Customer Reviews

The Next Generation Leader: Five Essentials for Those Who Will Shape the Future

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The last section is worth the price of the book. Actually, the first four sections were good, but not outstanding or unusual. They dealt with competence, courage, clarity, and coaching. I've read many leadership books and after awhile they begin to sound similar. The last chapter of this book makes a pointed statement, "Character determines the leader's legacy." Something about these last three chapters struck a chord with me. Andy writes from experience and with authority.

I've read a number of these leadership/personal growth books and the first thing I noticed about this books was how slim it was. Other books of similar topic are usually weighty volumes with lots of 50 cent words.

I appreciated the author's down-to-earth style and while some of these concepts are covered in other leadership books, Andy Stanley's approach has a fresh conversational style I immediately enjoyed.

Stanley covers 5 basic principles of leadership (he's the first to tell you there are many more, but these 5 seem to be the most essential). The two I most enjoyed were clarity and character. Clarity doesn't mean we'll have all the answers, but we should always be clear in our purpose. The character portion was well reasoned and made me wonder if corporate leadership in the US wouldn't benefit by reading this?!?

Loved it! Easy to read and reread. I find myself thinking about the principles on a regular basis.

Absolutely the BEST book on leadership I've ever read (this includes Maxwell's books, too.) It's only 136 pages long, but is packed with more understandable and relevant information than many leadership books twice the size. This book would be beneficial to those in corporate leadership, but is invaluable to pastors and those in ministerial leadership. I believe every pastor, deacon, committee member, and Sunday School leader should have to read this book. Finally, in understandable terms, the characteristics of godly leadership are mapped out.

The most eye-opening statement in the book for me was that "authority does not equal competency." Get the book and you'll see what I mean.

Andy Stanley finally demonstrates that there still is something fresh to say about the wonderful world of leadership. This book is by no means just theory. No, it is born out of a credibility few other leaders have. Andy is one of the new generations of leaders who has lived in a rapid world wind of change and emerged with one of the most dynamic teams and organization I have seen in many years. So, with confidence, read this book. I heard him speak at a conference last fall, the subject of which is a key chapter in his book. I must say it was one of the most profound talks I have heard on leadership during my past 10 years of formal leadership studies. As someone who has a graduate degree in Organizational leadership, and teaches extensively on leadership, I was thrilled to see the talk now in print for all to savor. This book will be a key text book for my students, and as an Executive Director of a large summer camp in Canada, it will also be a mandatory read for our 50+ fulltime staff.
Each chapter takes you on a point-blank "get with it" format, therefore, do not be put off by its size. There is enough to chew on here for a month. I recommend taking it away on a personal evaluation retreat. You will emerge more focused, equipped and more than thankful for an excellent leadership resource. Well done Andy Stanley, thank you so much for your leadership, keep at it. Psalm 78:72

Andy does a fine job in breaking us in on the basics. I have always 'preached' that Christians should eat that meat of the Word with a glass of milk within reach. Let's not forget the causes for the effects, and sometimes we forget we do need that occational full glass of milk.

Andy's book is more for the immature- but growing Christian, although I enjoyed reading again things I had forgotten. We can never be reminded too often of the building blocks for good leadership. Infact, this book is great to teach a leadership class from.

Andy did some research here, and I have to applaud his efforts in his successful attempt to compile very useful and applicable information in an easy to read book. Good job, Andy!

This book will always remain in my 'reference library'.

Andy Stanley is a world-class leader and we should expect nothing less than a world-class book on leadership from him. He delivered the goods... again.

He has nailed it with this short, but precise work. What are the qualities of a NEXT GENERATION LEADER?

1. Competence. Always work in your area of gifting and surround yourself with those who excel where you do not for maximum return.

2. Courage. Leaders do what needs to be done... period.

3. Clarity. Leaders need to be clear about where they are going... especially if the "how" is not certain.

4. Coaching. Evaluation by key people and mentors is another ingredient to success.

5. Character. Without ethics and moral integrity you might be a leader... but certainly not one worth following.

I think Andy capsulizes the essence of this book in the epilogue:

"[Leadership] is a gift. But it is a gift that comes to you in raw form. Like music or art, leadership must be developed if it is to be used effectively."

That is the author's goal and I recommend this work to anyone wanting to "go father... faster".

I am attending a young leaders workshop at my church and our pastor suggested this book to read before we attend the class. I read the book in about 2 days.

Andy Stanley brings a fresh approach to leadership and this book will not only help me at my church, but in my business endeavors as well.

I appreciate the section on Competence: Do Less, Accomplish More. He says, "The moment a leader steps away from his core competencies, his effectiveness as a leader diminshes." This is not new to leadership, but to younger people in leadership it is paramount. We think we can do everything, but it is not possible. Andy Stanley says don't focus on being a "well-rounded" leader, but a man or women of focus.

Andy Stanley lays it on the line. With a servant's heart, a humble spirit, and a sense of humor, this visionary is "right on the money." For leaders who have integrity, Andy reaffirms and strengthens their convictions and offers great insight. For churches and church leaders who think they are on track ... well, they might want to read this book. It could be an eye-opener. It's definitely a "must-read" for pastors.

This is not a comprehensive book on Leadership, and should not be reviewed from such a standard. Stanley is a rather youngish mega-church minister, who has learned a thing or two--and he explains them extremely well. He starts by arguing that many leaders are far too busy doing nonessential stuff. Many have stated this obvious concept before, but this author explains the situation persuasively, and offers practical steps for abandoning scheduling chaos.

The profound insight offered by Next Generation Leaders is that the future is never certain. Great leaders are able to chart a clear, persuasive course, based on unchanging principles. Execution must be flexible, but guiding principles are etched in stone. Again, for some, these are not new ideas. Yet, the author has presented his solutions clearly, with poignant anecdotes.

Bottom-line: This is a short easy read, offering a few sharp insights into Christian leadership. It is most suited for younger leaders, and those who have not fed on a steady diet of leadership readings.

Andy Stanley's The Next Generation Leader is another in a long line of recent Christian authors attempting to propose a leadership model to influence the world around them. The book essentially is attempting to accomplish two simultaneous goals: First, to establish a model of leadership for Christians in whatever sphere they may find themselves and second, to layout a leadership paradigm accessible for any leader. Therein lies the book's greatest strength and Achilles heal.

Stanley, who pastors a large, suburban Atlanta church, struggles to distinguish between two important biblical concepts, the biblically encouraged goal of Christian integration on the one hand and the frowned-upon practice of syncretism on the other. He walks a fine line between the two with some considerable deftness, but ultimately has significant problems in distinguishing between concepts of biblical leadership and popularized business practices. Instead of rigorously demanding that his business leadership model submit itself to Scripture, Stanley seems content to weave his ideas into a self-professed biblical model with less than fulfilling results.

I did however find several of his conceptual ideas encouraging to me as a gospel minister within the university context. Stanley encourages leaders to drop or delegate peripheral responsibilities in order to focus upon the 20% of their tasks that they are truly enabled and gifted to accomplish. His encouragement to leaders to seek out mature mentors is wise. It resonates strongly with a commitment I made six years ago to consistently ask older men in my ministry arena to give me advice and help care for the pastoral and decision-making needs of my life. Stanley also offers useful suggestions for risk-taking and courageously leading in order to jettison being tied down to either staid tradition that lacks vibrancy or fearfulness absent of joyfully trying new ventures.

Looking more closely at these suggestions, however, one can spot theologically questionable assumptions, made frequently for the sake of rhetorical affect. He claims, for instance, that followers end up exactly where the leader brings them. Powerful symbolism, but lacking in a very deep appreciation of the complexities of human responses to leaders and the sovereign grace of God in developing a younger generation of influencers. Stanley's composite picture of a next generation leader is one that offers an image of a very sharp, capable, ethically sound CEO. No wonder, when Stanley himself leads a mid-size organization that biblical ideas like prayerful dependence, God's sovereignty over ministry development, and working hard to submit ministry vision to Scriptural truth taught in context suffers under Stanley's analysis.

Stanley's work ultimately wavers at the brink of syncretism, wedding biblical images with a wider cultural picture of CEO. As God warned Israel, such accommodation meant grave loss for those wandering down or seeking such pathways. Stanley's view of leadership would be enriched by regaining a submission to Scriptural themes, biblical theology and authority for ministry.