Customer Reviews

Leadership on the Other Side

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Bill Easum has made several important contributions in this book that makes it well worth reading. First, he forces us to think in fuzzy terms about the future of leadership by suggesting that ahead of us are clues rather than rules.

Second, he injects a strong element of postmodern thinking into the conversation that forces us to think in nonlinear terms. Third, he is clearly spiritual and Jesus-focused in his clues.

Fourth, he has a handle on leadership from an individual perspective, a congregational perspective, and the denominational or larger Church perspective. Fifth, he challenges church leaders about their primary client. Do they serve the congregation, or do they serve Jesus?

Sixth, he challenges the church at various levels to anticipate the kind of leadership that will be needed in the 21st century. Seventh, he has a clear focus on helping the church at various levels address the spiritual needs of 21st century preChristians.

Easum's book is about the dramatic and inevitable change of our era and the characteristics of effective leadership in this changing environment and in the era after this period of intensive change. The following is a brief description of the major thrusts of this book.
The demise of the Modern Age and Christendom is declared. Mr. Easum intersperses throughout the entire book, evidence of cataclysmic and permanent social change that is currently taking place. He demonstrates how the emerging generation learns and receives information differently than generations before it. He shares statistics that demonstrate major demographic shifts in the make up of families, in church affiliations, in education, etc. A new emphasis on spirituality and the value of emotion in the emerging generation is discussed.
The change is compared by metaphor to the "wormhole." This is a name given by scientific theorists for the gateway between entire universes. Mr. Easum contends that the change being wrought in our time is paramount to travel through a wormhole into an entirely new universe and time. Rather than giving this new time / place a name, such as "Postmodern" which describes what it is not; he compares it to the "Pre-Christian" time of the establishment of the New Testament Churches. This sets up the next focus of this book, life and leadership in the wormhole.
The majority of the book describes "clues" about leadership characteristics and tactics in the wormhole and in the resulting new era that Mr. Easum calls the OtherSide. The changes are so complete and being made at such a fast rate that concrete principles or rigidly defined characteristics of leadership become obsolete almost as fast as they are identified. Therefore, rather than provide such concrete definitions of leadership, he provides clues that help us picture what effective leaders and leadership activities and motives will look like during this change of eras.
One of the leadership clues discussed involves the creation of a "permission giving" culture. Easum uses another metaphor, DNA, to illustrate a church's having identified and communicated its mission and values throughout the congregation. All persons are encouraged to develop leadership skills and to participate in ministries that help the church "replicate" its DNA (move toward and accomplish its mission).
The end of each chapter (called Portals) contains a series of thought provoking, evaluation provoking exercises. They are entitled, "Journal Entries and Other Painfully Wonderful Experiences to Help You Feel and Think. These exercise, along with several suggested Internet sources, including one produced by the author, make the journey of reading this book interactive.

Bill Easum, Leadership on the Other Side: No Rules, Just Clues (Nashville: Abingdon, 2000)

Church consultant Bill Easum passionately argues that the world is changing at such a pace and so dramatically that radical new approaches to leadership are needed. He boldly undermines the idea that church leaders exist to `look after' the church, be nice and listen patiently to critics, and keep busy with the work of ministry. Instead the role for leaders is to distill missional DNA, spread discontent about the status quo, and champion change and innovation (thinking off the wall and outside the box). Most significantly, he is most passionate about leaders functioning as disciplers - dreaming of who they can help and mentor rather than what work they can do themselves; asking how many others they can equip rather than how much they can do; throwing away `to do' lists and existing to inspire others to reach their potential. This needs leaders as permission-giving team players rather than control freaks and spiritual guides rather than institutional CEOs, but these are the sort of clues or general guidelines leaders need for such a time of dramatic change. The book offers a good summary of future trends and a host of websites and resources to check out, including his own amazing [...] (which requires the password from the book).

Originally reviewed for D Cronshaw "The Emerging Church: Pioneering Leadership and Innovation Reading Guide", Zadok Paper (Forthcoming 2010).

There is much truth in this book. It is a difficult read and much pondering of metaphors is necessary. I gleaned some helpful info and enjoyed some of the journal entries at the end of each chapter. Easum makes a person think deeply about the future of leadership in the church. It is hard to give up some of the old traditions/rituals to make way for the bumpy ride through the wormhole. Change and chaos are givens as we must be ready to adapt if we are to survive according to Easum. This is not a fireside read, but worth pondering. The introspection from the exercises stretched me and were worth the effort. There are also many good websites and references to help expand and develop the ideas presented.

I am a former pastor who has been out of "full time" pastoring for about 3 years - now I'm a internet consultant. It's been interesting to look at church leadership from the pew again, and to see the weaknesses of our churches and of the leadership in them. This book has put into words what my heart has been from the since God first called me: truly equipping people to achieve their purpose as believers in Christ. It is radical. It is unsettling. But it's words are true, even in the business world, these principles can apply. And when the opportunity opens that I get back into ministry full time, I will begin to apply these principles of leadership.

Without a doubt Bill Easum touches an issue that is facing the Church currently and that is a leadership issue. Leaders are important and very biblical (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11-16). However, how leadership is to be driven, accompished, and so forth is where I differ with Mr. Easum.

The book seems to have embraced much of the "emerging church" philosophy. In fact, the Scriptures are almost ignored except when it fits into the model that Easum is presenting. As with most emerging church leaders such as Easum, Rick Warren, Geroge Barna, C. Peter Wagner and others - the Bible seems almost secondary to polls, charts, and business practices of Wall Street companies. All this is hid under the banner of "All truth is God's truth."

Brethren, we are facing a leadership crisis in the Church. And I would agree with Easum that times are changing but we must stand firm upon Scripture as our final authority for faith and practice (1 Timothy 4:16). I am not advocating monestaries or no change at all but simply to be biblical. We must keep in the mind the offense of the cross (1 Corinthians 1:18) and that Jesus said all men would hate us because of Him (John 15:18-25). The Church is not like the world (Matthew 20:20-28) and leadership should flow from biblical truth and not from business practices of men (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17).

For more biblical approaches to leadership see:
John MacArthur, LEADERSHIP BY THE BOOK
Frank Viola, WHO IS YOUR COVERING?

A very eloquent description of a very messy time in history - and some great cues as to what to do in the midst of the shift.