Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory

Tod Bolsinger is the vice president for vocation and formation and teaches practical theology at Fuller Theological Seminary. He has also served as senior pastor of San Clemente Presbyterian Church and associate pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood.

"Tod Bolsinger, a colleague of mine at Fuller Seminary . . . uses the metaphor of 'canoeing the mountains' based on the experience of Lewis and Clark, who successfully completed the mission of the Corps of Discovery because of their ability to lead creatively in light of unexpected circumstances. . . . Whether you're a pastor, a small business owner, a branch manager, or a CEO of a major company, you are probably facing challenges not unlike those confronting . . . Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. If so, I encourage you to get a copy of Canoeing the Mountains. You and those you lead will be glad you did."
"This is my leadership resource of the year for clergy. Pastors have heard the terminology about leadership in the postmodern world: 'trust,' 'DNA,' 'alignment,' 'passion,' 'team,' 'credibility,' 'adaptability,' etc. But Tod Bolsinger brings clarity and practicality as never before. He goes beyond skillsets to explain the interconnection of technical competence, adaptive capacity and relational congruence. The chapters on relationships and resistance and personal stress and change are especially helpful. There are nuggets of insight throughout that are like trace samples leading to the mother lode of leadership transformation. You may have heard it before, but in this book you will finally get it!"
"Unlike leadership books from the business world, Canoeing the Mountains is written by a churchman for church people. He understands the unique pressures and complexity of relationships that exist in a local church. Instead of giving a 'one-size-fits-all' solution, Bolsinger provides guiding principles for doing church in this new era. . . . The book left me hopeful and eager for the adventure ahead."