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4-MAT Mc NEAL-LEAD-510
(Autosaved)
Biblical Foundation of Christian Leadership (Liberty
University)
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LIBERTY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
4 MAT Book Review
Practicing Greatness: 7 Disciplines of Extraordinary Spiritual Leaders
A Paper
Submitted to Dr. Joseph E.
Butler In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirement for the
Biblical Foundations of Christian
Leadership LEAD 510
By
Josie Spates Smith
6 August 2017
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Abstract
The book, “Practicing Greatness: 7 Disciplines of Extraordinary Spiritual Leaders,”
authored by Reggie McNeal (2006), starts by recognizing the necessity for great spiritual
leaders, shadowed by the greatest protuberant features of great leadership. McNeal identifies
seven major disciplines that portray the basis for fitting a great leader, and help to differentiate
decent leaders from great leaders. McNeal contends that the “single most important piece of
information a leader possesses is self-awareness. Self-awareness touches all the other disciplines
because it is foundational to every other element of greatness.”1 Self-awareness is indispensable
since this characterize who we are in spirit of how we recognize ourselves psychologically,
substantially, communally, and religiously. Therefore, being-aware means that we understand
worldview, which permits us to familiarize to contrasting surroundings, and identify our own
burdens and assets in a prolific way. Self-awareness is the furthermost significant discipline
merely since it is hard to truly comprehend and cooperate with others on an individual level until
we have an impartial sympathetic of ourselves.
Following self-awareness, the author deals with self-management, which he considers has
many outlets, because if I am incapable of managing my feelings, then I may act in a way that
approves depression, which could spur feelings of anger, hostility, fear, or resentment. A
countless implement for self-management embraces setting realistic expectations. This could
contain health connected expectation like physical activity, nourishing eating habits, satisfactory
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rest, or applying money management. Each of these tools are accommodating in emerging
leadership skills, since leaders must be able to realize their weaknesses and responsibilities
before teaching or counseling others. Self-development is such as exhilarating feature of
leadership since this is the stage of constant knowledge, lessons learned, and overall growth.
Positive changes make a path for creating new behaviors.
The discipline of mission can be challenging to identify at first. However, the position of
determining what your mission is, or your vocation in life, is serious to leader’s success. The
author stresses that a leader must be passionate, confident, and talented in whatever vocation
God has selected for our lives. Leadership must be intentional and active, since leaders who are
on a mission have the skill to see the bigger picture, and seek to make their desire a reality.
When making decisions it is essential to ask the precise questions, but also the rough questions.
According the McNeal, “The life mission of great leaders determines the content of their days, of
their work, of their energies and talents. In short, great leaders practice the discipline of
mission.”2 Significantly, a leader should be aggressively looking for information, and must be
acting on information notwithstanding prejudiced opinion.
The discipline of belonging stresses the significance of consuming strong relations,
inspires belonging to families, friendships, coworkers, mentors, and followers. Finally, the
discipline of aloneness guarantees that I have enough time to myself for matters such as
reflection, journaling, praying, or fasting.
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Concrete Response
As I read this book, my mind reflects on my past experiences. I was married to a man
that loves watching “The Andy Griffin Show” wearing cowboy boots, and sleeveless t-shirt. At
this time, I was so lonesome in my life and was vulnerable. This cowboy, boot wearing man
enters my life to add more sorrow. I was teaching at the local high school as a Special
Education teacher and had just earned my Education Specialist Degree. Financially, I was very
well off and had what me and my two children desired. After a month of dating we were
married. First, my husband commits fraud by getting me to purchase some cattle, but he never
did get the cattle. Next, he indicates that we should move further to the country by living to Buhl,
Alabama. We find a house in Buhl, Alabama. My husband had quit his job and our problems
started. It was months before I realized that he had over charged three of my credit cards. He
was going to the ABC store continuously and I was thinking why is he buying school supplies?
My husband is very hostile and violent toward me. One day I was washing my hair at the sink in
the kitchen, and he walks in. I ask him to help out with the house mortgage. His eye turns red
like colds of fire. He looks at me and walks toward me as if he was going to kill me. He clenches
me by my hair and ram my head into the wall and makes a large opening in it. He begins
choking me to death as my two children vigorously hit on him. Then he gets the rifle and holds it
to my head as I try to call 911. I was afraid for my life as well as for my children’s life’s. The
police arrive and takes him to jail. During this process, I get three bruised ribs and a concussion.
He continues not to work and drink constantly. He became more hostile and assaults me more
often. He begins to sale my vehicles, farm machinery and animals. I had a dream that he was
molesting our youngest daughter, but I didn’t take it to heart. He begins to stay from home two
days, three days and even a month at a time to be with another woman. I was angry, bitter, and
hostile at myself. I didn’t
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want to be seen as a failure again. A man from DHR arrives at my job and states my
youngest daughter has been admitted to being molested by her father. I fall to the floor and
begin to sob uncontrollably. It was too hard for me to bear. As the man was speaking, I
realize there were changes I needed to make in my life. My God arrives in my life and gives
me supernatural strength to overcome all my obstacles. God gives me the strength to divorce
that devil.
Reflection
Although I have the belief that progress is a vital tool for self-development, I have issue with the
author’s rationale. He mentioned, “We do not tire using our talent. This is why professional
athletes are paid millions of dollars still show up for practice and hire personal trainers and
coaches to help them get even better”3 However, I do not think that this assertion is completely
factual, since numerous athletes or other professionals do tire from exercising their talents.
Next, the author fails to integrate more Scriptures citations than he did. McNeal gave thoughtful
courtesy to many disciplines inside the teaching (illustrating) and ministry (practical) of Christ;
yet the reader would probable want additional from the author in these respects then what he did
current. There were parts of this book that read more as an emotional development course
than the dynamics of spiritual development as the sanctified life of the leader will develop
seeming in his or her responsibilities notwithstanding the arena they work in. In terms of
fleshing out the normal from the unusual, the author offers numerous situations from his own
ministry life to prove that each characteristic of self-awareness and development center upon
how the person views him/herself in light of the truth. These “truths” are the immutable prima
fasciae of compliance to God and His will. In terms of readability, this work does not pose
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struggle in defining where the author is led in his teaching. The major situation is that more
indications to biblical characters might benefit to balance the illustration of contemporary day
people in numerous ministry or administrative structures.
Action
The main aspect of my life is to focus more on Jesus and His wisdom rather than my
own. It is very easy and tempting for one to second guess what one should do to attain wanted
result; and more frequently, I have been wrong of over-guessing what I should do to the point
that I am modifying every facet of something to the point of micro-management. After reading
this book, I believe as though I have recognized two areas of weakness in my leadership that I
will continue to work on, but more precisely, being yielding to God’s will for me. The author
describes yielding as those who “have tough time saying no to people, even when the request for
time or attention is out of line too demanding”4 Formerly I thought this was a good trait, since
being a leader I never wanted to be the person to just say no to an individual or make someone
feel like they were not significant enough for me to spend my time with or money on.
Nevertheless, there is a fine line between to just saying no and being compliant. In the second
place, I must set apart every day and reliable times to be alone with God in prayer and meditation
on him somewhat than myself and my needs. I realize that most issues may be solved with
remembering that “He must increase while I decrease” (Jn. 3:30). The power is not going to be
neither availed not predominant if one does not completely surrender the leashes of their life to
him, consequently following rather than leading him. The above will have no timeline for
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measurement, so it seems best to state that it is a daily discipline that only grows and develops
correctly over a course of time never ending. Self-Management and Self-Development, I should
force to longstanding established and sustained growth interspersed with standard as a
measurement to validate that I am increasing and attending properly. On the other hand, I must
to be accessible to disapproval and reproach; not wearing my feelings on my shoulders, rather,
seeing what is being said and then praying to God for the mind to take the necessary steps to
helpful action and further development. Basically, I want to perceive that my choices are having
accepting results for the most number of people. I do not expect a long road ahead to reform and
whole discipline; yet I have the belief that “the race does not belong to the swift, but to those
who will endure” (Eccl. 5:11).
1Reggie McNeal, Practicing Greatness: 7 Disciplines of Extraordinary Spiritual Leaders, (San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2006), 10-11.
2Ibid., 80.
3Ibid., 120.
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Bibliography
McNeal, Reggie. Practicing Greatness: 7 Disciplines of Extraordinary Spiritual Leaders. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2006.
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