We’ve had the privilege of interviewing Jenni Catron on our 5 Leadership Questions podcast several times. Here on Making Hard Decisions, and here on her new book The Four Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership.
Jenni serves on the executive team at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in Menlo Park, CA overseeing their various campuses, and is an author, speaker, and leadership coach.
Her latest book, The Four Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership reveals the secrets to standout leadership found in the Great Commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” She unpacks four essential aspects of growing more influential: your heart for relational leadership, your soul for spiritual leadership, your mind for managerial leadership, and your strength for visionary leadership.
Here are some of our favorite quotes from her new book:
Extraordinary leadership is found in a leader who has searched to discover his or her authentic self and from that place influences others to accomplish great dreams through intentional relationships, spiritual awareness, wise counsel, and relentless vision.
Extraordinary leaders aren’t leading for themselves. They are leading for others.
Leadership is only as strong as the leader. Your leadership journey must begin with leading yourself well.
Leaders live in a constant state of tension. We live between what is and what could be.
Actions speak louder than intentions. Our leadership will be evaluated by what we do, not what we intend.
Extraordinary leaders offer hope in the midst of intense circumstances.
Extraordinary leadership involves heartaches, disappointments and mistakes. It means relentless growth and frequent failure.
Character means purposefully pursuing the elements that will grow you regardless of whether they get immediate attention.
Character is about pursuing Christlikeness.
Filter every decision you make in leadership through the lens of what is God-honoring.
The heart of a leader is the truest part of who he or she is. Your heart is what most connects you with others.
The best leaders I know are reading all the time.
Lead yourself well in order to lead others better.
Great leaders develop other leaders.
Disciplined moments are lonely moments, but these are the moments that build the foundation of influence.
Spiritual leadership has a prevailing theme that leadership is servanthood first.
Submission and humility must be anchors to our leadership, yet they are countercultural to popular leadership philosophy.
If gossip, coarse language, complaining, or criticism is quick to your lips, be assured it will affect your spiritual influence.
Extraordinary leaders put intentional time and effort into building review processes and performance management systems that create effective dialogue between employees and their managers.
Management is the method by which great leadership is executed.
Leadership has to be developed. Without development, the gift will remain idle or be misused.
