this is not a comprehensive list, but these are 5 MUST READ books to move you forward in your leadership practice. every leader is in the process of practicing better leadership… they aren’t just learning.
Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard J. Foster
Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen
Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris [this caused me to realize just how important historical leadership lessons are & more importantly, that history isn't boring.]
each of these books pushed me forward significantly as a leader. i put my name in the title because there will be more posts from other leaders that i respect. eventually i aim to aggregate the lists into a YOUNG LEADERS MUST READ & PRACTICE list.
one of the most basic leadership axioms that i hear from leaders at every level is KEEP LEARNING. usually this is followed by a command to read tenaciously. i would like to add to that by saying that you must read + apply (try) what you read. you can’t just be a learner in leadership, you must also be an experimenter with the knowledge that you are gaining. what ever your gut level passion is that will end up being the feild of your leadership, you must pursue learning with an insatiable hunger combined a with a courageous desire to implement new ideas & thoughts. a remarkable young leader i know is already chasing down his desire to be in the FBI (then the secret service) at the age of 15 by learning, volunteering and seeking the direction of those who know how to get there.
what are you doing?
ask yourself…
- what are you reading right now that will prepare you for your leadership?
- who are you learning from that is further out in front of you in your feild of leadership?
- how are you experimenting with the implementation of new ideas into your chosen arena?
- what area of leadership are you working on right now with yourself to become a better leader?
my self and a partner were recently owed over a thousand dollars for services rendered. not a life changing chunk of change (at least not in the states), but worth collecting. the terms of service were clear, the contract binding and the client was given extras beyond the contract for free to facilitate the mission that they were aiming to accomplish and that we also happen to believe in. this particular client doesn’t know me or my partner personally. they came via the Internet, looking at a portfolio of work and references and then made contact over the phone. time came to pay the balance of the negotiated price. you probably have heard the scenario where the invoice is ignored, the 2nd invoice is ignored, the collection notices are ignored along with the collection phone calls and when contact is achieved that excuses for non-payment are made. that is what happened here. finally, after frustration not about the amount owed, but about the principal of the matter, i notified that client that we were no longer going to provide the services and not being shy i informed them that i believed that they did not in-fact have the funds to pay the amount that they owed. to say that the client was “pissed at the accusation” would be to use their words.
fast forward a couple more months. still needing the services that we provide, the client admits they do not have the money owed but audaciously threatens to sue if we don’t copitulate in turning over what we have produced for them to take and use some place else.
now, let me tell you that this client is a pastor. let me also tell you that my partner and i are christians. but the most important detail that you need to know is that we have employees and sub-contractors who do not follow christ at this time.
i don’t write this to air dirty laundry and to give cause to those who don’t believe in christ to have further justifications for it. i put this out here because to me it exemplifies plainly the irony of saying your values as a leader (even putting them on posters and websites) versus living your values as a leader.
leaders must be the embodiment of their values. there will be times when as a leader you will end up violating values you espouse. certainly there will be because nobody is infallible. however, your mode of operation must be to express your values in your leadership decisions and in even the smallest of interactions with others. consider it for a moment, most people you interact with only will know your values by how you interact with them, not by what you will get a chance to say to them. beyond that, everyone is tired of hearing about other people’s values, what people really value is how you live them out.
*** we released the client, gave them what we and our team had produced and forgave them the debt which we will right off as loss for tax purposes.
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