I have been asked why I wrote The Mythical Leader
I have toyed with the idea of writing a book for years. I have an Evernote file of book ideas – some which I’ve held on to for close to a decade. I have entertained suggestions from publishers and had more than one agent approach me about writing a book.
And, it’s not because I’m a super writer – and, certainly not because I’m an expert leader. It’s because I’ve been a consistent, diligent writer.
Several years ago I self-published a year’s worth of devotionals I had written through my first online site – MustardSeedMinistry.com. I’ve blogged or written online literally since the dial-up days – over 20 years. For some reason, the first book-length work just wouldn’t seem to come together. Either the publisher thought it wasn’t a good first book for me or I wasn’t passionate about it.
Then, Mark Sweeney, who had helped me think on the agent side of things, came to the table on the publishers side of things. He had read my blog post about seven myths of leadership. He felt there would be enough there for a book. It clicked.
But, why did I write it?
Here are 3 reasons I wrote The Mythical Leader:
I have a heart for the local church. I have only been in vocational ministry about 16 years, coming out of a long career in business. But, even before ministry I loved the local church. If done well, I believe the local church can be a catalyst for good in the community. I love the way churches were once centers of positive influence in the community. I think that’s possible again.
I believe the quality of leadership in the church matters. At the expense of something good – doctrine and theology – we’ve sacrificed good leadership practices in the local church over the years. Some of the things we would never do or allow in the business world, churches are notorious for doing. Take, for example, a long-term church staffer who “checked out” years ago, but is still on the payroll. The business world would have to dealt with it much quicker than the church would – if the church ever would. But, the mission of the church is no less important (even more important) than the profit margin of the business. This takes leadership.
Repetition led me to believe there was something here. After years of experiencing the same issues in leadership, and after working through the same problems with other pastors and leaders, I realized there must be some common things we all face at times as leaders. This is what the book is really about – addressing leadership issues we all face.
It’s really been interesting to hear from people who are not in ministry – or even in leadership – who have read the book and said it was helpful. I certainly hope it helps a few church leaders – and churches.
If you’re interested in the book, pick up a copy HERE.
Thanks to all who have bought, read and supported it. My blog readers were much of the inspiration throughout the book. I would love to get a few more 5-Star reviews on Amazon. (You can give other numbers too. Give it what it deserves, but 5-Star is best.)
