Mistakes Leaders Make

by Dave Kraft, Mark Driscoll (Foreword)

You Don't Have to Learn This the Hard Way… Anyone involved in leadership knows that it's tough and mistakes are bound to happen. But some mistakes are more costly than others and can result in the end of effectiveness, the loss of important relationships, and disqualification from ministry. Using the story of a fictitious church team to demonstrate the problems, principles, and practice of finding solutions, leadership expert Dave Kraft uncovers the top 10 critical mistakes leaders make and shows you how to avoid them so you can have ministry and relationships that last.

Genres: Leadership, Christian, Christianity, Theology, Personal Growth, Church

128 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2012

Reviews

[Raul Filea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opposite to what other reviews say, I find this book quite useful. Dave offers some important advice on leader's behavior, pointing to important mistakes leaders did. I'd recommend this book to anyone preparing to become or is already a leader.

[Chris Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dave Kraft’s “Mistakes Leaders Make” was a helpful read. Through the plight of the fictitious CCC church staff, Kraft leads the reader through 10 mistakes that ministry leaders are prone to experience. Choosing the parable route took some of the value, for me at least, out of the material. Every situation ended with a nice bow on top, even the failed leaders seemed to make out alright in the end.

However, there was some really good content in the chapters dealing with comparing rather than being content, pleasing people rather than pleasing God, artificial harmony rather than difficult conflict, and busyness over visioning. These are the main areas I see as pitfalls for me as a young church planter who is trying to grow in self-awareness everyday.

Overall though something felt lacking and the book wasn’t what I wanted it to be. I’m going to hold on to my copy for potential future use . If you haven’t read it I would say it’s worthwhile to have for a copy for reference but it’s not one I would highly recommend, like have to have it right now.

[Stephanie Sheaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Mistakes Leaders Make, Dave Kraft gleans from over thirty years of experience in ministry to provide encouragement to avoid potentially fatal mistakes. He does this by presenting a hypothetical church with seven different leaders who each make a mistake that either leads them to repentance and restoration or to a severed relationship with Christ.

Most leaders will recognize the leaders that are profiled - either in the people they work with or in themselves. Kraft does more than point them out, however. He humbly and earnestly provides practical, actionable strategies that will ultimately help leaders be fruitful for the glory of God.

[Deeps George · Rating 4 out of 5]

For all church and ministry leaders this book is a must read. Simple yet profound , dwelling deep into the areas of a leader’s life and mistakes he could make running a church or ministry. Dave’s years of experience are poured through this book focusing on areas of greed, comparison, pride, control,money and mistrust. A great book to help one understand his leadership journey in Christ. It is all about going back to you first love to see the truth. Transformation is what we need not more information.

[PJ Ochoa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dave Kraft did a phenomenal job in his book breaking down common areas leaders in the church fall short. We are sadly in an age where leaders in the church are falling left and right. His afterword is a fantastic call to action: this does not have to happen.

I cannot recommend enough for every minister of the Gospel to read this, soak it up, and present it to accountability around you. You will not be disappointed.

[Wayne Kinde · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by one of my older mentors. A great read for all leaders, future and seasoned. It really put solid things into perspective. If I say too much, it may lead people to think I am accusing leaders of my past experience, which in no way is true. It's simply a great book that every leader should read to keep focus on the important things in ministry.

[Alastair Gooderham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite simple required reading if you lead in anyway in ministry. Dave Kraft examines ten common mistakes leaders make and their impact as well as possible responses and the consequences. It is a convicting rather than enjoyable read but all the more important for it.

[Bryant Blakley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book with great insight into mistakes leaders could make. I recommend for all leaders. There could have been more meat but the overall argument was solid. There’s a prayer of repentance and reflection questions after each chapter that challenge the reader.

[Eric Fults · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good tidbits on leadership told through stories of people failing in certain areas. Helpful in several ways.

[Chris Cannady · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very insightful look into mistakes leaders in the church have made. I was very convicted reading a majority of this book. Would recommend!

[Dave Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leadership books often in my experience major on self-help and how a team or individual leader can grow in his/her leadership skills as a leader. There is nothing wrong with reading books like this on occasion as long as its kept in mind that that the book is self-help in nature and reflect the opinions of man and not what the Bible teaches. Following from his very helpful book Leaders that Last seasoned Pastor Dave Kraft writes Mistakes Leaders Make to help leaders understand the major mistakes that can seriously harm not only churches but organizations of all kinds and types. These kinds of mistakes end effectiveness, the loss of important relationships and lead to disqualification from ministry.

One of the things I appreciated most about Mistakes Leaders Make is that this book is not just another book on leadership that is theory driven, but that Pastor Kraft actually seeks to apply what he is teaching to his own life and then to the lives of others. In other words, Pastor Kraft doesn’t write just as a theoretician but as a practitioner.

The other aspect of this book, and one that is essential for any distinctively book to be considered Christian in anyway is the fact that Pastor Kraft as with any good Pastor writes to point people to Jesus Christ. Kraft notes quoting Henri Nouwen that, “The main obstacle to loving God is service for God” (21). Kraft explains that this is ministry idolatry the idea of “not agreeing with Jesus that he has the rightful first place in our affections” (21). This is important, because in my own ministry experience, I have often failed in this area—failed to see my need for ongoing repentance and rather trust in my own self-sufficiency. The problem with this idea as I’m convinced and convicted of is that the Christian life from beginning to end is one of repentance—turning away from our sin and to the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. Ministry idolatry I’ve learned is a direct affront to the glory of God, and one of the greatest dangers facing ministry leaders, but has at its roots the idea of self-sufficiency which makes it a battle with unbelief.

Kraft continues explaining that in order to guard against ministry idolatry leaders must “guard against ministry becoming a mistress” (22). Rather than being self-sufficient, Kraft urges leaders to realize that “ministry idolatry is an attitude, a mind-set as opposed to an action. It begins with the way I look at things, the way I think” (25). Rather than being focused on what we are doing for God we need to “ask for the power of Jesus through the Holy Spirit to take center stage in our lives” (25).

Mistakes Leaders Make is an insightful, helpful and needed book that will help Christian leaders of any organization to finish the race well and leave a legacy that lasts by the grace of God for His glory. This is the kind of book I wish I had in my hands when I was in my twenties, but now thank God for in my thirties as I continue to grow in His grace and learn to lead people towards Jesus. Wherever you are in your Christian life and in leading people, Mistakes Leaders Make is necessary reading for every leader to learn from the success and failures of a man in Pastor Kraft who has been there and done that in his over forty years in ministry.

Title: Mistakes Leaders Make (Re:Lit)

Author: Dave Kraft

Publisher: Crossway (2012)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Crossway book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every leader makes mistakes and this book covers some of the most common ones. Although this was written for church leaders specifically, there are more than a few transferable principles for leaders of all shapes and sizes. Here are some of the thoughts that stood out the most to me:

"The first and greatest mistake, which in essence, gives birth to all the other mistakes, is not allowing Jesus to have his rightful place in our life and ministry. We often start out well with him in the center, but over time, the thrill of seeing him at work, the accolades from those we serve, the lasting fruit from our efforts, and the adoration and respect of our peers, mentors, and network of ministry friends gradually become more important than Jesus. Add to this mix our own sinful egos and selfish ambition and we have a recipe for disaster."

"Leaders must guard against ministry becoming a mistress."

"Ministry must never take the place of Jesus himself in your heart and in your values."

"Be content with who you are, where you are, what you are doing, and what God is doing through you."

"Many, if not most, leaders have fallen into the trap of comparing and competing with others in ministry."

"It is healthy to compare me with me but unbiblical to compare me with others."

"Pride is a difficult issue for leaders to recognize in themselves and even more difficult to deal with. It often hides under the cloak of confidence and conviction. It is the root cause for the undoing and fall of most leaders."

"...true humility is a strong sense of God-confidence."

"A leader will make time for what is immediately at hand, but not to the detriment of peering into the future and painting a picture for followers of what could be."

"The primary role of a leader is to develop leaders."

"No decision, it seems to me, has more long-range consequences than inviting the right people to be among those closest to me."

"To empower people means learning how to lead people without controlling them."

[Jeff Bettger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pastor Dave Kraft is one of the most influential leaders I know. He has poured his heart out into shepherding, training, loving, and discipling Christian ministry and Church leaders for over 30 years. This book is based on mistakes He has seen and made himself.
Dave is super creative with the text using a fictitious church staff to highlight and showcase common mistakes any of us could easily make. I always glean much needed insight and wisdom from Daves teachings. This book really spells out things Pastor Dave has been consistently warning and speaking into for a long time. I am thankful that we get such a concise slice of his brain in this book. I love the prayers of repentance at the end of each chapter. This shows Pastor Kraft in his best and most influential spot, Leading with Repentance! I love it. He then follows up with a few questions for us to contemplate, and prayerfully consider ourselves. If you take the time to do this you also will be led to repentance. This book is a must read for any Christian leading a team.

[KC McCauley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many books on leadership focus on what to do without specifically saying what not to do. And this book does both. This should be required reading for every Christian leader in ministry. I've thought through many of these mistakes, experienced them in my own life, and after reading this book, I'm able to further articulate them--and avoid them! I believe every mistake he writes about is essential. I especially enjoyed the chapters on "Allowing Comparing to Replace Contentment" and "Allowing Perennially Hurting People to Replace Potential Hungry Leaders."

As I read it, I felt like I was sitting down with an well-rounded, wise ministry leader who has experienced many years of what to do and what not to do. And since Dave Kraft is local to southern California, I had the opportunity to have lunch with him; that experience was the same as the book: learning practical, wise principles for Christian leadership and ministry.

I highly recommend!

[Charlie Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dave Kraft did an excellent job in writing this book. He investigates 10 mistakes that church leaders often make. All of these mistakes truly stem from the first - Allowing Ministry to Replace Jesus. I have reflected on each of these mistakes and seen them, to lesser and greater degrees, in my own leadership. I think any church leader would benefit by reading this book while being honest about his/her own personal leadership issues. It is definitely one that I would like all of my church leadership to read.

[Ben Krueger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful overview of classic leadership mistakes Kraft has seen in forty plus years of ministry. Because some content is recycled from business leaders and reapplied to the church context your temptation may be to breeze through his simple writing style. Resist the temptation, engage with God on its thoughts, there is much wisdom here.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

This little book does a good job of quickly communicating mistakes church leaders have made. This is not a book on business management with a few verses thrown in, but a thought provoking book that attributes many mistakes to sin. It is definitely worth reading and discussing. Simple, straight forward, gets to the heart straight-away.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple and to the point concerning mistakes that leaders often make. Anyone in leadership should read this and evaluate their own leadership style against. While some of the mistakes may not apply there were others that certainly caused me to re-think things.

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Krafts packs 10 crucial lessons into just over 100 pages. Having read a lot of leadership books, it's refreshing when one is both concise and insightful. These are not vanilla and obvious pitfalls, but that leaders, particularly in conservative churches, make all the time.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dave Kraft has done it again. I read "Leaders Who Last" a couple years ago, but hadn't gotten to this one--and what a treat to read. So very helpful in identifying common mistakes leaders make. This will be important for future leaders and interns that come through ARBC.

[Sam Murrell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was ot as meaningful to me as Krafts first book. In this category I would recommend Hans Finzel's '10 Mistakes Leaders Make'. Skip this book.

[Daniel Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is very helpful. The author illustrates his principles with story like Lencioni. Unfortunately, he does not do as good a job as Lencioni. Otherwise, this book is great!

[Peter Krol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, clear, and foundational. Well worth reading.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at Christian leadership through the mistakes we often make.

[Robert Balfour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Great length. Seemed that each chapter addressed something I was currently dealing with.

[Curt Bellinger]

Loved it! Must read for all pastors.

[Michael Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book, especially being young and in ministry. Being able to learn from other guys mistakes.

[J. J.]

Helpful. A quick afternoon read.

[Ben Duncan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another basic leadership book by Kraft. Not bad, but nothing worth writing home about.

[Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every pastor and church planter should read this book.