Miller on the Basics of Leadership

As I’ve mentioned before, Jack Miller’s book The Heart of a Servant Leader is one of the most meaningful books I’ve ever read. If you appreciate the ministry of Tim Keller, then you will likewise appreciate Miller. He has the same gospel bent, the same ability to apply the implications of the gospel in a way that helps you on the spot.

Most Sundays, I’m going to post something here from the book – not enough that it will replace actually reading a book or get me in trouble; just enough to make you want to get the book.

Miller’s daughter Barbara Miller Juliani writes:

As you read through these pages, you will notice that Jack’s mentoring did not start with planning, organizational strategies, or practical tips on how to run a successful Christian ministry and/or live a successful Christian life. Although his letters are full of such advice, he didn’t believe that those were the most important things..

He found that, in his own life, leadership with a servant attitude could only come from a heart that was changed by an encounter with God…So many (if not all) of these letters come back to the same theme of having your heart changed by understanding the gospel and then living a life of humility, faith, and prayer. He thought that these were the basics of Christian leadership; any planning and organization had to come after the leader’s heart had been humbled by God. (p.13)