Book review: 'The Way of the Shepherd: Seven Secrets to Managing Productive People'

June 2025

The Way of the Shepherd: Seven Secrets to Managing Productive People by Kevin Leman and William Pentak, 2009.

The Way of the Shepherd tells the story of how one of the most respected CEO in America, Ted McBride, rediscovered the leadership principles of the shepherd. While church leaders sought leadership wisdom from the business world, The Way of the Shepherd has a business leader seeking leadership wisdom from the original pastors: the shepherds. McBride, through the storytelling of Leman, contends that the way to lead people is to model the practices of shepherds. There are seven principles that a leader must practice to follow the way of the shepherd.

The seven leadership principles that can be learned from the shepherds are:

1. Know the Condition of Your Flock

2. Discover the “SHAPE” of Your Sheep (Strengths, Heart, Attitude, Personality, Experiences)

3. Help Your Sheep Identify With You

4. Make Your Pasture a Safe Place

5. Rightly Use the Staff of Direction

6. Rightly Use the Rod of Correction

7. The Heart of a Shepherd is For the Sheep

We derive our word “pastor” from the Latin word for shepherd, and Scripture uses the concept of shepherd to describe the work of the pastor/elder/bishop. 1 Peter 5:2-3 urges that the pastor shepherd the flock of God. To be a pastor is to be a shepherd. If we, as pastors, are to shepherd the people, we must act like shepherds. The Way of the Shepherd will teach you how to act like a shepherd. Pastoring is hard. Leading people is difficult. But so is shepherding sheep. Reading and applying The Way of the Shepherd will change how you preach, teach, and speak to the church you pastor. It will change how you help church members use their spiritual gifts. It will change how you see church discipline. It will change your approach to pastoral ministry. And most of all, it will lead you to treat the sheep of God how God desires you to. I highly recommend reading The Way of the Shepherd.

Klayton Carson

Pastor

Range Hills Baptist Church