Article:
Leadership from the Inside Out:
Examining the Inner Life of a Healthy Church Leader
 By Kevin Harney
Kevin G. Harney is the Teaching Pastor and Evangelism Champion at Faith Church in Dyer, Indiana and Central Wesleyan Church in Holland, MI. He's also on the Teaching Team of the campus ministry at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI. He's also the author of Seismic Shifts: The Little Changes that Make a BIG Difference in Your Life, John: An Intimate Look at the Savior, Ephesians: Bringing Heaven to Earth, and co-author of the Willow Creek Interactions small group series, the Willow Creek New Community series, the Old Testament Challenge series, and Finding a Church You Can Love and Loving the Church You've Found.
Q: With all the leadership books already on the shelf, what prompted you to write another one?
A: I love leadership books, but would have never written another one if it was going to focus on best business practice, methods for leadership, or even biblical guidelines for effective leadership. There are already plenty of great books to help leaders as they develop these skills. I wrote this book because I saw a glaring gap in one particular area of leadership development -- the inner life of a leader.
I began writing this book after being profoundly struck by the reality that scores of gifted and well trained leaders were crashing. Men and women who have read the books, been to the conferences, and learned the skills are dropping out of ministry not because of a lack of ability, but because of a problem on the inside.
Q: How do you hope this book will impact leaders?
A: My prayer is that Leadership From the Inside Out will help people discover that they can lead for a lifetime if they will develop two simple disciplines: First, the practice of doing consistent and humble self-examination of their soul. Second, that they develop a courageous commitment to letting others keep them accountable and speak the truth to them.
The missing piece in leadership today is a passionate and tenacious dedication to growing our inner life. As we do this, our outer leadership becomes a reflection of a deep connection with God. It flows naturally from who we are in Christ.
Q: Is there a key image or picture that carries through the book?
A: Yes, I have personally dealt with minor forms of skin cancer for the past decade. My dermatologist has taught me that doing weekly self-exams can save my life! Also, that I need to have my wife "watch my back" and make sure I am aware of any problems that develop in places I simply can't see.
This image of regular self-exams and letting someone else point out potential problems carries through the book -- on a spiritual level. As a matter of fact, each chapter addresses a distinct part of a leader's inner-life, using the imagery of a body. For instance one chapter deals with the leader’s heart, and the focus is on how we love others. Another chapter keys in on the leader's libido and how we need to understand and harness our sexual desires. I even have a chapter on the leader's funny bone and talk about the need to experience joy and laughter -- you get the idea.
Q: How do you hope this book will be used?
A: My prayer is that leadership teams, church boards, Sunday School volunteers, and all sorts of leadership groups will walk through this together. I do believe it will be a valuable tool for individuals, but I hope that teams of leaders will let this book help forge a new level of mutual accountability and love.
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