The challenges, isolation, and relentless demands of leadership can inspire a variety of fears in the heart of a leader; among them fear of failure, fear of mutiny, fear of criticism, fear of disappointing people. However, the greatest fear leaders face is not something that might happen to them, but something that can happen in them—a degeneration of the heart that robs them of their calling and leaves a deep soul dissatisfaction in its place.John Ortberg describes this menacing fear in terms of mission and shadow mission. A mission is the highest purpose to which God calls us; a shadow mission is an authentic mission that has been derailed, often in imperceptible ways. Ortberg writes, “Part of what makes the shadow mission so tempting is that it’s usually so closely related to our gifts and passions. It’s not 180 degrees off track; it is just 10 degrees off track, but that 10 degrees is in the direction of hell.”Every leader has a mission—and a shadow mission. Even Jesus had to battle a shadow mission; it was to be a leader without suffering—to be the Messiah without the cross. Ortberg writes, “If we fail to embrace our true mission, we will live out our shadow mission. We will let our lives center around things that are unworthy, selfish and dark.” Using characters from the remarkable Old Testament story of Esther, Ortberg demonstrates the disastrous consequences of succumbing to shadow mission, and the stunning rewards of whole-hearted commitment to mission. With characteristic humor and insight, the author invites us to follow Esther’s example and courageously choose to embrace the mission God gives. Like Esther, we can lead without fear—even in threatening circumstances—because we know God is always at work in unseen, unknown and unlikely ways.

Modern business practice and scholarship have honed the laws of the leadership. To achieve success, you're supposed to - among other things - leverage your time, choose a strong team, and avoid unnecessary controversy. But what do you do when the laws of leadership collide with the teachings of Christ? What would it mean to reveal your true character to those you lead? What would it take for you to take an honest look at yourself and ask, "Am I leading from my mission … or my shadow mission?" Using stories from their own lives and ministries, Bill Hybels, John Ortberg, and Dan Allender illustrate how the laws of leadership sometimes crash head-on into the demands of discipleship, and how the decisions you make at these crossroads could affect not only you, but the destiny of those you lead. The Call to Lead includesthe previous releases from the Leadership Library series: When Leadership and Discipleship Collide, by Bill Hybels, Overcoming Your Shadow Mission, by John Ortberg, and Leading Character from Dan Allender.

Effectively leading a church or ministry organization requires many things—a motivating vision, a clear mission statement, an intentional strategy, high capacity staff members. No one questions these things. However, there is another fundamental requirement without which no ministry can thrive or sustain itself for the long haul—and too often it is either ignored or disregarded, especially by those in Christian ministry. According to Andy Stanley, that fundamental requirement is systems—communication systems, decision-making systems, budgeting systems, programming systems, structural systems and more. And it is systems, perhaps more than anything else, that determine what happens—or fails to happen—in an organization. Stanley writes, “You can pray your heart out, fast your heart out, commit your heart out and surrender your heart out to initiate change or launch a new ministry, but if you fail to address your systems, there will be no change and your ministry will not thrive. It’s not because God is not interested or you’re not spiritual, it’s because God works through systems. Every time God creates something, there is something systematic and predictable about it. That doesn’t make God predictable or small; it’s just how God operates.”

Do you struggle with feeling like an impostor in your own leadership? Do you carry a secret anxiety about being revealed as a fraud? We all long to belong, especially those in positions of leadership. But deeply rooted shame can keep leaders from connecting authentically and vulnerably. Reverend Will van der Hart and Dr. Rob Waller—an experienced church leader and respected psychiatrist—integrate the story of Scripture with the science behind mental health, offering real steps for transformation. When leaders know that they belong to God—when they develop a deep sense of security in Him—they can overcome constricting shame and lead with confidence. Offering a psychological and biblical response to one of the most persistent problems in leadership, The Power of Belonging is a unique resource to help you build success from your sense of security, allowing your unique leadership gifts to flourish and grow. Each chapter includes study guide questions for group or individual use.

Do you want to be a better leader? Raise the threshold of your pain. Do you want your church to grow or your business to reach higher goals? Reluctance to face pain is your greatest limitation. There is no growth without change, no change without loss, and no loss without pain. Bottom line: if you're not hurting, you're not leading. But this book is not a theological treatise on pain. Rather in Leadership Pain Samuel Chand—best-selling author recognized as "the leader's leader"—provides a concrete, practical understanding of the pain we experience to help us interpret pain more accurately and learn the lessons God has in it for us. Chand is ruthlessly honest and highly practical as he examines the principles and practices that make our pain a means of fulfilling God's divine purposes for our churches, communities, and us. These features are included in this leadership treasure trove: POWERFUL, personal stories from some of the finest leaders in the world, such as Craig Groeschel, Benny Perez, Mike Kai, Lisa Bevere, Mark Chironna, Dale Bronner, Philip Wagner, Michael Pitts, and numerous others REVEALING INSIGHTS into the growth that occurs through pain in leadership roles PRACTICAL EXERCISES to help you apply the valuable principles you are learning

Becoming a Better Leader Starts with a Transformed Inner Life Do you feel too overwhelmed to enjoy life, unable to sort out the demands on your time? Are you doing your best work as a leader, yet not making an impact? Have you ever felt stuck, powerless to change your environment? In The Emotionally Healthy Leader, bestselling author Peter Scazzero shows leaders how to develop a deep, inner life with Christ, examining its profound implications for surviving stress, planning and decision making, building teams, creating healthy culture, influencing others, and much more. The Emotionally Healthy Leader contains: Concise assessments for leaders and teams to measure their leadership health Practical, proven strategies that have been developed over a 28-year period spent both in the local church and in equipping leaders around the world Helpful applications of how to face your shadow, lead out of your marriage or singleness, slow down, and embrace endings for new beginnings Going beyond simply offering a quick fix or new technique, The Emotionally Healthy Leader gets to the core, beneath-the-surface issues of uniquely Christian leadership. This book is more than just a book you will read; it is a resource you will come back to over and over again.

The word tension comes from the Latin word tendere, which means “to stretch.” It’s not a bad thing to be stretched in our careers, our parenting, our ministries, or our leadership. Without tension, we become stagnant and stop growing. In fact, we might even say that tension is both inevitable and, in many cases, desirable in life and leadership. In Harnessing the Power of Tension: Stretched but Not Broken, international leadership consultant Sam Chand examines tension as it arises in and between the arenas of business, church, and family. The presence of tension isn’t a flaw in you or a threat from others. It’s not a problem to solve, but a strain to be used. When you develop this perspective and you encounter tension, you’ll be less confused and feel less guilty because you understand that tension isn’t the result of your error or flaw. You’ll experience less pressure to figure everything out and less compulsion to resolve it quickly and completely. When we accept tension as a reality of life, we gain confidence and mental clarity when we encounter it. Our focus isn’t on getting rid of tension, but using it to create something better than before. We don’t walk on eggshells, afraid to say the wrong thing. We learn when to speak up, when to ask questions, when to listen, and when to let things go. As we relax in the middle of tension, we see people and situations more clearly, and we invite our families and teams into the process of creatively using tension in life and leadership.