Community Leadership

Discover how to close the knowing-doing gap and transform your school or district into a high-performing professional learning community (PLC). The powerful audiobook edition of this comprehensive action guide from experts Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour, Robert Eaker, Thomas W. Many, and Mike Mattos updates and expands on new and significant PLC topics.

In every position of power lies the potential for life-giving leadership or destructive corruption. Driven by sinful pride or opportunism, many people abuse their God-given influence, harming the ones they’re called to lead and contributing to an intense angst against authority. The answer to bad authority, however, is not no authority, but good authority—the kind that, according to Scripture, causes those under it to flourish. In this compelling guide from 9Marks, Jonathan Leeman shows that authority, done biblically, is not only good, but is essential to human flourishing.

Paul Sparks, Tim Soerens, and Dwight J. Friesen have seen—in cities, suburbs, and small towns all over North America—how powerful the gospel can be when it takes root in the context of a place, at the intersection of geography, demography, economy, and culture. This is not a new idea—the concept of a parish is as old as Paul's letters to the various communities of the ancient church. But in an age of dislocation and disengagement, the notion of a church that knows its place and gives itself to where it finds itself is like a breath of fresh air, like a sign of new life.

Have you joined a church or small group in hopes of experiencing real life change, only to be disappointed? Have you sat through inspiring sermons about what is possible when Christians gather together in mutually edifying relationships, only to recognize how cynical you have become after many failed attempts? Community may be one of the most over-promised, under-delivered aspects of the Christian life today. Individuals remain selfish and stuck in their ways.

The power of uplift enables any organization to do more with less, beat the competition, and perform better than ever. Leaders who uplift their employees' passions, intellects, and commitments produce remarkable results. Based on original research from a seven-year global study, Uplifting Leadership reveals how leaders from diverse organizations inspired and uplifted their teams' performance.

It's people who make organizations great, so how can leaders best help their people achieve that greatness? As Ken Jennings and John Stahl-Wert show in this new edition of their best seller, you can't just demand greatness - you have to inspire it. The most effective leaders don't just stand in front of their people, they stand behind them too. As one of the characters in the book notes, "You qualify to be first by putting other people first."

What do we call each other? It’s a deceptively simple question, because how we refer to one another is how we understand our relationships. Not recognizing the power of our words makes it harder for us to trust and serve one another―to love one another. In More than Christians, Norman Hubbard explores how the early church used common words in uncommon ways to make sense of their relationships with God and with one another. His research and contextualization of the cultural background to the New Testament is as practical for today as it is urgent.

In this audiobook, Megan Hill answers a common question of churchgoers: What's so great about the church? With rich theology and practical direction, Hill encourages and equips both first-time visitors and regular members to delight in being a part of the local church - no matter how messy and ordinary it seems today. It is only when God's people begin to see one another as the Lord sees them that they will truly find a place to belong.

Nick Mehta and Robin Van Lieshout deliver an actionable playbook on how to cultivate meaningful communities that fuel quantifiable business growth. In the book, you'll learn how to capitalize on this new growth strategy to scale your company and develop excitement around your products and your firm. The authors outline the ten foundational Laws of Community, explaining why community development does not need to be expensive and how to integrate community in the heart of your customer journey.

Want to build a six-figure-income business? Only a truly engaged and motivated team can get you there. In Be a Network Marketing Leader, industry superstar Mary Christensen reveals how anyone can cultivate a community that brings out the best in everyone who joins. A community that individuals will be impatient to enter, energized to participate in, and reluctant to leave. When you focus on people ahead of products, they will contribute more and bring others into the fold - and your business will skyrocket.

You may be a new believer and wonder what it means to belong to a church; you may be reluctant to commit to your church because of past experiences; you may have recently relocated and want to find a church where you feel at home; or you may love your church and desire to commit to it more deeply and serve it more fully. Whatever the case, this book will help you to see that belonging to a church is a good gift from God, the outworking of our identity as brothers and sisters in Christ, and worth your time, love, and commitment.

There are plenty of reasons to criticize, judge, and even walk away from the church. Many of us have been hurt and rejected. We may see church as insular and irrelevant. Despite this, Kevin Makins believes that the church still matters - perhaps more than ever. If you've been burned or burned out by the church, if you've been silenced or misunderstood, if you've left or never even joined in the first place, this candid, hopeful audiobook is your invitation to consider what you miss out on when you give up on church - and what the church misses out on when it gives up on you.

Personal branding and reputation management expert, Lida Citroën guides leaders through this new paradigm of executive presence and influence. Through inspiring examples, compelling stories, and practical exercises, Citron helps leaders tap into their passion, connect authentically with others, and create space for inclusivity and community.

Researchers have uncovered the following three trends: First, distrust of institutions, including the church, is at an all-time high. Second, young people raised in the church are leaving at alarming rates and not returning. Third, loneliness and social isolation are at pandemic levels. What’s the connection? It appears that an entire generation is starving for the very thing the church is called to provide but has chosen to look for it elsewhere. Why is this happening?

In today’s fast-paced environment, the speed at which communication travels and the resounding calls for police accountability demonstrate a need for purposeful communications embedded in a strategic mindset. When done right, strategic communication can increase transparency, build trust, and encourage active community participation. Chief Cook has distilled over thirty years of experience into timely lessons filled with practical solutions you can begin implementing right away.

“I had better get used to this,” he said. “Used to what?” she asked. “A life of stress.” This was a conversation Philip had with his mother three years after he started his first company. He was sixteen and had already submitted to the belief that the rest of his life as an entrepreneur would be filled with constant worry and tension. He could see no other way. There is something fundamentally wrong with our culture’s way of working. We may be productive, but at what cost and for what purpose? How do we lead a successful and happy organization without damaging our own lives and others?

While many leadership books focus on the individual, Lifelong Leadership offers a comprehensive mentoring community model to support and develop Christian leaders, extending the work of God in and through ministry. This model was inspired by Leighton Ford as a way to inspire and support young leaders. MaryKate Morse is the inheritor of this leadership legacy. Her team has developed the mentoring community model, which is easy to replicate in a variety of settings.

For every person who has felt lonely or isolated, The Sacred Us explores a new way of living through the practice of biblical community. In a world that celebrates individuality and autonomy, too many of us struggle to form deep, meaningful relationships. Loneliness is the norm, rich friendships are rare, and the church is no exception. We long for real community but often don’t know how to get there. What will it take to develop healthy friendships?

Are you giving your best effort, but still struggling to bring positive change to your home, community, or work environment? Could you be another leader who is ‘here today, but forgotten tomorrow?’ Striving to be all things to all people, but never creating a lasting impact? It’s time for your Leadership Upgrade!

The world is full of perceptions of inequalities and injustices. However ambiguous and preposterous to some, these perceptions are a reality to those who live them. So rather than dwell on the negatives and those things that separate and divide us, this book (as the first of a three-part series) analyzes the challenges faced and then offers positive, inclusive solutions. Time has shown that a properly led team with effective leadership is much stronger than an individual. Each one reaches at least one.