When Leadership and Discipleship Collide

by Bill Hybels

When Leadership and Discipleship Collide Using stories from his own life and ministry, Bill Hybels shows how the laws for leadership success can sometimes crash headlong into another an inner prompting of the Spirit showing you a different approach. The decisions you make at that point could affect not only you, but the ultimate destiny of those you lead.

Genres: Leadership, Discipleship, Church

Hardcover

First published July 17, 2007

About the author

Bill Hybels is the founding and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, a non-denominational church with eight regional locations in the Chicago area. He is the bestselling author of more than twenty books, including Simplify, Axiom, Holy Discontent, Just Walk Across the Room, The Volunteer Revolution, Courageous Leadership, Too Busy Not to Pray, and Becoming a Contagious Christian.

Hybels launched Willow Creek Community Church in 1975 with his wife, Lynne (Berry), and a group of friends who gathered in rented space in a movie theater with a vision of helping people from any faith background (or no faith at all) become fully devoted followers of Jesus. Utilizing contemporary music, the arts, relevant teaching from the Bible, and a small-groups community focus that has revolutionized how people experience community in the local church, Willow Creek has grown to more than 25,000 attendees, one of the largest churches in North America—and one of the most influential.

In 1992, Hybels launched Willow Creek Association, a not-for-profit organization that equips, inspires, and empowers leaders around the world. In 1995, he convened WCA’s first Global Leadership Summit, an annual two-day event featuring top leaders from all perspectives and areas of expertise—both faith-based and secular (past speakers include Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, Bono, Melinda Gates, Andy Stanley, Jim Collins, Ed Catmull, Tyler Perry, Sheryl Sandberg, Nicholas Kristof, David Gergen, and Brené Brown). Telecast live from Willow Creek’s 7,000-seat South Barrington auditorium each August, more than 400,000 pastors and community leaders attend the Summit at hundreds of locations across North America, and around the world at 675+ sites in 130 countries and 60 different languages—making it the largest event of its kind on the planet. “Everyone wins when a leader gets better,” Hybels says.

Hybels holds a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies and an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Trinity College (now Trinity International University) in Deerfield, Illinois. He and his wife, Lynne, have two grown children and two grandsons.

Reviews

[Dr Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strong reminder that we are 1st to honour the word of God in secular world leadership.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short book. Hybels does a good job of hooking the reader by pointing out how Jesus breaks many "laws" of leadership in the gospel of Mark. He doesn't hire the best and brightest OT scholars. He recruits rough fishermen. He doesn't use PR to his advantage. In fact, he tells the leper to "tell no one". As soon as he has some good momentum, he retreats and hides. Hybels uses these amusing contrasts to make his point: When leadership and discipleship clash, Jesus consistently choose discipleship. So should we.

[Danny Stokes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope that the more I grow as a leader, the more I'll be able to fall back on the principles in this book. I loved this thought from Bill Hybels, "In those rare cases when the human laws of leadership and the scriptural demands of discipleship do collide, decide on the side of discipleship every time. Decide on the side of discipleship every single time. Trust the promptings of the Holy Spirit, for they will help you at these deadly intersections."

[Pearl · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Fellow leader, I'm challenging you to be a Christ-follower who really does seek God's kingdom first. Be Jesus' disciple in whatever arena you lead and conform yourself to his image in whatever situation you find yourself. Keep Christ first whenever the laws of leadership and the demands of discipleship collide."
-Bill Hybels

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couple of good quotes:
Nehemiah 4:14 - "Remember God, who is great and awesome, and then fight with all your might" (pg 67).
"Decide on the side of discipleship (over leadership) every single time" (pg 50).

[David Kemp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent little book that can be read in one setting. It provides an excellent reminder to leaders of all fields to stay balanced in their approach.

[Curtis Stephens]

Check out the notes on curtisstephens.blogspot.com