LeadershipConneXtions: How Was Your Day? (And you better not say okay!)

Current Reads

Simon Vibert: Excellence in Preaching: Studying the Craft of Leading Preachers
Sort of a cliff notes summary of great ideas about preaching through the lens of great preachers. It is nice as a refresher.
Al Tizon: Missional Preaching: Engage Embrace Transform
Teaching and sermons together. A nice book.
Alan J. Roxburgh: Missional: Joining God in the Neighborhood (Allelon Missional Series)
Good, challenging... He is helpful, but he just doesn't finally convince me that his is the "one right way" to think about these matters.
Leonard Sweet: Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Revival
A little too optimistic and a little too naive about the Age of Google. But still, very worthwhile and loaded with Sweetisms everywhere. It is always good to read Sweet, just to learn how to write.
Joshua Cooper Ramo: The Age of the Unthinkable (First Edition)
Phenomenally great book.. a true futurist and a strategist.
Alan Roxburgh: Missional Map-Making: Skills for Leading in Times of Transition (Jossey-Bass Leadership Network Series)
Daniel H. Pink: A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future
This is an older book that has been around for awhile. It is nice and useful in describing the six qualities of right brain thinking that are needed in today's global economy (and really, these mindsets are useful in everything we do). But his main thesis is just wrong. His main thesis is that since North Americans live in the time where we are no longer competitive as "knowledge workers" since Asia is producing knowledge workers who are just as good in their fields (and a whole lot cheaper in terms of salaries) than North Americans, we must gain the skills in right brain thinking for economic survival. The obvious point is this: Asians will be just as good at right brain thinking as North Americans (and still a whole lot cheaper in terms of their labor). So, it is not a strategy for economic survival. But it is a great book to learn about right brain thinking.
Reid Hoffman: The Start-up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career
I read this on the plane ride back from Atlanta to BWI. It helped that I had an hour delay sitting in first class where I was upgraded due to my logging so many miles with Delta. This is a GOOD book, WORTH reading. Hoffman helps you navigate the complexities of work and career in today's world where uncertainty, disruption and transition are the norm. Brand new book. Just out.
Dianna Booher: Creating Personal Presence: Look, Talk, Think, and Act Like a Leader (BK Life)
A book on communicating by a leading secular writer. Certainly written for a pop audience who is looking for sound bytes to help them grow in their ability to communicate. I will read books like this from time to time, not in the anticipation of learning new things... but as reminders to actually practice the things I have already learned. This one was OKAY, but not great.
N. T. Wright: Christians at the Cross: Finding Hope in the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus
I read this little devotional (a collection of homilies) as part of my Lenten reading. For those who haven't read the longer, more substantial books of Wright, this is a like a little primer on some of his core beliefs.
James O'Toole: The Executive's Compass: Business and the Good Society
This was a pretty weighty little book. Not what I was expecting. In one sense, it was an introduction to the sweeping history of philosophical writing on social, political and economic values. O'Toole talked about the four major ways of framing these important discussions. I found it very useful in understanding the nature and the intensity of the discord we have today in the political/economic discourse in North America.
Ann Droyd: Goodnight iPad: a Parody for the next generation
An update and a remake. Fun concept, but poor rhyming.
Richard J. Foster: Sanctuary of the Soul: Journey into Meditative Prayer
This is a very nice introduction to the way of meditative prayer. Foster grounds this practice in the teaching of Scripture and illustrates and unfolds it from the spectrum of church history and the spiritual classics. From Quakers to Reformers to Pietists to Contemplatives... they all encourage us in the way of meditative prayer. This is a very accessible (short, well written, encouraging) book.
Parker J. Palmer: The Promise of Paradox: A Celebration of Contradictions in the Christian Life
This was pretty good, but also uneven from chapter to chapter. For me, by far, the best was the last essay on teaching and learning. I think Palmer is at his very best when he reflects on the education process.
R. Paul Stevens: Taking Your Soul to Work: Overcoming the Nine Deadly Sins of the Workplace
This was pretty good... I liked how they handled the seven deadly sins and the corresponding virtues of the fruit of the Spirit. 17 short chapters. gems in each one. after awhile it seemed a bit of a retread... it is really meant to be done in a reflective way, where you assess your self on each sin and virtue.
Charles H. Spurgeon: Lectures to My Students Volume 1
The delightful, witty and passionate Mr. Spurgeon, giving his homespun wisdom on ministry to a group of students. The chapter on prayer was beautiful. Good words on calling and how to know you are called.
Handley Carr Glyn Moule: Charles Simeon
An old biography of the great Charles Simeon. This edition is a reprint and the footnoting was strange. The text and the footnotes constantly interrupted each other and made for difficult reading. There were gems throughout the book. Simeon is extraordinary. This book on him is okay.
John Piper: Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ: The Cost of Bringing the Gospel to the Nations in the Lives of William Tyndale, Adoniram Judson, and John Paton
Three stories of God's missional servants and the price they paid to serve the purposes of God in their generation. Plus the story of God's sovereign work in their lives. I was familiar with Tyndale and Judson, but John Paton was new to me. And he was amazing.
John Piper: Contending for Our All: Defending Truth and Treasuring Christ in the lIves of Athanasius, John Owen and J. Gresham Machen
Probably my least favorite in his series of five books in the Swans Are Not Silent series, but his chapter on John Owen is worth the entire book. What an amazing pastor and theologian. Especially moving was how Owen would live into the experience of a truth before preaching/teaching. Powerful and motivating.
Michael Mangis: Signature Sins: Taming Our Wayward Hearts
Very nice book on vice and virtue... a very helpful summary of the seven deadly sins with careful nuancing of how we experience them... insights on race, gender, biology, family and more on how our "signature" or "besetting" sins develop... and one of the best explanation on how we must put on the "antidote virtue" if we are to overcome our sins.

December 11, 2008

How Was Your Day? (And you better not say okay!)

It's the end of the work day. You and I are sitting down with a few minutes to connect and we exchange the usual pleasantries.

"How was your day?"

I say, "Okay."

And I ask - "How about yours?"

To which you say, "Mine too."

"Wow . . . that sounds like a day to remember! Okay . . . ditto on that . . . "

In other words - not memorable! Unremarkable (i.e not worth making remarks about)! Not significant! Not noteworthy!

How many days do you want to have like that?

How many days can you have like that and still end up with a life well spent and a legacy worth leaving?

Think about this "just okay" accumulating over the course of a lifetime and then becoming your epitaph. Think about your family and friends sharing their descriptions of your life.

Bill was an unremarkable man.

Jill lead a very insignificant life.

There is nothing really noteworthy to mention in Dan's obituary.

Susan made no waves going through life.

John never really did anything worth remembering.

Tonya . . . hmm, no, nothing really comes to my mind about her.

Perhaps we are saying our day is "just okay" because we are humble and don't want to call attention to ourselves.

Perhaps we are saying our days are "just okay" because we don't recognize how good and glorious they really are.

Perhaps there are burning bushes all around and angels in every tree, but our eyes don't see them.

Perhaps . . .

Or perhaps we have grown accustomed to living a "just okay" life that really is pretty insignificant.

Well, you and I are made for so much more. Our hearts long for that so much more. The world is our opportunity to give so much more. And by God's enabling grace, we can both enjoy and offer so much more.

Do you think all this sounds too much like worldly leadership stuff? Then think about this:

And let us consider how we may spur one another on to love and good deeds. Hebrews 10:24

If you ever ask me - "How was your day?" and I answer, "okay" please give me a kick in the posterior. And I'll be glad to do the same.

By the way: How was your day?

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Posted at 01:30 AM in Self Leadership | Permalink

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