Recently I read The Velvet Covered Brick: Christian Leadership in an Age of Rebellion. As you may suspect from the subtitle, this book was written in the aftermath of the 60s, when traditional notions of leadership had been tossed aside, often in favor of chaos. The author of this book, Howard E. Butt, Jr., was (and still is) a businessman and Christian leader. His book was one of the very first to advocate what later would be called servant leadership. Mr. Butt grounds his vision of leadership upon the very nature of God as Trinity. You can’t buy this book new anymore, but used copies can be found, and I highly recommend it.
One of my favorite parts of The Velvet Covered Brick comes right at the end. It reads: “When I’ve made more progress as a Christian I won’t worry whether or not you like my book.” This, I’ve got to say, is one of the most honest lines I’ve ever read in any book. I say this as an author who does indeed worry about whether people like my books or not. (My newest volume, Can We Trust the Gospels? is just now becoming available. You can pre-order it from Amazon, or buy it now from the publisher. Amazon should have it in a couple of days.)
I’m tempted to swipe Howard Butt’s honest admission for my blog as well. I could end every post with: “When I’ve made more progress as a Christian I won’t worry whether you like my blog.” (There, I just did.)