Book Review: Blanchard Assignment
Michael Simmons
LEAD510: Biblical Foundations of Leadership (B02)
June 15, 2025
Content
Abstract........................................................................................................................................1
Concrete Response.......................................................................................................................3
Reflection......................................................................................................................................5
Action...........................................................................................................................................6
1BLANCHARD BOOK REVIEW
ABSTRACT
For this assignment, the book that will be reviewed is Lead Like Jesus (Revisited):
Lessons from the Greatest Leadership Role Model of All Time (2016) written by Ken Blanchard,
Phil Hodges, and Phyllis Hendry. This book covers leadership and specifically how Jesus's
leadership can be a model for leaders today. Jesus’ leadership style was that of a servant. This
book demonstrates effective leadership from Jesus’ perspective. Jesus required a focus on
serving others and what is called “servant leadership”.
Jesus encouraged leaders to prioritize the well-being of others, understand their
struggles, and approach leadership with humility. This book answers the question: What is a
leader?1 Everyone is placed in a leadership position at some time in their life. It can be in the
home, workforce, or the community. A person can be in a leadership role in one area of their
life and a servant in another area. Knowing what true leadership is will improve the way a
person leads.
Part one of this book covers leadership from a biblical perspective.
When a person is placed in a leadership position, it is very easy to allow our human self
to get in the way. If we are not careful, we may allow our pride and ego to subtly gain a
foothold in the position. Part two of this book discusses what it takes to have the heart of a
leader.2 We must not let our ego get in the way. This book has an acronym for “ego” that stands
for “edging God out”3. Time after time, good people become bad leaders because of pride and
egotism. Jesus shows us how to lead from the heart.
1 Blanchard et. al. (2016) Lead Like Jesus (Revisited): Lessons from The Greatest Leadership Role Model of All Time,
3
2 Ibid., 43
3 Ibid., 50
2BLANCHARD BOOK REVIEW
In order to counter the negative forces in life and not allow Satan power to control us as
leaders, part three talks about five “being” habits that we can practice. The first and most
important being habit we can practice daily is accepting and abiding in God’s love. The four
other habits revolve around this one habit. The other four habits are experiencing solitude,
practicing prayer, maintaining supportive relationships, and knowing and applying scripture.4
For a great leader to be able to lead a team successfully, not only should that leader
know what needs to be accomplished, but the leader should also have a vison for where he/she
wants to lead. The vision should coincide with the overall vision of the company, church,
household, etc. This vision should be made known to those being led. Part four of this book
talks about the head of a great leader. The head is what is necessary for the vision to be
accomplished. First, we should develop our own personal vision. This vision should emulate
Jesus’ vision for us. Once we develop our own vision, we should then focus on a vision for the
team (or family) and put it into practice.5
Not only is the head important, but the hands are also just as important when leading.
In reference to the hands, the book means the actions taken. In this sense, the leader should be
hands-on in his/her leadership. The leader should act as a performance coach.6 In part five of
this book, the section describes what is involved in coaching performance such as performance
planning, day-to-day coaching, and evaluating. It compares these actions as the same actions
taken if one was a carpenter. For carpentry, certain steps and measurements must be exact.
Coaching in “the way of the carpenter” can improve the skills of others.7
4 Ibid., 86
5 Ibid., 125-155
6 Ibid., 108
7 Ibid., 167-179
3BLANCHARD BOOK REVIEW
Habits are a part of human nature. If a person does a specific thing enough the brain can
be trained and many times, the action can become a habit. In part six, the book discusses
positive habits a leader can have. When people think of something as a habit, it is usually a
“bad” habit. Some examples are obvious such as smoking, gambling, or overeating. But there
are good habits that leaders should strive to develop. These habits listed in this section are the
habit of obeying God and expressing God’s unconditional love, the habit of showing others
grace, and developing a habit of forgiveness, encouragement, and community. We should work
hard daily to develop habits like these so we can learn to lead like Jesus.8
In part seven, this book wraps up everything we have learned and gives the reader ways
to make positive changes in leadership. It also gives examples of what the writers call “EGO
anonymous” and finishes with a leading like Jesus checklist and provides some helpful
resources.
CONCRETE RESPONSE
While reading through this book, it jarred an old memory that I have had since I was in
high school. In high school, I played football. One Friday before the game, coach said to us, “suit
up” in everything except our helmets. Full pads, from shoulder pads, down to our cleats. Well,
guess who forgot their jersey? You guessed it. I did. Apparently, I forgot it at home.
There I was; shoulder pads t-shirt underneath, uniform pants with thigh pads, knee
pads, butt pad and cup. Socks and cleats. No jersey. We had practice jerseys in our lockers but
they looked completely different than our game jerseys. Remember, this was in the days before
cell phones. I couldn’t just call someone to pick up my jersey for me.
8 Ibid., 211-239
4BLANCHARD BOOK REVIEW
I had to face the coach and the first thing he asked was “where my jersey was”. I told him
I forgot it. He was furious. He began yelling at me. Then he said that I was not playing. No
jersey, no playing. I asked him if he could loan me a different jersey. I knew there had to be
extra jerseys. He refused. He told me I was not allowed to leave. Just because I was not playing,
I was to still remain on the sidelines and support the team until the game was over. Also, I was
not allowed to take off my shoulder pads or helmet. Coach had a rule, during the game,
everyone wore their full uniform, even helmets. It did not matter if you played or not, you still
had to be fully suited and ready.
I was the only person on the sidelines the entire game fully dressed without a jersey on.
I felt like an idiot. I was so embarrassed. People in the stands that knew me would ask why I
wasn’t wearing a jersey.
Looking back on this memory and reading this book makes me wonder; was my coach
wrong? Could he have shown compassion and just loaned me a jersey? He could have still
punished me by not letting me play. But, did he need to embarrass me by making me stand on
the sideline without a jersey so the whole stadium could see me and wonder? For weeks after
that game, I would run into people that went to the game and they would ask me “why were
you down there in full pads with no jersey”? I had to explain that story over and over to people.
I learned a valuable lesson.
I believe coach wanted to teach me a lesson but, he missed on a few of the
recommended “doing habits” suggested in this book. Not once did he offer grace. He didn’t
practice the habit of forgiveness or encouragement.
5BLANCHARD BOOK REVIEW
REFLECTION
In retrospect, coach had every right to do what he did. It was his team, and I made a
mistake. I deserved the punishment regardless of my feelings. To be honest, I am probably the
only person that remembers this event. Maybe the event was actually a lesson in my life that
God allowed to happen as part of my growth. The book talks about learning leadership from
others by emulating healthy role models9. Although this didn’t seem like an appropriate
punishment at the time, I learned from it. When I became a leader in the Marine Corps, during
combat actions in Iraq, if Marines would forget something, I would make them pay in similar
embarrassing fashion. Looking back on that high school embarrassing night, maybe God was
preparing me for my leadership role later in life?
I remember the thoughts that I had when the coach told me I was going to stand on the
sidelines like everyone else and help the players, with or without my jersey. I was angry and
embarrassed. What if I had disobeyed the coach and walked off the field? What if I refused to
stay on the side lines? How would the coach have handled that situation?
This book covers many topics on how to lead like Jesus. But it does not cover the topic
on how to handle a disobedient follower. Jesus said that “if anyone will not welcome you, when
you leave that town, shake the dust off of your shoes as a testimony against them”. (Luke 9:5,
NIV) If I would have refused coaches orders, how would a leader that leads like Jesus handle
that situation? Would that leader forgive blatant disobedience? At some time in every leader/
follower situation, there will be instances where a person willfully disobeys.
Our children do it all the time. At work, employees will do it as well. How do we handle these
situations as Jesus would? Do we “dust off our shoes” and let them do whatever they want?
9 Blanchard et. al. (2016) Lead Like Jesus (Revisited): Lessons from The Greatest Leadership Role Model of All Time,
61
6BLANCHARD BOOK REVIEW
Would this only compromise our leadership in the eyes of others? Should we enforce justice
strictly? Deuteronomy 11:28 talks about the negative consequences of disobeying God’s
commands. If we are to lead like God, should we also be able to administer justice? How do we
do that without allowing our own emotions and anger to get involved. If we react in anger, we
no longer lead as Jesus. The book should have added another section to cover the topic of
disobedient followers.
ACTION
The book covers many important ways I can lead like Jesus. The more that I read, the
more I realized things I can do to improve my leadership style in a way that Jesus would
approve. I realized that at home and at work, I should work on giving encouragement more
often. I remember times when a few words of encouragement would have helped me along
tremendously. In the back of the book, the discussion guide offers suggestions on giving
encouragement to others. 10 It suggests that I offer encouragement to three separate people
daily. My goal is to try this. In my journal each day, I will write down the names of at least three
people that I will make a point to lift-up with a word of encouragement. I will write down in my
journal how they reacted to the kind words.
In the discussion guide in the back of the book, Key Concept 411 talks about writing out
your prayers inviting the Holy Spirit to take control over our lives.
I will start doing this daily in my journal. I think this will help me develop a more direct prayer
connection with God and it will help my contact with the Holy Spirit.
10 Ibid., 291
11 Ibid., 294
7BLANCHARD BOOK REVIEW
To improve my leadership in a Godly way, I pray that I can lead like Jesus. I want to be a
better father, a better husband, and a better supervisor. But, most of all, I want to be obedient
to my Lord and savior Jesus Christ. I need to concentrate on improving the four leadership
domains (heart, head, hands, and habits). By constant prayer and doing something different, I
believe God will reward me. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Blanchard, K. H., Hodges, P., & Hendry, P. (2016). Lead Like Jesus Revisited: Lessons from the
Greatest Leadership Role Model of All Time. Thomas Nelson.
