Thursday, July 28, 2011

Why Write?

I had a great conversation with a client of mine yesterday. He knows me inside and out. Many coaches will tell you they know their clients inside and out but in my opinion, a perfect balance in a coaching relationship is when the client really knows where you're coming from as well.

This particular client is quoted in my book and as I handed him a copy, before he even opened it he said "You wrote this as a labor of love, not for any other reason, right?" Some of the reviews and comments that are coming in shares exactly that. Why write? Because these people deserve to be recognized for their human-based leadership. Everyone has a story to tell and I wanted to capture some of them so you can see your leadership mirrored within their words. And perhaps you'll take the time to find out the stories of the people in your lives and help them see their HB leadership.

The reviews have been fabulous and I'm very grateful for them. I'd also like to share some of the notes I've been getting...the more personal side of what's emerging from the book. I'll share more over time.  I believe these comments enrich the learning of the book as well as honor the time these wonderful leaders took to review and share their thoughts about Leaders: Their Stories, Their Words. Once you read the book, I'd love if you'd share yours.

"I so enjoyed this book.  I found that I read it slowly and savored each chapter because it was so rich and meaningful.  I get used to racing along the path of my life and tend to focus on my "to do's" - one after the other.  Reading this book calmed me down and invited me to see beauty, joy and peace in ways I've not seen before.  I couldn't read it in one sitting.  I had to read a chapter and think about the story and messages over the next few days.  Some stories were deeply personal to me, while others were more informational, but I found gems and insights in each and every one of them.........I'm going to re-read this book again and take more notes.  It merits extra time." - Rhonda Witwer, BS, MBA, Senior Business Development Manager, Nutrition, Bridgewater, New Jersey

"The book is great overall. It is an easy read and it is packed with great thoughts and insights from very talented people. It clearly shows the effect of human-based leaders in action. It covers human-based leadership from a wide range of different communities of practice. It covers industrial businesses, economic development, research, charitable organizations, government and political arenas. Every interview clearly showed the golden thread that human-based leadership is very important in today’s environment. A careful reader will learn and be enriched, regardless of which part of the society the reader is engaged in. I like the format. It is interesting and it enhances the learning experience. You can easily go back to find a gem that you can use in your work or interaction with other people because you associate the particular gem with an interviewee. What is also good is the insight that you can learn from leaders in other disciplines that seems mutually exclusive on the surface." - Pieter Diedericks, P.Eng., MSc(Chemical Engineering), MBA, Vice President Major Projects, Synthetic Oil, Calgary, Alberta, Canada 

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