"101 Leadership Insights" (Bob Phillips and Del Walinga)

TITLE: 150 Essential Insights on Leadership (Legacy Inspirational Series)
AUTHOR:  Bob Phillips and Del Walinga
PUBLISHER: Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2021, (176 pages).

How does one lead to inspire? How could a leader motivate another to improve and to do better? How do we go about discovering our own personality profile and leadership styles? What does it take to be a leader? What do we do when our leadership is challenged? How do we move from dealing with differences to learning to make a difference in the lives of people? How does one deal with criticisms? What does it take to be a forward-looking leader? How could a leader learn to distinguish between rights and responsibilities? What about avoiding burnout? How does one form a vision? What does it take to develop resilience in leadership? What about loneliness? How do we balance the different expectations on us? These and many more form the basis of this large volume of leadership insights. Filled with lots of famous quotes and illustrations, it is a fascinating look at the many different perspectives of leadership. There are chapters on leadership styles and behaviors to help us determine the most appropriate attribute for different occasions. Authors Bob Phillips and Del Walinga have given us a book filled with insightful advice and powerful examples of leadership. Knowing the highs and lows that come with leadership, they encourage us to learn and to keep on learning. 

Each chapter reads like a mini daily digest to help us reflect on the nature and purpose of leadership. We might like to think that not everybody is a leader. Truth is, all of us will be called to lead in one way or another, sooner or later. Leadership is about calling. It is about a step of faith to live out the calling to be a difference-maker. The biggest fear in leadership is not about making mistakes. It is about the failure to even try. The quotations are carefully selected to challenge us. It would be beneficial not to rush through each chapter but to take time to ponder on the meaning and implication. Not every chapter contains biblical references though the biblical principles are often implied. For example, the part about "Mistakes, Muddles, and Missteps" highlights the dangers of worldliness in leadership that we need to avoid. In knowing about the potential pitfalls, not only will we learn greater humility, we would also learn greater dependence on God. The chapter on "I Quit" highlights some practical "red flags" to notice before making any decision to quit. Christian readers might be able to sense the need to look to God for guidance and discernment before deciding on any job transitions. 

From beginning well to finishing strong, personal development to group inspiration, leadership is needed everywhere and every time. Whether one believes in nature or nurture, generally, we need both albeit in differing compositions among different people. There is always room for cultivating the leader in any of us. The older we grow, the more we learn. That is the natural way of life. The more we learn, the better we lead. That is the nurture aspect. In fact, leadership cuts through many parts of society that there are simply not enough people to lead. With the constant rate of retirement and natural attrition, we will always have a need for new leaders. This book comes handy for people in many different situations of life. For the young and enthusiastic, they contain tips for personal development, the preferred leadership styles, appropriate behaviours, and the pitfalls that might derail one's leading ability. For the experienced, a good leader will aim to become better every step of the way. For leadership is not just a skill. It is passion and a desire to make a difference. More importantly, it is about leading from a biblical perspective.

Why should anyone read this book? For the busy person, it is brief and could be a quick reference book on the bookshelves. For the weary, it is a form of leadership caffeine to perk us up during our dry times. For the uninitiated, it might trigger a step of faith to explore areas that we have never gone before. The book makes for light reading and reflection. In fact, I would challenge readers not to be too quick to accept everything that the authors say. They are meant to challenge us to think out of the box. Leaders are those who refuse to be shaped into any organizational mold, but to learn to adapt where necessary and to change when need to. Above all, the leader is one who is not only sensitive to the core needs of the people, but is discerning to the movement of the Spirit within. If one could 

Bob Phillips, master compiler of inspirational verses, Scripture references, and quotes on the lighter, humorous side of life, has written a hundred books with combined sales of more than 11 million copies. Bob also serves as executive director emeritus for Hume Lake Christian Camps and is a licensed family counselor in California.

Del Walinga has an extensive background in law enforcement and corrections. He serves as a team director and instructor with Pointman Leadership Institute, having previously served as the executive director. Del represents County Corrections Gospel Mission and the Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers. He is also licensed financial planner and business owner. 

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

---

This book has been provided courtesy of Harvest House Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.