Leading with a Limp: Take Full Advantage of Your Most Powerful Weakness [Paperback]

Dan B. Allender (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 15, 2008

Put your flawed foot forward.

Pick up most leadership books and you’ll find strategies for leveraging your power and minimizing your areas of weakness. But rather than work against your weakness, why not draw from a deeper well of strength? God favors leaders who make the most of the power that comes from brokenness.

Go ahead and take full advantage of your flaws. The most effective leaders don’t rise to power in spite of their weakness; they lead with power because of their weakness. It is their authenticity in limping leadership that compels others to follow them. Flawed leaders are successful because they’re not preoccupied with protecting their image. They are undaunted by chaos and complexity. And they are ready to risk failure in moving an organization from what is to what should be.

If you are a leader–or if you have been making excuses to avoid leading–find out how to get the most from your weakness. A limping leader is the kind of person God uses to accomplish amazing things.

To go deeper, check out the Leading with a Limp Workbook.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Leading with a Limp

“There are good books on leadership, but this one is profound. It is better than a ‘how to do it’ book; this is a ‘how to be it’ book for leaders. Dan Allender offers serious wisdom rather than simple platitudes.”
–Mark Sanborn, speaker, leadership consultant, and best-selling author of The Fred Factor

“Not only is Dan Allender a good friend, he is a great leader. In Leading with a Limp, he has shown us how we can effectively lead those allotted to our charge. Read this book...it will bring a lot of things into perspective for you.”
–Dennis Rainey, president of FamilyLife and coauthor of Moments Together for Couples

“After reading this book, the first two words out of my mouth were ‘At last!’ Amid a deluge of spiritual gifts inventories, at last there is someone who understands how God’s strength is made perfect in our imperfections. At last someone has brought spiritual strengths and spiritual weaknesses into conversation. For Dan Allender, the limp is a limpid way of walking that leads into the very presence of God.”
–Leonard Sweet, author of The Three Hardest Words and Out of the Question…Into the Mystery

“Leading with a Limp is not your basic, cafeteria-brand manual on how to ‘do’ leadership. It is a call to openly face your shortcomings as a leader. Dan Allender reminds us that our greatest asset as leaders is not our competence but the courage to name and deal with our frailties and imperfections.”
–Dr. Crawford W. Loritts, Jr., author, speaker, and senior pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, Georgia

“Once again Dan Allender has propelled us headlong into the paradoxical wonders of the gospel of God’s grace. Leading with a Limp exposes the thin veneer of respectability we leaders try to stretch over our destructive idols of control and pragmatism. In so doing, Allender invites us to the freeing humility of leading as “the chief sinner” in whatever context God has placed us.”
–Scotty Smith, founding pastor of Christ Community Church in Franklin, Tennessee, and coauthor of Restoring Broken Things

“I often wonder if other people feel the way I do when they read books on leadership. Most of the books are heavy on motivation or strategy or positive thinking. Dan Allender looks at how anyone can move his team–and himself–forward when he is pummeled by circumstances and his heart is fainting. This is real-world stuff, but you’ll have to take off the rose-colored glasses to read it.”
–Bob Lepine, cohost of FamilyLife Today

“Leading with a Limp will have a lasting impact on me; it addressed several issues I’m struggling with at this point in my life and leadership. I thank God for this honest and insightful book!”
–Brian McLaren, pastor, author of The Secret Message of Jesus and A New Kind of Christian


From the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Dan B. Allender, PhD, is a founder of Mars Hill Graduate School near Seattle, where he serves as president. He also is a professor of counseling, a therapist in private practice, and a popular speaker. He is the author of a number of books, including To Be Told, How Children Raise Parents, The Healing Path, and The Wounded Heart. Dan and his wife, Rebecca, are the parents of three children.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: WaterBrook Press (January 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578569524
• ISBN-13: 978-1578569526
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #92 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Ministry & Church Leadership > Ministry

More About the Author

Dr. Dan Allender received his MDiv from Westminster Theological Seminary and his PhD in counseling psychology from Michigan State University.

Dan taught in the biblical counseling department of Grace Theological Seminary for seven years (1983-1989). From 1989-1997 he worked as a professor in the Master of Arts in biblical counseling program at Colorado Christian University, Denver, Colorado. Currently, Dan serves as president and professor of counseling at Mars Hill Graduate School in Bothell, Washington.

He travels and speaks extensively to present his unique perspective on sexual abuse recovery, love and forgiveness, worship, and other related topics. He is the author of "The Wounded Heart" (NavPress), "The Healing Path," and "How Children Raise Parents" (Waterbrook Press) and has coauthored four books with Dr. Tremper Longman, III--"Intimate Allies" (Tyndale House Publishers), "The Cry of the Soul" (NavPress), "Bold Love" (NavPress), and "Bold Purpose," (Tyndale House Publishers). He and his wife, Rebecca, live in the Puget Sound area with their three children, Annie, Amanda, and Andrew.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars hope for the disenchanted leader May 13, 2010

By Rhys McFadden

Format:Paperback

Brief Summary

Allender's purpose in writing Leading with a Limp is to awaken leaders to the simple hard truth...you're in for the battle of your life . His goal is to encourage emerging and established leaders to grow a sense of inner confidence that will enable them to overcome the difficulties and challenges of leadership. His central thesis is that as leaders expose weakness and failure, a common experience for all at one point or another, this actually becomes a wellspring of strength to lead from.

The core assumption upon which everything else in this book is built: to the degree you face and name and deal with your failures as a leader, to that same extent you will create an environment conducive to growing and retaining productive and committed colleagues

A pericope discussing God's requirements in relation to a leader's character, approach and attitude to power, pride and ambition follows to frame up a discussion regarding the need for leaders to develop a humble, self effacing, transparent and authentic reluctant leadership as an exposure of their weakness and a revelation of God's goodness .
Major Features

According to Allender, learning to lead with a limp is the consequence of appropriate, open and effectual disclosures made in the midst of six challenging realities: crisis, complexity, betrayal, loneliness, weariness and glory .

He develops a model by overlaying two lists, one the antithesis of the other, over six challenge realities in an attempt to describe a three dimensional matrix that equates to the multifaceted web of relationships and responses a leader has to negotiate . These positive effectual or negative ineffectual responses equate to possible response to each of the realities.

Negative/typical ineffectual responses to challenges:
1. Crisis - Cowardice,
2. Complexity - Rigidity,
3. Betrayal - Narcissism,
4. Loneliness - Hiding,
5. Weariness - Fatalism.
6. Glory - Secrecy

Positive/options for effectual solutions to challenges:
1. Crisis - Courage,
2. Complexity - Depth,
3. Betrayal - Gratitude,
4. Loneliness - Openness,
5. Weariness - Hope.
6. Glory - Disclosure

Allender then details the paradox of a well-documented successful failure. This is actually a clever parody of the biblical narrative of Isaac, Rebecca, Esau and Jacob. Allender uses this narrative as an example of ineffectual responses being turned around. The middle chapters are dedicated to dealing with each of the challenges, a chapter for each, in the light of both effectual and ineffectual responses.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Leading with a Limp counters a common leadership theory that encourages leaders to operate out of strengths and minimise weaknesses - effectively encouraging leaders to live a life of denial.

Finally, here is an author that doesn't shrink back from the harsh realities of leadership and the associated challenges and difficulties involved. Allender's stories gloss over nothing. He provides meaningful insights, understandings and avenues of response so that even the most battle weary leader may find resources beyond the normal in the goodness, providence and grace of God to live with integrity, embrace failure and weakness, and keep leading effectively.

Allender's theology of leadership makes sense of the suffering servant of Isaiah (Isa 52:13-14), God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble of James and Peter (Js 4:6, 1P5:5), The greatest of all shall be your servant (Mk 10:43) and The first will be last and the last will be first (Mk 10:31) of Jesus teaching and the treasure in jars of clay (2 Cor 4:7) and my [God's] power is made complete in weakness (2 Cor12:9) that Paul articulates.

For the insecure leader, frequent disclosures of habitual failure and weakness may give rise to a self-indulgent form of narcissism or be a mask for other attempts at self-fortification. Allender addresses this with the exhortative qualification, don't just acknowledge failure...dismantle it...publicly .

Allender's frank and honest accounts of the experiences and situations leaders encounter are powerful stories that for some may be potentially overwhelming. Those in a bad place emotionally or susceptible to melancholy may find the book a bit depressive, but in Allender's mind that's probably a good thing. There is not a lot of salve on the surface here. It is more like a cup of cement with a clarion call to harden up through surrender! Having said that, if there is any salve, it is that failure isn't final and weakness doesn't discount a person from leadership - it qualifies them. According to Allander, as failure, weakness and vulnerability is embraced and effectually disclosed, it becomes the stimulant that spawns growth, builds confidence and instils strength in those who are prepared to learn to lead with a limp.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating look into what it means to be a leader June 1, 2006

By FaithfulReader.com

Format:Hardcover

If you're a leader, you are in for the battle of your life, says Mars Hill Graduate School founder Dan Allender in LEADING WITH A LIMP. The author of numerous books, including THE INTIMATE MYSTERY and TO BE TOLD, Allender warns that leadership is costly and likely will never bring you riches, fame or praise. Rather, Allender likens leadership to a "long march through a dark valley." Is it worth the cost? The costs of leadership include crisis, complexity, betrayal, loneliness, weariness, and interestingly enough, glory --- not particularly what most of us associate with leadership. That's not all. A good leader, Allender writes, will in time disappoint everyone.

So why would anyone aspire to leadership? Allender looks at what a leader is (anyone with someone following him or her). The fact is, God calls all of us to lead, he says, no matter how humble the context. And it is in extremity or your failures that you meet not only yourself but, more importantly, the God who has written your life.

Allender builds the core assumption of his book on this: "to the degree you face and name and deal with your failures as a leader, to that same extent you will create an environment conducive to growing and retaining productive and committed colleagues." Acknowledging your screw-ups transforms your own character and earns you more respect and power, he writes. And these shortcomings must be more than just acknowledged; they must also be dismantled in front of those you lead.

But, Allender warns, most leaders are afraid to name their failures; they have too much pride to admit their faults, and they may be addicted to various substances or behaviors.

The best leaders, he says, are not necessarily those who seek leadership. Rather, the best leaders are plagued with doubts or flee leadership. Sound odd? Reluctant leaders, he says, give power away. They use their own power to make sure power is used fairly. True leaders, he shows, eschew pride and ambition and take joy in helping others achieve their goals and dreams.

He makes other good points. Weakness, he says, is strength. Brokenness is a gift. Chaos can open the doors to opportunity. Leadership involves gratitude and awe. A leader has a hunger for the truth. Busy-ness is moral laziness (an intriguing section is devoted to this idea). It's important to know your story and the stories of those you work with, and understand how they shape you as a leader. There's an excellent section on the need for Christian organizations to realize that firing can be an act of redemption (if handled well) rather than keeping a worker who is ill-suited for a position. All Christian organizations should read this section!

Allender offers tales of leadership failures and fractured relationships from his own life and that of biblical characters. He uses scripture well; it tends to inform the points he makes rather than feel like an afterthought. Allender is also careful to make his book gender friendly. Women, as well as men, will feel included.

However, he sometimes rambles and tends to repeat himself. Occasionally, his examples lack clarity. (Managers, he writes, want to keep the plane in the air; a leader wants to put a new engine on the plane in midair. I was confused!) But if the reader sticks with him through the closing pages, Allender will make his points about leadership, and make them well.

"Every one of your weaknesses is the doorway not only to better character but to leadership dividends so enormous that avoiding the necessary risk is utter foolishness," writes Allender. Leaders who question whether they are suited for the role will find encouragement in Allender's call for recognition that leadership does not mean perfection. A LEADING WITH A LIMP workbook will further aid those exploring their own leadership challenges. Those in leadership positions, or who aspire to be, will find this good advice for the journey.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby ([e-mail])

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Sometimes leading God's way gets you martyred... July 27, 2007

By Daniel L Edelen TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Dan Allender's _Leading with a Limp_makes for a frustrating review because it packs some excellent insights into a book that leaves out far too much to be helpful. Think of this as the classic that might have been.

How does one lead with a limp?

1. Communicate well
2. Acknowledge your leadership limitations (to yourself and others)
3. Be vulnerable, but do so wisely

Those three ideas comprise the majority of the book.

Many have deemed this a profound work. But as someone who has read similar books (John Powell's books from the '70s immediately spring to mind), I wasn't as taken. If you're the more logical, linear type of person, _Leading with a Limp_ might come as a revelation. But if you're already predisposed to valuing feelings over stark rationality, this book won't break any new ground. You're probably already leading with a limp, and this book may only help you acquire a slightly larger cane.

While _Limp_ has some strong spots expounding on the three core ideas mentioned above, it fails miserably in helping those who have adopted limping leadership but got tarred and feathered for it. Sadly, many in ministry practice much of what Allender advocates, but have been run out of town on a rail for doing so. Allender's examples of how to lead the way he envisions never informs readers how to pick up the pieces should such an experiment in a limping leadership style fail miserably with the led. Trust me; as someone with many years in ministry, Allender's ideas can fail spectacularly. It would have been nice to know how to get back on one's feet after being body-slammed for leading with a limp. That lack hurts this book immeasurably.

Yes, read the book. Meditate on the parts you need to improve, but keep expectations low to middling. In fact, expect an angry, confused, or hostile reaction to this leadership style rather than miracles.