AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Leadership Secrets of the Salvation Army

I’m not sure if I’m unique in this, but I wasn’t really excited to read Leadership Secrets of the Salvation Army by Robert A. Watson and Ben Brown.  Maybe it’s because my main interaction with the Salvation Army is during the Christmas season during their Red Kettle campaigns.  Maybe it’s because many of my interactions with non-profit organizations don’t typically involve lessons in effective leadership.  In any case, I was immediately drawn in by the introduction to the book which quotes the late management guru Peter Drucker saying in Forbes magazine, “The Salvation Army is by far the most effective organization in the U.S. No one even comes close to it with respect to clarity of mission, ability to innovate, measurable results, dedication and putting money to maximum use.”

It is this quote that inspired the initial edition of the book back in the early 2000s, as Watson felt the need to quantify Drucker’s magnanimous praise.  Indeed, his quote is even found on the cover of the book, as though Leadership Secrets of the Salvation Army is the direct answer to the enviable doubts raised by such an extreme statement.  Needless to say, I was very interested in the answer.

And what an answer it is!  Where has this book been all my management life?  Watson and Brown cut to the heart of what makes an organization thrive; integrating and noting several well-known leadership and management axioms.  This isn’t new territory, but what is new is seeing these ideas clearly applied in a gospel-centered way to the unique context of the non-profit organization.

The Salvation Army is truly an incredible organization in both depth and breadth, and it’s really exciting to get a look under the hood.  There is so much applicable content here that I want to buy the print version of the book so I can mark it up!  The chapter titles say it all: “Engage The Spirit,” “Put People In Your Purpose,” “Lead By Listening,” “Organize To Improvise,” “Act With Audacity,” and more.  And those chapters are filled with stories, testimonies, examples, and principles that will be beneficial to any organization, big or small, profit or non-profit.

This is a must read for any who find themselves in positions of leadership or management (or as I prefer to call it, cultivation).  The audiobook version I listened to had some great narration by Bob Souer.

Please Note: This audiobook was gifted as a part of the Christianaudio Reviewers Program in exchange for my unbiased review of this work. This has in no way influenced my opinion or review of this work.  More information can be found about this and other Christian audiobooks at christianaudio.com.