BOOK REVIEW: Heathy Leadership for Thriving Organizations (by Justin A. Irving)
Review by Daniel R. Sick, PhD Candidate, School of Bible & Ministry, LBC Capital Seminary, Lancaster, PA.
Organizational leadership is so complex and has so many nuances that a comprehensive resource would almost have to look like an encyclopedia. Many elements come into play in organizational leadership, like strategic planning, goal setting, team management, conflict management, leading through change, and communication – to name just a few. In fact, many authors of leadership books choose to focus only on one or possibly two areas if the second element directly influences the first. One example of this approach is John Kotter's classic on change management. However, in his book Healthy Leadership for Thriving Organizations, Justin Irving attempts to touch on all the critical elements of organizational leadership and manages to give enough information in each chapter so that a reader can create an environment that fosters a thriving organization.
The book is divided into four parts. Naturally, the book's first part defines organizational leadership, and the wisdom leaders must display to create an environment where people can thrive. Irving says that God encourages humans to organize the world and govern over it, which means that they can manage it in a way that will allow them to flourish within His creation. Since the fall described in Genesis 3 has corrupted this privilege or responsibility, restoring a thriving environment is vital. The author utilizes the first two chapters to slowly lead through the stages required to reestablish such an environment, including the need for Jesus Christ and his work. In Irving's understanding, Jesus and his ways are the ultimate path to a flourishing life. Towards the end of chapter two, the author distinguishes that a thriving organization is not merely one that does well but one in which people can flourish as initially intended in the creation.
Soon, it becomes clear that a leader's character is vital to creating such an environment. Irving dedicates two chapters in his second part to define such a leader's character through self-leadership. However, the author focuses less on self-leadership actions than on the person's integrity. As he moves through the chapters, he dives deeper and deeper into the topic of character, reaching the point where he emphasizes that character and self-leadership are a matter of the heart. Even here, he goes deeper by introducing the need for the gospel and the effect of the gospel on the heart. From this relationship with God, the leader will now be able to develop character, integrity, and a humble heart, thus having a leadership style that equips and develops other people. Interestingly, while the author dedicates an entire chapter to the actions of self-leadership, he finishes by saying that being is more important than acting. Ultimately, organizational leadership requires both good actions and a humble, honest heart with integrity.
Once the leader is sound in his commitment and character, Irving uses the book's third part to discuss creating a team that supports the organization's mission and culture. Irving recognizes that a good and healthy team will eventually always contribute to a healthy and prosperous organization. Once a team has been formed, equipping the team for the tasks is equally important. By quoting a well-known saying, "Train people well enough so that they can leave; treat them well enough so that they don't want to." (98), Irving emphasizes that mistakes and grace should be part of the team environment. He then states that while any team can have a different emphasis or strategy, such as problem-solving or strategy planning, healthy teams always align everything they do with the organization's mission and vision.
Only once the readers have been led through the process of defining the organization's identity, establishing the leader's role in the organization, and then setting the expectations for the team does the book progress to four specific leadership practices. These four elements fill the remainder of the book.
In very practical steps and with deep insight, Irving crafts this second half of the book in a way that any reader can use these chapters as a how-to reference to creating a thriving organization. Chapter seven is dedicated to the topic of clear communication that generates conviction. First, a leader must be clear in communicating his convictions and intentions. Then, he must also ensure that he creates an environment where everyone involved in the organization displays clarity and conviction in their everyday communications. In chapter eight, Irving dives deep into an organization's why, what, where, who, and how. The purpose must be clear (why). The mission must be pursued (what). A strategy must be crafted (how). Values and beliefs must be unmistakably defined (who). And the Vision of where the organization will be in the future must be embraced. The last two chapters of the book address the topics of change. While chapter nine emphasizes the necessity of change due to crisis, chapter ten embraces the voluntary notion of planning change due to an ever-changing environment.
While Irving places his definition of organizational leadership at the beginning of the book, it will serve well as a summary of what makes healthy leadership for thriving organizations. He states, "Faithful and effective organizational stewards, motivated by an abiding purpose, are those who strategically align and deploy human and organizational resources in fulfillment of an organization's mission, in a manner consistent with and shaped by the beliefs and values of the organization" (9).
It is fascinating to see how the author crafts a comprehensive view of organizational leadership, using three primary sources for the book's content. His argumentation for using these three sources is simple: Leadership requires wisdom from a pool of sources rather than one individual. For this reason, Irving relies heavily on research, interviewing several hundred high-level leaders, such as CEOs and presidents of organizations and leaders of various churches. He implements their voices in each chapter, stressing the importance of the point being made and thus inviting them to speak about their view on the topic. And while, at times, these voices seem to be repetitive, citing the same thing just from a different person, the repetition also points to the importance of a specific truth. It is fair to say that these snippets of leadership wisdom enhance the conversation, and one is drawn in to learn more.
The second source for the author's argumentation is biblical teachings, wisdom, and stories on leadership. Irving doesn't hide the fact that the teachings and stories found in the Bible speak directly to the organizational leadership elements relevant in today's time. At the same time, it is worth mentioning that he does not overload the book with biblical principles and quotes directly from the Bible. In a sense, it feels like the Bible is one of the many voices Irving pulls into his arguments on the different topics, gleaning yet another snippet of wisdom from God's Word.
The third source is Irving's own experience and work as an administrator and professor at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and then as chair and professor of the Department of Leadership and Discipleship at Duke K. McCall at Southern Seminary. His rich knowledge and understanding of the topic shine throughout the book. However, at no point does the book give the impression of a one-size-fits-all approach created through the lens of only one author. On the contrary, the book invites any reader to implement the combined wisdom, truths, tools, and principles from all the different sources into each reader's leadership environment.
What impresses me most is the integration of many different sources, the implementation of the survey participants' voices, and the inclusion of truths from Christian and non-Christian leaders. The author cites many pastoral or Christian organization leaders. Yet, he also mentions political leaders like George W. Bush when faced with crisis management in light of the attack on the World Trade Center. Furthermore, the author recommends several additional books recognizing the need for a deeper understanding of specific topics.
Each chapter wraps up with an invitation to reflect upon the content. These several pages-long recommendations are not merely a chapter summary but offer in-depth action steps to implement the chapter's wisdom. Over and over, I realized how well-written the book is, as it considers biblical truths, scientific information, and knowledge that has been published through other books. These wrap-up sections towards the end are convenient since they sum up the book's information in a few sentences but also contain reflective questions that are very practical for anyone working through the book trying to implement the truth presented.
Irving's simplification of Kotter's change model in chapter ten is worth mentioning separately. By no means does Irving disregard the well-established model of John Kotter, yet in an attempt to make the change process planning easier, Irving uses CHANGE as an acronym for his approach to change management. In his model, Irving encourages a change leader to (1) Create a vision-based urgency, (2) Harness a guided coalition to a Vision, (3) Align the majority to the Vision, (4) Navigate the course of the Vision, (5) Galvanize the Vision through routine, and (6) Establish a Culture of visionary change (203). Anyone familiar with Kotter's model will see that the steps are very similar; however, the acronym makes it easier to memorize the order of the change process and thus apply the steps.
Overall, the book is a near-comprehensive toolbox for any organizational leader. At times, the sheer amount of wisdom conveyed can seem overwhelming. A lot of information is packed into the 215 pages of the book. But then again, a good toolbox contains all the tools, but a craftsman only focuses on using one or two tools at a time. I recommend first listening to the audio version of the book to gain a general understanding of what a thriving organization needs. After getting a birdseye view, it is time to dive into each chapter. The book is written so readers can skip to chapters on areas needing attention. However, I do recommend working through each chapter as outlined, ensuring that the right mindset is applied (part 1), the leader is up for the challenge (part 2), and the team is adequately equipped (part 3) to approach the day-to-day tasks or organizational leadership (part 4) with enthusiasm. Any leader who approaches this book with the mindset of using it as a workbook for creating a healthy organization will eventually end up with an organization that thrives.
