Learning to lead from a place of inner transformation
During the spiritual revival of the 18th Century that became known as the Great Awakening, John Wesley organised Christians into small accountability groups called ‘bands’. A frequent question to be asked of one another in Wesley’s ‘bands’ was ‘how is it with your soul?’ For Christian disciples, the state of the soul is paramount. It is surely even more so for those who have the responsibility to lead their fellow disciples in whatever capacity.
I have read various books over the years on leadership with most of them being about strategy, skills and the dynamics of leadership. They have often borrowed from secular books on business and organisational leadership. These have not been all bad by any means. But I often found myself looking for a book that went deeper. Something on the soul, the inner life, of leaders. But one that still felt directly applicable to the various challenges of leadership. Something that was both practically helpful and spiritually penetrating. Something, in other words, on spiritual leadership. Years ago, when first starting out, I read Spiritual Leadership by J Oswald Sanders, and was inspired. I’d still recommend it, though its style is a little dated now. Looking back at it, I wish I’d re-read it and referred to it more often.
But just a few years ago, I came across Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Hayley Barton. And I wish I had been able to read it when I first started leading thirty years ago, and not as my leadership was drawing to an end. It does what it says it sets out to do. It draws a clear connection between the health, strength and transforming work in our soul, and our role and responsibilities as leaders. In Barton’s words, “Strengthening the soul of your leadership is an invitation to enter more deeply into the process of spiritual transformation and to choose to lead from that place. It is an opportunity to forge a connection between our souls and our leadership rather than experiencing them as separate arenas of our lives.”
The fact that it centred around key moments in the story of Moses attracted me even more as Moses has been a regular companion on my leadership journey. I especially loved the chapter on calling because I think the idea of calling or pastoral vocation has been neglected in parts of the church. Calling argues Barton, is ‘a place where God’s presence intersects with a human life’ and that it shows us ‘who we truly are.’ It is also refreshing to read someone who so clearly understood the deep soul challenge of carrying a vision when others don’t see it. But who focuses on learning how to handle that well so that it is not just a source of frustration but it draws us deeper into seeking God for himself and not for our success. It was good to read someone who had clearly thought deeply about the perils of leadership, especially those that come from our own damaged souls. The author offered keen insights on the dark side of leadership that resides in our own brokenness and ego. Allowing God to deal with us in the crucible of leadership and to transform us is essential, or we will do more harm than good. Equally it is also important simply to pay attention to what is going on inside us and around us.
Although it focuses on the soul, the inner life, of leaders, the book addresses the practical outworking of this also. For example, how to handle the pressure of too much work through healthy delegation and through ‘a sharing of spirit’ with others. The chapter on how to find God’s will together as a team was intensely practical and yet deeply spiritual. As was the chapter on being honest about our limitations. The chapter towards the end of the book on letting go of your leadership as you hand over to someone else was extremely helpful and pertinent to me in my current season. I would argue that it is worth thinking deeply about how you want to end when you first start your leadership journey.
Therefore, every church leader, or those involved in spiritual leadership in other capacities, should read this book. As a taster at least, have a look at my summary of the book here.
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A Different Kingdom 
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