Axiom: Powerful Leadership Proverbs is one of the most powerful books on church leadership I have ever read.  As defined by the author, an Axiom is a” “Leadership Proverb, a short, memorable phrase to communicate convictions and beliefs.”  Reading this book will challenge and change you and make you a MUCH better leader.

I have always been a fan of Bill Hybels, and I consider him one of my mentors.  I have attended several Leadership Summits and heard many of these Axioms before.  Much like Killing Cockroaches, Axiom is written in a very short, compact style that made it VERY easy to read and digest more easily.

There is an amazing amount of truth and wisdom held in these 76 quick, pithy leadership proverbs and if you lead in the for-profit or non-profit sectors, you would do yourself, and your organization a HUGE benefit to read, study, meditate, and teach through Axiom.

QUOTABLES

• “Whole VISIONS live or die on the basis of the words the leader chooses fo articulating that vision.”
• “You will never take big hills without making bold moves.”
• “Leaders traffic in idea creation.”
• “What you value in your [organization] must be raised up, taught about, and celebrated on a regular basis.”
• “Good leaders call out high commitment from people.”
• “Someday you will finish the assignment God has you pursuing right now…  My sincere desire is that [you] will finish well for the sake of the One who called us and sustained us all the way to the end.”
• “We are in the highest-stakes battle in existence on the broadest battlefield of engagement ever imagined.  Those we lead within the faith deserve our most competent, confident efforts.  And Christ’s instructin to reach the rest demands them.”

From the Made to Stick website:

Why do some ideas thrive while others die? And how do we improve the chances of worthy ideas? In Made to Stick, accomplished educators and idea collectors Chip and Dan Heath tackle head-on these vexing questions.

I loved Made to Stick.  Chip and Dan Heath unpacked their research in a memorable (sticky) fashion that was challenging, insightful, inspiring, and often, humorous.  In Made to Stick, they unveiled their pattern, not template, for ideas to become “sticky”.

Six “sticky” traits: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, Stories = SUCCES(s).

Chip and Dan used several real-world stories as examples of ideas that were simple and unexpected, using concrete, credible terms, drawing  upon emotions, usually by utilizing stories.  We can educate, lead, challenge, and communicate better with ideas that are as sticky as possible, and Made to Stick helps us accomplish this.

I believe that every leader should read this book.  It will help them to be better communicators and will make their teams more productive and successful.

I also believe that every pastor, small group leader, church leader, and minister should read this book.  We have the GREATEST story EVER told, the Life of Jesus, and the Bible is FULL of stories that fall right in line with their SUCCESs pattern.

A sticky idea is understood, it’s remembered, and it changes something. Sticky ideas of all kinds—ranging from the “kidney thieves” urban legend to JFK’s “Man on the Moon” speech—have six traits in common. If you make use of these traits in your communication, you’ll makeyour ideas stickier. (You don’t need all 6 [traits] to have a sticky idea, but it’s fair to say the more, the better!)

- Chip and Dan Heath, Made to Stick