Rooted Leadership: Seeking God’s Answers to the Eleven Core Questions Every Leader Faces

by John Johnson, Mark Buchanan (Foreword)

Behind many of the challenges facing us today is a failure of leadership. This is not a new problem. Yearning for wise guidance and effective authority is a perennial human longing. We need leaders who are credible, competent and committed. But many leaders seem to be caught up, even consumed, with their own power and agendas. Some see the leadership crisis as an intellectual problem, believing we lack a clear theory of leadership. Others view the breakdown of leadership as a result of increasing deficiency in moral character. Most leadership books today revolve around the concepts of motivation, inspiration, empowerment, and teamwork. Helpful as these themes might be, they miss something more fundamental. Leadership needs a theological foundation, that will be useful for shaping the undergirding principles, and evaluating current leadership theories and practices. We need to view leadership from the vantage point of God. In Rooted Leadership , John E. Johnson explores how Christian theology provides an overarching leadership framework and applies that theory to leadership practices. Spiritual reflection, guided by scripture, points us to the very center of leadership--God--and the purpose of leadership--that we might display his glory. All the best forms of leading take their cues from who God is, his purposes, and his ways of working with people that he has progressively revealed. Building on three decades of research, study, and experience as a global leader, Johnson surveys the landscape of contemporary leadership theory, unpacks the assumptions and beliefs that underly current trends, and responds by offering a robust approach to leadership, founded on the character, work, and words of God.

Genres: Leadership

304 pages, Hardcover

Published June 14, 2022

Reviews

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The content and concepts are excellent; however, this is a super dry read. The theory of leading in a Christ-centered way should be discussed with such awe, pointing toward His magnificence with such wonder that the reader feels truly compelled to absorb more than theory about leadership competency--to absorb, practice, display, and inspire leadership elements that exalt Christ, serve God and people, and spill out in how we follow and lead to such a degree that others see Christ, not us.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Theological context for leadership

Recommended for Christian leaders and any who might be open to seeing leadership through a Christian moral lens. The author leads the reader through a series of questions that face every leader and provides a theological framework for answering the questions. As the title suggests, the aim here is to root leadership theory in God's purposes and character. A good book for church and other Christian leaders, and perhaps for those training for pastoral ministry (may be a little light for Seminary).

[Stephanie Sheaffer]

Dr. John E. Johnson, professor at Western Seminary, provides a thorough overview of leadership from a Christian perspective. Each chapter addresses a specific leadership question by reviewing current literature, and then turns to examine the question through a theological lens.

[Jeff Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A leadership book that’s refreshingly theological.