Leading by Story: Rethinking Church Leadership

by Vaughan S. Roberts, David Sims

Overview

• Taps into an important and polemical debate within the Church in the UK and US, about applying ideas from the world of leadership and management to Christian ministry, offering a unique qualitative and ‘storied’ approach • Vaughan S. Roberts is a well networked and prolific speaker on the subject • A practical application of the popular turn towards ‘narrative theology’

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780334055471
Publisher:	Hymns Ancient & Modern
Publication date:	09/29/2017
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.37(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Vaughan S. Roberts is Team Rector of Warwick and Vicar of the historic Collegiate Church of St Mary. He has served a variety of local churches in the dioceses of Guildford, Bath & Wells and Coventry whilst also being a hospice and university chaplain, vocations adviser and director of ordinands. As well as degrees in biblical studies and theology he has a PhD in organisational behaviour and management from the University of Bath.

David Sims is Emeritus Professor of Organizational Behaviour, Cass Business School, City, University of London. He worked for 20 years as Research Fellow, Lecturer and Senior Lecturer at the University of Bath. He has been a visiting professor at the Stockholm School of Economics, and has also worked for the National University of Singapore, Brunel University, where he was the founding Head of the School of Business and Management, and more recently City, University of London, where he has been Associate Dean for MBA Programmes at Cass Business School and then the Head of the Faculty of Management

Table of Contents

1. What Is Leadership? 2. Leading the Stories and Storying the Leading 3. Stories and Identities: Story, Character and Becoming 4. Living in Multiple Stories 5. Who Owns the Story? 6. Church Narratives: Interpretive Stories 7. Church Narratives: Identity Stories 8. Church Narratives: Improvised Stories 9. Curating Congregational Stories in a Tick Box Church? Conclusion: Ten Ideas for Leading by Story in Churches

Editorial Reviews

Leadership is not much of a New Testament word whereas discipleship, or followership, is. Churches are keen on 'servant leadership'. So, too, is business. To say what it means we tell stories. Leading by Story provides excellent thought leadership in what has become disputed territory. It is informative, subtle, insightful and wise. It recognises the importance of leaders who love as well as the significance of context and community.

Nicholas Holtam

"...Vaughan Roberts and David Sims have given us a real gem – a book of treasures that will gestate within us as we ponder the ways in which stories lead our thinking and action. This is a great book, full of richness and wisdom from leading thinkers in contemporary Anglican ministry.

Martyn Percy

Against the current trend of lionizing heroic leadership, the authors have sought to offer a view of gentler, more collective account of leadership built around stories that explore, evolve, unite and inspire. They have succeeded brilliantly. Their book addresses mainly leadership in religious organizations but it should be read by everyone interested in understanding how leadership, once stripped of its pseudo-heroic qualities, can be exercised effectively by sharing stories. The book, full of rich stories from the authors’ own experiences, will also delight and inspire every scholar and practitioner who loves organizational storytelling and stories in general.

Yiannis Gabriel

‘This absorbing book sets out to bring the category of story into the centre of debates about church leadership. The authors succeed admirably in this with a study that is lucid, persuasive and enjoyable. If people follow stories rather than leaders, here is a rich story well worth pursuing.’

John Pritchard

This is a fresh look at leadership, challenging old models of heroic individualistic approaches and advocating forward looking collaborative leadership. It’s inspired by stories which aid decision making!

Caroline Spelman