The art of leading involves reading across disciplines and integrating that learning into the story of God. Read about the practical skills Christian leaders need, as well as strategic and imaginative ways of thinking.

Our resources, while not exhaustive, will allow you to explore this topic more fully. The foundational resources are important for the development of transformative leaders. The formational resources are of a different sort. These are meant to spark your imagination by introducing you to stories and ideas that have surprising insight into the practice of Christian leadership.

Foundational Resources

• Administrative Science Quarterly – The top journal exploring research on organizational behavior
• The African American Lectionary – This resource tool highlights African American ecclesial traditions and days on the liturgical calendar
• Alban Institute – This website offer a broad range of resources that support congregational vitality
• The Association of Religion Data Archives – This website allows Christian leaders to engage religious research, including a community profile builder, church membership reports and denominational trends
• Center for Congregations – This website provides several helpful tools, including resource guides on topics facing the church
• Faith in the Halls of Power by Michael Lindsay – A broadly researched exploration of how evangelicals moved into positions of political power
• Finding Our Way by Margaret Wheatley – A new approach to leadership based on a “living systems theory”
• Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations – Bishop Robert Schnase’s website presents five practices that mark successful congregations. (For further reflection, see videos of Robert Schnase on Leading from the third row and What’s Christian about Christian leadership?)
• The Gallup Guide by Michael Lindsay and George Gallup Jr. – Tools to help churches understand the survey process and produce effective surveys for their own context. Also visit www.gallup.com
• Healing the Wounds: Overcoming the Trauma of Layoffs and Revitalizing Downsized Organizations - A newly revised edition of a handbook on how to lead after layoffs and how to overcome what the author calls "layoff survivor sickness"
• Making a Good Move by Michael Coyner – Explores topics of interest for those appointed or called to a new ministry setting.
• National Congregations Study - The study, primarily conducted by Mark Chaves, Duke University professor of sociology, religion and divinity, surveys a representative sample of America's churches and other local places of worship and gathers information about a wide range of characteristics and activities of congregations. (For further reflection, see F&L content by Mark Chaves.)
• Transforming Church by Kevin Ford – Argues for health in the church as a prerequisite to changing lives outside the church
• When Better Isn't Enough by Jill M. Hudson – Provides tools for evaluating effective ministry in a postmodern context. (For further reflection, see a video of Jill Hudson on Preparing for the challenges of tomorrow)
• Working Knowledge – Harvard Business School’s website offering faculty research

Formational Resources

• How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman – An exploration of the way doctors internally process diagnoses both correctly and incorrectly
• Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin – Weaves the story of how Lincoln brought together an unlikely cabinet of rivals to lead the nation through its most turbulent time. (For further reflection see L. Gregory Jones column on Leadership as loving enemies.)