Clark - Around the table: practical advice for effective women leaders

People who write leadership books need to first lead in some significant setting. Linda Clark has done thatmaking a profound difference training womens ministry leaders across the United States. Over the years, shes received hundreds of questions about womens ministry. Linda has compiled her answers in this practical guide to answer your real-life questions about womens ministry. Read it, apply it, and increase your effectiveness as a leader.

JEFF IORG, president, Gateway Seminary

In Around the Table: Practical Advice for Effective Women Leaders, Linda Clark offers useful and timely advice for women in leadership. As Linda shares from her own experiences, readers will feel as if they are sitting down, having a cup of coffee, and discussing some of the top issues that women in leadership face. They will be encouraged and equipped to lead in a godly and effective way in whatever leadership role they may find themselves.

ALLISON KINION, director of womens missions and ministry,
State Convention of Baptists in Indiana

Around the Table reveals a long-time leaders great passion for encouraging and equipping other leaders. Linda writes conversationally and clearly; and the question-and-answer format flows well. There is much practical advice in Around the Tableit will be a helpful resource for every womans leadership library.

GARY YOCHUM, ministry coordinator,
Southeastern Indiana Baptist Association

of multiple practical checklists and guides, enabling individualized application of newfound leadership principles. Around the Table helps meet the call for men and women to be biblical leaders in our world today.

MICHAEL B. MCCULLOUGH, interim executive director,
California Southern Baptist Convention

Around the Table

OTHER NEW HOPE BOOKS BY

Dr. Linda M. Clark

5 Leadership Essentials for Women:
Developing Your Ability to Make Things Happen

Found Treasures:
Discovering Your Worth in Unexpected Places

Awaken the Leader in You:
10 Life Essentials for Women in Leadership

PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR EFFECTIVE WOMEN LEADERS

Around the Table

DR. LINDA M. CLARK

New Hope Publishers

PO Box 12065

Birmingham, AL 35202-2065

NewHopePublishers.com

New Hope Publishers is a division of WMU.

2017 by Linda M. Clark

All rights reserved. First printing 2017.

Printed in the United States of America.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout the prior written permission of the publisher.

New Hope Publishers serves its authors as they express their views, which may not express the views of the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Clark, Linda, 1944- author.

Title: Around the table : practical advice for effective women leaders / Linda M. Clark.

Description: First [edition]. | Birmingham : New Hope Publishers, 2017.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017012768 | ISBN 9781625915290 (permabind)

Subjects: LCSH: Christian women. | Leadership in women. | Leadership--Religious aspects--Christianity.

Classification: LCC BV4527 .C545 2017 | DDC 248.8/43--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017012768

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations from THE MESSAGE. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from The Holy Bible, King James Version.

ISBN-13: 978-1-62591-529-0

N184103 0717 2.5M1

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my former leadership team in California. They were ready to learn, passionate about their work, enthusiastic, and committed to excellence under the guidance of Jesus Christ. It was great to serve with you gals!

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I could never have completed this book without the supportive help (and suggestions) of my husband, Jan. Youre one of a kind, sweetie!

INTRODUCTION

Around the Table was born from the multitude of conversations I had with women after making presentations about leadership and its challenges. Its content emerged from whispered comments such as, Id like to find a leader like her!; Why cant our womens group keep leaders?; I just dont have time to do things the way I know they should be done; I enlist leaders; I train them, and then in six months, theyre gone! What am I doing wrong?; and, Im just so tired; I dont think I can handle another year of the same old thing!

Ive led conferences, coordinated leadership training events, met with large and small groups about leadership, and had one-on-one meetings. Leadership is a complicated subject! Our minds think about skill sets, techniques, approaches, and strategies. Then we start thinking about personalities, schedules, and balancing issues. As if that isnt enough, financial challenges rear their ugly heads, and then we are mired in calendar dates and scheduling conflicts. About the time all of these things crowd in on us and we are at our lowest, our families or spouses ask, Why are you gone all the time? When will this madness stop? You look tiredwhats wrong?

Unfortunately, such is a leaders life much of the time. I began to think that it might help leaders to know there are other women who feel the same way. Perhaps a discussion about some of the issues with possible solutions would alleviate the stress and frustration. So, I developed a womens leadership survey, and as I traveled for my job, I asked women in all types of leadership roles to pretend they were talking to a well-known and successful leader. What two questions would they ask her?

With more than 175 surveys in hand, I began to sift through them and categorize their questions for easy reference. When the same questions were asked again and again, I knew those issues were of great importance. The responses to my survey came from women of all ages and various educational and cultural backgrounds. Some were married; others were single. Knowing the answers to the questions they asked would be helpful as they served as volunteers, entrepreneurs, supervisors, stay-at-home moms, and community leaders. And nearly all the questions fell into a few specific categories.

Those categories I curated from the survey became the table of contents of this book. What a journey researching those questions and writing this book has been! Reading what others have said about balance, motivation, communication, a womans call, priorities, and training was an invigorating experience. I dont propose to have all the answers, but with help from some experts, Im hoping youll be encouraged and will grow in your leadership skills. My purpose is to provide an easy reference tool you can use from time to time as different situations arise.