Bryan Craddock
Life-giving leadership is greatly needed in our world, but sadly I don’t think this book will contribute toward it. Reagin starts well when he says, “Life-giving leadership is all about staying in deep relationship with our heavenly Father so we can love those around us best and bring life to the people God has put in our circle of influence” (21). But instead of explaining how to know God and lead others to him, he directs readers to focus on self—being self-aware, self-accepting, and self-confident. Though he mentions Jesus often and quotes some Bible verses, his emphasis on self-acceptance contradicts the Bible’s fundamental message that we are all sinners in need of salvation. By the end of the book he moves so far from his original definition of life-giving leadership that he points to Apple, Nike, Nordstrom, and Ritz Carlton as examples of organizations with life-giving cultures (155). I received an advance copy of the book from the publisher, so I really wanted to find something positive to say. However, I find it to be confusing at best and at worst damaging to the cause of genuine Christian influence.
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