There are ample leadership books to choose from as you look to improve your leadership skills. However, sometimes the many choices are overwhelming, and as leaders, we are still determining where to begin. Cultivate Leadership Institute (CLI) is aware that leadership starts by caring for our souls, and from that, we can then care well for those we lead. CLI’s process is designed to cultivate your soul, develop your character, and enhance your leadership skills, helping you discover your unique God-given purpose. Leadership books that focus on nurturing the soul offer more than strategies for managing teams—they help leaders cultivate inner strength, emotional intelligence, and a sense of purpose. Here are a few essential reads that develop leadership skills and help you take care of your soul:
1. Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry
Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley Barton offers a profound approach to leadership by focusing on the inner spiritual life of leaders. Drawing from the life of Moses, Barton emphasizes the need for leaders to retreat into solitude and silence to reflect, pray, and deepen their relationship with God. This inner work helps leaders navigate the pressures and demands of leadership with wisdom and humility. Barton also highlights the importance of self-awareness, discernment, and soul care, showing that sustainable, authentic leadership begins by nurturing one's own spiritual health, enabling leaders to serve others with greater integrity and strength.
Find the book here.
2. The Way of the Heart: The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers
The Way of the Heart by Henri Nouwen guides leaders in nurturing their inner spiritual life, emphasizing solitude, silence, and prayer as essential practices for soul care. Nouwen highlights the importance of disconnecting from the busyness of leadership to reconnect with God and one's inner self. The book encourages leaders to lead from a place of spiritual depth and wholeness.
Find the book here.
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3. The Emotionally Healthy Leader: How Transforming Your Inner Life Will Deeply Transform Your Church, Team, and the World
The Emotionally Healthy Leader by Peter Scazzero emphasizes the connection between emotional health and spiritual well-being in leadership. Scazzero argues that effective, sustainable leadership flows from a leader's commitment to caring for their own soul, and focusing on personal transformation before leading others. He highlights practices such as embracing limits, cultivating a Sabbath rhythm, and developing emotional awareness. These help leaders avoid burnout and lead with integrity. Leaders can foster greater self-awareness and emotional maturity by addressing unresolved emotional issues and committing to spiritual disciplines like silence and prayer, enabling them to lead with authenticity, compassion, and resilience.
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4. Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation
Invitation to a Journey by M. Robert Mulholland Jr. guides leaders through the lifelong process of spiritual growth, emphasizing that leadership begins with the transformation of the soul. Mulholland introduces spiritual disciplines such as prayer, meditation, and scripture reading as essential practices for deepening one’s relationship with God and developing Christlikeness. The book stresses the importance of self-awareness and surrender, helping leaders confront their own brokenness and rely on God's grace. By fostering habits of reflection and spiritual discipline, leaders can cultivate a grounded and authentic inner life, enabling them to serve others with humility and love.
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5. Lead Like Jesus Revisited: Lessons from the Greatest Leadership Role Model of All Time
Lead Like Jesus Revisited by Ken Blanchard, Phil Hodges, and Phyllis Hendry emphasizes the importance of following Jesus' example to become effective and compassionate leaders. The book encourages leaders to prioritize heart transformation, focusing on humility, service, and love. It emphasizes that leadership starts with caring for the soul through a personal relationship with God, grounding leadership in faith. Essential practices include prayer, reflection, and surrendering personal ego to embrace servant leadership. By modeling Jesus' example, leaders can cultivate integrity, authenticity, and resilience, leading others with a spirit of humility and grace while nurturing their own spiritual health and well-being.
Find the book here.
