“Unlocking true leadership by incarnating Christ”

Review by Brendan Steven | September 9, 2026

In his new leadership book, Learn to Lead Like Jesus: An Invitation for Everyone to Incarnational Leadership, longtime Catholic Christian Outreach (CCO) president Jeff Lockert tells the reader that a search of the word “leadership” on Amazon.com returns 60,000 books. Which raises the question: Of the 60,000 leadership books already on the roster, why read this one? Why is it different? I’ve read barely a minuscule sample of those 60,000 titles but let me tell you why I find Lockert’s worthwhile: it is Catholic, Canadian, simple, and the fruit of rich experience. It offers a vision of leadership not just for an elite, but for all of us—one that we can live vividly in the everyday moments of ordinary life, wherever we are, whatever we do.

First, the book’s Catholicity. The central concept of Lockert’s book is incarnational leadership, which he describes by citing George Weigel’s famous concept of Catholicism’s “both/and” approach to reality: “nature and grace, faith and works, Jerusalem and Athens, faith and reason, charismatic and institutional, visible and invisible.” For Lockert, this “both/and” perception of reality is deeply incarnational: “God became human without ceasing to be divine in the person of Jesus.” 

Knowing this, leadership is an incarnational integration of both the natural and supernatural elements. On the natural side are our character, temperaments, human virtues, and the techniques of action—from planning to execution—that make us effective leaders. But equally as important is the supernatural element, from the role of prayer and discernment to trusting in God’s provision for good works.

Continue reading at https://www.catholicregister.org/item/4355-unlocking-true-leadership-by-incarnating-christ.