By Joseph J. Bucci ——Bio and Archives--August 3, 2024

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It seems that hardly a week passes where a new leadership trade publication comes hot off the presses. According to two sources, each year approximately 4.8 billion leadership books are written (Francis, 2023; Carlson, 2020). Ten years ago, a notable business consulting company wrote that US companies alone spend almost $14 billion annually on leadership development (Gurdjian, Halbeisen, and Lane, 2014). And yet, there is still a scarcity of leaders (Amdur, 2023; Rosebush, 2012).

Huizing (2011) cites Beeley and Britton (2009) describing the surge of interest in leadership theory as a recognition of the absence of real leadership in both the church and in society. Even in Scripture, the Lord of Heaven searches for someone with the heart to lead His people (1 Samuel 13:14). In the church in particular, each generation produces new problems and with them opportunities for a new group of leaders to guide and come alongside their congregations (Beeley and Britton, 2009). And yet, there is still a scarcity of leaders (Amdur, 2023; Rosebush, 2012).

Originally, in the development of management science, leadership and management were two sides of the same coin. Management theory considered the five functions of management, and leadership was not even mentioned separately (Fayol, 2013). It was never meant to be a........

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