Growing Edge - Christianity Today

When Leadership invited me to compare John Maxwell’s new book, 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (Nelson, 1998) with Jesus on Leadership by Gene Wilkes (Tyndale, 1998), I jumped on the assignment eagerly. But when I opened them side by side, my enthusiasm faded. The books seemed seriously at odds. Since I greatly respect both men, I feared honest review might leave me “holding to John and despising Gene” or vice-versa!

That was at first glance. Once I hunkered down, the two volumes seemed less at odds and more “at apples and oranges.” Reviewing them is like comparing a ship’s blueprint with its operating manual.

Two Audiences. The two books address different audiences. This distinction is critical. Wilkes speaks to spiritual leaders. Maxwell speaks to leaders in general—not just believers. 21 Laws will appeal primarily to visionary, entrepreneurial leaders—the kind who launch movements or build large organizations. Jesus … will appeal more to those who are about building people—shaping individuals into the likeness of Christ and equipping them for servant leadership, primarily in their churches and families.

Two Sources. Wilkes draws his principles and most illustrations from the ministry of Jesus. “[Christian leaders must] decide if we will design our lives after the pattern of Jesus, or design our lives around the best thinking and experience the world has to offer.”

Maxwell, on the other hand, presents conventional wisdom on leadership, illustrating from business, athletics, politics, and the military. Of course, we Maxwell fans understand that John did not choose these resources because of a worldly mindset, but because his book addresses a wider circle than believers alone.

Two Styles. In his trademark fast moving, high impact style, Maxwell articulates 21 time-tested principles exciting to entrepreneurial spirits. Although none is new, he sets them so squarely on point that they strike the reader with fresh impact. And, as usual, Maxwell loads his action-packed pages with inspiring stories. While his laws are not in conflict with biblical theology, Maxwell does not thoroughly ground them in Scripture.

Wilkes is more reflective. He methodically unpacks an applied theology of servant leadership. Digging deeply into the Bible, Wilkes unearths seven principles from the ministry of Jesus. He artfully dusts them off and gently places them in the hands of today’s pastoral leaders. Jesus … carries heavy freight, but Wilkes moves the reader along. We wish he had used more stories to put contemporary wheels under Jesus’ timeless principles—and to keep us turning pages more eagerly. And, I wanted him to shape out differences between “big picture” visionary leadership and “relational, equipper” servant leadership.

Two Vulnerabilities. Like most useful books, these volumes could be misused. It would not surprise me if leadership models on the extremes play the authors against each other. As Wilkes points toward Jesus, some may hear him downplay leadership skills gained through experience. And as Maxwell points to secular enterprise, some may hear him ignore servant leadership. One godly pastor, after reading Maxwell, lamented, “What business do I have in ministry? I don’t feel gifted for visionary, entrepreneurial leadership.” And the carnally minded reader may turn the 21 Laws into tools of entrepreneurial ambition rather than a means of fulfilling the will of God.

Two Messages? The tone of 21 Laws does sometimes seem at odds with the spirit of Jesus. … Maxwell’s triumphant law 15, “the alternative to winning is totally unacceptable,” does not easily harmonize with Wilkes’s suffering servant. Wilkes says, “The true place of Christ-like leadership is out in the crowd rather than up at the head table. And he reminds us that “those who follow Jesus find themselves treated like Jesus.”

By contrast, Maxwell frequently pictures success in corporate terms. He cites the explosive growth of McDonald’s restaurants and Papa John’s Pizza. He retells Lee Iacocca’s dramatic turnaround of Chrysler, from near-bankruptcy to a $925 million profit in four years.

Maxwell’s emphasis on size plus his frequent use of the “personal pronoun” may lay stumbling blocks in the path of some of us who are already tempted more toward the “head table” than we are drawn to the “basin and towel.”

Two Valuable Books. Criticisms aside, both works offer immense help. Most of Maxwell’s 21 laws fit within Wilkes’s seven principles. I hope their juxtaposition will spark much needed dialogue over Christian leadership models.

I heartily recommend both volumes. Read Jesus on Leadership first. After you have thoroughly digested it, then read 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. This may help you selectively fit building blocks of practical wisdom to the foundation of divine principles.

Enduring books of substance I prefer in hardback. Only one of these books is hardback. Paperback will do in a popular volume that I may enjoy once then pass along. For me, Jesus on Leadership should have been the hardback.

—Lynn Anderson, Dallas, Texas, is the author of They Smell Like Sheep: Spiritual Leadership for the 21st Century.

Revival That Reforms: Making It Last by Bill Hull (Revell, 1998)

Big Idea: The church needs spiritual awakening, but real revival means making changes, sometimes big changes. Author of The Disciple-Making Pastor, Hull here describes a process for reshaping your church rather than prescribing a formula for fixing it.

Hull advocates doing what will work for your church. Still, he points to the cell model of small groups. His plan: redefine the mission, redesign the infrastructure, reassign the personnel.

Best Section: The second half depicts reformation as a board game. Hop 18 stepping stones past seven milestones, crossing major barriers like the River of Conflict and the Desert of Indecision, and you’re in lasting revival. It sounds trite, but he makes the process easily understood.

Quote: “When the thrilled pastor returns home (from a conference) to announce that ‘church’ will now be on Wednesday night and Sunday morning will be an outreach service, an unnecessary human sacrifice is offered on the twin altars of tradition and stupidity—the church’s tradition, the pastor’s stupidity.

“We must break the mold to let churches and pastors seek new ways of doing church that are congruent with Scripture, their culture, and the abilities of pastoral leadership.”

Buy If: you want a good assessment of contemporary spirituality and church growth models, you want language to describe real revival, and your church needs to jump some big hurdles.

—Eric Reed, Associate Editor Tactics of Innovation: How to Make It Easier for People to Accept New Ideas by Joel Barker (Star Thrower Distribution Corp., 1998; to order call 800-727-2344)

Big Idea: Barker’s first videotape, “The Business of Paradigms,” showed how our perceptions are based on patterns, many of which we are unaware. Now, in his eighth tape, Barker asks, what if there were a way to improve your ability to introduce new ideas so that people would not be afraid?

Barker provides ten simple tactics to accomplish this goal. The concluding section includes four key concepts for application which include analyzing the social climate and how crisis makes change palatable.

The tape comes with viewer workbooks and a leader’s guide.

Best Tactic: “Upside, Yes/Downside, No”—Does the user see a clear advantage on the upside of the idea and small failure consequences on the downside of the idea?

Quote: “You must use language your users are comfortable and familiar with. Do not create a new vocabulary for your new idea. Instead take old words and give them new meaning.”

Buy if: you liked “Paradigms” and you need help proposing new ideas or implementing change in your ministry.

—Charles L. Register, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary To order books reviewed in Leadership, call 1-800-266-5766, ext. 1250.

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