The Self-Aware Leader - by Terry Linhart (Paperback)

About the Book

You've studied everything you think you need to know before entering a career in ministry. But how well do you know yourself? Serving as a pastor is tough, but it can be fulfilling and rewarding if you take the time to examine both your gifts and vulnerabilities. The church needs leaders who have the clear-eyed courage to pursue the hard journey of self-examination.

Book Synopsis

Parish Clergy - Top Ten Books

Effective ministry begins here.

You've studied what you think you need to know before entering a career in ministry. Is there anything that is more important than knowing about hermeneutics, homiletics, theology, exegesis, and everything else you have likely learned in seminary and church ministry so far?

Yes, there is. How well do you know yourself?

You need to build your ministry career on the right foundation of an objective understanding of self. If you don't comprehend your strengths and weaknesses, then you won't be fully prepared to enter the crucible of ministry. Serving as a pastor is one of the toughest calls there is. But it can also be one of the most fulfilling and rewarding, especially if you have taken the time to examine both your gifts and vulnerabilities.

The church needs leaders who have the clear-eyed courage to pursue the hardest part of the ministry journey: seeing yourself. The Self-Aware Leader will help you to do just that.

Review Quotes

"For years, Terry has helped equip young leaders like myself to serve the church well as pastors, ministry directors, missionaries, and more. The idea of learning to see in community what you cannot see on your own has been a constant thread in his work. The church is better because of leaders like Terry. In this project, The Self-Aware Leader, Terry stays true to form and offers piercing yet practical insight for rookie and seasoned leaders alike. While many leadership books can devolve into the realm of self-help, this work challenges us to overcome our blind spots by engaging in the critical, Spirit-led process of self-examination and communal reflection that moves a leader toward a place of confession, forgiveness, and growth. If you can only read one book on leadership this year, you should make it The Self-Aware Leader!"

"Terry Linhart has given a gift to those of us who care about developing faithful leadership for the decades ahead. The Self-Aware Leader provides wonderful content and profound questions for reflection that can help leaders do the important inner work that is absolutely vital for long-term effectiveness in ministry. This is a wonderful resource, both for leaders and their mentors!"

"When I went into full-time ministry at twenty years old, I wish I'd had this book at my disposal. The Self-Aware Leader is an incredible tool for both individuals and teams, but it's especially helpful for young leaders learning to navigate ministry, leadership, and their own limitations for the first time. In this book, Terry helps leaders have the tough conversations necessary for growing in both self-awareness and Christlikeness."

About the Author

Terry Linhart (PhD, Purdue University) is an author, speaker, consultant, and professor of Christian ministries at Bethel College in South Bend, Indiana. He is founder and leader of the Arbor Research Group and hosts the leadership podcast 37thePodcast. His books include Evangelism Remixed, Teaching the Next Generations, What Can We Do? and Global Youth Ministry.For over twenty-five years, Terry has led and taught about topics related to Christian ministry and organizational oversight. His youth ministry experience includes eight years in parachurch ministry with Youth for Christ and seven years as youth pastor at Hope Missionary Church in Bluffton, Indiana. He has taught at Asbury Theological Seminary, North Park University, Huntington College, Taylor University, and Alliance Graduate School in Quezon City, Philippines. He and his wife Kelly live near South Bend, Indiana, and they have three grown children.