Formed to Lead - by Jason Jensen (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Grow in Your Leadership Calling Through the Example of Jesus

Discover the profound impact of spirituality on leadership with Formed to Lead, a compelling exploration of how the Holy Spirit shapes effective leaders. Guided by Jason Jensen, a seasoned leader in spiritual foundations, Formed to Lead takes you through an inspiring narrative that bridges divine guidance and practical leadership.

You'll uncover the nature of Christian leadership by examining Jesus' leadership in Luke 3-4. Each chapter offers insights into the temptations of leadership, learning humility through discipleship, and encountering God in vulnerability. With group Bible studies and discussion questions, it's perfect for individuals or groups seeking a deeper and more faith-driven approach to leadership.

Formed to Lead shows leaders how to:

• examine how a combination of tender humility and bold faith enhance faithful Christian leadership
• explore the connection between spiritual discipline and strong leadership qualities
• learn strategies to overcome common leadership challenges by drawing from Jesus' example
• discern the Holy Spirit's movement in your own growth and in your leadership calling
• reflect on personal leadership journeys through guided discussion questions

Ideal for readers of Ruth Haley Barton and Henri Nouwen, Formed to Lead is a guide for aspiring leaders committed to following Jesus' example. Join a community of like-minded individuals who are reshaping leadership through spirituality. Transform your approach and lead with humility, character, integrity, and discernment by reading Formed to Lead.

Review Quotes

"Every emerging and seasoned leader needs to read and put this book into practice! In Formed to Lead, Jason Jensen invites us into an honest journey of evaluating our foundations and vision for spiritual leadership and considering Jesus' countercultural leadership model. Formed to Lead is a timely call for spiritual leaders to continually be yielded and formed as lifelong disciples of Jesus who are able to fight the good fight, keep the faith, and finish the race well!"

--Thai Lam, executive director of Revival is Family Foundation and director of Collegiate Day of Prayer

"It is a rare gift that a person succeeds in writing a book that so accurately associates with their own life. But that is what Jason Jensen has done here. The subtitle alone has the four words that I would use to describe the man I know him to be. Jason has written a book born from his life of integral formation over decades of faithful discipleship and fruitful leadership. His work is full of examples that are true, practices that form and transform, and deep explorations of Scripture Jason has lived, prayed, and synthesized."

--Brian M. Wallace, suffragan bishop for the Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others

"There's a single line in this book that is brilliant. Easy to write, hard to accept, and even harder to live out: 'The most important thing about you is not what you do, but who you are.' Jason Jensen's encouragement to consecration sets it apart from most skill- and strategy-oriented books on leadership."

--Chris Lema, CEO of Motivation Code

"This deeply thoughtful, gently crafted book is for those with a deep longing for spiritual depth in their leadership that expands beyond airport platitudes and 'read in 10 min' leadership books. Jason Jensen is a seasoned, deeply trustworthy leader and spiritual guide. He creates a spacious place for complex questions and introduces renewed spiritual practices to address challenges like calling, discernment, and character. Jensen provides guideposts that point to the dynamic but always grace-filled ways that God works in and through leaders."

--Nikki Toyama-Szeto, executive director of Christians for Social Action

"When the church in the West lapsed into business models for leadership development, leader formation in the image of Christ lapsed right along with it. Jason Jensen offers a corrective rooted in the formation of Jesus himself. Exercises invite readers to follow the way of Jesus as disciples in community. While primarily Western and evangelical in theology and tone, practices also include walking the labyrinth and praying with icons. I recommend this book to pastors and leaders seeking to set aside business modalities and instead renew their identity as followers of Jesus called to lead."

--Barbara Ettinger, executive associate superintendent and Serve Clergy coaching project manager for the Evangelical Covenant Church

"In a world where spiritual formation and character are often divorced from leadership, this book is timely. Filled with practical exercises and prayers and grounded in Scripture and decades of experience, Jason Jensen's book invites us on a rich journey of formation--to reflect, listen, and discern. A must-read for any leader wanting to grow in his/her own discipleship and intimacy with God!"

--Tom Lin, president and CEO of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA

"Jason Jensen's life and leadership have been marked by attentiveness to Scripture and spiritual disciplines, prayer and people, sabbath and sacrament. The pages of Formed to Lead are rich in wisdom and uncommonly practical application borne out of that sustained attentiveness. Enter into these pages, engage in the practices, and prayerfully apply what you encounter to your own leadership and spiritual formation."

--Jeff Crosby, author of The Language of the Soul and World of Wonders

"Leaders ignore their inner lives at great peril. This rich book, rooted in the Gospel of Luke, takes readers on a pilgrimage of self-reflection and spiritual formation. It explores--through a variety of church traditions--how building integrity, humility, and discernment fosters both personal centeredness and spiritual authority."

--Alec Hill, president emeritus of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA

"Formed to Lead challenges the conventional pursuit of leadership, inviting us instead to embrace the deeper invitation of Christ. Grounded in Scripture and rich with practical insight, this transformative guide reminds us that leadership is not about striving but surrender--recognizing that the work is the Lord's and that true effectiveness flows from intimacy with him. When leadership becomes an overflow of the Spirit within us, we experience a profound unburdening, anchored in the integrity of our true identity and purpose."

--Andrew Ginsberg, president of Operation Mobilization USA

"Jason Jensen understands--and exemplifies--the truth that our leadership can never outpace our formation. Through a masterful blend of Scripture, timeless wisdom from church history, personal authenticity, and practical, adaptable practices, Formed to Lead offers fresh hope and new imagination to leaders hungry for all God has for them--and those they serve."

--Kara Powell, chief of leadership formation at Fuller Seminary and coauthor of Future-Focused Church