Book Review: The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership by Jenni Catron

Jenni Catron's The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership was a pretty good read. Catron examines the big idea of Leadership through the lens of the Great Commandment (Mark 12:30). Jesus tells his disciples - and by extension us - that we are to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.

As part of the Introduction to the book, Catron briefly breaks down what each dimension of the Great Commandment looks like when applied to leadership. In further chapters she then goes on to flesh out what it means to lead with your hear, soul, mind, and strength using real-life illustrations of good leadership, bad leadership, and then extraordinary leadership.

The last part of the book is the practical application section- for me that's always the best part. The author goes through a series of statements geared to help you become an extraordinary leader and maintain those skills (Pass it On, Readily Teach, Relentlessly Realign, Never Give Up, etc.).

Initially I chose this book not because I have any professional leadership roles, but because of my personal leadership roles. As a mom, as a small group leader in a weekly Bible study, and also as part of the larger leadership team for the same Bible study, my roles are varied. And while the particulars of each role are different, the essentials of leadership are the same. And, truthfully, the four aspects of loving God (heart, soul, mind, strength) are how we should view all of our lives - whether in positions of leadership or not. It is loving God in such a way that gives us the ability love others the way he wants us to.