1
Summary
Lead Like Jesus Revisited revisits leadership principles through a spiritual lens,
emphasizing the transforming power of the servant leadership modeled by Jesus.1 This book
builds upon the original Lead Like Jesus by diving deeper into the practical application of these
principles in various aspects of life and leadership.
The authors highlight the fundamental importance of leadership and the need for a shift from
self-serving leadership to servant leadership. Drawing from the life and teachings of Jesus, they
state that authentic leadership comes from a heart of service, humility, and love.2 By examining
Jesus' leadership style, characterized by compassion, integrity, and empowerment, they provide a
compelling framework for leaders to emulate.
The book is divided into six parts; it moves through what it means to “love the Lord your
God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37-39, English Standard
Version). It outlines how a leader's formal and informal influences on the people they lead
influence them in a deeper relationship with Christ.3 In the ten years since the book's first release
under the title of Lead Like Jesus, the authors learned some new or expanded lessons described
in this revisited book. This edition focuses on the leader's heart and motives and how progress
does not go beyond the limits of motives. Another central theme in this revisited edition is that
the being and making habits of Jesus provide practical ways to realize the desire to lead like
Jesus. Another idea explored in this revisited edition is connecting powerful and personal
testimonies with the truths found in scripture and how they add relevance and authenticity to the
1 Ken Blanchard, Phil Hodges, and Phyllis Hendry. Lead Like Jesus Revisited. (Nashville: W Publishing
Group, 2016), xi.
2 Blanchard, Hodges, and Hendry, Lead Like Jesus Revisited, xii.
3 Ibid., xiii.
2
message of how to lead like Jesus for people of different generations and cultures. It explores
how leadership is about change, how these changes are initiated, how one should respond to
change, guiding change processes, and reinforcing and modeling it for the people one leads.
Leading like Jesus is a call for engagement and an interactive personal relationship with the
Father through the Son and the Holy Spirit.4
Response
I have been in pastoral ministry for the last five years. One of the challenges of pastoral
ministry is enacting change effectively. As a young pastor, I see things I'm assigned to that need
to change in the church. Some of those changes need to happen sooner or later because some of
the current system results are hurtful for some of the members. One of the problems I have
struggled with as the pastor is that I have wanted to push through change and inevitably end up
alienating people in power while also trying to bring people who do not have a voice to the table.
One of the changes that needs to happen in my church is that few people hold the reins of power
and exclude many other church members with gifts that can help the church. People who are not
included are hurt. I have learned through this book how to best go about change. So that
everybody can possibly be on board. Not everyone will agree, but if it is done correctly, I can be
confident that I've done what I was supposed to do. My church is now going through the process
of nominating a committee for the leaders for the next two years. I have already seen that many
of those on the nominating committee are ready for change. They also have the authority to enact
that change from the church body. I hope that people who are not included become included and
that our church can strengthen through the process.
4 Blanchard, Hodges, and Hendry, Lead Like Jesus Revisited, xiv.
3
Action
As a result of reading this book, I am resolved to guide my church through change in a
way that will be a blessing to the church and not something forced. I have wanted to steamroll
change no matter who is left behind. I felt somehow in a pure moral place, so I had the right to
make this change because it was the right thing to do. It failed. Therefore, in the changes I plan
on making in our church in the next two years, I will have to understand that people will feel
awkward, so I need to explain the reasons for the change. People will also feel alone through the
change, so I need to be transparent and provide safe harbors to answer any concerns and help
people realize that they are not alone but that because we are a family, we are strong.
Another thing that I need to realize in my young and experienced years is that people can
only handle so much change at one time. They need to be able to feel successful. Your change
will be effective. I have to understand that people are at different readiness levels. The way that
change can be successful is to invest time in clarifying what I have in mind and encouraging
those who are reluctant so that I can acquire allies instead of creating foot-dragging enemies.
One of the traps that leaders can fall into is paying more attention to their egos instead of
letting Jesus lead through them. When it comes to change, I have let my ego get involved
because I feel the pressure that people expect me as the pastor to change things that are not
working. When roadblocks come in that change process, it is easy to become offended and
defensive. Aside from having personal devotions every day, one of the changes that I am
committed to making is to use the following steps to lead like Jesus checklist. The checklist
provides essential items for leadership and those who want to lead like Jesus. Though I already
have a personal mission statement, I have never sat down to analyze a definition of success and
God's call in my ministry. I have never set any order personal operating values to Orient me,
4
especially at crossroads in my ministry. I have truth-tellers who keep me headed in the right
direction; my wife is one of them, and another pastor friend is another. I have never thought
about journaling my triumphs and challenges and the lessons that I have learned, and I think that
if I start doing that, that will help me become a more effective leader. I look back on my
successes and failures.
