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The Mythical Leader: The Seven Myths of Leadership
Pastor and popular blogger, Ron Edmondson exposes some of the common misunderstandings of leadership through stories from his own experiences, helping leaders develop healthier patterns of individual leadership.
Being a leader involves much more than holding a title. And simply having a leader doesn't ensure success. This reality has never been more prevalent in the church than now, when so many churches are considered to be plateaued or dying.
Pastor and popular blogger, Ron Edmondson believes this is due to a misunderstanding of what leadership is and what it isn't. In his work with hundreds of pastors and churches, the most common need he encounters is the need for more effective leadership in the local church. Seminaries may prepare pastors to preach, just as colleges may prepare teachers to teach, but who prepares pastors to lead?
Simply The church needs better leadership.
In The Mythical Leader, Edmondson exposes some of the most common misunderstandings of leadership, shares stories from his own experiences, and will help church leaders develop healthier patterns to improve their individual leadership.
While most people may have a preliminary understanding of many of these myths, they often are not lived out with a great degree of depth in the life of the church leader. Don't fall prey to these myths! If gone untreated they can be the very thing that prevents a good leader from leading well.
Being a leader involves much more than holding a title. And simply having a leader doesn't ensure success. This reality has never been more prevalent in the church than now, when so many churches are considered to be plateaued or dying.
Pastor and popular blogger, Ron Edmondson believes this is due to a misunderstanding of what leadership is and what it isn't. In his work with hundreds of pastors and churches, the most common need he encounters is the need for more effective leadership in the local church. Seminaries may prepare pastors to preach, just as colleges may prepare teachers to teach, but who prepares pastors to lead?
Simply The church needs better leadership.
In The Mythical Leader, Edmondson exposes some of the most common misunderstandings of leadership, shares stories from his own experiences, and will help church leaders develop healthier patterns to improve their individual leadership.
While most people may have a preliminary understanding of many of these myths, they often are not lived out with a great degree of depth in the life of the church leader. Don't fall prey to these myths! If gone untreated they can be the very thing that prevents a good leader from leading well.
- GenresLeadership
213 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 15, 2017
15 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 28, 2017
I have enjoyed the author’s leadership blog for the past few years and was very much looking forward to this new book – and I was not disappointed. The author has been a senior leader in business, government and the church so he is well-qualified to write this book on leadership. The book is well-written and practical, with helpful takeaways such as six casualties of people-pleasers and four wrong ways to respond to criticism.
The author writes that in his work with hundreds of pastors and churches, the single most common need he has found is the need for more effective leadership in the local church. I agree with him that seminaries don’t teach pastors to lead (but they should). In this book, he exposes some of the common misunderstandings of leadership, shares stories from his experience, and helps the reader develop healthier patterns to improve individual leadership skills.
The seven myths he addresses are:
Myth 1: A Position Will Make Me a Leader. This myth reminded me of “Level 1: Position”, from John Maxwell’s book The Five Levels of Leadership. The author writes that your title does not matter. What matters is how you carry out the work you are responsible for doing. He tells us that ultimate leadership is proven not by position or title, rather when, by our sacrifice, we help make life better for other people.
Myth 2: If I Am Not Hearing Anyone Complain, Everyone Must Be Happy. One good takeaway I got from this particular myth was to never assume agreement by silence. Never assume people are on board because they have not indicated otherwise.
Myth 3: I Can Lead Everyone the Same Way. I’ve always said that I don’t treat everyone the same way, but I treat everyone equally fairly. The author states that when you fail to remember that people are different, you frustrate the people you are trying to lead. You get poor performance from the best leaders on your team, and worst of all, your team fails to live up to its potential. He states that people are different and require different leadership styles.
Myth 4: Leadership and Management Are the Same Thing. The author tells us that leadership and management are not equal and they require different skills. Every organization needs both leadership and management. Leadership is more about empowerment and guiding people to a common vision, while management is more about maintaining efficiency toward a predetermined destination.
Myth 5: Being the Leader Makes Me Popular. The author states that there is sometimes a loneliness in leadership that cannot be avoided. He tells us that we should not offer to lead if we are not willing to sometimes stand alone. He writes that the goal of leadership is not to make everyone happy. It is to lead people to a better reality than they know today.
Myth 6: Leaders Must Have Charisma and Be Extroverts. I found this section to be particularly helpful as I am a leader who is an introvert. In the past, I’ve taken personality assessments indicating that I (as an introvert) would not make a good leader. The author, an introvert himself, tells us otherwise.
Myth 7: Leaders Accomplish by Controlling Others. We’ve probably all worked with a controlling leader. He writes that controlling produces horrible overall results for the organization, keep people from developing as leaders themselves, and rob the organization of their leadership potential. He states that you cannot lead well and be a control freak at the same time. In fact, controlling is not really leadership, but closer to dictatorship.
I enjoyed and benefited from this book. I would recommend that you not only read it yourself, but with a group of leaders or with a mentee.
The author writes that in his work with hundreds of pastors and churches, the single most common need he has found is the need for more effective leadership in the local church. I agree with him that seminaries don’t teach pastors to lead (but they should). In this book, he exposes some of the common misunderstandings of leadership, shares stories from his experience, and helps the reader develop healthier patterns to improve individual leadership skills.
The seven myths he addresses are:
Myth 1: A Position Will Make Me a Leader. This myth reminded me of “Level 1: Position”, from John Maxwell’s book The Five Levels of Leadership. The author writes that your title does not matter. What matters is how you carry out the work you are responsible for doing. He tells us that ultimate leadership is proven not by position or title, rather when, by our sacrifice, we help make life better for other people.
Myth 2: If I Am Not Hearing Anyone Complain, Everyone Must Be Happy. One good takeaway I got from this particular myth was to never assume agreement by silence. Never assume people are on board because they have not indicated otherwise.
Myth 3: I Can Lead Everyone the Same Way. I’ve always said that I don’t treat everyone the same way, but I treat everyone equally fairly. The author states that when you fail to remember that people are different, you frustrate the people you are trying to lead. You get poor performance from the best leaders on your team, and worst of all, your team fails to live up to its potential. He states that people are different and require different leadership styles.
Myth 4: Leadership and Management Are the Same Thing. The author tells us that leadership and management are not equal and they require different skills. Every organization needs both leadership and management. Leadership is more about empowerment and guiding people to a common vision, while management is more about maintaining efficiency toward a predetermined destination.
Myth 5: Being the Leader Makes Me Popular. The author states that there is sometimes a loneliness in leadership that cannot be avoided. He tells us that we should not offer to lead if we are not willing to sometimes stand alone. He writes that the goal of leadership is not to make everyone happy. It is to lead people to a better reality than they know today.
Myth 6: Leaders Must Have Charisma and Be Extroverts. I found this section to be particularly helpful as I am a leader who is an introvert. In the past, I’ve taken personality assessments indicating that I (as an introvert) would not make a good leader. The author, an introvert himself, tells us otherwise.
Myth 7: Leaders Accomplish by Controlling Others. We’ve probably all worked with a controlling leader. He writes that controlling produces horrible overall results for the organization, keep people from developing as leaders themselves, and rob the organization of their leadership potential. He states that you cannot lead well and be a control freak at the same time. In fact, controlling is not really leadership, but closer to dictatorship.
I enjoyed and benefited from this book. I would recommend that you not only read it yourself, but with a group of leaders or with a mentee.
October 20, 2019
What a productive day! I enjoy reading this book and appreciate how Ron explains each myth with his own examples honestly and thoughtful. I love that he didn't push too much with Christian message but outlines his ideas practically and do-able.
Here is a fact: the church - and organizations and non-profits - need stronger leaders. But many leaders suffer from seven common misunderstandings of leadership, making them weak and ineffective. Ron writes, "In my long career in business and government leadership, and now after serving in church planting and church revitalization, I've found the problems churches face are generally the same. We need better leadership."
To read my review of Ron Edmondson's The Mystical Leader: The Seven Myths of Leadership (2017), CLICK HERE: https://www.richardangelus.me/2019/07...
Here is a fact: the church - and organizations and non-profits - need stronger leaders. But many leaders suffer from seven common misunderstandings of leadership, making them weak and ineffective. Ron writes, "In my long career in business and government leadership, and now after serving in church planting and church revitalization, I've found the problems churches face are generally the same. We need better leadership."
To read my review of Ron Edmondson's The Mystical Leader: The Seven Myths of Leadership (2017), CLICK HERE: https://www.richardangelus.me/2019/07...
November 17, 2024
This book is a much better leadership book than it would first appear. As the author is a pastor, it is based on "church leadership," but he details his own experiences in a way that can be applied to all facets of life including the private sector and beyond. Unlike many leadership books, there is little to no "research". The lessons are mostly based on the author's personal experiences and reflections, but the lessons, while mostly common sense, make for an excellent blue print for all leaders (and those who must follow some not so perfect leaders).
September 21, 2017
One of the best and most relatable leadership books I've ever read.
September 25, 2017
A great book with terrific insight on what it means to be a leader, especially a Christian leader.
May 2, 2018
Amazing Book. One of the best and easiest read on leadership
December 4, 2019
Helpful little book. Practical and pastoral - this book offered excellent insight into leadership and pointed out several areas of needed growth in my life.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews