Leadership Reconsidered: Becoming a Person of Influence

While books and articles on leadership abound, most of them are written by "successful" men who look at the world through the lens of a Western business model. The standard for success is based on the bottom line--financial growth in both the personal and corporate realms. This perspective has infected Christian leadership literature as well. In Leadership Reconsidered, Ruth A. Tucker calls for a revised definition--one that abandons the love of power and success for the eternal value of legacy.
She challenges the assumption that a leader must by definition have followers, be an extrovert, crave recognition, and dominate others. Instead, legacy encompasses the values of behind-the-scenes influence that are available to everyone and last beyond the grave. This unique and refreshing perspective on leadership is accessible and engaging and will make an impact on anyone who takes it to heart.

From the Back Cover

Have we been bamboozled by 10-step guides and seminars on leadership?
Is the leadership industry more hype than help?

Ruth Tucker says yes. She challenges conventional wisdom on leadership, making the important distinction between our common Western understanding of leadership and the more biblical concept of legacy.

Leadership Reconsidered tackles current assumptions and asks provocative questions, including

•Does leadership training really make a leader?
•Is the Bible a guide for leadership? Is Jesus the premier example?
•Is servant leadership a misnomer?
•Is leadership inherently good, or is it a neutral concept?
•What do personality and charisma have to do with leadership?
•Is the "Great Man" theory of leadership still valid?
•Are women more suited to leadership roles than men?
•Can leaderless organizations or groups function effectively?


"If we'd concentrate more on our legacy, we'd be the kinds of leaders that we are called to be. Ruth Tucker is one of the finest storytelling teachers I know."--Scot McKnight, Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies, North Park University, www.jesuscreed.org

"Ruth Tucker thoughtfully and boldly challenges current leadership paradigms--with the notion that great leadership and lasting legacy cannot be separated."--Hutz H. Hertzberg, executive pastor, The Moody Church, Chicago

"Tucker shatters many unquestioned but widely assumed 'management principles.' Brilliant, surprisingly creative, this small book is worth many larger ones."--Ralph Winter, founder of the U.S. Center for World Mission and one of Time's 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America

Ruth A. Tucker (PhD, Northern Illinois University) taught for many years at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Calvin Theological Seminary. She is a conference speaker and award-winning author. Among her many books are From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya and Walking Away from Faith.