Reading and Leading

With my new book, Hybrid Church; The Fusion of Intimacy and Impact just out, I've been asked to participate in the online event, Leaders are Readers, scheduled for November 11th (you can register at leadersandreaders.leadnet.org). I will be in New Dehli, India on that day, but will be checking in, Lord willing.

In preparation for the event, I was asked to give some of my thoughts on leading and reading, and why I think leaders are readers. I tend to turn those words around, actually, and say, readers are leaders. This is because reading gives a person a leg up. As a reader, you get the benefit of "organized thought." All things being equal, written speech is organizationally superior to verbal speech - the best speeches being well-written first.

The benefit to the reader of something that is written stems from the writing process. Someone can speak without thinking, but they cannot write without thinking. The process of sitting down and writing forces a person to think in an orderly fashion. A writer has to think logically - starting point to ending point. A writer is forced to think sequentially, in outline form. The writer is made to think editorially, getting a chance to edit their thoughts as they go. Then, if it is a published piece, the book undergoes another round of editorial review by others. All this results in a bonanza of clarity for the reader.

I try to read at least two good books per week. Over the years, I have read some really awesome stuff. Here are some of the books and authors that have proven the most insightful.

Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton

Brilliant mind explains, defends Christianity.

The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge

Amazing book about systems, and how they work.

The Coming Church Revolution, Carl F. George

A book about the social architecture of the church.

Leadership is an Art, Max DePree

A leadership primer from a corporate guy with soul.

Future Edge, Joel Barker

A futurist talks about paradigms.

The Living Company, Arie de Geus

How organizations are alive, and should be treated like people.

Seven Habits of Highly Effective, Stephen Covey

How to live well, from the inside out.

Rediscovering Church, Bill Hybels

The church is the hope of the world.

The Leadership Engine, Noel Tichy

What we really need to produce: leaders.

The Jesus Style, Gayle Erwin

The way up is down.

The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell

How little things can make a big difference.

Execution, Larry Bossidy

The art of getting things done.

Primal Leadership, Daniel Goleman

Leading with emotional intelligence.

The Careless Society, John McKnight

Professionals can’t deliver what communities can.

The World is Flat, Thomas L. Friedman

Overview of the sweeping changes in the past 15 years.

Community: The Structure of Belonging, Peter Block

The nature of community and how it is developed.

You might notice from my list that secular books outnumber religious. I believe that “all truth is God’s truth.” While I read the typical Christians books and authors (I think I’ve read everything Lucado’s ever written), I have found fresher thoughts reading in adjacent disciplines (leadership, personal growth, organizational development, etc.) than in religious categories (pastoral, church, etc.). This may be because there is a lot of “group think” in the evangelical community, with few primary sources. For now, anyway, “fresher” ideas are coming from business and biology.

Another book I am enjoying all over again is (drum roll please) the Bible. Best leadership book ever written. Best book on personal and organizational growth, too. I’ve been delving into Paul’s travels in Acts, and seeing his ministry through new eyes. I’ve come to realize that Paul was a church (singular) planter. I believe that Paul was only involved with planting one church – Christ’s. It was a geographically unlimited, multisite network.

When do I read? I have several places and times. First, I keep a book and a couple magazines by my bed. Before I go to sleep I typically read for an hour. I read first thing in the morning – the Bible and then something else. I keep a book in the bathroom (‘nuff said). I keep a book in my back pack. I keep a book in my truck. So that if I ever have “spare” time, I can redeem it by stimulating my heart, mind and soul.

How do I read? With a pen. Whenever I read something that's salient, I write a one-word descriptor in the margin. Then I have a volunteer who takes everything I've read and copies and files the pages accordingly. I now have four, four-drawer file cabinets with alphabetical files of everything I've read and saved. Those files have proven to be a rich resource for my teaching...and writing.