Book #13 – The Leadership Game by Tom Mullins

It may seem somewhat cliché to say that this is a book that came along with the right message at the right time. However, the contents of this book have spoken directly to where I am in my personal and ministry lives at this point.
I was introduced to Pastor, strike that, Coach Mullins at this year’s General Conference in Portland. He speaks with experience, excitement and authority on the subject of being a leader in the church and doing it as a coach. I resonate so well with this and have in fact been feeling for some time that that is the role that we should be taking as church leaders. We need to enable others to get into the game and then encourage and coach them along the way. Coach Mullins has brought these thoughts together in this book and has given me something tangible to place with how I have been feeling that God is directing.
Taking from his own personal experiences and the experience and wisdom of 8 National Championship NCAA football coaches he lays before us a plan to win in the arena of leadership. This text is useful for anyone in a leader role and transcends from sports, to the boardroom, to the tool shop to the church. I especially enjoyed the section dedicated to applying these principles to ministry. This is one of a small, but growing, number of books that I keep either directly on my desk or within easy reach to be used as a reference as I work.
At a short 150 pages this is a must read for anyone who is or aspires to become a leader of people. I am excited to apply these principles. I can imagine how the church will attack it’s mission when we realize that we are not the owner and only the coaches and players. This change of perspective alone will lead us on the path to be winners. I also have a review soon of another of his books, The Confidence Factor, which is a 31 day devotional journey. I’ll leave with the 7 coaching principles:

1. RECRUITING
2. MOTIVATION
3. MOMENTUM
4. MORALE
5. GAME PLANNING
6. GAME-DAY ADJUSTMENTS
7. CELEBRATION