The Heart of an Executive chronicles the career of David, one of the best-known figures in the Bible, from his humble origins as a shepherd boy to his slaying of the giant Goliath, to his triumphant crowning success as king of Israel. David's story is that of a career executive, and in it Richard D. Phillips sees reflected the trials and triumphs that mark our own lives in today's business world. Like any other executive, David's career came in recognizable stages: preparation, rise, achievement, and finally, the passing of the torch. While following his career, the reader witnesses the fashioning of a leader, as David's heart is shaped by his faith in God, his love for his people, and his passion for real and lasting achievement. Through many trials and failures, David emerged as a leader who inspired others to achieve the impossible. Despite his own flaws and the venomous opposition of many, David remained true to God and his people, and through this one man an entire nation found its purpose and identity. This is precisely the kind of leader today's world needs, and Phillips amply demonstrates the relevance of David's reign for today's businessperson. The lessons in The Heart of an Executive are clear, biblically based, and will challenge and equip men and women to raise their aspirations and heighten the impact of leadership. "For centuries thoughtful people have been drawing direction and inspiration from the Bible. In this fresh look at the life, trials, failures and victories of Israel's great King David, Richard Phillips lays out the leadership principles that enabled David to be the successful executive he was and that are equally valid today. Any person with any leadership responsibilities at all will profit from a careful reading of this perceptive and uplifting study." --James M. Boice, President, Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals art of an Executive chronicles the career of David, one of the best-known figures in the Bible, from his humble origins as a shepherd boy to his slaying of the giant Goliath, to his triumphant crowning success as king of Israel. David's story is that of a career executive, and in it Richard D. Phillips sees reflected the trials and triumphs that mark our own lives in today's business world. Like any other executive, David's career came in recognizable stages: preparation, rise, achievement, and finally, the passing of the torch. While following his career, the reader witnesses the fashioning of a leader, as David's heart is shaped by his faith in God, his love for his people, and his passion for real and lasting achievement. Through many trials and failures, David emerged as a leader who inspired others to achieve the impossible. Despite his own flaws and the venomous opposition of many, David remained true to God and his people, and through this one man an entire nati "For centuries thoughtful people have been drawing direction and inspiration from the Bible. In this fresh look at the life, trials, failures and victories of Israel's great King David, Richard Phillips lays out the leadership principles that enabled David to be the successful executive he was and that are equally valid today. Any person with any leadership responsibilities at all will profit from a careful reading of this perceptive and uplifting study." --James M. Boice, President, Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals Richard D. Phillips holds an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business and a M.Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary, where he studied the Bible and its languages. He served in the United States Army for thirteen years as a combat officer, was assistant professor of leadership and organizational studies at West Point, and is a management consultant and frequent seminar speaker on the topic of leadership and organization. He currently resides in Philadelphia, where he is chief executive officer of The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, a nonprofit radio and publishing organization. The Shepherd David's career started out early and lonely, not on summits of power and achievement, but in lowly fields of service, in a time of preparation for later fulfillment. Like so many others, David practiced on a microscale the skills with which he would later write large. But most importantly, David's early life shaped the principles that would guide him on the extraordinary journey that lay ahead, the like of which no novelist would dare to invent. As is so often the case among the truly great, David's origins were humble. He was a shepherd, a most demanding calling then and now, one that yields rewards only after the expenditure of much effort and skill. It was in these fields, in the pastures amid the flocks of his father Jesse, that David received his first lessons in the art of leading and in the disciplines of the executive. Being a shepherd is exhausting. For one thing, the shepherd leads the flocks out into lands filled with danger: predators, hostile weather, starvation, an