#5 The Multi-Directional Leader
Wax, Trevin. The Multi-Directional Leader: Responding Wisely to Challenges from Every Side. Austin, TX: The Gospel Coalition, 2021. 88 pp. $14.99.
Biographical Sketch of the Author
Trevin Wax, a former missionary in Romania, earned his Master’s of Divinity at Southern Seminary and his Ph.D. in Theology from Southeastern Seminary. He has served as a visiting professor at Wheaton College and Cedarville University and currently works as the senior vice president of theology and communications at Lifeway Christian Resources. Wax is a prolific writer, having written many books and articles published by the Gospel Coalition, The Washington Post, Christianity Today, and many other sources of media, including The Gospel Project where he serves as the senior editor. Wax desires to make Jesus known among the nations and to better equip leaders to serve Him and His church faithfully in all contexts.
Summary of the Contents
The Multi-Directional Lead is divided into an introduction, forward, and two edifying parts. However, this review will only be concerned with the first half of Wax’s book titled, “Multi-Directional Leadership Explained.” This first section possesses four chapters.
The foreword, written by Ray Ortland, posits the need for multi-directional leadership by making a few claims about the Christian life. The first, is that we often fight a two front war where we can not just focus on a single thing at once. The second is that we are biased creatures and often focus on single things at any given moment due to our partiality and leaning towards specific people, topics, doctrines, etc. Orlund claims that Christians also struggle to correct peers and instead focus correction towards opponents. A multi-directional ideology fixes this biased correction. Finally, Ortlund evidences the need for multi-directional leadership in that Christian’s often miss out on declaring the whole gospel when they are so focused on a particular part of theology. Through the use of these claims and evidence, Ortlund makes the need for a change in leadership style incredibly evident and supports Wax in his missional book.
In the introduction, Wax tells an anecdote about a lamb destroyed by some wolves and is reminded that pastors are under shepherds that are to protect the flock from all sides. They are to defend the sheep regardless of where the attack or offense comes about. Wax states, “[t]o be multi-directional is to lead with dexterity and discipline—a faithful versatility that challenges erroneous positions no matter where they come from, and promotes a full-orbed vision of ministry that defends the truth and protects the flock” (p. 3).
The first chapter, “One Directional vs Multi-Directional” calls for a few things pastors must do and elaborates how multi-directional leadership is better suited to take care of these needs. Pastors must care for souls, be committed to scripture, and have concern for the culture around them. Wax then gives two examples where these practices manifest themselves: business administration and parenting. He ends the chapter claiming, “[m]ulti-directional leaders [in contrast to one-directional leaders]… spot various threats from different angles and adjust their leadership accordingly” (p. 13).
Chapter two, “Multi-Directional Leadership in Theology and Practice,” then focuses on the theology of multi-directional leadership found in the proverbs, Jesus’ life and ministry, and Paul's Ministry. Wax also gives an example of multi-directional leadership in the life of John Stott, a 20th century Anglican who recognized the need to confront difficulties all around. He ends the chapter recognizing that Christian leaders must know the Bible in order to recognize and be ready for all sorts of difficulties and circumstances.
Chapter three, “Developing a Multi-Directional Sensibility,” helps to lead Christians to a recognition of this approach to leadership in four practical ways: delight in scripture, listen carefully to people, know yourself and the dangers to which you are susceptible, and know your people and the dangers to which they are susceptible. These four ways help leaders cultivate a sense of multi-directional leadership.
The last chapter of part one is titled “Obstacles to Multi-Directional Leadership.” In this chapter, Wax looks at obstacles that can inhibit multi-directional leadership and pull leaders back to a one-dimensional fight. These obstacles are the fear of bad trajectory, the risk of losing status, being misunderstood online, the warnings that may be used to discredit leaders, tribalism and polarization, and wounds that tempt leaders to switch sides. For each obstacle, wax analyzes and encourages ways that these stumbling blocks can be overcome.
Critical Evaluation
The goal of The Multi-Directional Leader is to “Exhort pastors and church leaders toward a vision of leadership that… fends off threats from more than one direction” (p. 3). Wax does not stop at exhortation, however, and strives to encourage leaders “to learn how to be better and more effectively respond with wisdom to challenges from every side” (p. 3). Wax succeeds in his goals of providing vision of multi-directional leadership and practice of that vision in order to increase effectiveness in Christian leadership. He does so by providing many examples of multi-directional leadership in his own circumstances and in Christian leaders in the scriptures and church history. With the vision established, Wax sets helpful practices to recognize when multidimensional leadership is needed and how one serves God’s people from many different angles.
One of these circumstances and practices that Wax provides is found in chapter two when He tells of the life of John Stott. Throughout Stott's life, he was able to combat theological liberalism and fundamentalism while he advocated for “pursuing and developing a Christian mind as a vital aspect of discipleship” (pp. 21-26). Wax says of Stott that “he was neither a conservative warrior trained to spot only the dangers of liberalism, nor a progressive proponent trained to fight only the follies of fundamentalism. His theological commitments alerted him to problems coming at the church from multiple sides” (pp. 26). In the next chapter, Wax talks about Stott's mentor, Charles Simeon, who “demonstrated multi-directional leadership through his expository sermons and the instructions he gave to the young men he trained” (p. 30). Wax uses this second example of multi-directional leadership not only to bring vision to how multi-directional leadership functions, but to provide an example of how multi-dimensional leadership is achieved in practice. The example that wax drives home here is that multi-dimensional leadership is encouraged by the delight of and in scripture. There are countless other examples that Wax includes in his book in order to bring vision and practice of multi-dimensional leadership into the reality of the reader.
Personal Application
I found reading The Multi-Directional Leader to be extremely edifying and helpful. While I do not currently serve in any leadership positions, the content of Wax’s book has helped me to establish healthy practices in my own walk with our Savior, Jesus. For example, I must be multi-dimensional in my devotional life, possessing a zeal for prayer, scripture reading, worship, service, and other practices that increase the love of God in my life and glorify him appropriately. The practices must be done in concordance with one another as they all exist in order to conform us to the image of Christ. The Multi-Directional Leader helped to cultivate in me the practice of multi-tasking to the glory of the Lord. Because I do not currently serve in an authoritative leadership role, my multi-tasks of the Christian life are that as a layman. However, my hope is that these practices and ideology I have gained from reading the book will propel me into successful leadership in the future where I can help and defend fellow believers under my care in many different directions and from many different angles. I believe that multi-directional leadership will be extremely helpful in serving the Lord through the care of His flock as an undershepherd and I recommend the reading of The Multi-Directional Leader to anyone seeking to serve God through vocational ministry as a pastor or church leader.