I really enjoyed reading this book. The format was practical and made it easy to digest. The content is a good reminder of how we should lead and an important reminder for leaders.

This is a must read for anyone who wants to get better as a leader. The book is well-written, easy to understand, contains a good balance of spiritual insights and practical applications, and covers a wide variety of relevant topics.

Recently I had the opportunity to read the new book Lead Like It Matters to God: Values-Driven Leadership in a Success-Driven World. In this slim book, Richard Stearns who is best known for his role as president of World Vision, presents "17 values to transform your leadership." While published by InterVarsity Press and definitely from a Christian point of view, the primary audience is anyone who is a leader in secular or Christian organizations. Stearns emphasizes that no matter your place of service, anyone who is a Christ-follower is called to be Christ's ambassador in all that they do.

Although there are 17 values presented, Lead Like It Matters to God has 20 chapters which include an introduction, conclusion, and a chapter providing biographical background information about Stearns. As Stearns combines leadership principles with stories from his own experiences, these chapters are helpful in establishing his credibility. For example, while most recently serving in a Christian non-profit organization, Stearns spent the majority of his career working in huge companies such as Parker Brothers and Lenox. His first hand experiences in these companies provids numerous examples which demonstrate the principles he shares are useful in any leadership setting. Each chapter begins with a scripture, a leadership principle, and a quote which introduces the value presented. These resources alone are worthwhile.

While an excellent book for anyone who is or aspires to be a leader in any setting, Lead like It Matters to God is unabashedly Christian. As such, it would make an excellent choice as a textbook or supplementary reading in a leadership course. A small group would benefit from reading and discussing the book together. With 20 brief chapters, an individual could work through the book devotionally as well. If you are still looking for a graduation present for your favorite high school or college graduate or someone who is embarking on a new career, this book is just what you are looking for.

I received a complementary copy of Lead Like It Matters to God from InterVarsity Press via NetGalley. All views are my own and I am not obligated to leave a positive review.

I really liked how each chapter is short-ish and can be digested either on its own or as part of a longer reading session. Correlating Bible verses and quotes at the beginning of each are also useful and thought-provoking.

I particularly enjoyed how Stearns first worked in the business world, only going into ministry/non-profit work later in life; a majority of the books I've read lately are from authors who started in ministry and stayed there, or went on to other business endeavors. Both are fine; it was just nice to have something different! I really appreciated the insights on how to live out my faith in a secular environment.

This is very much, first and foremost, a leadership book; it's written by a Christian whose faith plays a huge role in his life (which is fantastic), but, is not a theology book per se. I'll also note there does seem to be some soft critical race theory included.

Only after starting the book did I realize Stearns headed World Vision for a number of years. I'm very familiar with this organization, also based out of the Pacific Northwest, and have interacted with it in multiple ways over the years (including sponsoring a child), and was particularly aware of the organization in the news during early 2014 as it changed (and then reversed said change) a longstanding policy on marriage. This incident was briefly referenced in the book, but not explicitly; I would not have picked up on the reference without having already known about its broader scope.

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

Chapters:
1. Leadership Changes the World
2. The Plans I Have for You (autobiography)
3. Surrender
4. Sacrifice
5. Trust
6. Excellence
7. Love
8. Humility
9. Integrity
10. Vision
22. Courage
12. Generosity
13. Forgiveness
14. Self-Awareness
15. Balance
16. Humor
17. Encouragement
18. Perseverance
19. Listening
20. Taking God to Work

Each chapter begins with a scripture, a leadership principle, and a quote or two. Notes with sources are included at the end of the book.

The writing style isn't amazing, but Stearns does a good job of connecting ideas and communicating points that are often overlooked but important to doing leadership well: surrender to God is vital. Understanding how work connects to one's identity as a Christian allows people to see that all good work has some value, from selling shaving razors to serving the poor. Success is secondary to living out godly values.
A solid leadership book that describes an overlooked way of life.