At 26, I am a young leader. A significant portion of the team that I serve is at least a few years older than me, and yet it is my responsibility to provide guidance, direction, and support to them. I won’t pretend that I am smarter, wiser, or more qualified than than they are. In fact, I sometimes look to them for guidance and advice on how to effectively lead.

One of my goals is to become a better leader, specifically a better leader of volunteers, as nearly everyone on my team is a volunteer or unpaid staff. I asked leadership development guru Mac Lake what resources he would recommend, and he mentioned two books: The Volunteer Revolution by Bill Hybels and Leadership and the One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard. I haven’t had a chance to read these yet, but since Mac recommended them, they’re a pretty safe bet.

I’d add two books of my own to the list. The first is Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley. I reviewed it last year when I first read it and recently picked it back up to re-read it. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read. The second is The One Minute Manager by Drs. Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson. I read it by accident, thinking it was the book that Mac had recommended, but nonetheless, I can say that it has some helpful advice and will be reviewing it shortly.

What resources would you recommend to a young leader?

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1. Catalyst Session 2 – William Paul Young