H3 Leadership by Brad Lomenick

Being a leader is not easy. Ask one who is a leader and it will be made evident that leadership is difficult and arduous.

However, it can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience when it is properly understood. Brad Lomenick has written a book to aid a leader in such an endeavor.

He does this by dividing leadership into three categories: humble, hungry, and hustle. Each of these three sections deals with issues leaders may face in their growth and development.

I really found the Hungry section engaging. A leader must be in constant state of learning and growing to not only be a better leader but to train leaders who will follow them. This spills over into areas of risk and vision.

By staying hungry, a leader will not be satisfied with the present but will try to become better in all areas. This means taking risks to grow and modifying their vision as life circumstances change and culture changes as well.

This is a great resource for a leader in any area of life and should be reviewed multiple times for encouragement and self-reflection.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoy this devotional by one of my favorite leadership mentors: Zig Ziglar. The devotional has a Scripture, devotional thought, and then an application challenge at the end.


Ziglar died in 2012 but this reprint of the 2009 edition is just as relevant and powerful. It is a nice devotional to give you that challenge you need to start your day.

For those of you on Tyndale Rewards this is one of the items you can request if you have enough points. If you are not on Tyndale Rewards you should check it out. I have received some great resources from that site.

Tune into WOW Leadership by Sheri Staak

*I received this complimentary copy from Greenleaf Book Group Press in exchange for my honest review.

Leadership. It is a hot topic these days and for good reason. It seems harder and harder to find good leaders. Sheri Staak knows this and has written about WOW leaders versus DUD leaders.

And to top it off she uses television shows to prove her point. I was a bit skeptical at first but after reading her book I was impressed by the points that were made.

Staak uses shows, both past and current, to show how great leaders have had a draw to us. Be it Star Trek, Gunsmoke, The Lone Ranger (my personal favorite), others, society seems to desire a leader who serves others, stands for what is right, and does not compromise on his/her ethics.

I really appreciated this heart as I read Staak's book. Leadership is developed and, like a good television show, when developed correctly creates a following.

We need more leaders today. Maybe we should pay a bit more attention to the television heroes we so eagerly follow. They may have more to teach us than we realize.

The Complete 101 Collection What Every Leader Needs to Know By John C. Maxwell

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.

I am a HUGE John Maxwell reader. Every time a new book of his is published it goes onto my wishlist. Having the opportunity to review this book was an easy decision for me.

Having stated that, this book is a compilation of eight of John Maxwell's 101 series of book. This compilation consists of:

• Attitude 101
• Self-Improvement 101
• Leadership 101
• Relationships 101
• Success 101
• Teamwork 101
• Equipping 101
• Mentoring 101

Each of these 101 books is short but direct in each of their respective topics. By being short it also for a quick read in each topic. However, a quick read does not mean an easy read. It may be easy to read the words but what is read has the potential to really challenge the reader. 

What I appreciate is the heart behind the 101 series. I heard John Maxwell state that the series is for the busy professional who wants to continue to be better but whose time is limited. Mr. Maxwell wants women and men to be the best they can be and that requires being led. It also requires leaders to recognize that they need to continue their leadership development so they can lead correctly and with influence.

This book is a great place to start and I HIGHLY encourage leaders to get a copy. Maybe get two copies, one for home and one for abroad. It will be well worth it in my opinion.

More Than Just the Talk: Becoming Your Kids' Go-To Person About Sex by Jonathan McKee

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

The Talk. It has caused many parents to become dumb in their speech. What do I say? How do I say it? Are our kids even ready for this type of talk? In his book, More That Just the Talk, Jonathan McKee gives some practical, and wise advice on how to have "the talk." 

What I liked about this book is that it is simple. Parents should be able to have conversations like this with their children but not get medical. However, that first requires openness on the part of the parents.

McKee suggests to not avoid the talk or shroud it but rather answer questions that your children might have. Also, he gives resources to give solid, Biblical answers because the world will also give "answers" that sound so close to the truth that the lie is hard to detect. 

 However, when answered Biblically, and in love, children are more likely to see the truth and avoid the lies. In that aspect, the book presents itself well and lives up to its intent

The Leadership Handbook by John Maxwell

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a must have for anyone in leadership. John Maxwell addresses so many issues that a leader may face that this book should be a go-to for anyone in a position of leading.

What is so nice is that the section are not long, heady, or technical. Rather Maxwell uses personal stories, anecdotes, and other examples to give the book life. Leadership is about motivating people to do what you want them to do but not in a controlling way.

Leading is seeing where someone should go because it will benefit them and then beginning the journey with them. For that, a guide on how to lead would be essential. Enter The Leadership Handbook.

Life Promises for Success by Jim Tressel

This little book has scripture and quotes from successful people is a resource to encourage those who are having troubles in life. Whether is it adversity, decision making, integrity, and more, this book is a nice go to for a bit of a pick-me-up when life is weighing heavy.

I received this little book from TyndaleRewards.com. You should check out the website and earn yourself a book or two.

The Maxwell Leadership Bible (NIV)

*I received this complimentary copy from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for this honest review.

Let me begin by stating that I am a John Maxwell supporter. I thoroughly his books and teachings. His biblical approach to leadership is greatly needed in today's culture where many leaders are trying to build up themselves while stepping on those below them.

Having stated that, I was really looking forward to reviewing this Bible. I really wanted to see Maxwell comment on biblical passage as they related to leadership.

I chose the book of Ephesians and as I began to read the leadership undertones were quickly apparent. It first began with the introduction to the book of Ephesians.

The introduction sets up the reader for what the book's main points are and then points our sections on where leadership principles can be seen.

As the reader goes through the book, various comments point out leadership tactics and principles but also shows how an ineffective leader handled the situation.  The notes can be a bit heavy which can cause an interruption of reading but I found that they did not distract too much.

One section that I enjoy are the Profiles in Leadership. These give some background on a leader or leaders and give example of how they were effective/ineffective and lessons to learn from him/her/them, both positive and negative.

With that, the Bible itself is not too heavy, the print is decent, and the binding is solid. I will comment that the pages are thin and light which may cause some difficulty turning and some bleed-through of print on the other side. I did not find much of this but when I did it was annoying.

I still give this Bible a four-star rating and would encourage anyone in a leadership position to consider this resource.

NIV Once-a-Day Bible for Leaders

(I received this Bible in exchange for my honest review from Booklook Bloggers)

This Bible is quite simple; Scripture and a thought. Each day has been divided so that the entire Bible is read in a year and each day ends with a challenge to leaders.

What is nice about this is no distractions. There are no study notes, columnar references, or dictionary helps. It is simply a Bible for a leader to read and then reflect/be challenged to be a better leader.

The Bible is built around simplicity even in its font size. It is a great font size that makes it easy to read. The different passages are clearly marked and the challenge at the end is distinguishable from the Scriptural text. Thus this Bible serves its intent well.

Lead...for God's Sake by Todd Gongwer

 "What we have is a lack of leadership!" It started off with a coach frustrated by his players not playing like a team. No matter what he tried he could not get the gelling that is required for teams to succeed.

He then found a compatriot in his friend who was having similar troubles in the business world. Employees just wanted to get paid and when the money was good so was morale. When the money wasn't there neither were the employees.

What was missing?

In his book LEAD for God's Sake! Todd Gongwer takes the reader on an inspirational fiction about where to find the heart of leadership. Through this wonderfully written story, Gongwer lays the foundation for what a leader should be and how to express their leadership properly.

I found this book to very engaging and exciting. I was having a hard time putting it down as the story developed. This would be a great book for anyone who is in a place of leadership no matter the environment.

Redefining Leadership by Joseph Stowell

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan in exchange for my honest review.

Many books have been written about leadership and management. They discuss techniques, goal setting, strategies, and the like. This book...does not do that.

Instead, it deals with the heart of leadership: the leader's character. Above all else, Mr. Stowell's book address this key issue: a leader cannot lead until he/she has first led himself/herself.

Stowell uses the vanguard of leadership examples, Jesus Christ, to show that He was respected and loved because He led with character.Christ did use his position for personal gain, to belittle others so as to prop Himself up. Rather, He did what was right, leading with character, and exemplified values that were grounded in truth.

Stowell discusses how Jesus did this by dividing his book into three sections: A Redefined Priority, A Redefined Identity, and A Redefined Leader.

In A Redefined Priority, Stowell addresses areas in a leader's life that set the stage for prioritizing what is important in leading others. He examines items like: choices being made, defining success, and the importance of character in decision making. He also focuses on myths to which leaders may fall prey.

These myths are usually encompassed by an outcome-based mentality. If things are going well, profits are up, costs are down, then I am a good leader. Another myth is that the growing size of a company is the sign of excellent leadership. This may not be the case as Stowell points out that a company may grow by cheating, lying, or other unethical practices. Instead, A Redefined Priority puts the attention where it should be: character development. This segues into A Redefined Identity.

The section of A Redefined Identity deals with how should be identified. Characteristics like: follower of Jesus, moral, learner, and shepherd. Stowell makes his case that leader who lead by following Christ are the best leaders because they have a goal of imitating the one they follow; Jesus. This produces a heart of love. Love for Jesus and by extension, love for the followers. When love is present then the topic of the third section, A Redefined Leader, comes forth.

A Redefined Leader expounds on section one in that it deals with the character traits that a leader should have and continue to develop. Traits such as reliance, meek, and merciful are examined to show how a leader displays these traits. They may be displayed both internal to the company and external to the company. The way in which a leader addresses the competition will show if the leader has adopted his/her redefined way of life.

The book then culminates with the redefined expectation and that being: the magnification of Jesus with her/his life. To this I say "amen!" No leader will truly fail with this as the leadership motto.

How High Will You Climb? by John C. Maxwell

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review. 

Your attitude determines much in life. How you see circumstances is greatly impacted by your attitude. Attitude is also what determines altitude; how high you climb in life. 

John Maxwell in his book How High Will Your Climb? gives excellent advice and encouragement on what your attitude does and how to cultivate a positive one. Armed with this information, Maxwell's goal is for the reader to achieve growth. He does this by first discussing the importance of attitude, how your attitude is constructed, stripping down a bad attitude, and finally cultivating a positive, growth-oriented attitude. 

He then summarizes his book by giving channels by which the reader can use daily to stay on target. One of the channels is by being around positive people or those who are working on being a positive person. The study guide in the back is a great way for attitude-improvement people to join together to strengthen, and encourage, attitude development. 

I would recommend this book for those graduating as much is taught about grades and hard work but very little is mentioned about the attitude required for success.

Leadership RE:Vision by Jim Seybert

I've been reading this book for over six months now and its simple, but powerful, sections are timely for leaders.What is especially nice is that it is Biblically based but not sermon-like in its content. A leader can spend a few minutes reading a section but spend a great deal of time mediating on areas that are applicable. Leaders would do well to get a copy of this book.

Read the first chapter here. 

FYI - I received this book free from Tyndale Rewards. You should check it out and earn a book or two yourself.