Lead Like It Matters to God

Outcomes Conference Book of the Year



Christian Book Award Finalist

Richard Stearns is a leader who has been tested as a CEO in both secular companies and also as the head of one of the world's largest Christian ministries. After stints as CEO of Parker Brothers and then Lenox, Stearns accepted the invitation to leave his corporate career to become the president of World Vision US, where he became the longest serving president in their seventy-year history. During his tenure there he implemented corporate best practices, lowering overheads while tripling revenues. His leadership in calling the American church to respond to some of the greatest crises of our time, notably the HIV and AIDS pandemic, and the global refugee crisis, challenged Christians to embrace a bold vision for compassion, mercy, and justice.

In Lead Like It Matters to God, Stearns shares the leadership principles he has learned over the course of his remarkable career. As a leader who has navigated both secular and sacred spaces, Stearns claims that the values Christian leaders embrace in their workplaces are actually more important than the results they achieve—that God is more concerned about a leader's character than a leader's success. With wisdom, wit, and biblical teaching, Stearns shares captivating stories of his life journey and unpacks seventeen crucial values that can transform leaders and their organizations. When leaders embody values such as integrity, courage, excellence, forgiveness, humility, surrender, balance, generosity, perseverance, love, and encouragement, they not only improve their witness for Christ, they also shape institutions, influence culture, improve team performance, and create healthy workplaces where people can flourish.

Through this book, Stearns will inspire a new generation of Christian leaders to boldly take their values into their workplaces to tangibly demonstrate the character of Christ, the love of Christ, and the truth of Christ as they live out their faith in full view of others.



Richard Stearns is president emeritus of World Vision US, where he served as president for twenty years, traveling more than three million miles as an advocate for the world's poor. Before leading the Christian relief and development organization, he was a corporate CEO at both Parker Brothers and Lenox. His bestselling book The Hole in Our Gospel was named the 2010 Christian Book of the Year. Among the honors Stearns received for his humanitarian service are five honorary doctoral degrees, the Julia Vadala Taft Outstanding Leadership Award from InterAction, and the Christian Leadership Alliance's highest honor. Rich and his wife, Reneé, have five adult children and six grandchildren, and live in Bellevue, Washington.

Introduction


1. Leadership Changes the World: Joining the Revolution


2. The Plans I Have For You: A Bit of Autobiography


3. Surrender: Not My Will but Thy Will


4. Sacrifice: Career Suicide


5. Trust: He's Got This


6. Excellence: It's How You Play the Game


7. Love: What's Love Got to Do With It?


8. Humility: The Executive Toilet


9. Integrity: Who You Are When No One Is Watching


10. Vision: Seeing a Better Tomorrow


11. Courage: Do Not Be Afraid


12. Generosity (Greedlessness): The Toxicity of Money


13. Forgiveness: I'm Sorry


14. Self-Awareness: Know Thyself


15. Balance: All Work and No Play


16. Humor: If We Don't Laugh, We'll Cry


17. Encouragement: Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant


18. Perseverance: Hang in There


19. Listening: Bees Do It


20. Taking God to Work


Postscript


Acknowledgments


Notes