About Red Letter Leadership
Red Letter Leadership was founded on the belief that to be a truly great leader, one must first humble himself/herself to Christ’s lordship in his/her life, and then he/she must commit to studying Christ’s words and example from a leadership perspective. We believe that our potential is much greater when we follow the leadership demonstrated in the life of Christ.
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Red Letter Leadership acknowledges that the life of Jesus, his teachings, and his example is at the very heart of true, effective leadership. To not study the red letters is to not desire your fullest leadership potential. Studying leadership without Christ is like studying the founding of America without George Washington or the Civil Rights Movement without Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Red Letter Leadership believes that, though leadership is more difficult for some than for others, the attributes of leadership are inherently necessary for all to achieve. In short, leaders are made not born. In Matthew 28 verses 19-20, Jesus commissions His disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” This simple instruction to all of Christ’s followers requires us to be leaders. We must follow Him because our authority is derived from Him, and He will go before us. But we must be able to lead others to Him. We cannot do that if we have no influence. Leadership is influence.
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To this end, our first service was to provide a comprehensive resource for the study of Christ's leadership. We authored over 370 leadership lessons derived from Matthew 1 through John 21 which are now compiled in the single volume, Red Letter Leadership: Leadership Lessons from the Life of Christ. Following the book's release, we also launched The Red Letter Leadership Podcast to further expound on lessons from the book and bring Jesus' leadership to light from many perspectives.
About Jordan
Jordan Ames helps entrepreneurs and executive business and ministry leaders see, set, and seize God-sized objectives—visions so large that they demand complete dependence on the Lord. He believes leadership in the Kingdom of God is not about pursuing what is merely achievable through talent, resources, or experience. If a vision can be accomplished without God’s intervention, it is too small. True Kingdom leadership requires stepping into what feels humanly impossible and trusting God to work through surrendered, disciplined leaders to accomplish His purposes.
A retired Marine Raider, Jordan served 21 years on active duty in the United States Marine Corps, predominantly serving in Marine Special Operations. He conducted more than 80 direct action missions and numerous special reconnaissance operations during combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Following the Benghazi attack, he deployed to southern and eastern Europe with a crisis response force. He later deployed to the nation of Jordan and returned to Afghanistan, where he led special operations forces and advised senior U.S. military and Embassy leadership on shaping the operational environment to ensure the successful execution of U.S. national security strategy. Throughout his military career, Jordan specialized in aligning tactical execution with strategic objectives—ensuring that every action on the ground served a larger mission.
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After retiring from military service, Jordan founded Red Letter Leadership, a leadership development organization dedicated to equipping leaders to shape their environments and advance the Kingdom of God. He co-authored Red Letter Leadership: Leadership Lessons from the Life of Christ, a comprehensive volume containing more than 370 leadership lessons drawn from the four Gospels. He also co-hosts The Red Letter Leadership Podcast, where he and his fellow authors explore these lessons in depth through thoughtful dialogue and conversations with leaders from business, ministry, and beyond.
Today, Jordan works with entrepreneurs, executive leaders, and church leadership teams to clarify bold, God-sized strategic visions, build executable strategies, and lead with disciplined action. He is particularly passionate about strengthening church executive teams and leadership boards. He believes the American Church stands at a strategic crossroads: comfort has replaced courageous mission in many contexts, and only bold, sacrificial leadership will mobilize congregations to serve a lost world and transform communities for Christ. His work challenges leaders to reject incremental thinking and pursue outcomes that require faith, courage, and excellence.
Jordan currently serves on his local church leadership board and volunteers as a Project Consultant for Red Letter Pursuit, a counter–human trafficking mission in Eastern Uganda. The initiative works to disrupt trafficking networks along the Ugandan border, advocate for victims and their families, and equip vulnerable communities with sustainable pathways toward stability and dignity.
Jordan has been married to his wife, Sarah, for 18 years. Together they are the parents of seven children, six of whom were adopted through foster care in Pennsylvania and from an orphanage in Ethiopia. Their family story reflects the same conviction that shapes his leadership philosophy: obedience often leads into challenges that feel impossible, but God meets those who step forward in faith.
