Book Review: Spiritual Leadership – Blackaby’s

The following is an analytical book review of Henry and Richard Blackaby’s Spiritual Leadership: Moving People on to God’s Agenda.

Henry Blackaby is the epitome of a lifelong learner and leader. He has extensive experience in pastoral ministry and is a consultant to CEOs and various Christian organizations, such as the Southern Baptist Convention. He has written various books, is a sought out speaker, and currently leads Henry Blackaby Ministries. Richard Blackaby, the son of Henry Blackaby, is also a writer and a sought out speaker. In addition, he has pastoral experience and is currently serving as the president of the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary in Cochrane, Canada. Consequently, what stands out clearly is that both have strong ties to the Southern Baptist denomination.

The thesis of this book is that spiritual leadership is all about moving people from where they are to where God wants them to be.

There are differences between general and spiritual leadership principles, but the authors state that those who will lead according to spiritual principles will be far more effective in their leadership (14). Tied to that statement is the belief that God is the one who calls and equips individuals to be spiritual leaders (46).

Throughout this book, the authors present nuggets of wisdom that have been gleaned from their own leadership experience and that of others. As a result, this book almost seems like a compilation of essays exploring a variety of leadership issues. Generally though, the book begins by exploring why leadership is needed, the difference between general and spiritual leadership, and how leaders are developed. After covering those introductory issues, the authors continue to explore a variety of issues that leaders need to be aware of, such as: vision, character,  goals, influence, decision making, scheduling, pitfalls, and rewards. What holds this book together is the common thread that true leadership originates from God, points people towards God, and reflects the heart and action of God.

The pragmatic focus of this book is a strong point. The authors do not discuss leadership theory, but they share from their leadership experiences. As a result, this book definitely contains years of experience and nuggets of wisdom that every leader can learn from – secular or spiritual,  and young or seasoned. For example, the direct correlation between effective leadership and authentic character is true for both Christians and non-Christians (53). Character development is a leadership issue, not only a faith issue.

Although secular leaders can still learn from this book, the authors are unapologetically writing for Christian leaders. They suggest that leaders not seek promotions, but God, since God is the one who ultimately grants the promotions. This only makes sense when one acknowledges the existence of God and understands the Gospel. I agree with the authors that Christians need to seek God and that he is the one who ultimately grants leadership positions to individuals, but in our North American culture, I believe that it is okay to pursue leadership positions and advancement as long as one understands that God is ultimately in control.

It is so encouraging to hear that “the best thing leaders can do for their organization is to grow personally” (31). As a result, I need to constantly grow as a leader. One way that I am currently working on continually learning is by being part of a team that is creating a leadership pathway at my church. We have been developing the leadership pathway for adults, but after reading this book, I now have to go back to the team and talk about how we can incorporate teenagers into this pathway (32). Consequently, although this book does not outline an explicit pathway for leaders, it is filled with nuggets of wisdom that can be applied to many, if not all, leadership contexts.

I give this book a 4 out of 5.