Rating: 
Summary: Next Gen Review
Review: The last section, section 5 on character, was the most encouraging part of the book. Andy's advice about character development, the condition of the heart, and compromising the principles of God are right on. "But still the truth remains: There is never a reason to violate the principles of God in order to maintain the blessings of God"(Page 147) is a truth all Christian in leadership or not should live by. I did struggle with a few issues in the book.
Equally as important, also, is the purpose of leadership. This seemed to be left out or vaguely touch upon at the very end of the book. "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" MT 5:16 Focusing on competencies, having courage, clarity, coaching, and certainly character are all essential elements in being a good leader, but we should always keep in mind why we have been called into leadership in the first place. I hesitate at the notion of a leadership methodology that does not begin with the clear objective of glorifying God in Christ, as its foundational principle. In Thomas Schreiner's book; Paul: Apostle of God's Glory in Christ, he writes this about Paul, "Magnifying God in Christ was the animating principle of Paul's life and the foundational principle of his theology."(Downers Grove: Inter Varsity Press, 2001) p. 37))Paul was just as much a leader as he was a missionary, church planter, and theologian; and if "Magnifying God in Christ was the animating principle of Paul's life" then it should certainly be the animating principle in an aspiring Christian leader life.
Rating: 
Summary: Best book I've ever read on leadership
Review: The Next Generation Leader has broad appeal in a secular environment because of the value these leadership principles offer in a business setting. But keep in mind, that as a minister, Stanley uses numerous references to Biblical stories interspersed throughout the book. So if you are offended by those who speak openly about spiritual applications in their everyday life, whether at work or anywhere else, this book is not for you.But it has enormous value in a secular environment. In our multi-billion dollar company, we are using it as the basis for a five session discussion series sponsored by one of our executive officers. This book would be an excellent resource for use in formal leadership development programs or informally by mentoring teams. Both mentors and those they coach will get plenty of value from it...guaranteed! I've shared it with numerous colleagues. If they didn't have time to read the whole book, they got most of the book's meaty content from its five-page introduction and the outstanding one-page summaries at the end of each three-chapter sections. There are five sections in all, each focused on what Stanley describes as a leadership "essential." Following this abbreviated approach to the book can be accomplished in just ten pages--an outstanding summary. The book is a quick read that you will want to review and RE-READ over and over again. It is more than a primer for aspiring leaders; it's also a blueprint for older leaders to review and refocusing on the fundamental attributes that made them successful. The greatest disappointment regarding the book is that the publisher shortchanged readers by not providing sufficient space for margin notes. This is a book that will cause you to not only underline passage after passage, but, if you're like me, you'll want to jot observations down and write a personal commentary along beside the text.
Rating: 
Summary: One size fits all leadership book - to narrow of a view.
Review: This book was written for and by Andy Stanley, which he readily admits.
I liked most of what I read, but that becuase my style of leading tends to be like Andy Stanley except his narrow view of who is and is not a leader. This book will be most helpful for those who are like Andy Stanley. If you don't lead like him, you will probably feel disconnected from this book. Although, he shares somes general essentials that are important they are defintely not the 5 most important. He was right on with Character and Competency(strength-based leading) as foundational pieces. However, his other three essentials are good, but he focused these on one style of leadership. I know that the next generation of leader is more diverse than the Charismatic style leader that is all to often upheld as the example. His language is biased toward men and I never notice that kind of stuff. Read this book with an engaged mind and don't just copy his ideas but translate his principles into what works from your strength-based leadership style. I recommend Erwin McManus's "Revolution of a Soul" for character work.
I recommend "Connecting" by J. Robert Clinton for a broader understanding of mentorship and coaching. Although I really like Stanley's defintion and ideas about coaching, but that is my type of mentoring.
Rating:
Summary: Leadership 101
Review: This is a good introductory text to some basic concepts on leadership. Stanley does a good job of synthesizing good leadership theory from John Maxwell and others. Strengths of this books include how much Stanley focuses on character (the true measure of any leader) and how as a leader you should focus on what you are good at. One book I would recommend if you want to go deeper on the topics Stanley discusses, would be, "The Making Of A Leader" by J.Robert Clinton from Fuller Seminary. Stanley leads a very successful church in the Atlanta area and practices what he preaches. He knows what he is good at, and works from there. He could have flushed out what more about what leaders look like, how we can lead from the front or the back of the room, etc. Still a good book regardless. Stanley also focuses on knowing your inner "man" which seems to be a bit gender exclusive, but does not invalidate this as a good leadership text. Overall this is a good, solid leadership book. B Joseph Dworak
Rating: 
Summary: Good / Practical
Review: This is a good introductory text to some basic concepts on leadership. Stanley does a good job of synthesizing good leadership theory from John Maxwell and others. Strengths of this books include how much Stanley focuses on character (the true measure of any leader) and how as a leader you should focus on what you are good at. One book I would recommend if you want to go deeper on the topics Stanley discusses, would be, "The Making Of A Leader" by J.Robert Clinton from Fuller Seminary. Stanley leads a very successful church in the Atlanta area and practices what he preaches. He knows what he is good at, and works from there. He could have flushed out what more about what leaders look like, how we can lead from the front or the back of the room, etc. Still a good book regardless. Stanley also focuses on knowing your inner "man" which seems to be a bit gender exclusive, but does not invalidate this as a good leadership text. Overall this is a good, solid leadership book. B Joseph Dworak
Rating:
Summary: A Great And Inpiring Short Read
Review: This is a great little book on Leadership. The section on "Courage" was worth the price of the book. I can almost guarantee that if you read this book you would not at all be disappointed. It is packed with great insight and ideas that are packaged well. I not only learned I was inspired.
Rating:
Summary: A Great And Inpiring Short Read
Review: This is a great little book on Leadership. The section on "Courage" was worth the price of the book. I can almost guarantee that if you read this book you would not at all be disappointed. It is packed with great insight and ideas that are packaged well. I not only learned I was inspired.
Rating:
Summary: A Great And Inpiring Short Read
Review: This is a great little book on Leadership. The section on "Courage" was worth the price of the book. I can almost guarantee that if you read this book you would not at all be disappointed. It is packed with great insight and ideas that are packaged well. I not only learned I was inspired.
Rating:
Summary: Says a few things very well
Review: This is not a comprehensive book on Leadership, and should not be reviewed from such a standard. Stanley is a rather youngish mega-church minister, who has learned a thing or two--and he explains them extremely well. He starts by arguing that many leaders are far too busy doing nonessential stuff. Many have stated this obvious concept before, but this author explains the situation persuasively, and offers practical steps for abandoning scheduling chaos.
The profound insight offered by Next Generation Leaders is that the future is never certain. Great leaders are able to chart a clear, persuasive course, based on unchanging principles. Execution must be flexible, but guiding principles are etched in stone. Again, for some, these are not new ideas. Yet, the author has presented his solutions clearly, with poignant anecdotes.
Bottom-line: This is a short easy read, offering a few sharp insights into Christian leadership. It is most suited for younger leaders, and those who have not fed on a steady diet of leadership readings.
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