrestling with God, he shows how insecurity is a means of growing big from feeling small. When Jacob wrestled with God, he tightened his grip, refusing to let go until God had blessed him.
He found the blessing of God to be worth more than the blessing of man. And Sauls takes us to the cross, where “Jesus lost the Father’s blessing and received a curse so that we, who have all our lives lived beneath a curse, could receive the Father’s blessing.”
The Strength that God Supplies
This book is for leaders who want to grow in Christ-likeness. Like the Apostle Paul, it will teach us to say that when I am weak, then I am strong. And it’s a book for all Christians to know what it really means to serve in the strength that God supplies.
I received a media copy of From Weakness to Strength and this is my honest review.
June 18, 2019
Raw, real and profound recounting of the burden of leadership that is a huge source of comfort and challenge. Written primarily for pastors, it’s a book for all and highly recommended.
October 24, 2017
Helpful book on leadership, especially for pastors. Like his other two books, I'll be revisiting this one. My only critique would be: Since I follow his blog, I felt like I was reading much of the same stuff I'd read before. It's all great, but because of that, I found myself skimming over certain parts. Either way, a good, short, encouraging, easy-to-read, helpful book!
November 12, 2017
The book is accessible, honest and inspiring. It’s also practical. Scott is a pastor to the reader and a mentor to the student.
February 22, 2022
The book begins, “The leaders God chooses are often more broken than strong … more damaged than whole … more troubled than secure. God’s greatest leaders do not rise up from a bed of roses; they rise from beds of nails.”
The book doesn’t shy away from weakness of addiction or same sex attraction — how shall I respond?
Half way through the book, I was impacted by, “When you’ve wrestled with God and prevailed with a blessing, it has a way of breaking the spell of insecurity and fear. It has a way of making you less needy for approval and applause and, therefore, more poised to love and to serve—which is precisely what a leader and influencer is meant to do.”
The author tackles grief and shame, all these places where I feel weakness. Good read.
The book doesn’t shy away from weakness of addiction or same sex attraction — how shall I respond?
Half way through the book, I was impacted by, “When you’ve wrestled with God and prevailed with a blessing, it has a way of breaking the spell of insecurity and fear. It has a way of making you less needy for approval and applause and, therefore, more poised to love and to serve—which is precisely what a leader and influencer is meant to do.”
The author tackles grief and shame, all these places where I feel weakness. Good read.
March 12, 2018
I generally avoid reading books from pastors who are in their 40’s because I assume that the books they’ll write when they are 70 will be better. But because Paul gave this to me for Christmas I decided to give it a go, and I’m glad I did. Some really good insights here about the kind of leadership God calls us to that is informed by some really wise people, not the least of which is Jesus himself. Would commend the book to anyone trying to lead with wisdom, character and thoughtfulness.
July 31, 2018
Love Me Some Scott Sauls!
I love his messages, as I listen to them often as I drive, via podcasts. And this book spoke deeply to me in a pretty rough start of a new season, as a new leader, in a wounded church. Every leader and team/staff member should read this together. I’ll go back regularly to this book to check in and see how inflated I’ve become as a leader, and also to see if there has been genuine growth.
I love his messages, as I listen to them often as I drive, via podcasts. And this book spoke deeply to me in a pretty rough start of a new season, as a new leader, in a wounded church. Every leader and team/staff member should read this together. I’ll go back regularly to this book to check in and see how inflated I’ve become as a leader, and also to see if there has been genuine growth.
March 7, 2024
A really difficult but beautiful read. Going through this book with other people, exposing our weaknesses, and humbling ourselves before Christ in vulnerability. I am interested to read this again in a few years and see how God is working in me and how I am sharing my weaknesses to display his strength.
March 2, 2018
Scott Sauls is a thoughtful and wise man who knows what it's like to be a fragile human but also knows the hope has in Jesus Christ. His honesty and vulnerability is inspiring and I am so grateful for this book. Leadership is not easy and it comes with a lot of pitfalls. Sauls provides a healthy template for responding to these temptations and pains in a Christ-centered way. God works through our weakness to reveal his glory.
June 29, 2018
A must read for pastors. An honest look at struggles we face and encouragement on overcoming through Gods amazing grace. Great relatable stories and illustrations.
December 16, 2019
I started this book with the highest of expectations. I really like what I know about Scott Sauls, and thought his perspective on weakness in leadership would be great. And it was. This is a good book.
But I'm not sure it's the book I expected it to be. At times, I wasn't sure who his intended audience was. Was he writing to pastors? Christian leaders in the workplace? Unsaved leaders? His citations from movies, rock stars, and Instagram celebrities were more distracting than anything else for me. I was also slightly turned off by his illustration of his own season of brokenness -- he lost a dream job at Tim Keller's church and now he pastors a huge church in Nashville. It was difficult to relate to this. This does not mean he is unqualified to speak on weakness; it was just hard for me to connect emotionally with what seemed like a rather smooth transition.
One more critique. I came away with the impression that he thinks he can be kind enough and smart enough for the world to respect him. While we should definitely be kind and smart, at the end of the day pleasing the world is a fool’s errand.
However, there are beautiful gems of gospel truth in this book. He explores how our vulnerabilities are not our enemies, but can "bring out the best in your leadership" (subtitle). It was a wonderful reminder to glory in our weakness rather than be defensive and hide it. I was challenged to minister with grace, believing the best in others, even in the face of unfair (or fair) criticism. Overall, a good book.
But I'm not sure it's the book I expected it to be. At times, I wasn't sure who his intended audience was. Was he writing to pastors? Christian leaders in the workplace? Unsaved leaders? His citations from movies, rock stars, and Instagram celebrities were more distracting than anything else for me. I was also slightly turned off by his illustration of his own season of brokenness -- he lost a dream job at Tim Keller's church and now he pastors a huge church in Nashville. It was difficult to relate to this. This does not mean he is unqualified to speak on weakness; it was just hard for me to connect emotionally with what seemed like a rather smooth transition.
One more critique. I came away with the impression that he thinks he can be kind enough and smart enough for the world to respect him. While we should definitely be kind and smart, at the end of the day pleasing the world is a fool’s errand.
However, there are beautiful gems of gospel truth in this book. He explores how our vulnerabilities are not our enemies, but can "bring out the best in your leadership" (subtitle). It was a wonderful reminder to glory in our weakness rather than be defensive and hide it. I was challenged to minister with grace, believing the best in others, even in the face of unfair (or fair) criticism. Overall, a good book.
December 19, 2017
This is Pastor Scott Sauls’ third book. He is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. His openness, honesty and vulnerability remind me of Scotty Smith’s writing. Smith writes in an opening reflection to this book that “until leaders have suffered, and have learned to steward their pain, they don’t really have much to offer.”
The author tells us that Jesus offers us a radically different understanding from the world of what it means to be a leader in regards to credentials qualifying a person to lead, what matters most, how success is measured, etc. In this book he looks through a biblical lens at what he refers to as eight common thorns leaders face: unfulfilled ambition, isolation, criticism, envy, insecurity, anticlimax, opposition, and suffering. He tells us that depending on how we respond to them, these challenges will either make us or break us as leaders. His desire is to help us live and lead from weakness to strength.
I enjoyed and benefitted from this short book, highlighting a number of passages. Below are ten I would like to share:
• Making much of His (Jesus) name is a far superior ambition than making a name for ourselves.
• Our character must matter more to us than our reputation.
• Although it is sometimes hard to believe that your work, done for God’s glory, has enduring significance, it absolutely does.
• If you are a Christian leader, boss, or influencer, a time may come when your faith is costly to you and also to those whom you lead and serve.
• If Christian leaders and influencers and organizations do fall on hard times, if we lose favor and become a persecuted minority, it might actually mark the beginning of our truest impact.
• Even in a world that’s increasingly hostile toward faith, the more heavenly minded we are, the more earthly good we will be.
• Rather than heralding to the world what they are against, Christians should instead be heralding to the world what they are for.
• It is especially important for Christian leaders to consider how they can lead in such a way that nonbelievers feel compelled to consider Jesus.
• The truest disciples of Jesus, not in spite of their Christian beliefs, but because of them, take initiative to love, listen to, and serve those who don’t share their beliefs.
• In the end our greatest influence may come not from our vision, our preaching, our leading, or our achievements—but through our weakness.
This would be an excellent book to read and discuss with others leaders, whether they are in a church, business or non-profit setting.
The author tells us that Jesus offers us a radically different understanding from the world of what it means to be a leader in regards to credentials qualifying a person to lead, what matters most, how success is measured, etc. In this book he looks through a biblical lens at what he refers to as eight common thorns leaders face: unfulfilled ambition, isolation, criticism, envy, insecurity, anticlimax, opposition, and suffering. He tells us that depending on how we respond to them, these challenges will either make us or break us as leaders. His desire is to help us live and lead from weakness to strength.
I enjoyed and benefitted from this short book, highlighting a number of passages. Below are ten I would like to share:
• Making much of His (Jesus) name is a far superior ambition than making a name for ourselves.
• Our character must matter more to us than our reputation.
• Although it is sometimes hard to believe that your work, done for God’s glory, has enduring significance, it absolutely does.
• If you are a Christian leader, boss, or influencer, a time may come when your faith is costly to you and also to those whom you lead and serve.
• If Christian leaders and influencers and organizations do fall on hard times, if we lose favor and become a persecuted minority, it might actually mark the beginning of our truest impact.
• Even in a world that’s increasingly hostile toward faith, the more heavenly minded we are, the more earthly good we will be.
• Rather than heralding to the world what they are against, Christians should instead be heralding to the world what they are for.
• It is especially important for Christian leaders to consider how they can lead in such a way that nonbelievers feel compelled to consider Jesus.
• The truest disciples of Jesus, not in spite of their Christian beliefs, but because of them, take initiative to love, listen to, and serve those who don’t share their beliefs.
• In the end our greatest influence may come not from our vision, our preaching, our leading, or our achievements—but through our weakness.
This would be an excellent book to read and discuss with others leaders, whether they are in a church, business or non-profit setting.
October 12, 2019
Scotty Smith writes in the book's opening reflection, "Until leaders have suffered, and learned to steward their pain, they really don't have much to offer." And in the closing pages Scott Sauls says, "The best leaders discover in retrospect that it was their crosses, not their crowns, that contributed most to the healing of the world." It is a book about becoming "mature and complete" by "facing trials of many kinds." It is a book about acquiring wisdom (James 1:2-5).
Sauls names 8 areas where leaders are vulnerable to attack, but which can also serve as catalysts for growth in Christ-likeness and more effective leadership. This isn't an easy path to walk, yet we are guided through it by the love of God. On this path, our false self is exposed and stripped away so that we're able to lead from the true self and in the way of Christ.
This isn't really a "how to" book of spiritual formation for leaders, but it does show how God may expose our vulnerabilities in these areas for our spiritual formation. Sauls provides profound and biblical perspective as we face these challenges in our lives, which can turn them into stepping stones for greater maturity.
The 8 vulnerabilities are:
1. Ambition
2. Isolation
3. Criticism
4. Envy
5. Insecurity
6. Anticlimax
7. Opposition
8. Suffering
I appreciated how he tied each lesson to Jesus himself. There is a strong christological center to this book. It's full of wisdom, which the wise leader will heed and become more fruitful.
Sauls names 8 areas where leaders are vulnerable to attack, but which can also serve as catalysts for growth in Christ-likeness and more effective leadership. This isn't an easy path to walk, yet we are guided through it by the love of God. On this path, our false self is exposed and stripped away so that we're able to lead from the true self and in the way of Christ.
This isn't really a "how to" book of spiritual formation for leaders, but it does show how God may expose our vulnerabilities in these areas for our spiritual formation. Sauls provides profound and biblical perspective as we face these challenges in our lives, which can turn them into stepping stones for greater maturity.
The 8 vulnerabilities are:
1. Ambition
2. Isolation
3. Criticism
4. Envy
5. Insecurity
6. Anticlimax
7. Opposition
8. Suffering
I appreciated how he tied each lesson to Jesus himself. There is a strong christological center to this book. It's full of wisdom, which the wise leader will heed and become more fruitful.
August 10, 2022
Sauls writes this book to address specific areas where christian leaders, and likely more specifically pastors, are vulnerable to struggle: ambition, isolation, criticism, envy, insecurity, anticlimax, opposition and suffering.
The selected topics are solid picks and Sauls offers encouragement on each that most leaders will nod knowily as they read.
But then he sets his sight on opposition and suffering and his insights and counsel become weighty and counter intuitive. His call to dealing with oppostion is not to stand strong in the midst of it, but to recognize opposition and suffering as the very things that are part of the good news of Jesus. He points to Jesus's call to not just oppose our enemies but to embrace them. He then points out that the early churches experience in being immersed in a culture that stood against everything that Jesus taught to practice became the very thing that tranformed Roman culture and caused many to turn to Jesus.
Listening to audio, I found myself slowing the speed and constantly pausing or rewinding to allow the practices to penetrate my mind more fully. I've decided to purchase a copy of the book so I can go into these last two chapters and underline, comment and quote.
Highly recommended reading for those who truly intend to follow the ways of Jesus in working inside the hostile culture that our country is finding itself progressing toward.
The selected topics are solid picks and Sauls offers encouragement on each that most leaders will nod knowily as they read.
But then he sets his sight on opposition and suffering and his insights and counsel become weighty and counter intuitive. His call to dealing with oppostion is not to stand strong in the midst of it, but to recognize opposition and suffering as the very things that are part of the good news of Jesus. He points to Jesus's call to not just oppose our enemies but to embrace them. He then points out that the early churches experience in being immersed in a culture that stood against everything that Jesus taught to practice became the very thing that tranformed Roman culture and caused many to turn to Jesus.
Listening to audio, I found myself slowing the speed and constantly pausing or rewinding to allow the practices to penetrate my mind more fully. I've decided to purchase a copy of the book so I can go into these last two chapters and underline, comment and quote.
Highly recommended reading for those who truly intend to follow the ways of Jesus in working inside the hostile culture that our country is finding itself progressing toward.
November 4, 2017
I was attracted to the book by the article the author wrote about his mentor, Tim Keller, upon announcement of his retirement. Keller exemplified humility and a man who led by example. I have been very put off by the proliferation of books and articles about leadership. Everyone wants to be a leader rather than just doing your job well and not worrying about who is watching.
This book is a breath of fresh air on the concept of leadership. Sauls recognizes that a true leader sets aside ambition and pride and leads through his own weakness and brokenness. The chapter on accepting criticism is worth the price of the book. He recognizes that some criticism is unfounded, but noted that all criticism, even if based on incorrect facts and assumptions, is an opportunity for self reflection and improvement.
Sauls sees weakness and failure as strengths for a leader. He went through a time of depression when his career path did not go as he had hoped. However, he puts this in his resume as being an integral part of who he is. He closes the book with this statement: "In the end, our greatest influence may come not from our vision, our preaching, our leading or our achievements- but through our weakness."
This book is a breath of fresh air on the concept of leadership. Sauls recognizes that a true leader sets aside ambition and pride and leads through his own weakness and brokenness. The chapter on accepting criticism is worth the price of the book. He recognizes that some criticism is unfounded, but noted that all criticism, even if based on incorrect facts and assumptions, is an opportunity for self reflection and improvement.
Sauls sees weakness and failure as strengths for a leader. He went through a time of depression when his career path did not go as he had hoped. However, he puts this in his resume as being an integral part of who he is. He closes the book with this statement: "In the end, our greatest influence may come not from our vision, our preaching, our leading or our achievements- but through our weakness."
May 3, 2024
"Part of my daily prayer includes this: Father in heaven, always grant me character that is greater than my gifts and humility that is greater than my influence, amen.
It is not our repentance that leads God to be kind, but God's kindness that leads us to repent.
C.S. Lewis said the following about the rival spirit: "Pride is essentially competitive. It gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next person. We say that people are proud of being rich or clever or good looking but they are not. They are proud of being richer or cleverer or better looking than others. It's the pleasure of being above all the rest."
Our hearts are going to be insecure until they find their security in God. Our hearts are going to be restless until they find their rest in him. No amount of applause or praise or year-end bonuses or attaboys or attagirls from other people will satisfy the ache and help us find what we are looking for. Only the strong, authoritative voice of God can do that.
To the degree that we understand how loved and forgiven we are we will be among the least offended and least offensive people in the world. We will also be among the most loving, others-oriented, and life-giving people in the world."
It is not our repentance that leads God to be kind, but God's kindness that leads us to repent.
C.S. Lewis said the following about the rival spirit: "Pride is essentially competitive. It gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next person. We say that people are proud of being rich or clever or good looking but they are not. They are proud of being richer or cleverer or better looking than others. It's the pleasure of being above all the rest."
Our hearts are going to be insecure until they find their security in God. Our hearts are going to be restless until they find their rest in him. No amount of applause or praise or year-end bonuses or attaboys or attagirls from other people will satisfy the ache and help us find what we are looking for. Only the strong, authoritative voice of God can do that.
To the degree that we understand how loved and forgiven we are we will be among the least offended and least offensive people in the world. We will also be among the most loving, others-oriented, and life-giving people in the world."
December 21, 2017
I love this book.
Sauls focuses on traits of weakness and risk for leaders (things that can [and often do] inhibit and even wreck leaders) and shows how the Lord can use each in the leader's life and work. While it's not uncommon to hear someone observe that God loves to use weak people, I don't think I've heard or read someone examine what that means for me, and Sauls does this wonderfully - wisely and humbly. That is, it's one thing to say, "God uses weak people - look at sinful David!" (or cowardly Moses or lying Abraham) and another to say, "Here's what you can learn from disappointment...from envy...from suffering."
As Joni Eareckson Tada writes in the foreword, "I encourage you to read slowly and carefully the book you hold in your hands. It's filled with rich insights and sage wisdom. For Scott understands weakness. He resonates with people who have stumbled and fallen." Indeed.
(full disclosure: the agency I work for represents the author and this book)
Sauls focuses on traits of weakness and risk for leaders (things that can [and often do] inhibit and even wreck leaders) and shows how the Lord can use each in the leader's life and work. While it's not uncommon to hear someone observe that God loves to use weak people, I don't think I've heard or read someone examine what that means for me, and Sauls does this wonderfully - wisely and humbly. That is, it's one thing to say, "God uses weak people - look at sinful David!" (or cowardly Moses or lying Abraham) and another to say, "Here's what you can learn from disappointment...from envy...from suffering."
As Joni Eareckson Tada writes in the foreword, "I encourage you to read slowly and carefully the book you hold in your hands. It's filled with rich insights and sage wisdom. For Scott understands weakness. He resonates with people who have stumbled and fallen." Indeed.
(full disclosure: the agency I work for represents the author and this book)
June 18, 2018
I picked this book up after perusing "Befriend," another book of Saul's written in the same vein as "Eats with Sinners." Although Christian leadership book lists are exhaustive, this should be at the top near "The Dark Side of Leadership." In "From Weakness to Strength," Scott Sauls writes a fairly short but comprehensive text applicable to both lay leaders and ministers. His tone is both compassionate and firm throughout the book, even as he confronts the reader with their own sin. Two important takeaways: you'll wish it was longer where it should have been more elaborated upon; and you'll need to be serious about change to implement concepts from the book. It is not overtly practical everywhere it ought to be, but the adept and committed leader can easily apply Sauls' ideas in their ministry. I am personally grateful to the author for setting me back on track with a gentle push, just as Scripture says the church should.
December 29, 2017
Hands down, the best book on leadership I've ever read. Aimed at church leaders, but easily applied to Christians of all vocations.
For Christian leaders—both inside and outside of the church—weaknesses that are left unchecked can lead to a downfall that is both public and painful. They want to lead with character and live like Jesus, but ambition, isolation, criticism, envy, anticlimax, opposition, restlessness, and insecurity can get in the way. From Weakness to Strength provides leaders with tools to draw near to Jesus and stay encouraged and hopeful, even (and especially) when sin and struggle get in the way.
For Christian leaders—both inside and outside of the church—weaknesses that are left unchecked can lead to a downfall that is both public and painful. They want to lead with character and live like Jesus, but ambition, isolation, criticism, envy, anticlimax, opposition, restlessness, and insecurity can get in the way. From Weakness to Strength provides leaders with tools to draw near to Jesus and stay encouraged and hopeful, even (and especially) when sin and struggle get in the way.
May 15, 2019
A must-read for every Christian leader, whether you’re a pastor or teacher or parent or whatever. In an age where strength and gifting get the spotlight, Scott Sauls calls us back to the more difficult, more glorious road of cruciform humility and gentleness. Sauls shares one of his daily prayer that I need to incorporate into my life. This sums up the message of the book:
“Father in Heaven,
Always grant me character
that is greater than my gifts
and humility
that is greater than my influence.
Amen.”
“Father in Heaven,
Always grant me character
that is greater than my gifts
and humility
that is greater than my influence.
Amen.”
April 3, 2022
I loved this book! Loved Scotts vulnerability and the the book was incredibly convicting. The book helped reveal to me where I was living and leading from the perspective of the world and help push me to live and lead as Christ did. I love Scotts outlook on love and his push for grace, but I removed my 5th star because of some of his scriptural interpretation. I felt he often extracted personal emotion from scripture and attributes that emotion to be the lesson of the text. I often felt like his argument affected his interpretations rather than his interpretation affecting his argument.
March 30, 2021
I struggle to read many leadership books- at times they feel choppy. This one, though focused on vulnerabilities/potential weaknesses, it also was hard to retain the chapter before. But, about half of the chapters are ones I will reread. Sauls did write with convictional and at times applied very specifically to me as a pastor (like the chapters on ambition or envy).
Sauls is very honest, which is a great strength. He writes humbly and with kindness. I admire that.
Sauls is very honest, which is a great strength. He writes humbly and with kindness. I admire that.
May 6, 2021
I found the first two to three chapters to be the most beneficial. Primarily due to the points being strengthened by his detailed personal examples. The remaining chapters contained more vague personal examples and I found the content to be less impactful. As I began reading the book I was planning on purchasing a copy for my Bible study group and the pastors at my church. Unfortunately, as the book progressed, I found the content to be less powerful.
December 22, 2017
In this honest book, pastor and author Scott Sauls exposes the real struggles that Christian leaders and pastors regularly face. Sauls shares his own stories and those of other leaders from Scripture and throughout history to remind us that we are human, we are sinners, and we need Jesus to help us thrive as people and leaders.
September 20, 2018
This is a fine book, but not really what I thought I would get based on the title. It's geared for pastors, not leaders in a general sense, and most of the chapters don't seem specifically about leadership at all, more about Christian living. I enjoyed the book and took a lot from it, but it isn't really a book on leadership.
May 21, 2019
This was an encouraging and challenging read. If you a believer in organizational or ministry leadership, this short read will be a blessing to you. To go beyond that, I would highly recommend this book for any believer, as we all have an area that we lead in and the weaknesses of this book are common to the human heart.
June 11, 2019
It was good. Probably stronger on the side of demonstrating that we will face each of the weaknesses than I found necessary. I would have preferred even more thoughts on how to minister out of those weaknesses.
There was an especially insightful section on the life of Jacob. And I really enjoyed his tribute to Tim Keller (written when he announced his retirement)
There was an especially insightful section on the life of Jacob. And I really enjoyed his tribute to Tim Keller (written when he announced his retirement)
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