Bill Hybel is a strong leader and an effective communicator. In fact, these may be his greatest contribution to the contemporary church. His 2011 book Axiom: Powerful Leadership Proverbs touches on both of these topics (they’re closely related) and is a great resource for leaders serving in a church or ministry setting.
I like to think of the book as a leadership devotional. It’s a series of short proverbs (1-2 pages) that are grouped into four content areas:
- Vision and strategy
- Teamwork and communication
- Activity and assessment
- Personal integrity
Each of these is a critical area for professional development among clergy yet most of these receive little to no treatment in seminary classes and in continuing education.
Here’s what I liked about Axiom:
- It’s bite-sized. Hybels packs a lot of content into few words. A short 1-2 pages can deliver enough content to reflect on for days.
- It’s experience-based. He writes out of his own experience and therefore is autobiographical.
- It’s church-focused. Hybels writes as a church leader for church leaders–there’s little to no translation necessary.
If you’re a ministry leader, I recommend Axiom.
Jeff Gissing 