Axiom

I have been ploughing through this great book from Bill Hybels in recent months. It is awesome!!!

Check out this thought from the Foreword by Henry Cloud:
"A leader's responsibility, first and foremost, is to cause a vision and mission to have tangible results in the real world. Without a real difference made in real people's lives, a vision is relegated to a pipe dream, a mission to a series of wishes posted on the wall...A leader is also responsible for the experience of his or her followers...Great leaders cultivate an environment where instead of people getting injured, discouraged, and burned out, they are equipped to become what they never thought they could be and achieve things they never thought they could achieve. Great leaders grow not just results, but people too."

Here is what the people at Zondervan say


Winning leaders have winning points of view—succinct, practical, portable leadership proverbs that help them arbitrate decisions and rouse troops to action. In Axiom: The Language of Leadership, Bill Hybels reveals eighty God-given, from-the-gut truths that continue to raise his game and his vision, thirty-plus years into his local-church leadership experience.


Description:
The best leaders not only lead well but also reflect on their leadership long enough and thoughtfully enough to articulate the philosophies that cause them to do so. Whether serving in the marketplace or in ministry, as executives or rank-and-file employees, as salaried staff or volunteer servants, good leaders can pinpoint the rationale for their actions and decisions with the ease of reciting their home address. In Axiom: author Bill Hybels divulges the God-given convictions that have dictated his leadership strategy for more than three decades as senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church. Oriented toward four key leadership categories …

1. Vision and strategy (“Promote Shameless Profitability,” “Take a Flyer”)

2. Teamwork and communication (“Obi-Wan Kenobi Isn’t for Hire,” “Disagree without Drawing Blood”)

3. Activity and assessment (“Develop a Mole System,” “Sweat the Small Stuff”)

4. Personal integrity (“Admit Mistakes, and Your Stock Goes Up,” “Fight for Your Family”)




Endorsements for Axiom:

“Toss out all your texts on leadership by theorists and read this masterpiece again and again. Bill serves up solid content, not clichés; axioms, not merely anecdotes. I love this book! The distilled wisdom is pure gold—classic Hybels.”
— Rick Warren, Founding and senior pastor, Saddleback Church


“Bill Hybels is a leader's leader. Learn from one of the best as Bill shows you how to harness the powerful and memorable leadership proverbs that live in every true leader.
— John C. Maxwell, Author, speaker, and founder of INJOY Stewardship Services and EQUIP


Bill Hybels is one of the most dynamic Christian leaders of our time and packs tremendous leadership wisdom into these energizing, easy-to-read essays. Don’t miss them!
— Ken Blanchard, Coauthor, The One-Minute Entrepreneur™ and Lead Like Jesus



OK - I'm pretty excited about this book - and it may be too much excitement for you - so I will post the Table of Contents tomorrow - you'll just have to wait!!!