Many leaders look to those in Scripture and the more spiritually mature and accomplished around them and assume they have never experienced the same life-altering setbacks that afflict other mere mortals. Or, they imagine that the strongest in the faith could never make serious mistakes or make the kinds of devastating choices that undermine career, family, and faith. For many, failure is almost a foreign concept to what it means to live and lead faithfully in this world. As Shane Stanford and Anthony Thaxton demonstrate, some of the most important stories of spiritual maturity in scripture happen due to the failures (not the successes) of those we consider closest to God -- one only has to mention Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Peter, Paul... the list goes on and on... as examples of the best of our faith whose lives were significantly shaped and impacted because of their failures. While we do learn much from their successes, understanding the impact of their contribution to God's Kingdom calls us to paint the entire picture, including the failures. Lessons from the entire journey of life are not just reserved for Biblical characters. As Stanford and Thaxton demonstrate, many of the strongest leaders learn as much from defeat, brokenness, vulnerability, unsettledness, and, yes, failure, as they do from victory. In this book, readers learn from those Biblical and historical leaders who seem to 'get it right' precisely in and through experiences of 'getting it wrong'. With humor and levity the book shares very serious U-turns and dead-ends that almost cost some of the greatest and most profound leaders their careers, livelihoods, reputations, and even their lives.

Author Biography

Shane Stanford (MA, Duke University; Doctorate, Asbury Theological Seminary) is Senior Pastor of a 5,000+ member church in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Stanford is the author of numerous books, including The Seven Next Words of Christ, The Cure for the Chronic Life, and The Eight Blessings: Rediscovering the Beatitudes. His memoir, A Positive Life, details his life as an HIV+ and HepC+ hemophiliac, husband, father, and pastor. He is the co-host of the Covenant Bible Study program, now used in over one thousand churches. Dr. Stanford married Dr. Pokey Stanford, and they have three daughters. Anthony Thaxton is the Producer and Director of Creative Design for Christ Church Global (a media outreach ministry of Christ Church - Memphis). A renowned painter and videographer throughout the Southeast USA, Anthony has received numerous awards and recognitions for his art and various productions. Anthony is also the Producer/Director of the United Methodist Hour, a TV/Radio ministry that airs in over 30 million homes, and he is the Executive Producer for We Believe in Memphis and You Matter, both ministries of Christ Church- Memphis.