The best way to introduce you to Tod Bolsinger’s new book is through a couple of quotations that wowed me:

"A teachable learning mindset leads to a greater capacity for staying in a difficult position, taking on a particularly difficult task or standing up to resistance, because there is an inherent assurance that if all else fails this trial will—if nothing else—lead to further growth."

This sobering word, too:

"A major difficulty in sustaining one’s mission is that others who start out with the same enthusiasm will come to lose their nerve. Mutiny and sabotage came not from enemies who opposed the initial idea, but rather from colleagues whose will was sapped by unexpected hardships along the way."

And this, which I shared with our church’s leadership and several other pastors I know:

"One of the genuine crises of Christian leadership today is how inward focused it is. A movement founded on the salvation and transformation of the world often becomes consumed with helping a congregation, an organization, or educational institution survive, stay together, or deal with rampant anxiety (often all at the same time). It’s not enough to turn around a declining church, resolve conflict, restore a sense of community, regain a business’s market share, return an organization to sustainability, or even “save the company.” The question before any leader of an organization is “save the company for what?”"

Bolsinger’s guiding metaphor is from blacksmithing: “To temper describes the process of heating, holding, hammering, cooling, and reheating that adds stress to raw iron until it becomes a glistening knife blade or chisel tip.” Others may find his drawing on the blacksmithing process more compelling than I did. I would have gladly taken Bolsinger’s wisdom straight up, sans analogy. (As in the quotes above.)

If you thought being sabatoged was unique to you? Par for the course, apparently. Bolsinger doesn’t deny the reality of church dysfunction; he seems to assume it. But then he equips the reader with how to lead resiliently in the face of adversity–even adversity coming from within. (“The call is coming from inside the house.”)

Bolsinger describes a “six-step process”:

"1. Working: Leaders are formed in leading.
"2. Heating; Strength is forged in self-reflection.
"3. Holding: Vulnerable leadership requires relational security.
"4. Hammering: Stress makes a leader.
"5. Hewing: Resilience takes practice.
"6. Tempering: Resilience comes through a rhythm of leading and not leading."

Despite a few dry moments or chapters that I thought could have been edited down, Tempered Resilience is an encouraging and empowering read. It’s offered me great encouragement these last few months, as well as given me a framework and tools to better understand the “crucible” of church leadership.

I've read one or two or ten leadership books in my time. This is, hands down, one of the best I've read to date.

Bolsinger is a new-to-me author (and I'm genuinely eager to read his other books!). In 'Tempered Resilience,' he combines three topics exceedingly relevant and important in my life right now--leadership, business, and Christian faith--into a practical and powerful read. I love the inclusion of Judaic texts, as well; he often quotes Israeli writers and draws on rabbinic text and tradition to shed light and context on Old Testament components.

With a "deep and wide" background such as Bolsinger's, he is in a unique position to speak on the topic. I particularly enjoyed how he even studied smithing as part of the writing process!'

This book earns a well-deserved spot on my bookcase, right next to John Maxwell, Patrick Lencioni, Simon Sinek, and Michael Hyatt. Definitely one I'll revisit regularly; it's impossible to get everything out of it I can after just one pass.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Rather than resisting change and hardship, Bolsinger invites leaders to accept challenges as formation of their character, skills, and experience. Adaptive leadership is a constant exercise in "stamina, the strength of purpose, the perseverance to lead a church, institution, or organization through deep organizational change.
This quote summarizes the book for me: "Tempering a leader is a process of reflection, relationships, and practices during the act of leading that form resilience to continue leading when the resistance is highest. It includes vulnerable self-reflection, the safety of relationships and specific spiritual practices and leadership skills in a rhythm of both work and rest. It is hard, formative work."

And that is why I recommend this book to every Christian leader who finds his or herself resisting change or transformation, who feels stuck in place, or who has lost their vision for the Kingdom of God and the big challenges God may be calling her/him into.