Jesus CEO
Using Ancient Wisdom for Visionary Leadership
Hardcover: 352 pages, $10.74
Published: May, 1996
I read this book when it was first published and now, 10 years later, I have just read it again. Rarely do I ever go back and re-read books, especially ones such as this, but this one stuck with me. Plus, 10 years ago I was just getting into business and how things have changed for me since then. I figured a fresh read of this profound book would be beneficial. I was right.
If you think this is a religious book, it’s not. Heck, you don’t even have to believe in the historical Jesus or that the Bible is true in order to get value from Jesus CEO. Sure, examples of Jesus’ leadership style are pulled directly from the Bible with chapter and verse cited, but even if you consider all that just myth and fable, the lessons about Jesus as a leader and as a proverbial CEO still stand.
Jesus CEO is comprised of three main sections, Strength of Self-Master, Strength of Action, and Strength of Relationships. Again, put the “Jesus” aspect aside and you’ll realize that it’s hard to argue with the value of these three strengths in ones life, whether it was taught by Jesus, Mohammad, Napoleon or George Washington.
The average chapter in Jesus CEO is about three pages long followed by a few questions for your own personal self-reflection. This makes for an easy read whether you want to read one chapter a day (takes about three minutes) or several chapters at a time.
The business principles in this book are sound and each chapter is worth consideration and reflection. Each chapter is actually immediately actionable. No vague concepts, just strait talk about what you can and should do today to be a visionary leader. Even though Jesus CEO is a decade old, the information is in no way dated. Anybody serious about improving their leadership skills should add this book to their library.