Book Review Two

So you are probably saying to yourself “Self, does anyone, including me, care even the slightest bit what Steve Conn is reading right now?” The answer is probably no, and you know that. But then again has anyone ever cared at all about anything I’ve written thus-far? No. And so this is no different from anything else found on this blog.

First reviewed here in the Danger Book club is Christian Reflections on The Leadership Challenge. Apparently there was an extensive study on leadership done by Kouzes and Posner. They then began making notes specific to Christians and compiling them in a smaller separate volume bearing the aforementioned title.

This is not a very good book. I don’t know what makes it “Christian” except for the fact that they understand you will be dealing with pastors and volunteers more often than CEO’s and fortune 500 execs.

But despite the fact that it was not life changing it is not without redemptive value. I will sum up for you some of the most important parts as they spoke to me.

The most important thing is not what you can do or what you can teach, but rather, who you can be. No matter what you think to be the case people will do as you do, and not as you say. It is therefore important to practice what you preach and to care more about who you are before you focus on where your ministry is going. And that is how you will get results. People don’t buy into your vision, they buy into you. The authors recommend five principles for “modeling the way”

1) Work on yourself before others
2) Work on yourself more than others
3) It is easer to teach what is right than to do what is right
4) People do what they see
5) The example of others profoundly impacts out lives.

Here are some experts that really spoke to me and to what I am struggling with currently. God has been pointing out an atrocious amount of pride in my life lately, and it makes me question what kind of leader I really am.

When I graduated from college, like so many other eager young people I wanted to change the world. Call it what you will, I was determined to make a difference, defy the conventional wisdom, confront the status quo, and challenge the process. At the time, I was sure that those lofty aspirations were noble. I was wrong. There were two big problems with my post-graduate zeal.
“First, I had no specific difference I wanted to make. And although that may not seem like a big deal, it masked a larger one: I was more interested in being recognized for having changed the world than anything else…But the only way to make a real difference is to do so humbly, without regard for recognition, ego, pride, even self-preservation” (71).

“The key to a servant leader’s heart is humility. People with humility don’t think less of themselves; they just think of themselves less” (104).

"Ego Stands for Edging God Out."

The book also discusses briefly the difference between a self serving leader and a servant leader. One leads to serve, one leads to define himself through his position. Humm, can’t say that I fall under the right category at all times.

I wont lie, this book didn’t change my life, but it had some good points and I hope you enjoyed them.