Book Review: What Makes A Leader Great

Russ Crosson is a committed follower of Christ and president and CEO of Ronald Blue and Co, LLC one of the largest financial advisory firms in the U.S. provides a fresh and Biblical perspective on leadership in the marketplace and ministry. There are a plethora of resources on “How to lead” or “What a leader should do.” There seem to be very few that focus on why we lead. 

In considering why we lead, Crosson suggests a rarely heard clarion cry: we lead in order to replace ourselves. At the end of the day we are not successful leaders unless we have successors. He challenges leaders who are not actively and intentionally preparing the next generation of leaders. The most effective leaders are those that realize their mission is not about them but those that come after them. Those leaders realize that they are dispensable, so they plan ahead by training those who will one day take their place. 

At the end of the day we are not successful leaders unless we have successors.

The book provides a humble narrative with a strong biblical foundation as Crosson describes his journey to discover what makes leaders great. I think it is a particularly helpful resource to our movement in our history. As relatively new movement we are now reaching an age where several leaders and pastors are contemplating leadership transitions. This is a great resource to discover some of the dangers of not being prepared; and a fantastic tool to discover how to be more effective in preparing. In a nutshell the author is recommending preparing today even when one does not anticipate the succession plan to unfold for many years to come. 

In the context of church planting it provides a paradigm for leadership that champions the development of next generation leaders from the organization’s inception. Thus leaders and followers who become future leaders not only discover why but will also be blessed to learn more effectively “How to.” 

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