Leading with Compassion draws on the prophetic tradition to outline the type of leadership capable of inspiring communities, empowering their members, and developing traditions that encourage cooperation and mutual support and help. While examples and lessons are drawn from the prophetic traditions and the Muslim American community settings, the book endeavors to develop a model of leadership that transcends specific religious practices and geographical communities. It attempts to outline a leadership model uniquely suited for leading community based organizations, and for transforming practices and conditions so as to make them more inspiring and nurturing. So while the primary beneficiaries of the book are North American Muslims, all those whose main concern is to empower their community and uplift its spirit can potentially benefit from this work.
"Louay Safi is a preeminent American Muslim intellectual of our time. This combined with his vast practical knowledge in community development places him in a unique position of authority to write on the complex issue of compassionate leadership. Safi has done a brilliant job in analyzing the subject matter, providing appropriate normative Islamic examples, and extending the theory with practical illustrations on how to foster compassionate leadership in the continued development of the Muslim experience in America. A must read!"— Prof. Parvez Ahmed, University of North Florida
“Leading with Compassion offers the reader the opportunity to explore effective leadership from an authentic Islamic perspective. Dr. Safi has done the American Islamic community a great service by explaining and providing a context for Islamic leadership in an easy to digest form. This book is a must read for those who desire to help lead the Islamic community in the 21st century”— Dr. Miles K. Davis, Associate Professor of Management, Director of the Institute for Entrepreneurship, Shenandoah University
"This book helps fuel the growth of our Muslim organizations within North America. It provides the tools that leaders, organizers and workers require to institutionalize community work. The book does an excellent job in relating prophetic principles to leadership tasks in the 21st century." - Iman M. Faris, Senior Management Consultant and Vice President of the Islamic Society of North America, ISNA
“This invaluable addition to the literature on leadership in the Muslim community is different in one important way: It makes as its point of departure the management style of the Prophet Muhammad, who, as Safi convincingly explains, led with compassion. Compassionate leadership is particularly useful to those trying to empower the disenfranchised sectors of the community, those in the difficult position, that is, of speaking truth to power.” Dr. Muneer Fareed, Secretary General, Islamic Society of North America
