I grew up in an evangelical church, navigated a mainline seminary, and now pastor an evangelical church. Having inhabited both conservative and liberal worlds, I am aware of the ideological threats on both sides. I have often found myself in rooms where I was the lone conservative and I’ve been in other rooms where I was suspected of being a closet liberal. The Multi-Directional Leader struck home in the challenges I have dealt with as a leader.

Trevin Wax's The Multi-Directional Leader comes in at just under 100 pages. thesis is this: most under-shepherds of God's flock are concerned about threats from only one direction. The faithful under-shepherd, however, is aware of threats to the sheep from all sides. The importance of this simple thesis cannot be understated.

Wax says that the temptation to be one-dimensional comes from within and without. In writing to Timothy, Paul warned preachers of the temptation to scratch itching ears. There will always be those within our congregations who want to hear alarms only of the dangers that come from one side.