Coming soon · Book Profile
(title unknown)
A veteran pastor argues that the local church is the hope of the world and that its redemptive potential can only be unleashed when people with the spiritual gift of leadership develop and deploy that gift with courage, skill, and dependence on God.
A profile of this book is on the way.
What it’s about
Drawing on nearly three decades of building Willow Creek Community Church, Bill Hybels makes an impassioned, practical case that the local church is uniquely equipped to transform human hearts and change the world—but only if it is led well. Courageous Leadership moves beyond theory into proven practice, unpacking the leader's core tools: casting vision, turning vision into action through strategy and goals, building loving dream teams, mastering the resource challenge, developing emerging leaders, discovering one's leadership style, sharpening intuitive decision making, and—most overlooked of all—leading oneself. Blending vulnerable confessions of failure with hard-won wisdom, Hybels equips church leaders to endure, flourish, and stay the course so that their congregations can become the Acts 2 communities Jesus intended.
The through-line
- Who it’s for
- A church leader (pastor, staff member, or gifted lay leader) who longs to see their local church reach its full redemptive potential and change lives for eternity.
- The problem
- Their church is failing to reach its potential—stagnant attendance, unrealized vision, disorganized teams, resource shortages, and no pipeline of emerging leaders. They feel frustrated, overwhelmed, discouraged, sometimes gutless or fearful, and afraid they will burn out or crash before they finish their calling.
- The plan
- Make your calling sure and let a God-honoring vision seize your heart.
- Convert vision into reality through strategy, measurable goals, goal champions, and organizational alignment.
- Build a kingdom dream team by selecting for character, competence, and chemistry, and intentionally cultivate community.
- Become the chief resource raiser—educate, inform, and cast vision so a river of resources flows to the church.
- Identify, invest in, and entrust responsibility to emerging leaders to create a leadership culture.
- The payoff
- A thriving Acts 2 church where seekers find Christ, believers grow, community deepens, and the poor are served. · A loving, unified dream team and a growing culture of well-developed emerging leaders. · A leader who finishes the race with sustainable pace, joy, integrity, and a growing love for God and people.
See our guide
Related profiles we’ve built
Additional reading
- Learned Optimism · Martin Seligman
Provides the scientific foundation and detailed research behind the book's concepts of learned helplessness and the 'three P's' of negative thinking.
- Death by Meeting · Patrick Lencioni
Cited as a resource for structuring different types of meetings (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly) to enhance connection, focus, and team effectiveness.
- Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality · Dr. Henry Cloud
The author refers to his own work when discussing the components of trust, particularly the concepts of character and positive intent.
- Necessary Endings · Dr. Henry Cloud
The author refers to this book's concepts when discussing the need to address persistent negative patterns and deal with people who resist feedback.
- Boundaries · Henry Cloud and Steve Townsend
Referenced by the author to explain the critical concept of personal and professional boundaries, which is a key component of the Discipline of Self-Management.
- Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership · Gary McIntosh and Samuel Rima
Cited as the source for the typology of five 'dark-side' leader types, crucial for the discussion on the Discipline of Self-Awareness.
- Now, Discover Your Strengths · Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton
Recommended for its exploration of the Gallup StrengthsFinder, aligning with the book's emphasis on building on strengths as part of the Discipline of Self-Development.
- The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church · Reggie McNeal
The author's own prior work, which is referenced for its in-depth treatment of the 'tough questions' leaders must ask to shift from an institutional to a missional mindset.
- A Work of Heart: Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders · Reggie McNeal
The author's previous book, which lays some of the groundwork for the themes of personal formation and God's shaping work discussed in 'Practicing Greatness'.
- The Age of Paradox · Charles Handy
The book's concept of the Sigmoid (S-Curve) life cycle, which is a foundational mental model for the entire strategic planning process, is drawn from this work.