I’m talking today with my friend and fellow Tapestry blogger, Kay Daigle, who recently released the book, From Ordinary Woman to Spiritual Leader: Grow Your Influence.

What inspired you to write this book?
As an ordinary woman, my experience gave me a burden for other women like me—those who don’t see themselves as leaders, especially spiritual leaders. For a long time I limped along with little understanding of what it meant to be a leader. Eventually, other wiser women showed me that spiritual leadership is basically influence, and it can be grown. In this I share with other ordinary women the insights I learned from these wise women. How I wish I had known these things years ago.

What do you hope this book accomplishes for the ordinary woman?
I want women to grow their spiritual influence. Every Christ-follower needs to see herself as a leader by realizing that the term doesn’t necessitate a role or title; it requires only influence. When we fail to understand that God calls and empowers all of us to lead someone spiritually—our children, or perhaps a co-worker, friend, younger believer, or neighbor—we fail to take advantage of the opportunities we have to influence others. My hope is that in processing through the six fundamentals of leadership, every reader will draw someone else to walk more closely with God. (You can read a book excerpt, “Are You a Spiritual Leader?” here.)

Who should read this book?
From Ordinary Woman to Spiritual Leader is not only for those who already hold positions of leadership, but it is for every Christian woman who wants to make a difference for God’s kingdom. Certainly, people can use the book for developing teams or potential leaders, but I wrote it just as much for the young mother who wants to teach her children to walk with Christ, or the businesswoman who hopes to encourage a co-worker to walk by faith, or the church member who desires to mentor a younger believer.

How does your book differ from other Christian leadership resources?
Rather than teaching leadership theory for the church or pastor, this book gives the ordinary Christian woman practical ways of growing her influence. A personal action plan follows each chapter to guide her in applying that chapter’s leadership fundamental to her own life and relationships.

A story from a real woman helps the reader understand each of the six leadership essentials—centered in Christ, character, calling, care, communicating vision, and competence. The accounts I included of ordinary women will both encourage and help the average woman see practical ways to grow.

Instead of concentrating on skills-development, as many leadership development resources do, this book helps the individual woman know where and how God has called her to make a difference for His kingdom. If she works through the included action plans, she will have a sense of God’s unique call in her life and learn to quit trying to do everything. (You can read a book excerpt, “Focus Your Life,” here.)

What is the best way for women to use this book so that can grow their influence?
Working through the book in community provides the best results. That may involve a weekly or monthly group that uses the questions for discussion found in the Appendix. Another option is to work through the book with a partner.

Friends, I read and endorsed this book. I believe it provides a wonderful resource for learning to expand your influence. You can find out more about Kay at her web site, www.kaydaigle.com. And you can order her book at Amazon for less than four bucks on Kindle. Go here. (Available as a hardcopy, too.)