Albert Mohler is a well known and respected leader in certain evangelical circles. Time magazine has called him the “reigning intellectual of the evangelical movement in the U.S.” He has risen to such popularity through his lengthy 20 year presidency of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and his engagement with and participation in the conservative resurgence within the Southern Baptist Convention. Mohler takes his leadership experience and uses it to craft a helpful volume on leadership entitled The Conviction to Lead. His stated goal in writing this volume is to “fundamentally change the way leadership is understood and practiced” (15). Mohler attempts to accomplish this lofty goal by simply expounding upon 25 aspects of leadership. These aspects seem to be arranged in a logical movement from foundational principles, to characteristics of a leader, to a leader’s engagement with particular tasks and aspects of life, culminating in his final point on a leader’s legacy.
The Conviction to Lead is a helpful volume for several reasons. First, the arrangement of the book makes for easy reference and can be consulted again without wasting too much time futilely rummaging through its pages in search of that sweet quote or thought you read months ago. Second, Mohler’s thoughts concerning a leader’s pursuit of and relation to reading, writing, the digital world, and time were instructive and insightful. Lastly, The Conviction to Lead offers a decidedly Christian perspective on leadership. It is not a book about pastoral leadership, although much will apply to the pastorate; nor is it a theology of leadership, although it contains theology; nor is it a volume on administrative leadership, although it touches on such matters. It is essentially one Christian’s musings on leadership and such musings are helpful because they expand one’s own thoughts on such matters as the views of the author collide with the views of the reader.
However, The Conviction to Lead does not seem to meet the goal stated by Mohler at the beginning because to accomplish such a goal as to “fundamentally change the way leadership is understood and practiced” he would need to offer something more theologically and philosophically substantial to fundamentally change one’s understanding and elaborate more on many if not all of the 25 aspects of leadership listed to change one’s practice. A discussion of the cruciform shape of Jesus’ leadership style would have proven beneficial in accomplishing the goal of this volume.
BD
The Conviction to Lead is a helpful volume for several reasons. First, the arrangement of the book makes for easy reference and can be consulted again without wasting too much time futilely rummaging through its pages in search of that sweet quote or thought you read months ago. Second, Mohler’s thoughts concerning a leader’s pursuit of and relation to reading, writing, the digital world, and time were instructive and insightful. Lastly, The Conviction to Lead offers a decidedly Christian perspective on leadership. It is not a book about pastoral leadership, although much will apply to the pastorate; nor is it a theology of leadership, although it contains theology; nor is it a volume on administrative leadership, although it touches on such matters. It is essentially one Christian’s musings on leadership and such musings are helpful because they expand one’s own thoughts on such matters as the views of the author collide with the views of the reader.
However, The Conviction to Lead does not seem to meet the goal stated by Mohler at the beginning because to accomplish such a goal as to “fundamentally change the way leadership is understood and practiced” he would need to offer something more theologically and philosophically substantial to fundamentally change one’s understanding and elaborate more on many if not all of the 25 aspects of leadership listed to change one’s practice. A discussion of the cruciform shape of Jesus’ leadership style would have proven beneficial in accomplishing the goal of this volume.
BD