Top 10 Summer Book Quotes

TOP 10 Book Quotes from Summer Reading

This summer, I had time set aside to get after reading books like I've never had space to do before. I paired reading the books of James & Acts with rereading a spiritual classic type book, "Life of the Beloved" by Henri Nouwen. Also, 3 books on leading towards change and vision. I was encouraged to read "Leading Change" by John Kotter, books "Switch" and "Habit" to understand how I, and other people, change or resist it. Also "Right Color, Wrong Culture" for a better grasp of leading a diverse, multi-ethnic region.  And challenging yet captivating books "The Insanity of God," re-reading "Living Forward," and Malcolm Gladwell's "David and Goliath." I hope these quotes spark conversations.

#10. Desirable Difficulties – 

Identify ‘Desirable difficulties’: Being aware and making others aware of one's own inabilities/weaknesses helps foster an interdependence on others' strengths in order to succeed, work together, and each to do their best. Using shortcuts and survival techniques around learning disabilities, short attention spans and dyslexia helps hyperfocus on strengths to succeed. Don't let an inability count you out.  -David & Goliath-

#9. Heart and Head Must Be Captured –

For people to accept change, the change must have both an emotional appeal that connects with their heart, and an absolutely clear, specific, logical appeal.  If not, people will resist. -Switch-

#8. Choose From Among Who God Chooses –

"There is a difference between ethnicity and culture.  When it comes to building diverse leadership, ethnicity is never enough." -Right Color, Wrong Culture-  Also, James 2:5 “Notice that God chose poor men, whose wealth was their faith, and made them heirs to the kingdom…once you allow distinctions to creep in, you are sinning and stand condemned by God.”  -R.C.W.C.- & James

#7. His Story is Not Just History –

God is doing everything today that he has done in the Bible among those faithfully following Him in tough places.  The Bible is more than a history book; He is indeed present in a broken world.

Nik interviewed persecuted Russian, Ukrainian and Chinese believers that had powerfully endured persecution and experienced miraculous deliverances, asking: "Why have you not written these stories down?”  They each, individually responded, "Haven’t you read the Bible?" "It’s like the sun rising in the east. It is the way things are." Each said, "it’s expected for God to come through." -The Insanity of God-

#6. Live Forward by Reviewing Often –

Do a weekly review and preview, each Friday at 3 p.m.

1. Review my written life plan word for word.

2. Gather loose papers & notes I took. Scan it/trash it/file it.

3. Review last week’s calendar & to do list.

4. Preview upcoming week.

5. Make action list based on 4 & 5.

6. Review current projects. Add any action steps.        -Living Forward- Hyatt & Harkavy

#5. Good Vision Simplifies Everything –

A good vision simplifies thousands of more detailed decisions, motivates people to take action in the right direction with a degree of autonomy, and gives people an appealing long term cause to fight for.  -Leading Change- John Kotter

#4. Lostness is the Great Enemy –

The real enemy in our world is not Islam, communists or radical Muslims, it is “Lostness.”  We are all susceptible to being lost.  We must examine our own condition, seeing our own ongoing need for God’s grace.  Then we see others the same!  -The Insanity of God-

#3. Emerged Leaders are the Best Leaders –

Emerged leaders: People who have risen from enduring loss, pain, abandonment, trauma and hurtful atmospheres, and overcame.  They develop a hard to stop attitude, an uncommon resilience, and a disagreeableness where making calculations or seeing the odds and risks unlike others, who use conventional wisdom.  It is the disagreeable and resilient who change the world.  Therefore, they are qualified as innovators and revolutionaries.  -David and Goliath-

#2. The Good News is Ir-resistible – 

Acts 5:40 They had been beaten and commanded not to speak in the name of Jesus.  The apostles went out from there full of joy and continued to teach unceasingly and proclaimed the good news of Jesus.”  Instead of withdrawing after discouragement & resistance, may we respond with more joy and motivation with Jesus.  -The Acts of the Apostles-

#1. The Deepest Truth is our Greatest Joy –

“Our deepest truth is that we are the beloved and our greatest joy and peace comes from fully claiming that truth…it is only when we have claimed our own place in God’s love that we can experience this all embracing, non-comparing love with God and brothers and sisters.”  

 Henri Nouwen, -Life of the Beloved-

Hope these highlights from these solid books was helpful and inspires conversations and future digs.

-Jeff-

Top 10 Mentorship Nuggets

TOP 10: MENTORSHIP LESSONS

During my sabbatical, I scheduled to meet with 5 mentors with conversations fitting with their expertise and my specific hunger for wisdom. First, I met with Bill Robinson, author and longtime president of Whitworth U. Then met counselor/theologian/author Marty Folsom. Third I met with Doug Asbjornsen, retired Navy Rear Admiral and current supervisor/trainer/EWU professor of numerous Eastern WA principals. Fourth, professional executive consultant and coach Dave Phifer from Phifer Systems, and lastly, Wayne Williams, longtime CEO of Telect in Liberty Lake. Took a lot of trimming down from a goldmine to come up with my top 10 nuggets from these valuable times.

10. Urgency Warning: Be careful when creating urgency for others.  Urgency can take folks' eyes off what is most important. Don’t use fear tactics, focus on what is universally agreed upon, and focus on essential 'positives,' not on negatives. (Both Doug Asbjornsen and Marty Folsom)

9. Narrow is the Way: When preparing to speak/write, focus narrowly on the impact you are aiming for, don't focus on coming up with content. Also, if I'm strong in having last-minute inspiration for speaking, prepare for it, yet also be ready to subtract if you do add. A 'focused less' is always more. (Bill Robinson)

8. Ask to Play: To be a great asker/inviter, share my commitments, ask permission to learn theirs and ask if they’re open to consider sharing/joining in mine. Its like asking if others want to 'play.' (Marty F.)

7. Not-Drawn-To-Scale: As a person, I don’t ‘scale’ across YL.  I’m limited as one person. Values, vision, and commitments of how we operate DO scale because others can do them too. (Dave Phifer)

6. The Best 3 Pre-Questions: When empowering and preparing for strategic movement, ask:

  a. What do you want?

  b. Why do you want it?

  c. What has kept you from getting there? Get very specific, honesty will pay off. (Dave Phifer)

5. 50% Less is 100% More: As a leader, use 50% less words, and don’t give unsolicited advice.  More words dis-empower others, creates dependence on the leader, loses clarity & transferability by sheer volume of words, and starves others from being able to process and asking questions. And, unsolicited advice often makes others feel not-smart and untrusted. (Wayne Williams gathered from John Townsend, co-author 'Boundaries')

4. The (Non) Apprentice: When empowering others to take on leadership in areas of our non-strengths, treat them as an up and coming expert, not as an apprentice of ours. First, agree on desired outcomes and set them as the CEO, and with you as working for them. You don't need to model 'how to' in order to empower. (Both Bill Robinson and Wayne Williams)

3. StrengthBlinder Finder. Utilize conversation about the 'balcony' and 'basement' (click here to try this valuable tool) of each of our strengths to bring balance & growth. Example: My top strength is 'Activate.'  My balcony: I spark movement & momentum. My basement, "Ready, Fire, Aim." I need to seek wise counsel from sequential strategic thinkers. (Wayne Williams)

2. 'Who does #2 Work For?': We can become a true 'together-together' (In Swahili: 'Pamoja-Pamoja') community when we acknowledge the Father, Son & Holy Spirit as the #1 primary ministers, not any group member/leader as the #1. Trusting God to lead can create freedom for each to share our fears, agendas, ideas and obstacles to one another rather than all needing to be controlled. Then our diverse uniqueness of perspective and background are welcomed, we can be unified as a community that listens to and follows God's lead. (Marty F.) 
 

1. A Bridge for Dinner: Meals can be a multi-cultural bridge between us and others, narrowing the gap between our ethnic backgrounds and customs. Ask to be a guest in others' homes, taking on a guest-learners posture. This can bring understanding and true unity in life & YL. (Marty Folsom)

Hope these 10 mentorship takeaways fit in a nice doggie bag for your nugget-eating enjoyment.
-Jeff-