Book Review: Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders

Spiritual Leadership, with an emphasis on the word spiritual, is definitely an accurate description for J. Oswald Sanders’ book. He covers popular leadership principles, such as, time management and the importance of developing our talents, but the majority of his points and illustrations are all in reference to spiritual leadership.

Sanders introduces each chapter with a scriptural reference, by which he uses to ground his ideas within the chapter, but much of his explanation is rooted in his wealth of experience and/or the experience of other notable figures, such as Charles Spurgeon, A.B. Simpson, A.W. Tozer, and J. Hudson Taylor. Sanders believes that all Christians are leaders and that we should all develop our leadership potential.

Central to this book is the belief that God is the one who calls forth leaders in the church and then subsequently anoints them.

Spiritual leadership is a matter of being chosen, rather than choosing. Spiritual leadership is all about being last, rather than first. A spiritual leader is one that imitates Christ Jesus–the greatest spiritual leader of all. As important as it is for a leader to listen, lead, articulate, and inspire well, what takes precedence over any method or skill is one’s connection to the vine–Jesus Christ.

While this book doesn’t go into a deep treatment on any one subject, it does serve as a broad introduction and primer to being a spiritual leader. Consequently, I would not use this book for an advanced seminar on leadership, but I would recommend it for every follower of Christ who wants to learn what it means to place God first and serve as Jesus served.

Here is a list of my favorite quotes from this book:

• The true spiritual leadership will never “campaign for promotion.”
• True greatness, true leadership, is found in giving yourself in service to others, not in coaxing or inducing other to serve you.
• As we become “empty” of self and dependent on God, the Holy Spirit will use us.
• There are only three kinds of people–those who are immovable, those who are movable, and those who move them!
• The spiritual leader blends natural and spiritual qualities.
• Adding leadership potential to our lives usually requires that we shake off negative elements that hold us back.
• The leader must be as willing to accept an appointment with a lower remuneration as one with a higher.
• A person’s ability to lead at home is a strong indicator of his readiness to lead in ministry.
• Jesus is the chief shepherd; we are assistants and associates working under His authority.
• Many who aspire to leadership fail because they have never learned to follow.
• To neglect receiving kindness and help is to isolate oneself, to rob others of opportunity, and to deprive oneself of sustenance.
• Vision involves foresight as well as insight.
• Wisdom involves knowing God and the subtleties of the human heart.
• Once sure of the will of God, spiritual leader springs into action, without regard to consequences.
• In most decisions the key element is not so much knowing what to do, but in living with the results.
• Courage is that quality of mind which enables people to encounter danger or difficulty firmly, without fear or discouragement.
• Leadership always faces natural human inertia and opposition. But courage follows through with a task until it is done.
• Humility is the hallmark of the spiritual leader.
• Prayer is indeed the Christian’s vital breath and native air.
• It is not the prayer that moves people, but the God to whom we pray.
• The character and career of a young person depends on how he or she spends spare time.
• Our problem is not too little time, but making better use of the time we have.
• Unless our reading includes serious thinking, it is wasted time.
• Not every Christian is called to major leadership in the church, but every Christian is a leader, for we all influence others.
• The first step toward improvement is to recognize weaknesses, make corrections, and cultivate strengths.
• The true leader is concerned primarily with the welfare of others, not with his own comfort or prestige.
• The greatest achievements in the history of missions have come from leaders close to God who took courageous, calculated risks.
• If leaders are to survive, they must view the difficult as common place, the complex as normal.
• Successful leaders have learned that no failure need be final, whether his own failure or someone else’s.
• The true test of a person’s leadership is the health of the organization when the organizer is gone.
• No man, however gifted and devoted, is indispensable to the work of the kingdom.
• God is always at work, though we cannot see it, preparing people he has chosen for leadership.
• The departure of a strong and dominating leader makes room for others to emerge and develop.
• When such people learn to rely not on their own power and wisdom, but to depend on God, there is no limit to their usefulness in God’s service.
• The church needs saints and servants, not “leaders.
• Disciples are not manufactured wholesale. They are produced one by one, because someone has taken the pains to discipline, to instruct and enlighten, to nurture and train one that is younger.