“The Most Excellent Way to Lead” by Perry Noble starts with a scripture commonly read at weddings and uses it as a blueprint for great leadership. Examining the context surrounding Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth, Noble asserts that 1 Corinthians 13 is an example of how leaders in all walks of life are called to lead. Noble’s sincere, heart-felt and humorous stories surrounding leadership, combined with his examples of leaders found in scripture, offer practical advice for any leader. Noble shatters the stereotype often found in leadership books, where the best leaders are only found running major corporations. Although this book would be of great benefit to leaders in business, it is also a great tool for anyone called to lead, whether in their household, school, workplace, or house of worship.
Noble takes each adjective used to describe love in 1 Corinthians 13 and spends a chapter describing the importance of each in leadership. He uses examples from his own life and from leaders in scripture which exemplify or illustrate struggles with each area as it pertains to leadership. I appreciated the summary statements and discussion questions provided at the end of each chapter.
One of the refreshing aspects of this book is how Noble shares authentic moments from his own life, both when he has succeeded and where he has learned some tough lessons, showing how every experience in life is an opportunity to learn and grow.
Some advice which helped shape my view of leadership was found on page 7: “…love is more important than casting great vision, being extremely intelligent, or even working hard for a cause. The way we look at other people is important—and when we see them through the lens of love, our capacity to lead significantly increases.”
In leadership and in life, I find Noble’s advice on listening to coaches and not critics very helpful. Noble tackles the problem we face by living in a world of technology where great numbers of people can share their opinions of us in an instant. Noble notes: “Don’t allow the voices of those who know you the least to shape you the most. (129)” Practical advice such as this can be found throughout the book.
I chose to give this book five stars on Amazon because it challenges readers to view leadership differently. Each chapter serves as an opportunity to work to develop your character and create accountability toward those you serve. I would recommend this book highly to all who are called to lead in any capacity.
[FCC Compliance: Tyndale House Publishers provided a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of this review]