The rich lessons of the Bible can be
your leadership guidebook.
Successful leaders don’t rely solely
on natural charisma and organizational authority as their
tickets to success. Successful leadership is a learned art form
and a developed discipline. You can master the art of
leadership by examining the pitfalls and achievements of past
leaders and penetrating the stories of our cultural and
religious heritage. The Bible is the ultimate resource for
learning by example: its stories of family relationships,
political beginnings and even divine encounters provide
valuable lessons about leading effectively.
In this empowering guidebook, Nathan
Laufer walks you through the stories at the very beginning of
the Bible to examine the portraits of leadership
success—and failure—they contain. He reveals the
life-affirming values that the Bible uses to measure its
leaders beginning in the Garden of Eden; analyzes the ups and
downs in Abraham’s, and later Joseph’s, leadership
journeys; and scrutinizes the many challenges faced by
Moses—and God—in the books of Exodus and Numbers.
Laufer draws out from Bible stories the
lessons we can use every day—lessons not only of
exemplary leadership, but also of failing to lead, leading with
no direction and leading in the wrong direction or to a
destructive destination. Through Laufer’s interpretive
lenses, these ancient stories come alive to inform and inspire
our leadership today and offer us direction for the future.
“Nathan Laufer helps us see the
stories of the [Bible] in new ways, he turns them into
universal paradigms that relate to situations we all face every
day, and he distills his insights into practical and powerful
guidelines. There is no algorithm for leadership, no cookbook
recipe, but it is hard to imagine a leader at any level of an
enterprise whose capabilities will not be enhanced by studying
this book.”
—from the Preface by Dr. Michael Hammer
“A rare opportunity to bridge the worlds of leadership theory and Bible.... Takes the reader in new directions and plants seeds for further thought.”
—Sh’ma
“A practical and inspiring vision of
what it means to lead…. Anyone in a position of
leadership or who aspires to be should read this perceptive,
refreshingly frank and clearly written book.”
—Dennis
Prager, nationally syndicated
talk-show host and author of
Why the Jews? The Reason for Anti-Semitism
Why the Jews? The Reason for Anti-Semitism
“Educational, instructive,
profoundly inspirational…. A must read on political
science, organizational and administrative theory, and
leadership development. Few have added more intellectual heft
and originality to this topic. Helps us to rethink the struggle
for leadership and its authentic realization in groundbreaking
new ways.”
—Dr.
Ellen Cannon, professor of
political science and public policy at Northeastern Illinois
University and CEO of Cannon Consulting Group
“Draws connections and gleans
insights that are unlikely to have occurred even to experienced
students of leadership or of the Bible. A unique read that will
leave readers thinking long after they’ve finished
turning the last page.”
—Dr.
Daniel Gordis, director of
Mandel Leadership Institute
“Draws masterful lessons from
familiar stories…. Extends far beyond the functional; it
illustrates the essentiality of values-based leadership. A must
read for the leaders of our community and those aspiring to
leadership positions.”
—Ambassador
Dan Kurtzer, professor, Woodrow
Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton
University; former U.S. ambassador to Egypt and Israel
“A wealth of insights….
Provides genuine wisdom for which all engaged in the task of
inspiring and directing a group or an organization will be
grateful. An important book.”
—Rabbi David Ellenson, president,
Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion
“Unique and engaging … could become the standard text for training
Jewish leaders.”
—Manna: The Voice of Living Judaism
Dr. Michael Hammer, president, Hammer and Company, is author of four
books, including the international bestseller Reengineering the Corporation, the most important business book of the 1990s.
His work has been featured in every major business publication.
His latest book is The Agenda: What
Every Business Must Do to Dominate the Decade.
Senator Joseph I. Lieberman has been representing the people of
Connecticut in the United States Senate for eighteen years.
