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Nailing It: Why Successful Leadership Demands Suffering and Surrender
Nailing Outdated Leadership Practices to the Cross
Traditional leadership teachings and styles haven't changed much in years. But the world is changing and so are Christian leaders—women need room for their natural gifts to shine and people of color needed space to elevate the values they bring into their roles. Even seasoned leaders are growing weary of the status quo, craving innovative ways to lean into new ways of thinking for the good of their organizations and the emerging generations they serve.
In this transformative resource for leaders of all ages, Nicole Massie Martin inspires us to crucify our ministry idols and nail our outdated leadership practices to the cross. Sharing leadership principles and case studies wrapped in biblical precepts and pastoral wisdom, she leads us through seven areas of traditional leadership that need to be
PowerEgoSpeedPerformancePerfectionLoyaltyScaleGet ready to take the leap of faith into new leadership realities, and discover how crucified living can lead you to nail it.
Traditional leadership teachings and styles haven't changed much in years. But the world is changing and so are Christian leaders—women need room for their natural gifts to shine and people of color needed space to elevate the values they bring into their roles. Even seasoned leaders are growing weary of the status quo, craving innovative ways to lean into new ways of thinking for the good of their organizations and the emerging generations they serve.
In this transformative resource for leaders of all ages, Nicole Massie Martin inspires us to crucify our ministry idols and nail our outdated leadership practices to the cross. Sharing leadership principles and case studies wrapped in biblical precepts and pastoral wisdom, she leads us through seven areas of traditional leadership that need to be
PowerEgoSpeedPerformancePerfectionLoyaltyScaleGet ready to take the leap of faith into new leadership realities, and discover how crucified living can lead you to nail it.
- GenresLeadership
224 pages, Paperback
Published April 8, 2025
29 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 7, 2026
I started reading Nailing It expecting a fresh take on Christian leadership, but the book left me with mixed feelings. The central concept is brilliant. The idea of "crucifying" our toxic leadership habits and replacing them with something more Christlike is exactly what the church needs to hear. Martin clearly knows what she's talking about when she exposes how corporate culture has infected our churches, turning pastors into CEOs and congregations into metrics to be managed. Her seven areas of transformation (power, ego, speed, performance, perfection, loyalty, and scale) are spot on diagnoses of what is broken. But here's my issue: after nailing the problem (pun intended), the solutions sometimes feel a bit abstract. I found myself nodding along, thinking "yes, this is true," but then wondering "okay, but how do I actually do this on a Tuesday morning when my ministry is in shambles?"
The biblical examples Martin uses are solid, and I appreciated how she brought in people like Esther, Ruth, and David to illustrate her points. However, these felt a little predictable at times. Maybe she was checking boxes on a list of "inspirational Bible characters." Or maybe ChatGPT creates her outline and gave her all her illustrations. That thought came up more than once while reading this book. I would have loved more raw, uncomfortable stories from her own leadership journey, the kind of failures and messy situations that make you cringe but also make you feel less alone. She does share some personal experiences, but they're vague and sanitized enough that they don't always land with the honesty the book theme seems to be calling for. If you're going to write about cruciform leadership and dying to self, I want to see the actual wounds, not just the scars that have already healed nicely. The illustrations she includes do fit the topics, but they sometimes read like fake versions of real church drama. It was the type of example someone would expect to find if they would find it they typed into ChatGPT, "Give me a six paragraph example of scenario x being solved with solution y."
My biggest criticism is that the book occasionally falls into the very trap it's warning against: Christian leadership jargon. Phrases like "sacramental slow" and "presence-based leadership" sound meaningful, but they're the kind of buzzwords that can easily become empty if we're not careful. I caught myself rolling my eyes a few times, thinking this is just replacing one set of leadership clichés with another, slightly more spiritual-sounding set. There's also an underlying assumption throughout the book that readers are already in positions of significant church leadership, which left me wondering where this leaves the rest of us. What about the volunteers, the youth group helpers, the people who just want to follow Jesus without necessarily leading anyone? The book's focus on organizational leadership sometimes made it feel less universal than it could have been.
That said, I can't deny that Nailing It is challenging in the right ways. Martin's critique of how we've bought into worldly success measures in the church hit true, especially her section on scale and our obsession with numbers. It is not a perfect book. It's a bit too idealistic in places and could use more practical application and real, instead of hypothetical, examples. But it is an important book. If you're tired of leadership books that treat the church like a business and Jesus like a life coach, this is worth your time.
The biblical examples Martin uses are solid, and I appreciated how she brought in people like Esther, Ruth, and David to illustrate her points. However, these felt a little predictable at times. Maybe she was checking boxes on a list of "inspirational Bible characters." Or maybe ChatGPT creates her outline and gave her all her illustrations. That thought came up more than once while reading this book. I would have loved more raw, uncomfortable stories from her own leadership journey, the kind of failures and messy situations that make you cringe but also make you feel less alone. She does share some personal experiences, but they're vague and sanitized enough that they don't always land with the honesty the book theme seems to be calling for. If you're going to write about cruciform leadership and dying to self, I want to see the actual wounds, not just the scars that have already healed nicely. The illustrations she includes do fit the topics, but they sometimes read like fake versions of real church drama. It was the type of example someone would expect to find if they would find it they typed into ChatGPT, "Give me a six paragraph example of scenario x being solved with solution y."
My biggest criticism is that the book occasionally falls into the very trap it's warning against: Christian leadership jargon. Phrases like "sacramental slow" and "presence-based leadership" sound meaningful, but they're the kind of buzzwords that can easily become empty if we're not careful. I caught myself rolling my eyes a few times, thinking this is just replacing one set of leadership clichés with another, slightly more spiritual-sounding set. There's also an underlying assumption throughout the book that readers are already in positions of significant church leadership, which left me wondering where this leaves the rest of us. What about the volunteers, the youth group helpers, the people who just want to follow Jesus without necessarily leading anyone? The book's focus on organizational leadership sometimes made it feel less universal than it could have been.
That said, I can't deny that Nailing It is challenging in the right ways. Martin's critique of how we've bought into worldly success measures in the church hit true, especially her section on scale and our obsession with numbers. It is not a perfect book. It's a bit too idealistic in places and could use more practical application and real, instead of hypothetical, examples. But it is an important book. If you're tired of leadership books that treat the church like a business and Jesus like a life coach, this is worth your time.
February 7, 2026
If you’re in ministry, business, or any leadership spot and feel the pull of toxic hustle culture, this is worth the time.
Martin calls out the ways we’ve adopted secular, ego driven leadership models (power, control, image) and urges us to “nail” those outdated practices to the cross, embracing Jesus’ cruciform way instead (suffering, surrender, servant-hearted leadership).
Martin calls out the ways we’ve adopted secular, ego driven leadership models (power, control, image) and urges us to “nail” those outdated practices to the cross, embracing Jesus’ cruciform way instead (suffering, surrender, servant-hearted leadership).
January 7, 2026
Summary: A challenge to nail “leadership as usual” to the cross, embracing Jesus’ way of suffering service, and the hope of resurrection.
“Nailing it.” Typically, the phrase suggests decisively achieving a goal, perhaps with a “take no prisoners” mentality. I think of the violent propulsiveness of a nail gun. It’s not uncommon to hear terms like this in corporate circles for hitting a target, closing a deal, or even in making an incisive presentation. Behind it are notions of power, performance, and perfection, reflecting the demands of traditional leadership. On a darker note, the term even carries a connotation of a type of rapacious sexuality.
Often, these notions carry over into the life of the church. It makes many corners of American Christianity reek with ugly triumphalism, even as leadership inflicts trauma on followers. In this challenging book, Nicole Massie Martin, the current president and CEO of Christianity Today, issues a call for a different kind of “nailing it,.” Specifically, she calls for us to nail our traditional, worldly notions of leadership to the cross of Christ. Through doing so, she invites us into a cruciform life of leadership that suffers, sacrifices, and dies. Then she invites us into the dream of our resurrection hope in Christ.
The cruciform life to which she invites us involves a seven-fold way of progress:
Crucifying power. Moving from controlling power to surrendered power, in which we are empowered by God to empower others.
Crucifying ego. A shift from leadership that is about us to leadership resurrected in the strength and love of Christ.
Crucifying speed. From a culture that moves fast and breaks things (and people) to one that waits on God’s timing and reclaims the “sacramental slow.”
Crucifying performance. Instead of performance-based leadership, presence-based leadership that focuses on who people are and not just what they do.
Crucifying perfection. Rather than the casualties of unattainable standards, union with a grace-filled Christ who enables us to live vulnerably with those we lead.
Crucifying loyalty. Exchanging assimilating and manipulating people to be in one’s inner circle for a unity in Christ based in truth-telling. People are allowed to disagree, to not be on the same page.
Crucifying scale. Instead of the metrics of buildings, butts, and budgets, embracing a stewardship that understands the why, cares for human flourishing, and takes time for collective discernment.
But the end of all this crucifying is resurrection. Martin invites us to dream of what may come through the sacrificial leadership for which she casts vision. She reminds us of some heroes in scripture. For example, Esther, as she risks her power before the king. Or Paul, whose ego gives way to a thorn in the flesh and God’s power through his weakness. Then there is Moses and wilderness leadership that takes forty years to make an eleven day journey. Likewise, Jesus relieves Martha of performance pressures, commending the presence of Mary.
Then we have David, in his sin, learning to lay aside looking perfect for the treasure of being right with and in relationship with God. While Ruth would have been fully justified in embracing her loyalty to her own people, she crucifies that loyalty to go with Naomi, even embracing Naomi’s God, and finding him faithful. Finally, Peter dies to his dream of “scaling” the Transfiguration to listen to the Son and prepare for a far deeper and wider mission.
Nicole Massie Martin, drawing upon her own leadership journey offers a bracing challenge to Christian leaders weary of “American dream” leadership. With real-life examples, she shows what cruciform leadership looks like. In a time of infatuation with power dreams of sharing in some kind of “American greatness,” she speaks of a different dream, calling us to the way of the cross and caring for the least, the last, and the lost. But the question is: which dream will we follow?
_______________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.
“Nailing it.” Typically, the phrase suggests decisively achieving a goal, perhaps with a “take no prisoners” mentality. I think of the violent propulsiveness of a nail gun. It’s not uncommon to hear terms like this in corporate circles for hitting a target, closing a deal, or even in making an incisive presentation. Behind it are notions of power, performance, and perfection, reflecting the demands of traditional leadership. On a darker note, the term even carries a connotation of a type of rapacious sexuality.
Often, these notions carry over into the life of the church. It makes many corners of American Christianity reek with ugly triumphalism, even as leadership inflicts trauma on followers. In this challenging book, Nicole Massie Martin, the current president and CEO of Christianity Today, issues a call for a different kind of “nailing it,.” Specifically, she calls for us to nail our traditional, worldly notions of leadership to the cross of Christ. Through doing so, she invites us into a cruciform life of leadership that suffers, sacrifices, and dies. Then she invites us into the dream of our resurrection hope in Christ.
The cruciform life to which she invites us involves a seven-fold way of progress:
Crucifying power. Moving from controlling power to surrendered power, in which we are empowered by God to empower others.
Crucifying ego. A shift from leadership that is about us to leadership resurrected in the strength and love of Christ.
Crucifying speed. From a culture that moves fast and breaks things (and people) to one that waits on God’s timing and reclaims the “sacramental slow.”
Crucifying performance. Instead of performance-based leadership, presence-based leadership that focuses on who people are and not just what they do.
Crucifying perfection. Rather than the casualties of unattainable standards, union with a grace-filled Christ who enables us to live vulnerably with those we lead.
Crucifying loyalty. Exchanging assimilating and manipulating people to be in one’s inner circle for a unity in Christ based in truth-telling. People are allowed to disagree, to not be on the same page.
Crucifying scale. Instead of the metrics of buildings, butts, and budgets, embracing a stewardship that understands the why, cares for human flourishing, and takes time for collective discernment.
But the end of all this crucifying is resurrection. Martin invites us to dream of what may come through the sacrificial leadership for which she casts vision. She reminds us of some heroes in scripture. For example, Esther, as she risks her power before the king. Or Paul, whose ego gives way to a thorn in the flesh and God’s power through his weakness. Then there is Moses and wilderness leadership that takes forty years to make an eleven day journey. Likewise, Jesus relieves Martha of performance pressures, commending the presence of Mary.
Then we have David, in his sin, learning to lay aside looking perfect for the treasure of being right with and in relationship with God. While Ruth would have been fully justified in embracing her loyalty to her own people, she crucifies that loyalty to go with Naomi, even embracing Naomi’s God, and finding him faithful. Finally, Peter dies to his dream of “scaling” the Transfiguration to listen to the Son and prepare for a far deeper and wider mission.
Nicole Massie Martin, drawing upon her own leadership journey offers a bracing challenge to Christian leaders weary of “American dream” leadership. With real-life examples, she shows what cruciform leadership looks like. In a time of infatuation with power dreams of sharing in some kind of “American greatness,” she speaks of a different dream, calling us to the way of the cross and caring for the least, the last, and the lost. But the question is: which dream will we follow?
_______________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.
December 16, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫(4.5)
Traditional leadership models no longer serve today’s church. This book invites leaders to crucify outdated practices and reimagine leadership through the cross. Grounded in Scripture, pastoral wisdom, and case studies, it examines seven distorted leadership areas—power, ego, speed, performance, perfection, loyalty, and scale—calling leaders toward presence, faithfulness, and cruciform authority for the good of the church and future generations.
I’ve served in pastoral leadership at two churches so far, and this is the first book I’ve read that so clearly names the fine line between leadership authority and surrender. In the American church context I serve in, it’s far too easy to measure pastoral leadership using cultural metrics that have quietly infiltrated the church. As I read through each leadership area Nicole addresses, I could easily see myself in past situations—sometimes leading faithfully, other times caught on the opposite side of the very power struggles she describes. This book doesn’t just point out how often we ground our leadership in secular expectations; it calls us to a reordering of priorities toward sacrificial surrender—ultimately a surrender of pride—and back to a deeply biblical theology of Jesus’ leadership.
It’s rare to find an author who speaks with such authority while remaining both convicting and genuinely equipping, especially through case studies that challenge without feeling confrontational. The diversity of perspective woven throughout is also exceptional—and honestly refreshing. I mean… how many leadership books have we all read by older white men? 😅
Why I read: I’m attending @urbana.25 in (eeeeeeek) two weeks, and reading this only heightened my excitement to hear from this incredible leader.
Thank you @ivpress for the book! What are the chances the author might sign my copy at Urbana 👀
Perfect for you if you like:
Faithfulness-driven leadership, not how-to tactics
Presence over performance
Honest critique of platform and scale
Books that challenge church leadership culture
Similar to:
In the Name of Jesus by Henri J.M. Nouwen
Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley Barton
Playing God by Andy Crouch
Traditional leadership models no longer serve today’s church. This book invites leaders to crucify outdated practices and reimagine leadership through the cross. Grounded in Scripture, pastoral wisdom, and case studies, it examines seven distorted leadership areas—power, ego, speed, performance, perfection, loyalty, and scale—calling leaders toward presence, faithfulness, and cruciform authority for the good of the church and future generations.
I’ve served in pastoral leadership at two churches so far, and this is the first book I’ve read that so clearly names the fine line between leadership authority and surrender. In the American church context I serve in, it’s far too easy to measure pastoral leadership using cultural metrics that have quietly infiltrated the church. As I read through each leadership area Nicole addresses, I could easily see myself in past situations—sometimes leading faithfully, other times caught on the opposite side of the very power struggles she describes. This book doesn’t just point out how often we ground our leadership in secular expectations; it calls us to a reordering of priorities toward sacrificial surrender—ultimately a surrender of pride—and back to a deeply biblical theology of Jesus’ leadership.
It’s rare to find an author who speaks with such authority while remaining both convicting and genuinely equipping, especially through case studies that challenge without feeling confrontational. The diversity of perspective woven throughout is also exceptional—and honestly refreshing. I mean… how many leadership books have we all read by older white men? 😅
Why I read: I’m attending @urbana.25 in (eeeeeeek) two weeks, and reading this only heightened my excitement to hear from this incredible leader.
Thank you @ivpress for the book! What are the chances the author might sign my copy at Urbana 👀
Perfect for you if you like:
Faithfulness-driven leadership, not how-to tactics
Presence over performance
Honest critique of platform and scale
Books that challenge church leadership culture
Similar to:
In the Name of Jesus by Henri J.M. Nouwen
Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley Barton
Playing God by Andy Crouch
March 21, 2025
"Nailing It" is a great read for a different and admittingly Christian view of leadership in today's world. While many "leadership" titles challenge the reader to acquire and use power for the leader's benefit, this title focuses on the necessity for successful leadership (really, it should be servanthood to others) requiring suffering and surrender.
Around 200 pages, the title addresses many topics, including:
- Reasons why leaders do not try to improve their employee engagement.
- We win in Christ by dying to self.
- Ways we can surrender our will for God's glory and other people's benefit.
- Knowing who you are in Christ helps you to die to self and ego and to live in humility.
- The importance of living according to God's pace and timetable instead of ours or the world's.
- The downside of emphasizing too much on job performance while minimizing a positive presence in other people's lives.
- Our highest loyalty must be to Jesus Christ, not a mere human.
- Bigger is not always better.
The title is relevant, easy to read and understand, and includes a helpful notes section for further reading on various topics. A much needed title in a me-first world. Highly recommended.
I was given a review copy by IVP in exchange for a fair review and appreciate the opportunity.
Around 200 pages, the title addresses many topics, including:
- Reasons why leaders do not try to improve their employee engagement.
- We win in Christ by dying to self.
- Ways we can surrender our will for God's glory and other people's benefit.
- Knowing who you are in Christ helps you to die to self and ego and to live in humility.
- The importance of living according to God's pace and timetable instead of ours or the world's.
- The downside of emphasizing too much on job performance while minimizing a positive presence in other people's lives.
- Our highest loyalty must be to Jesus Christ, not a mere human.
- Bigger is not always better.
The title is relevant, easy to read and understand, and includes a helpful notes section for further reading on various topics. A much needed title in a me-first world. Highly recommended.
I was given a review copy by IVP in exchange for a fair review and appreciate the opportunity.
April 14, 2025
Such a convicting, yet deeply refreshing leadership book. So grateful for Nicole offering a solid case for redemptive leadership which manages to succinctly lay a theological foundation with practical application. Highly recommend!
July 27, 2025
I've read dozens of leadership books, yet Martin offers fresh insights. Defining what needs to be crucified to lead in the image of Christ has the potential to help me lead like Jesus. Highly recommend.
August 31, 2025
I appreciate this book's approach to leadership, defined by following Jesus in servanthood and care for others. The author includes practical questions to assist readers in living out crucified leadership in their own ministry contexts.
November 25, 2025
Had to get out my highlighter for this book. So many fresh applications of Scripture in light of leadership. The first point alone of taking up our cross daily, such a basic Bible verse, and applying it to leadership was eye opening. A must read for leaders both in ministry and secular vocations.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews