Drawing on decades of leadership experience, bestselling author Chris Lowney examines the profound challenges facing the global Catholic Church, shares real-life stories of Catholics making a difference, and offers practical suggestions for change. The Catholic Church is suffering its worst decline in five centuries—a precipitous slide that will turn catastrophic unless reversed by fundamental changes in strategy, culture, and leadership style. Even the inspiring leadership of Pope Francis will not reverse the slide without a strategy for action, from the grassroots through the hierarchy. Chris Lowney, a former Jesuit seminarian and business executive who now chairs one of the world’s largest Catholic ministries, not only outlines the challenges but also maps the path forward in Everyone Leads. After a bracing review of the church’s global struggles—from clergy shortages to declining participation—Lowney draws on two decades of change-management experience to propose an "EASTeR" strategy of five transformational principles: be entrepreneurial, be accountable, serve, transform, and reach out. These five ideas can catalyze profound change in every parish, in how bishops think, and in the roles laypeople play in leading the church. Filled with real-life examples, Everyone Leads outlines strategies that anyone can employ—from the pews to the pulpit—to strengthen the church. As a former business executive who lectures globally about leadership, Lowney speaks credibly about the institution’s challenges and potential. And, as chair of one of Catholicism’s largest hospital systems, he writes “from within” as a Catholic who loves his church and is committed to seeing it flourish.

"Lowney, a onetime Jesuit seminarian and former managing director of J.P. Morgan & Co., shares his personal sorrow over the ever-declining ranks of the Catholic Church. Citing priests’ abuse of children as an ongoing indictment against the church, Lowney challenges Catholics to turn back to Jesus and make him their model. Lowney discusses strategy with a dose of inspiration as he shares story after story of little-known men and women who walked in Jesus’s steps by loving 'the least' in society, with remarkable results. The author believes Catholics can revitalize the church through an EASTeR strategy: be Entrepreneurial; be Accountable; Serve the poor/marginalized; Transform worshippers’ hearts and souls; Reach out beyond church doors. Lowney is convinced that he (along with everyone else) needs accountability in order to thrive in this century, and he says that measures must be set in place to assess whether the Catholic Church is successfully executing the Lord’s mission. Catholic readers will appreciate Lowney’s readable yet challenging text on overhauling the way the church presently does business." - Publishers Weekly

"Lowney, sequentially a Jesuit seminarian, JP Morgan executive, and Catholic Health Initiatives chair, shares the concern of many of his coreligionists that the Catholic Church is in crisis. Though at first this work seems to be yet another self-help book (with acronyms and jargon), it actually offers considerable insight into the plight of Catholicism and other branches of Christianity today. Lowney advocates for what is in effect a return to the approach of Vatican II and, by extension, the example of the preinstitutional church of the apostles. He argues that rather than taking refuge in a clergy-dominated fortress church, the Catholic laity should be proactive in providing charitable witness and welcome to all. In doing so he writes in the language of, and provides examples from, the culture of management, which may actually be helpful for an examination of a dysfunctional religious bureaucracy. Summing Up: Recommended. Professionals; general readers." - CHOICE

"[Everyone Leads: How to Revitalize the Catholic Church is] a book refreshingly honest about the church’s current crisis of membership, management, and Catholic identity, but straightforward about what’s needed in response: a more entrepreneurial, accountable church at every level." - Commonweal Magazine

"Everyone Leads: How to Revitalize the Catholic Church, is a must read for anyone interested in the health and well-being of the Catholic Church and its members." - Yeshua Catholic Leadership Institute

"It often helps to have lived in two cultures, and Chris Lowney once again has put his personal experience to good purpose in his newest book, Everyone Leads: How to Revitalize the Catholic Church.... [T]he book's encouragement for the rest of us deserves both a broad readership and individuals who will take it upon themselves to see that it is read broadly. Ideas, as well as churches, need champions, and this book deserves its champions." - Catholic Health Association of the United States

"It often helps to have lived in two cultures, and Chris Lowney once again has put his personal experience to good purpose in his newest book, Everyone Leads: How to Revitalize the Catholic Church.... He combines sophisticated knowledge and love for the church with the expertise of a corporate consultant, one burnishing the other.... [T]he book's encouragement ... deserves both a broad readership and individuals who will take it upon themselves to see that it is read broadly. Ideas, as well as churches, need champions, and this book deserves its champions." - Health Progress: Journal of the Catholic Health Association of the United States

"Everyone Leads is Lowney's heartfelt affirmation of all of us who believe that the American church needs change.... There are good books whose underlying message is in accordance with Lowney's vision, but this book is different in important ways. First, most of the precursor volumes were written by theologians doing their best to speak more colloquially, sometimes succeeding and often failing. Lowney writes in the direct way of someone who keeps his intended audience clearly in his mind as he lays down his paragraphs. Second, he expressly avoids taking sides on any hot-button issues or favoring one or other 'side' of our somewhat divided church.... [And third,] the overriding vision of the future is that if we all accept that the future of the church is our personal responsibility, we must find a way to be active in building that future, and all will be well." - National Catholic Reporter