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Jesus, CEO: Using Ancient Wisdom for Visionary Leadership
In this inspiring but intensely practical guide, best-selling author Laurie Beth Jones captures the wisdom of Jesus in simple strategies that are as essential to the spiritual and professional health of business today as they were to the whole world thousands of years ago. With her signature warmth and wit, Jones will show you how to: •Draw on the Three Strengths of Jesus for better relationships, self-mastery, and targeted action •Create the Omega Style-a new, spiritually uplifting style of leadership •Pose soul-searching questions to help reevaluate your role in the workplace, such as: What deed that you've done today would you want to see multiplied? What are your internal anchors? How and when have you turned back to help someone else cross the finish line? •Use the Wisdom of the Bible as the cornerstone of each business decision .
316 pages, Hardcover
First published January 5, 1995
195 people are currently reading
1146 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
March 9, 2008
This only receives one star, because I couldn't leave a -5.
This is a God-awful piece of crap; a ten-year-old could have written this in one sitting while half-asleep during Sunday school.
There are about 275 chapters in as many pages found within this book, and each "chapter" expounds bulshittingly upon the absolutely pedestrian statements found within the chapter titles. For example, the book supposedly explores, through corporate leadership clichés, the dynamics of Jesus Christ's leadership, and why he was good at what He did. Interesting, right? No. Wrong. "Chapter 5: He Believed in Himself" Hmmm. I wonder where Mrs. Jones goes in her deep, one-page exploration of this concept. Or how about Chapter 11: "He Did the Difficult Things" or even Chapter 9: "He Stuck to His Mission", or the absolutely earth-shatteringly-deep Chapter 83: "He Educated Him"...
This is the kind of watered-down, sacharine-sweet garbage that turns many people off altogether from philosophical/theological texts. What pisses me off the most about this crap, is that it has quite successfully been used to exploit those in search of wisdom and knowledge of Jesus.
With that in mind, fuck you Laurie Beth-Jones, and fuck your used toilet paper of a book.
If, for some reason, you find yourself in the unfortunate predicament of having to read this book, don't. Simply read the table of contents, give it away to someone you don't like (thereby wasting their time), and then promptly prepare yourself a strong drink. After relaxing, if you feel particularly lively, go find copies of this book, brand new, and tear the front cover of it, so it can't be purchased by someone unwittingly.
This is a God-awful piece of crap; a ten-year-old could have written this in one sitting while half-asleep during Sunday school.
There are about 275 chapters in as many pages found within this book, and each "chapter" expounds bulshittingly upon the absolutely pedestrian statements found within the chapter titles. For example, the book supposedly explores, through corporate leadership clichés, the dynamics of Jesus Christ's leadership, and why he was good at what He did. Interesting, right? No. Wrong. "Chapter 5: He Believed in Himself" Hmmm. I wonder where Mrs. Jones goes in her deep, one-page exploration of this concept. Or how about Chapter 11: "He Did the Difficult Things" or even Chapter 9: "He Stuck to His Mission", or the absolutely earth-shatteringly-deep Chapter 83: "He Educated Him"...
This is the kind of watered-down, sacharine-sweet garbage that turns many people off altogether from philosophical/theological texts. What pisses me off the most about this crap, is that it has quite successfully been used to exploit those in search of wisdom and knowledge of Jesus.
With that in mind, fuck you Laurie Beth-Jones, and fuck your used toilet paper of a book.
If, for some reason, you find yourself in the unfortunate predicament of having to read this book, don't. Simply read the table of contents, give it away to someone you don't like (thereby wasting their time), and then promptly prepare yourself a strong drink. After relaxing, if you feel particularly lively, go find copies of this book, brand new, and tear the front cover of it, so it can't be purchased by someone unwittingly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2014
Awful. Did not finish. Shallow and overused management/leadership/motivational "principles" wrapped loosely in poor interpretations of the Bible. Proof texting at it's worst. A better use of this concept would be a deeper study of Christ's humility, inclusiveness, sacrifice, generosity, complexity, political engagement etc and how his example can inform leaders at all levels of society. Instead it achieved the opposite, squeezing Christ in the moulds of corporate management and self help.
May 25, 2021
This is just a bad, bad book. Rarely do I glean nothing from something. But this...oh boy.
February 23, 2012
Laurie Beth Jones uses Jesus' life, ministry, and relationships to demonstrate what she calls "Omega Leadership" - a style which is neither "alpha" (Type A) or "beta" (Submissive/Passive) but rather encompasses both assertiveness and compassion. I enjoyed the format of the book - each small chapter focused on a key characteristic and tied examples from scripture to modern circumstances. Recommend for leaders in any sector.
September 26, 2014
An interesting approach: modeling the behavior of Jesus Christ as an example for business leaders. Lacks greatly in its execution however. It is obvious the author is well versed in the business world but lacks depth in Biblical insights. I feel that she should have co-authored this book with someone that has greater religious knowledge than herself. The 'afterward' could have been left out. It was unprofessional and caused her credibility to dimension. The book has some good insights but her scriptural examples lack depth and become redundant. Typical pop cultural type book in both religion and business. A lot of fluff and little substance. Great for daily quick one minute thoughts, but you will walk away hungry.
March 25, 2009
I had to read this book (for whatever reason) for my American History class. I got through 2/3 of it and decided I didn't need to finish it to write my paper--I could get everything I needed from the chapter headings.
I thought Jones' writing style was terrible and her theology inconsistent and a faulty representation of the Bible. I also came away thinking that if you cut out all the Biblical references she could have truthfully called the book "What I Learned About Being A Leader".
I thought Jones' writing style was terrible and her theology inconsistent and a faulty representation of the Bible. I also came away thinking that if you cut out all the Biblical references she could have truthfully called the book "What I Learned About Being A Leader".
February 20, 2013
Awesome leadership book that I discovered attending, Loyola! Studying Jesus' leadership style and applying it to todays world. My take away: Emphasizing the importance of being an "omega" leader like Jesus in the real/business world. A true leader can not always be an alpha style leader or a beta style leader. They must be willing to follow and lead when needed. A great leader is able to do both!
September 17, 2023
DNF. The author makes Jesus sound like He was just a good man nothing else. Also misinterpreted and misused some Bible verses. I’m sure the information in this book was good but the more I read the more I disliked how she portrayed Jesus.
December 15, 2011
I actually started reading this book after having to make a tough decision as a manager at work. I've always had difficulty with the fact that business and spirituality, much like politics and religion, simply do not mix. The intro of this book is most interesting because the author talks about how few business books are written by women, and also how Jesus led his staff/disciples, a group of poor, uneducated men to carry on a message that has lasted for more than two millennia. How did he do it? The principles in this book are enlightening. Not only does she compare the strategies of Christ to modern day business, but she marries the dichotomy of being a compassionate boss AND a strong leader. I was really impressed by the book and will definitely give it another read in the future.
Read
February 10, 2009Geared to the business world, but has many applications in dealing with people in general. Page 111- chapter titled "He was Bold" points out that Jesus did not debate in his head or with commitees His next step, as he already knew in his head and heart what the next, correct step should be. He drove our the money changers, He walked into the temple and taught as 12 years of age, not out of arrogance, but out of boldness and clarity. He used his very blood to paint the message. President F.D. Roosevelt was warned by his staff that his plans to end the Depression were too large, too costly and too rough. "Well", he said, "maybe they aren't perfect in every way. But, by God, we've got to do something!" Timely words for today I would say.
August 16, 2007
(Indonesian) Deskripsi dari seorang pemimpin yang jelas dan berjangka panjang, tidak takut kehabisan visi karena belajar dari sejarah, seperti yang dilakukan tokoh sentral masa hidupnya. Pemimpin yang otomatis hampir tidak pernah kehilangan pengikut, karena selalu jelas dan bergairah. Salah satu gaya kepemimpinan yang tidak ditawarkan dalam pelajaran manajemen. Namun artinya dalam bagi mereka yang mengadopsi dan dimpimpin dengan cara ini. Dan pemimpin ini tidak perlu susah payah berargumen memperjuangkan sikapnya. Kebenaran2 yang disampaikan langsung/ tidak bisa dibuktikan sendiri oleh pengikutnya.
January 25, 2023
This was a good read. This book was a gift to me to help me work though the role I'm carrying in ministry. I wasn't sure how it would feel, since the title has a corporate flavor. Jones was thoroughly Jesus-centric in every chapter. She speaks thoughtfully both from experience and from Biblical example. She is honest and insightful, giving words to ideas that I haven't been able to articulate before.
A nice read for people in ministry leadership and for those who strive to bring a Kingdom priority in marketplace work.
A nice read for people in ministry leadership and for those who strive to bring a Kingdom priority in marketplace work.
November 21, 2025
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” --Matthew 19:21-24
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. --Matthew 6:24
The only complaint I have about the early Christian church was that they were cowards when it came to the rich. Instead of allowing them to keep their wealth, they should have taken the hard line that Christ himself did and strip them bare as a newborn baby, otherwise turn them away. Of course, the author of this book keeps a wide berth from discussing anything Christ had to say which is pertinent to CEOs, especially the extreme injustice of the disparity between their salary and that of their employees, and the ways in which their goals by definition align with Satan and never with God.
But this cowardice is exactly what you'd come to expect from someone who only knows how to start with their conclusion in mind. If anyone came to the scriptures honestly, they'd have to admit the countless times that the New and Old Testaments denigrate wealth clearly negates any feasibility of a "prosperity gospel." But this author, soulless as she is, comes to the text with such a totalizing "business ontology" (as Mark Fisher would term it) that she repeatedly commits the blasphemy of calling Christ's apostles his "staff." One way to guarantee you're reading scripture incorrectly is if it merely comforts you and all your starting assumptions. It should unsettle you just as much as it comforts you (hence law and gospel, blah blah blah).
This book is an amazing case study in the christo-capitalistic schizophrenia in vogue in the US, where millions of people extol two competing gods simultaneously (but we all know which one wins out). As if the first quote from Christ at the top wasn't clear enough, the second one should be unarguable. The rich cannot make it to heaven because the existence of their wealth is heavy proof that they serve materialistic, greedy ends, rather than using money for the means to better ends (i.e. giving it all away). But Christ in capitalistic America is neutered into a convenient idiom and quaint cultural artifact, rather than the purging fire which he should be.
Every "chapter" in this book is laid out like a devotional, with the obvious god Mammon being the real one pulling the strings. They're short enough to be read before you smugly, I mean, snugly climb into your high thread count sheets. Unsurprisingly, new age spirituality, especially manifestation, finds its way in here, as that's the missing link required for the heresy of prosperity gospel to flourish. Whereas Joel Osteen comes across as childishly honest yet stupid, Jones comes across as duplicitous and willfully ignorant.
The book loses steam early on, soon abandoning the "Jesus CEO" theme and instead talking about random people from the bible or successful businessmen interchangeably. Scripture and religion is merely a raw material in the hands of the capitalist pig, with ever faster, more efficient, more productive ends being the only eternity they can imagine. The irony of this book is so pure you could squeeze it and it would drip out the bottom.
The funniest part of this was that I found the book in our business school building here on campus, and I actually misread the title the first time: the lack of periods after each letter caused me to think it was CREO (create) or DEO (God) in Latin, but then I remembered which building I was in, and I realized what the title was. This book is the amazing result of what Max Weber called the Protestant Work Ethic, namely the Calvinistic/Reformed/Puritan hyper-fixation upon productivity which leads to an absolute detachment from sanity and morality.
Contrary to what most Americans think, Jesus Christ is not a convenient anecdote for your trite cliches about leadership: he's the God of the Universe clothed in flesh and blood. He is an enigma, a brutally beautiful paradox, and he's righteously angry at everyone who intentionally misinterpets his teachings for selfish gain. Jones and her ilk are of a certainty bound for hellfire, the smoke of which you can smell in the final "chapter", titled "He Knew That Nobody Wins Until We All Do." The easiest way to translate that final chapter is "Please don't kill me when the revolution comes!" After this chapter, the author lists affirmations (!!) for the CEO/leader reading the book, many of which place the leader in a place of divinity ("I proudly say I AM..." etc. etc.).
To be expected, the author conveniently explains away all drug addiction, inequality, depression, and struggles as lacking the right mindset, essentially blaming every single victim for not being their own CEO. Such "people" as Jones are so out of touch with both reality and humanity, that I'd rather never meet any of them. I don't think I could shake their cold, bloodless hands or look into their practiced, fake smiling faces with a straight face. I'd laugh if it wasn't so purely demonic. Let me set this fucker on fire (the book, not the author).
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. --Matthew 6:24
The only complaint I have about the early Christian church was that they were cowards when it came to the rich. Instead of allowing them to keep their wealth, they should have taken the hard line that Christ himself did and strip them bare as a newborn baby, otherwise turn them away. Of course, the author of this book keeps a wide berth from discussing anything Christ had to say which is pertinent to CEOs, especially the extreme injustice of the disparity between their salary and that of their employees, and the ways in which their goals by definition align with Satan and never with God.
But this cowardice is exactly what you'd come to expect from someone who only knows how to start with their conclusion in mind. If anyone came to the scriptures honestly, they'd have to admit the countless times that the New and Old Testaments denigrate wealth clearly negates any feasibility of a "prosperity gospel." But this author, soulless as she is, comes to the text with such a totalizing "business ontology" (as Mark Fisher would term it) that she repeatedly commits the blasphemy of calling Christ's apostles his "staff." One way to guarantee you're reading scripture incorrectly is if it merely comforts you and all your starting assumptions. It should unsettle you just as much as it comforts you (hence law and gospel, blah blah blah).
This book is an amazing case study in the christo-capitalistic schizophrenia in vogue in the US, where millions of people extol two competing gods simultaneously (but we all know which one wins out). As if the first quote from Christ at the top wasn't clear enough, the second one should be unarguable. The rich cannot make it to heaven because the existence of their wealth is heavy proof that they serve materialistic, greedy ends, rather than using money for the means to better ends (i.e. giving it all away). But Christ in capitalistic America is neutered into a convenient idiom and quaint cultural artifact, rather than the purging fire which he should be.
Every "chapter" in this book is laid out like a devotional, with the obvious god Mammon being the real one pulling the strings. They're short enough to be read before you smugly, I mean, snugly climb into your high thread count sheets. Unsurprisingly, new age spirituality, especially manifestation, finds its way in here, as that's the missing link required for the heresy of prosperity gospel to flourish. Whereas Joel Osteen comes across as childishly honest yet stupid, Jones comes across as duplicitous and willfully ignorant.
The book loses steam early on, soon abandoning the "Jesus CEO" theme and instead talking about random people from the bible or successful businessmen interchangeably. Scripture and religion is merely a raw material in the hands of the capitalist pig, with ever faster, more efficient, more productive ends being the only eternity they can imagine. The irony of this book is so pure you could squeeze it and it would drip out the bottom.
The funniest part of this was that I found the book in our business school building here on campus, and I actually misread the title the first time: the lack of periods after each letter caused me to think it was CREO (create) or DEO (God) in Latin, but then I remembered which building I was in, and I realized what the title was. This book is the amazing result of what Max Weber called the Protestant Work Ethic, namely the Calvinistic/Reformed/Puritan hyper-fixation upon productivity which leads to an absolute detachment from sanity and morality.
Contrary to what most Americans think, Jesus Christ is not a convenient anecdote for your trite cliches about leadership: he's the God of the Universe clothed in flesh and blood. He is an enigma, a brutally beautiful paradox, and he's righteously angry at everyone who intentionally misinterpets his teachings for selfish gain. Jones and her ilk are of a certainty bound for hellfire, the smoke of which you can smell in the final "chapter", titled "He Knew That Nobody Wins Until We All Do." The easiest way to translate that final chapter is "Please don't kill me when the revolution comes!" After this chapter, the author lists affirmations (!!) for the CEO/leader reading the book, many of which place the leader in a place of divinity ("I proudly say I AM..." etc. etc.).
To be expected, the author conveniently explains away all drug addiction, inequality, depression, and struggles as lacking the right mindset, essentially blaming every single victim for not being their own CEO. Such "people" as Jones are so out of touch with both reality and humanity, that I'd rather never meet any of them. I don't think I could shake their cold, bloodless hands or look into their practiced, fake smiling faces with a straight face. I'd laugh if it wasn't so purely demonic. Let me set this fucker on fire (the book, not the author).
May 28, 2011
This book I would definitely add to my library. This book is written in 1995 but I can still walk away with many of these concepts on leadership, visionary, and Jesus' concept on discipleship.
So many great quotes that I shared in my Christian groups on FB. "Jesus said, "I give you my name. Use it." We do as believers--"in Jesus name." We claim it and name it, in His name. Yes, blessed by this book. Use your gifts and make disciples of Jesus Christ.
So many great quotes that I shared in my Christian groups on FB. "Jesus said, "I give you my name. Use it." We do as believers--"in Jesus name." We claim it and name it, in His name. Yes, blessed by this book. Use your gifts and make disciples of Jesus Christ.
January 9, 2018
After hearing Dr. Lance Wallnau speak on the opportunities to shape culture in the workplace by living out to the full the giftings that God has bestowed to a believer, it is quite timely to read about a book on leadership which talks about the practical techniques that was modeled by Jesus through his disciples.
October 10, 2007
What I learned from this book is Jesus our patron in life. We should learned alot from Him because He is best ever CEO the world ever had.
June 19, 2013
I have to say, Jesus certainly taught us a LOT about being an excellent leader. I will have to refer to my notes often to be sure I am following his ways.
March 25, 2023
The Protestant tendency to project ourself onto Jesus abounds in this book that should just ignore the Christ stuff and be common sense leadership.
April 28, 2012
Love it and still refer to it today.
February 19, 2017
Overall, "Jesus, CEO" contains insightful and practical wisdom about how to apply Jesus' "Omega" style of leadership (Jesus actually refers to Himself as "The Alpha AND the Omega" in Revelation 22:13) in the modern business world.
I recommend "Jesus, CEO" as a devotional to Christians who are interested in business or leadership, non-Christians who are interested in self-improvement, and anyone who wants to understand business from a woman's perspective*. As a multi-talented advertising consultant, Ms. Jones has an excellent command of how to communicate a point concisely, creatively, and with humor. She even includes her own poetry, song lyrics, and cartoon strips.
"Jesus, CEO" is organized into 3 major sections: Strength of Self-Mastery, Strength of Action, and Strength of Relationships. Each major section is divided into 85 sub-sections, and each of those sub-sections illustrates a point about Jesus' management style (e.g., "He Was Willing to Look Foolish", "He Trained His Replacements", "He Saw Them As God's Gifts to Him"). Each sub-section is about 2-3 pages with insights about Jesus or some other Biblical character, anecdotes about how she - or others - applies Jesus' wisdom to business situations, and questions that prompt introspection about how the reader can also apply this wisdom to our own lives. While answering her questions, the Holy Spirit confirmed that there's been a method to His madness with me. He's been developing these "Omega" leadership qualities in me all along!
Although about 90% of Ms. Jones' use of Biblical references are properly applied, her slightly New Age-ish (e.g., sometimes she uses "Higher Power" interchangeably with "God"), feminist perspective shapes her theology, which gives the book a "double-minded" vibe, which is confirmed in the "Author's Notes" at the end of the book:
"My reference to Jesus as "he" in the lower case is in no way intended to be or to convey a diminuition (sic) of his Lordship or Divinity. It is merely an acknowledgment of a more contemporary writing style.
I believe that God is equal parts female and male. For me to refer to God as "She" would unfortunately put this work beyond the boundaries of acceptance and understanding for too many people. We must search for an all-inclusive terminology. (p. 305)"
Meanwhile, this is what God's Word says about His gender, His creation, and our purpose:
Then God said, "Let us make human beings in Our image, to be like Us [referring to our Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit]. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground." So God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it." - Genesis 1:26a-28a NLT
This is the written account of the descendants of Adam. When God created human beings, He made them to be like Himself. He created them male and female, and He blessed them and called them “human.” When Adam was 130 years old, he became the father of a son who was just like him—in his very image. - Genesis 5:1-3 NLT
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation... - Colossians 1:15
Jesus came and told His disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:18-20
I thank God for gender "boundaries". God reveals Himself in His written word as "He", so that's what He is. Our Heavenly Father is a He. Jesus Christ is a He. The Holy Spirit is a He. So "He" is already an "all-inclusive term" because God created Adam first, then created Eve by removing a rib from Adam, not the other way around.
Women are created to support men in their leadership roles, to nurture and counsel but, ultimately, to submit to the male authority that God assigns to cover us. Women who rebel against their creation role tend to end up divorced, never married, and/or promoting some form of "women rule" philosophy. Jesus even specifically rebukes a church about letting the Jezebel spirit in a prophetess take over (Revelation 2:20) and cites sexual immorality, idolatry, and dead children (i.e., fruitless labor) as the results of following the Jezebel spirit's teaching. See also Genesis 1-3, 1 Corinthians 11, and 1 Timothy 2 for more details about how easily women are deceived by the wrong kind of "empowerment" (one sub-section is titled "He Empowered Women"), especially those who yearn for top leadership positions (because they weren't valued as females by their earthly fathers!). It's important that women understand our very important role in creation.
Ms. Jones includes divorce (i.e., fruit of the Jezebel tree) and leaving a "repressive religious environment" as accomplishments in her bio, which is more confirmation that a spirit other than the Holy Spirit is also influencing her and her writings. She regularly praises her artistic mom for her wisdom, creativity, counsel, and courage in "celebrating the feminine", but her comments about her salesman dad hint that she views him as a source of restriction to her self-expression. She is clearly a combination of both of her parents.
Her image of Jesus is an extroverted, emotional leader who focuses on cultivating the "innate" goodness in people and whose mission was to "love" (mostly illustrated through nourishing and supporting) His "staff"...which is not a comprehensive image of God or the Gospel of Jesus Christ, so it's a half-truth (which is one of the devil's tactics). Essentially, she has recreated God in her own image and rejects the masculine aspect of God's character and the sin nature of humanity. This is self-worship (idolatry) and self-deception. She has proof-texted the Bible to support her own theology instead of study the entire Bible, then come to her conclusion about God's gender and mission on earth.
In her Author's Notes, she even confesses that she wasn't going to cite the Scriptures that she paraphrases, but reconsidered when her mom insisted that she cite the Scriptures so that people can do their own study. Again, adding to, subtracting from, paraphrasing, twisting, and misapplying Scripture are tactics of the enemy (see Matthew 4:5-6). The Lord God warns us not to edit His commands in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 4:2) and the New Testament (Revelation 22:18-19). In fact, this is the last command that Jesus gives us in the Bible!
This book was published over 20 years ago and took her 20 years to finish (do a Bible Study on what God can do in 40 days/years and be amazed!). She thanks many, many people (including pastors) in her Acknowledgments for helping her produce this book. I believe that it took 20 years just to pray her into the 90% Scripture accuracy (i.e., they regularly asked God to take authority over her mind on her behalf as they read her spirit of error-inspired rough drafts). Because, clearly, her flesh and her demons reject God's Wisdom. I believe that she's a believer. The Holy Spirit in her overrode her flesh and those other spirits that influence her (see Romans 8 and 1 John 4) to write this book!
I pray that God enlightens her - and her staff, readers, etc. - about His purpose for creating gender and heals this inner conflict in her. I had to go through the same journey...which is why God is just now bringing this book to my attention rather than in 2013 when I was called to manage the daily operations of my mom's bookstore with a majority-female staff (while reading "Lies Women Believe: And the Truth That Sets Them Free" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss in a women's Bible study group at my first home church).
*So I cautiously recommend "Jesus, CEO" as an affirmation of how Jesus includes feminine qualities in His leadership style with the warning to prayerfully "extract the precious from the worthless" (Jeremiah 15:19 NASB).
I recommend "Jesus, CEO" as a devotional to Christians who are interested in business or leadership, non-Christians who are interested in self-improvement, and anyone who wants to understand business from a woman's perspective*. As a multi-talented advertising consultant, Ms. Jones has an excellent command of how to communicate a point concisely, creatively, and with humor. She even includes her own poetry, song lyrics, and cartoon strips.
"Jesus, CEO" is organized into 3 major sections: Strength of Self-Mastery, Strength of Action, and Strength of Relationships. Each major section is divided into 85 sub-sections, and each of those sub-sections illustrates a point about Jesus' management style (e.g., "He Was Willing to Look Foolish", "He Trained His Replacements", "He Saw Them As God's Gifts to Him"). Each sub-section is about 2-3 pages with insights about Jesus or some other Biblical character, anecdotes about how she - or others - applies Jesus' wisdom to business situations, and questions that prompt introspection about how the reader can also apply this wisdom to our own lives. While answering her questions, the Holy Spirit confirmed that there's been a method to His madness with me. He's been developing these "Omega" leadership qualities in me all along!
Although about 90% of Ms. Jones' use of Biblical references are properly applied, her slightly New Age-ish (e.g., sometimes she uses "Higher Power" interchangeably with "God"), feminist perspective shapes her theology, which gives the book a "double-minded" vibe, which is confirmed in the "Author's Notes" at the end of the book:
"My reference to Jesus as "he" in the lower case is in no way intended to be or to convey a diminuition (sic) of his Lordship or Divinity. It is merely an acknowledgment of a more contemporary writing style.
I believe that God is equal parts female and male. For me to refer to God as "She" would unfortunately put this work beyond the boundaries of acceptance and understanding for too many people. We must search for an all-inclusive terminology. (p. 305)"
Meanwhile, this is what God's Word says about His gender, His creation, and our purpose:
Then God said, "Let us make human beings in Our image, to be like Us [referring to our Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit]. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground." So God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it." - Genesis 1:26a-28a NLT
This is the written account of the descendants of Adam. When God created human beings, He made them to be like Himself. He created them male and female, and He blessed them and called them “human.” When Adam was 130 years old, he became the father of a son who was just like him—in his very image. - Genesis 5:1-3 NLT
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation... - Colossians 1:15
Jesus came and told His disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:18-20
I thank God for gender "boundaries". God reveals Himself in His written word as "He", so that's what He is. Our Heavenly Father is a He. Jesus Christ is a He. The Holy Spirit is a He. So "He" is already an "all-inclusive term" because God created Adam first, then created Eve by removing a rib from Adam, not the other way around.
Women are created to support men in their leadership roles, to nurture and counsel but, ultimately, to submit to the male authority that God assigns to cover us. Women who rebel against their creation role tend to end up divorced, never married, and/or promoting some form of "women rule" philosophy. Jesus even specifically rebukes a church about letting the Jezebel spirit in a prophetess take over (Revelation 2:20) and cites sexual immorality, idolatry, and dead children (i.e., fruitless labor) as the results of following the Jezebel spirit's teaching. See also Genesis 1-3, 1 Corinthians 11, and 1 Timothy 2 for more details about how easily women are deceived by the wrong kind of "empowerment" (one sub-section is titled "He Empowered Women"), especially those who yearn for top leadership positions (because they weren't valued as females by their earthly fathers!). It's important that women understand our very important role in creation.
Ms. Jones includes divorce (i.e., fruit of the Jezebel tree) and leaving a "repressive religious environment" as accomplishments in her bio, which is more confirmation that a spirit other than the Holy Spirit is also influencing her and her writings. She regularly praises her artistic mom for her wisdom, creativity, counsel, and courage in "celebrating the feminine", but her comments about her salesman dad hint that she views him as a source of restriction to her self-expression. She is clearly a combination of both of her parents.
Her image of Jesus is an extroverted, emotional leader who focuses on cultivating the "innate" goodness in people and whose mission was to "love" (mostly illustrated through nourishing and supporting) His "staff"...which is not a comprehensive image of God or the Gospel of Jesus Christ, so it's a half-truth (which is one of the devil's tactics). Essentially, she has recreated God in her own image and rejects the masculine aspect of God's character and the sin nature of humanity. This is self-worship (idolatry) and self-deception. She has proof-texted the Bible to support her own theology instead of study the entire Bible, then come to her conclusion about God's gender and mission on earth.
In her Author's Notes, she even confesses that she wasn't going to cite the Scriptures that she paraphrases, but reconsidered when her mom insisted that she cite the Scriptures so that people can do their own study. Again, adding to, subtracting from, paraphrasing, twisting, and misapplying Scripture are tactics of the enemy (see Matthew 4:5-6). The Lord God warns us not to edit His commands in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 4:2) and the New Testament (Revelation 22:18-19). In fact, this is the last command that Jesus gives us in the Bible!
This book was published over 20 years ago and took her 20 years to finish (do a Bible Study on what God can do in 40 days/years and be amazed!). She thanks many, many people (including pastors) in her Acknowledgments for helping her produce this book. I believe that it took 20 years just to pray her into the 90% Scripture accuracy (i.e., they regularly asked God to take authority over her mind on her behalf as they read her spirit of error-inspired rough drafts). Because, clearly, her flesh and her demons reject God's Wisdom. I believe that she's a believer. The Holy Spirit in her overrode her flesh and those other spirits that influence her (see Romans 8 and 1 John 4) to write this book!
I pray that God enlightens her - and her staff, readers, etc. - about His purpose for creating gender and heals this inner conflict in her. I had to go through the same journey...which is why God is just now bringing this book to my attention rather than in 2013 when I was called to manage the daily operations of my mom's bookstore with a majority-female staff (while reading "Lies Women Believe: And the Truth That Sets Them Free" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss in a women's Bible study group at my first home church).
*So I cautiously recommend "Jesus, CEO" as an affirmation of how Jesus includes feminine qualities in His leadership style with the warning to prayerfully "extract the precious from the worthless" (Jeremiah 15:19 NASB).
April 3, 2024
Jesus CEO: A Management Manual with Heavenly Ambitions
Laurie Beth Jones's "Jesus CEO" takes an unconventional approach to leadership, drawing inspiration from the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. This book aims to equip business leaders with practical tools for success, all guided by the principles found in the Bible.
Strengths:
Unique Approach: The book's core concept of learning leadership from Jesus is certainly original and attention-grabbing.
Focus on Self-Mastery: Jones emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and self-control for effective leadership, which remains a relevant concept in today's business world.
Short and Accessible: Divided into concise chapters, the book offers a quick and easy read for busy professionals.
Potential Weaknesses:
Selective Biblical Interpretation: The book focuses on specific passages from the Bible that align with the author's leadership principles, potentially neglecting the broader context of scripture.
Limited Applicability: While some of the leadership principles are universally applicable, others might not translate effectively to all business environments.
Superficial Treatment: The book sometimes skims the surface of complex theological concepts, potentially alienating readers well-versed in religious studies.
Recommendation:
"Jesus CEO" might resonate with Christian business leaders seeking inspiration and encouragement from their faith. However, readers looking for a more nuanced or comprehensive approach to leadership development might find this book to be overly simplistic. For those unfamiliar with the Bible, the book's selective use of scripture might be confusing.
Overall:
"Jesus CEO" offers an interesting perspective on leadership, but its effectiveness depends on the reader's background and expectations. If you're a Christian business leader looking for a faith-based approach to management, this book might provide some valuable insights. However, if you're seeking a more secular or in-depth exploration of leadership principles, you might want to consider other resources.
Laurie Beth Jones's "Jesus CEO" takes an unconventional approach to leadership, drawing inspiration from the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. This book aims to equip business leaders with practical tools for success, all guided by the principles found in the Bible.
Strengths:
Unique Approach: The book's core concept of learning leadership from Jesus is certainly original and attention-grabbing.
Focus on Self-Mastery: Jones emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and self-control for effective leadership, which remains a relevant concept in today's business world.
Short and Accessible: Divided into concise chapters, the book offers a quick and easy read for busy professionals.
Potential Weaknesses:
Selective Biblical Interpretation: The book focuses on specific passages from the Bible that align with the author's leadership principles, potentially neglecting the broader context of scripture.
Limited Applicability: While some of the leadership principles are universally applicable, others might not translate effectively to all business environments.
Superficial Treatment: The book sometimes skims the surface of complex theological concepts, potentially alienating readers well-versed in religious studies.
Recommendation:
"Jesus CEO" might resonate with Christian business leaders seeking inspiration and encouragement from their faith. However, readers looking for a more nuanced or comprehensive approach to leadership development might find this book to be overly simplistic. For those unfamiliar with the Bible, the book's selective use of scripture might be confusing.
Overall:
"Jesus CEO" offers an interesting perspective on leadership, but its effectiveness depends on the reader's background and expectations. If you're a Christian business leader looking for a faith-based approach to management, this book might provide some valuable insights. However, if you're seeking a more secular or in-depth exploration of leadership principles, you might want to consider other resources.
August 20, 2018
The chapters are short, so I agree with those that said it is more like a daily devotional. It is full of simple, but powerful reminders of how our spiritual lives should intersect with our professional lives, and examples of how to be a servant leader by following in the traits and habits of our Lord Jesus Christ. I enjoyed the book very much. Definitely could be made into a meatier book, but the short, easy-to-digest chapters were helpful for me, allowing me to pick up when I needed to refocus and regain perspective in my work.
April 30, 2020
This concept of Jesus as a CEO and the introductory description of Omega leadership really intrigued me. However, this book was mostly shallow, very dated (some books from the 90's just don't age well), and filled with shaky theology (granted, I understand this is a business book, but when you pull Jesus into the theme, you had better have your theological ducks in a row). There were a few golden nuggets (I'm NOT referencing the random personal poems/song lyrics)... but mostly this was a very boring, basic read geared towards leaders in their earliest stages.
January 2, 2022
This is a good book for anyone, but particularly someone in a leadership position, whether that's a family leadership position, a work leadership position, any leadership position. It reads like a daily devotional, so my recommendation would be to read one chapter daily and focus on applying that message during that day. Overall, it's a book worth reading and has stood the test of time in my opinion (it was published in the 1990's). The affirmations in the appendix are powerful and nicely summarize the lessons in the book.
September 7, 2019
The author wrote this book a while back, so you will notice it is a little dated by her references, nevertheless the lessons and messages is timeless. This is a book that I reread once and a while as a reminder to think and act like an Omega leader like the author points out that Jesus must have been.
The book is chalked with little nuggets of personal stories and examples that are very instructive. Nicely written and doesn’t drag on.
The book is chalked with little nuggets of personal stories and examples that are very instructive. Nicely written and doesn’t drag on.
March 10, 2018
Management consultant Laurie Beth Jones details a series of attributes for Jesus regarding his sense of mission and relationship with others and applies them to management. Each chapter is only two-three pages long culminating with a couple of questions to ponder. Although I purchased the book as an preaching resource, this book would also be beneficial with any that manages teams of employees.
February 23, 2019
An interesting concept and it’s obvious that the author has excelled in business. But this book lacks depth and Biblical understanding - some parts even seemed to be contrary to the Bible. I was very excited to read this book based on the title, but overall, this book really isn’t even worth sitting on a night stand somewhere.
July 13, 2019
I really enjoyed how each chapter was set up; as a character trait of Jesus translated to that of an Omega Leader. It's the kind of book where you can read through the list of chapters and find a trait that you are curious about then go read the chapter - more like a manual. I will recommend it to my superior leadership any chance I get.
March 28, 2020
This is a book that I probably wouldn't have picked up on my own, but was recommended to me. It was an interesting read, one that brought forth a lot of wise teachings that are applicable to all of us, no matter what our occupation or religious/spiritual beliefs. I appreciated the succinct nature of the book and also the questions at the end of each section to get the readers to consider how they can best apply these concepts in their life.
June 22, 2020
This book was not at all what I was expecting; however, it was delightfully written and showed how Jesus "ran His business" of leading His disciples. Laurie Beth Jones used Biblical references and introduced me to a new perspective of the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. This book is inspiring and I encourage all who aspire to become more than they are to read this book.
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