on leading from the bottom up…
Upside-Down Leadership by Taylor Field
I received this book as an uncorrected, unformatted digital proof, so some of what I say here, will probably be reflective of that format, and I’ll assume many of the issues I came across due to grammatical, typographical, and clarity concerns have been resolved. Unfortunately, the nature of publishing these days proves that assumption inaccurate but still, I’ll offer the benefit of the doubt and try to overlook that aspect of the book.
Now, onto the content itself… Upside-Down Leadership attempts to apply the counter-cultural teachings of Jesus to leadership principles. There are a number of quotable points throughout the book that I highlighted in my Kindle and the overarching thesis is hard to argue with from a Christian perspective. The truth of the matter is that Jesus did teach a different method, ultimately a different perspective on life. Success in God’s Kingdom means something entirely different than success in this world.
Field’s principles do read as counterintuitive, especially against the backdrop of most modern leadership guidelines. For instance, “Think inside the box” and “Get off the cutting edge,” two concepts that run full in the face of conventional wisdom. In a world that praises constant motion, continuous grasping for the next rung, and the endless search for the “next big thing,” Field encourages us to stand still, take a deep breathe, and be content with what we have. All of which, I agree with, but these principles only make sense in the context of eternity.
Overall, I largely agree with the book’s thesis, though I will caution, it’s presented more conceptually than practically. And, at least my version took some significant concentration to bridge the gaps where editing was absent (at times, it felt as though I was reading the book upside down), so I imagine some of that remains. It’s still a good book to read and ponder.
peace… love… bdg…
