Real Women Leading: With Proverbs 31 Values

Becoming the leader God aspires for you to be

John C. Maxwell leadership coaches offer

ten biblical principles for leading in today’s marketplace

The majority of Christian women are familiar with the example of the godly woman described in Proverbs 31. Her characteristics are most frequently associated with a woman’s place within the home; however, in their book Real Women Leading: With Proverbs 31 Values (New Hope® Publishers/February 3, 2014/978-1-59669-396-8/$14.99), business executives Lisa Troyer and Dawn Yoder assert the qualities of the woman described apply to leaders in the workplace as well. “Whether we are homeschooling children — which truly is a full-time vocation — or leading the board of directors meeting at a Fortune 500 corporation, the Proverbs 31 woman has something to teach all of us.”

Although today’s marketplace is not always a “values-friendly” environment, Troyer and Yoder, who have found their calling in the business world, show how a woman can live and thrive in a “valueless” workplace when living by biblical values and principles. Real Women Leading is a must-have leadership resource for today’s Christian woman to cultivate biblical truth, credible relationship development and practical application into everyday life.  They do so through outlining 10 foundational principles:

1. Understanding people
2. Forgiveness                  
3. Responsibility               
4. Attitude                        
5. Generosity
6. Resolving conflict              
7. Restraint                       
8. Honesty                       
9. Planning                      
10. Influence

Women will be encouraged to develop their God-given gifts and talents in the marketplace as they live out the principles that invite others to embrace the equality-inspiring values they live by. Knowing her generation is not the end user of the gospel message, the Proverbs 31 leader will find the initiative to inspire the upcoming generation to view womanhood as a gift and continue the learning process that will impact generations to come.

“Often thought of as the ‘most intimidating woman in Christendom,’ perhaps the Proverbs 31 woman — this skillful, conscientious, creative, entrepreneurial, merciful leader — has been saddled with a false persona of perfectionism and unattainable achievement,” writes Troyer. “The Proverbs 31 Woman is one whose success is predicated on living a life based on values — whether she's dealing with domestic issues, marketplace opportunities or relationships. Truth is truth no matter what environment we operate/live in.”

“Maybe my attitude came from being raised in a family business and having an achiever mentality, but I didn’t have a domestic quality and growing up. I could not see any way that I could possibly be like the woman in Proverbs 31,” Yoder explains. “Now I see the picture of a woman who is honest, trustworthy and generous. A good steward, she has fun and makes fun, is a good planner and maintains a good attitude. She understands people, prepares for the future, shows restraint and likes to put together a nice outfit. Looking at her this way, she is no longer someone I am afraid I could never be. She is now someone I want to be! The Proverbs 31 woman finds success everywhere she turns because she lives by God’s principles.”

The foreword of Real Women Leading was written by leadership expert and New York Times best-selling author John Maxell. Each chapter gives an example of a biblical woman as an illustration of the principle being presented and concludes with a section called “The IT (Igniting Transformation)Factor,” designed to prompt thought, conversation and action concerning the value focused on within that chapter.

About the Authors

Lisa Troyer hosts Macchiato Moments on Moody Radio and is a founding member of John Maxwell’s team of coaches and trainers, leading workshops on values and principles in leadership. She is the executive sales director for an international food service company where she has directed the development of the company from a local tourist attraction to an internationally known organization with a focus on quality and creativity. She is a published songwriter with multiple worship CDs. Lisa lives in Ohio with her husband, two children and family pets.

Learn more about Lisa Troyer at www.lisatroyer.com or by following her on Facebook and Twitter.

Dawn Yoder is a real woman who is passionate about developing people to discover their strengths and reach their leadership potential. As CEO of a 500-plus employee company, she seeks to bring values and principle-based thinking into all aspects of society through a roundtable environment. Dawn is a member of the John Maxwell leadership coaching team, an international trainer, a speaker with the Circle of Friends ministry, a contributing writer, a songwriter and a frequent worship leader. She and her husband, Jeff, have four children.

Join Lisa Troyer and Dawn Yoder for a live Facebook Party on March 20 at 8:00 PM EST where they will chat with readers and give away copies of Real Women Leading. Watch for more details on Troyer’s Facebook Page.