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Lead for God's Sake
Discover the answer to the most important question in leadership.
If you have ever asked yourself why you do what you do, or wondered what your purpose is in leadership or in life, this book is for you. As the lives of a coach, a CEO, and a janitor intersect in this captivating parable you will journey deep into the heart of leadership where the answers to many of life s most important questions can be found.
Whether you re leading in business, sports, or in your own family, this inspiring story will show you how to take the first - and most important - step in becoming the leader you were meant to be. Lead for God s Sake truly is much more than a simple statement. It s a calling!
If you have ever asked yourself why you do what you do, or wondered what your purpose is in leadership or in life, this book is for you. As the lives of a coach, a CEO, and a janitor intersect in this captivating parable you will journey deep into the heart of leadership where the answers to many of life s most important questions can be found.
Whether you re leading in business, sports, or in your own family, this inspiring story will show you how to take the first - and most important - step in becoming the leader you were meant to be. Lead for God s Sake truly is much more than a simple statement. It s a calling!
245 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2010
9 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 2, 2019
It’s like the movie Facing the Giants, but in a book. So, if you’re into that, more power to you.
December 11, 2015
LEAD… for God’Sake
LEAD.. for God’Sake is a book of profound life lessons. This book is about a Coach of a High School basketball team and a CEO of a fortune 500 hundred company finding themselves in the same boat. How can we motivate the people to work harder for them and show leadership. The Coach referring to his players and the CEO speaking about his workers. Both the Coach and the CEO having trouble with their task become desperate until an unexpected figure comes into play. The High School Janitor seems to have the key to their problems. All three come together to give you a story about adversity, success, leadership, and who you are as a person. “If you've ever asked yourself why you do what you do, or wondered what your purpose is in life, this book is for you.” This book can be recommended to anyone. Whether you’re a stockbroker, CEO, Teacher, and even a parent this book will pursue your interests. With high recommendations from very respected people such as Monty Williams, New Orleans Hornets Head coach, “ I could not put this book down. It transcends culture, gender, economic… something that anyone can relate to. What a message!” Also Wally Armstrong, Lifetime PGA tour member, “This wonderful parable really speaks to your heart, I couldn’t put it down. Todd has done a masterful job of condensing servant leadership into simple applicable truths.” If this book hasn't caught your interest before, it will now.
LEAD.. for God’Sake is a book of profound life lessons. This book is about a Coach of a High School basketball team and a CEO of a fortune 500 hundred company finding themselves in the same boat. How can we motivate the people to work harder for them and show leadership. The Coach referring to his players and the CEO speaking about his workers. Both the Coach and the CEO having trouble with their task become desperate until an unexpected figure comes into play. The High School Janitor seems to have the key to their problems. All three come together to give you a story about adversity, success, leadership, and who you are as a person. “If you've ever asked yourself why you do what you do, or wondered what your purpose is in life, this book is for you.” This book can be recommended to anyone. Whether you’re a stockbroker, CEO, Teacher, and even a parent this book will pursue your interests. With high recommendations from very respected people such as Monty Williams, New Orleans Hornets Head coach, “ I could not put this book down. It transcends culture, gender, economic… something that anyone can relate to. What a message!” Also Wally Armstrong, Lifetime PGA tour member, “This wonderful parable really speaks to your heart, I couldn’t put it down. Todd has done a masterful job of condensing servant leadership into simple applicable truths.” If this book hasn't caught your interest before, it will now.
June 10, 2018
I am torn when it comes to this book. On one hand almost every step of the way the story was super obvious; the subtitle says it's a parable so I suppose the message is supposed to be obvious and that protects a little bit. However, at the same time, I think if I had listened to a nonfiction book about leadership I wouldn't have related to it as much as I did to this one. Numerous times throughout this book I found myself relating and connecting to the examples of bad leaders and that were Illustrated especially in the beginning of this book. I could see mistakes that I have made in them that I'm not sure I would have recognized in a nonfiction story on leadership. Having said that, as a Christian book I think the gospel is watered down a little bit and that frustrates me- always. Also, not being a huge sports fan with the focus of the book being so much on sports and what's left being focused on business it feels somewhat disconnected to me and my life. That's more my fault for choosing to read this book at someone else's recommendation anything else but still it's not as impactful to me. I'm sure I'll think about it and dwell on it for a while but I'm not sure that I would recommend this one to everyone. I will say that the man who recommended this to me did kind of cautiously recommend it to me thinking that it wouldn't be super applicable to me, however, I think in that he missed the point of the book that we can all lead no matter where we are and we can certainly all serve.
February 24, 2019
Another book I had to read for a leadership class at work. I have a hard time believing that grown men have conversations like the ones that take place in this book. It's written for men and sports fans. Not my cup of tea. And the author throws in a death of a key character to try and make readers emotional and sad and drive home the main points of the book. Too fake in my opinion.
March 28, 2018
Excellent book. Recommended to me by my brother . Great recommendation.
October 1, 2019
Phenomenal book! Really gets to the point of what truly matters in life!
January 7, 2020
Quick read that puts a decidedly religious spin on servant leadership. However, regardless of your religion, or lack there of, the foundational principles at the hear of this parable are still true.
March 6, 2020
A good reminder on leading from your purpose, from your heart... Knowing why we do what we do so we can do the best we can for the people that matter.
January 11, 2015
I was encouraged to find that this book emphasized the why of leadership more than then what or the how.
Through a story about a successful but selfish high school basketball coach who meets a school janitor with great wisdom, we learn that leaders must lead from a heart of love rather than from a reward/punishment mindset. The coach goes through a personal transformation as he learns to connect with God, who then enables him to connect with his family, his team, and his friends. The author, Gongwer, a pleasant surprise at the end of the book which explains how the janitor became so very wise.
Along the way, Gongwer helps his readers take stock of our own lives. Readers are encouraged to ask, "Am I embracing my place, setting my priorities, fulfilling my purpose, and living with passion?" They will be encouraged to see their job within their family and within the marketplace as a ministry every bit as important as a pastor's calling.
Although Gongwer is not a craftsman with words like Pulitzer prize-winning author Marilynne Robinson, he makes his points well with his targeted readers, businessmen and the sports-minded. It's a quick read, using the Andy Andrews and Patrick Lencioni story-telling and principle-sharing approach.
As a former jock and as a current sports fan, I really liked the book and appreciated the simple, heart-felt, Christ-centered, and straightforward message. I think Gongwer's approach - especially with the thumbs up application that a notable coach like Urban Meyer has made - will have a positive impact on the lives of leaders so that they lead... for the right reason - for God's sake.
This would be a good book to share with the business leader and sports fans in your life. I will likely use the drawing and some of the principles with the men I am currently discipling.
Thanks, Todd Gongwer for this contribution to leadership literature that can result in helping some businessmen (who might never go to church before reading the book) connect with Christ, the One who made us all for a reason.
Through a story about a successful but selfish high school basketball coach who meets a school janitor with great wisdom, we learn that leaders must lead from a heart of love rather than from a reward/punishment mindset. The coach goes through a personal transformation as he learns to connect with God, who then enables him to connect with his family, his team, and his friends. The author, Gongwer, a pleasant surprise at the end of the book which explains how the janitor became so very wise.
Along the way, Gongwer helps his readers take stock of our own lives. Readers are encouraged to ask, "Am I embracing my place, setting my priorities, fulfilling my purpose, and living with passion?" They will be encouraged to see their job within their family and within the marketplace as a ministry every bit as important as a pastor's calling.
Although Gongwer is not a craftsman with words like Pulitzer prize-winning author Marilynne Robinson, he makes his points well with his targeted readers, businessmen and the sports-minded. It's a quick read, using the Andy Andrews and Patrick Lencioni story-telling and principle-sharing approach.
As a former jock and as a current sports fan, I really liked the book and appreciated the simple, heart-felt, Christ-centered, and straightforward message. I think Gongwer's approach - especially with the thumbs up application that a notable coach like Urban Meyer has made - will have a positive impact on the lives of leaders so that they lead... for the right reason - for God's sake.
This would be a good book to share with the business leader and sports fans in your life. I will likely use the drawing and some of the principles with the men I am currently discipling.
Thanks, Todd Gongwer for this contribution to leadership literature that can result in helping some businessmen (who might never go to church before reading the book) connect with Christ, the One who made us all for a reason.
January 13, 2015
I re-read this book this morning. The world needs to read this book. I can not recommend it highly enough. One of the most influential books I have ever read. It is not by chance you are reading this book, There's a reason for everything.
May 4, 2015
For a leadership book 3 is tops in my opinion. Cute story. Great advice. Read in a little under a week and anyone reading a leadership book probably has little time to read it so that was great in my mind.
January 2, 2016
A must read for anyone having been given the awesome responsibility to Lead and Influence others. Lead...for God'Sake gets to the Heart of what makes leaders, regardless of their lot in life, GREAT - a truly Others orientation.
July 5, 2016
Great story demonstrating how leading and living from a Christ-centered perspective can change lives and impact generations. Background is a sports setting, but points are applicable to anyone, in any job or any lifestyle. Quick read, hard to put down.
April 2, 2013
You'll find my review of this book and others here: https://fylvia.wordpress.com/2013/04/...
February 21, 2013
Good book about character, leadership and your purpose in life. It's a story about a basketball coach and his story of finding his real purpose in life. Well worth the time to read this one.
January 23, 2014
A cutesy parable about the most important thing in life being your personal, foundational relationship with God.
December 14, 2015
A great contemporary saga of an age old challenge. I highly recommend this read.
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January 9, 2016Excellent!
January 5, 2017
I grew during the reading of this Jesus-centric parable. It taught me things about servant leadership that I did not know before. Highly recommend it.
March 3, 2012
loved the format, parable style. It was easy to read and inspiring and challenging
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews