You have doubtlessly read some great leadership books as your career has grown. Maybe it began with a classic like On Becoming a Leader by Warren Bennis or The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. Perhaps you went old school and devoured The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Or a newer guru’s take like Start with Why by Simon Sinek. Whatever writings your development has drawn you toward, consider, in addition, one timeless book that could transform both your life and leadership in a profound way.
The Bible is the world’s best-selling book. It contains history, poetry, prophecy, woven in a profound narrative of the world from creation to present. It was written over a period of 1,500 years by more than 40 authors. One could easily dismiss the Bible as a book of faith for the religious devout that, though it likely has some sound teaching on how to live life well, doesn’t hold much for the modern leader. But that would be a grave mistake because the Bible is the foundational book on leadership.
Why is this true? The answer lies in where a leader learns how to lead. The essence of leading is not a list of actions you can take, or a strategy to memorize. The core of leadership, rather, is who the leader is as a person. The character of the leader—his vision, values and beliefs—form the framework on which his decisions are made, his actions are taken, his relationships are grown, and his experiences become wisdom. The greatest question for any leader to answer is not “What am I going to do?” but rather, “Who am I?”
About 50 Bibles are sold around the world every minute. It takes about 70 hours to read it through.
It is this question that the Bible is uniquely positioned to answer. No matter what you hold to spiritually, your view of the world and of leadership holds to some fundamental beliefs. In other words, even if you are a non-religious person, you take some things on faith. A belief is simply accepting that something is true—so we all have beliefs based on trust, confidence, knowledge or faith. The Bible is a text which holds that truth is found first in God, Creator of the universe and all that is in it, including people.
If you study a leadership book by a famous CEO, you’ll earn about that author’s past, experiences and how his leadership style was shaped by his education, influences and talent. So a leadership book is not going to teach you about yourself so much as it is going to teach you about the author. If we study God, Who created us, then we will indeed learn about ourselves, our natures, our purpose and our potential. For, as the Bible tells us, we were created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27).
The Bible is not an instruction book. A common view of the Bible is that it is a historical text which contains a lengthy list of things God likes and doesn’t like, in a series of instructions for us to follow. An example of this would be the Ten Commandments. Do this, don’t do that, and you will please God. In a sense this is true, but the Bible must be viewed in the correct context in order for it to make sense—just like any leadership book you buy must be viewed from a sense of the author who wrote it. It would be most accurate, then, to view the Bible as an autobiography, or a book that God, by inspiration of the writers, created to teach us about Himself.
When we read and study the Bible, the question at the forefront of our minds should be, “What is God teaching me about Himself in this passage?” In Scripture we read of wars and conquest, peoples and dramas, sin and redemption, faith and trust, romance, betrayal, life and death. Through this narrative we learn what angers God, what pleases God, and ultimately what God wants to accomplish in His creation and through His people. The Bible is not a story about us, but rather about God. We each happen to have a small role in it.
A biblical leader submits to his role in God’s story. His belief system, sometimes called worldview, understands that God is driving the narrative of life. This is a difficult concept for many leaders to accept, because it’s an acknowledgement that we are ultimately not in control of our own destinies. Many leadership teachers have the worldview that we make things happen, where the Bible teaches that God makes things happen.
If we make things happen throughout our lives, then indeed leadership is a tremendous challenge. We must have all of the knowledge, skill and understanding possible to do the very best that we can within our own mindset. However if God directs the leader then we simply need to rely on God’s knowledge, skill and experience. If God is Who He says He is, and is all-knowing, all-present, all-powerful, then trusting God’s direction is a tremendous relief to the leader. Because the leader doesn’t have to know all the answers. He just has to know the Person who does.
Ancient texts like the Dead Sea Scrolls confirm the Bible’s writings as true to their period, making it among the most thoroughly researched and accurate books every published.
This is why the Bible is the leader’s best resource. This unique book introduces a leader to the one Person who is worth of absolute trust and loyalty, and Who gives purpose not only to leadership, but to life. When we study the Bible in order to know God, we then also know ourselves. Titus 1:7-13 describes God’s idea of a leader; “For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers…”
The biblical leader is sober-minded and self-controlled, relying on God through His Word. The leader who is not obedient to the God of the Bible is called “insubordinate” and an “empty talker”. Your investment of time in the Bible will be among the most valuable you can have as a leader. And the Bible also gives the leader his mandate to share what he learning with others. Consider Hebrews 13:7, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.”
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834 – 1892) was an English pastor of the New Park Street Chapel (later renamed Metropolitan Tabernacle) in London for 38 years. He became known as the “Prince of Preachers” for his spellbinding sermons, which sometimes ran two hours or more.