Leading Change Without Losing Your Soul

I recently picked up a copy of Inside Steve’s Brain. Like so many others, I’ve long been fascinated by the life and legacy of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

A few chapters in, however, I set the book aside—and a few days later, dropped it off at our local street book library.

Jobs’ visionary drive is striking. But his leadership style—frequently harsh, dismissive, and intimidating, with obsessive micromanagement—offers little to admire from a Christian leadership perspective.

A few years ago, many of us listened—both fascinated and appalled—to The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. The podcast told the story of Mark Driscoll, a church leader whose style echoed Jobs in remarkable ways.

Both inspired fierce loyalty. Both had a clear vision and relentless drive. And both tended to lead from the top down, suppressing dissent, tightly controlling decisions, quick to anger, and sometimes demeaning toward others. They set high standards and expected total buy-in, but often lacked the emotional and relational capacity to support those under pressure.

The Mars Hill story shows clearly how inappropriate that style of leadership is in a church setting.

But here’s my concern: in our desire to distance ourselves from leaders like Jobs or Driscoll, we risk rejecting something essential—determination. The church needs strong leadership. But it needs Christlike strong leadership.

Through my master’s research, I followed the stories of two Kiwi pastors—Bruce and Michael—who transformed the missional culture of their churches without resorting to top-down tactics.

They had the courage to name hard truths and the humility to invite others into a shared journey. They challenged inherited traditions that no longer served the mission of the church in meaningful ways, while also offering empathy to those for whom those traditions were precious.

In two upcoming workshops, I’ll introduce you to Bruce and Michael’s leadership patterns in more depth.

If you’re hungry to lead change without losing your soul, I’d love you to join me.