{"id":31059,"date":"2023-02-14T09:33:02","date_gmt":"2023-02-14T17:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=31059"},"modified":"2023-02-14T09:33:02","modified_gmt":"2023-02-14T17:33:02","slug":"crafting-a-life-of-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/crafting-a-life-of-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"Crafting a Life of Leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"c1\"><span class=\"c18\">Annie Dillard, in her beautiful book <\/span><span class=\"c17 c18\"><em>The Writing Life<\/em>, <\/span><span class=\"c18\">says, \u201c<\/span><span class=\"c3\">How we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour and that one is what we are doing.\u201d<\/span><sup class=\"c3\"><a id=\"ftnt_ref1\" href=\"#ftnt1\">[1]<\/a><\/sup><span class=\"c3\">\u00a0 <\/span><span class=\"c9\">Every time I begin the process of writing this blog I pick up a book and hold it in both my hands. \u00a0After I read the front and back cover, I immediately read through the table of contents. \u00a0Then, I Google the author and read as much as I can about who they are as a person. I have a need to know what motivates the person with whom I am about to spend time with by reading their work. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c1\"><span class=\"c9\">Does it matter to us how the authors, whom we\u2019ve been reading, spend their lives? After all, we are treating them as experts in their field.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c1\"><span class=\"c11\">For example, Dr. Eve Poole has a background in theology which I thought was intriguing considering her strong business sense. Here\u2019s what I read on her website: <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"c1\"><span class=\"c16\">The author of the book, <\/span><span class=\"c15\">Leadersmithing,<\/span><sup class=\"c15\"><a id=\"ftnt_ref2\" href=\"#ftnt2\">[2]<\/a><\/sup><span class=\"c16\">\u00a0Eve Poole,<\/span><span class=\"c11\">\u00a0started her career at the Church Commissioners for England, after gaining a BA in Theology from Durham University. She returned to education to gain an MBA from the University of Edinburgh Business School where she won AMBA Student of the Year. She honed her business skills at top consulting firm Deloitte, specializing in change management in the financial services industry. In 2010, Eve combined her two career tracks by gaining a PhD in Capitalism and Theology from Cambridge University.<\/span><sup class=\"c11\"><a id=\"ftnt_ref3\" href=\"#ftnt3\">[3]<\/a><\/sup><span class=\"c9\">\u00a0 <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"c1\"><span class=\"c11\">By briefly researching the authors we\u2019ve read so far, I\u2019ve learned that Tom Comacho, author of <\/span><span class=\"c6\">Mining for Gold<\/span><span class=\"c11\">,<\/span><sup class=\"c11\"><a id=\"ftnt_ref4\" href=\"#ftnt4\">[4]<\/a><\/sup><span class=\"c9\">\u00a0is a pastor in North Carolina with leadership experience in the military, business sector with General Electric, church planting and is a coaching coordinator with Vineyard. <\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"c1\"><span class=\"c11\">Joseph Campbell was<\/span><span class=\"c11 c10\">\u00a0an American writer and a professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College where he worked in comparative mythology and comparative religion. He is most famous for <\/span><span class=\"c6 c10\">The Hero with a Thousand Faces.<\/span><sup class=\"c6 c10\"><a id=\"ftnt_ref5\" href=\"#ftnt5\">[5]<\/a><\/sup><\/li>\n<li class=\"c1\"><span class=\"c4\">Jan Meyer and Ray Land, authors of<\/span><span class=\"c6 c21\">\u00a0Overcoming Barriers to Student Learning<\/span><sup class=\"c4\"><a id=\"ftnt_ref6\" href=\"#ftnt6\">[6]<\/a><\/sup><span class=\"c4\">\u00a0are both professors in Education and higher education. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"c1\"><span class=\"c11\">Why am I taking us through a simple background check on the writers on our list? \u00a0With a quick glance at \u201chow they spend their lives,\u201d I can only say they don\u2019t share an enormous amount in common. Yet, In the books we\u2019ve read so far a continual theme flowing through indirectly and at times directly is <\/span><span class=\"c6\">overcoming fear. \u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c9\">Each author takes a different approach in looking at how leaders face their fears, overcome the fear of imposter syndrome; offers practical solutions through hiring a coach, overcoming uncertainty and barriers in liminal spaces. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c1\"><span class=\"c11\">The book for this week\u2019s reading held the same theme within its pages but with a twist that reflects how Dr. Poole spends her days and, I daresay, where her combining theology with business best expresses itself: Helping others prepare for the leadership challenges <\/span><span class=\"c6\">ahead: \u201cIf you can do something in miniature, it convinces both you and your master that you are ready for bigger things.\u201d<\/span><sup class=\"c6\"><a id=\"ftnt_ref7\" href=\"#ftnt7\">[7]<\/a><\/sup><span class=\"c6\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c1\"><span class=\"c9\">Doesn\u2019t that image give you a sense of inner confidence and for a moment alleviate the fear of something too big being placed on your shoulders? \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c1\"><span class=\"c11\">Leadersmithing feels like God\u2019s practice with us as his workers in the world. Poole helps her clients rediscover the craft of leading and sets out to help them hone their key skills. \u00a0She masterfully helps anyone name their time, gifts and resources and identifies the muscle memory needed to lead. The heart of the book offers us 52 exercises to help take leadership one practical step at a time. In this way, Eve Poole addresses the question that could possibly be the first right question I\u2019ve read so far on helping us with our leadership crisis: What makes people lose their courage? Her response? \u201cKnow what to expect (82).\u201d<\/span><sup class=\"c11\"><a id=\"ftnt_ref8\" href=\"#ftnt8\">[8]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<p class=\"c1\"><span class=\"c11\">In Matthew\u2019s Gospel, we catch a glimpse of how God prepares us for bigger <\/span><span class=\"c11\">responsibilities<\/span><span class=\"c11\">. Jesus tells the parable of the talents where a man going on a journey entrusts his property to his servants. To one he gave five talents of money, to another he gave two and to one he gave one talent. \u00a0The first two simply double their talents and win over the master\u2019s approval with a \u201cWell done, good and faithful servant.\u201d But the person who received the one talent <strong>was afraid<\/strong> and hid it in the ground. This angered the master and the servant lost everything. \u00a0It\u2019s in this story where the oft quoted verse is found: \u201cFor everyone who has will be given more, and they will have an abundance.\u201d<\/span><sup class=\"c11\"><a id=\"ftnt_ref9\" href=\"#ftnt9\">[9]<\/a><\/sup><span class=\"c9\">\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c1\"><span class=\"c11\">My sense in reading Eve Poole\u2019s stories, examples, exercises and clever literary analogies is that she spends her days helping others nail down what they can do beautifully so more can come to them. Her entire book could be summed up like this: <\/span><span class=\"c9\">Leadersmithing is a craft to be honed over a lifetime. I believe Jesus was teaching the same thing to us in Matthew: Make something beautiful out of what I have given you. Learn to know what to expect as I don&#8217;t give you more than you can handle. Don&#8217;t be afraid. It\u2019s a craft. It takes honing. And as Annie Dillard reminds us\u2013what we do with this hour and that one is what we are doing.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr class=\"c19\" \/>\n<div>\n<p class=\"c13\"><a id=\"ftnt1\" href=\"#ftnt_ref1\">[1]<\/a><span class=\"c2\">\u00a0Dillard, Annie. <\/span><span class=\"c17 c2\">The Writing Life<\/span><span class=\"c5 c2\">. New York, NY: Harper Perennial, 2013.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c7\">\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"c13\"><a id=\"ftnt2\" href=\"#ftnt_ref2\">[2]<\/a><span class=\"c2\">\u00a0Poole, Eve. <\/span><span class=\"c17 c2\">Leadersmithing: Revealing the Trade Secrets of Leadership<\/span><span class=\"c2 c5\">. London\u202f; New York, NY: Bloomsbury Business, 2017.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c7\">\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"c13\"><a id=\"ftnt3\" href=\"#ftnt_ref3\">[3]<\/a><span class=\"c2\">\u00a0Eve Poole. \u201cEve Poole.\u201d Accessed February 13, 2023.<\/span><span class=\"c2\"><a class=\"c14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/evepoole.com\/&amp;sa=D&amp;source=editors&amp;ust=1676398342573109&amp;usg=AOvVaw35mzPLvhB1aytOE38r7Ql3\">\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c7\">\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"c13\"><a id=\"ftnt4\" href=\"#ftnt_ref4\">[4]<\/a><span class=\"c2\">\u00a0Camacho, Tom. <\/span><span class=\"c17 c2\">Mining for Gold: Developing Kingdom Leaders through Coaching<\/span><span class=\"c5 c2\">. Nottingham: IVP UK, 2019.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c7\">\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"c13\"><a id=\"ftnt5\" href=\"#ftnt_ref5\">[5]<\/a><span class=\"c2\">\u00a0\u201cThe Hero With A Thousand Faces: Campbell, Joseph.: Amazon.Com: Books.\u201d Accessed February 2, 2023.<\/span><span class=\"c2\"><a class=\"c14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Hero-Thousand-Faces-Joseph-Campbell\/dp\/B001U09A4Q\/ref%3Dsr_1_4?crid%3D18E4J0M7HIVHX%26keywords%3Dthe%2Bhero%2Bwith%2Ba%2Bthousand%2Bfaces%2Bby%2Bjoseph%2Bcampbell%26qid%3D1675378378%26s%3Dbooks%26sprefix%3DThe%2BHero%2Bwith%252Cstripbooks%252C134%26sr%3D1-4&amp;sa=D&amp;source=editors&amp;ust=1676398342571283&amp;usg=AOvVaw0YkUOEdN9vH99YiKs-Yu7_\">\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"c13\"><a id=\"ftnt6\" href=\"#ftnt_ref6\">[6]<\/a><span class=\"c2\">\u00a0Routledge &amp; CRC Press. \u201cOvercoming Barriers to Student Understanding: Threshold Concepts and Troublesome Knowledge.\u201d Accessed January 28, 2023.<\/span><span class=\"c2\"><a class=\"c14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.routledge.com\/Overcoming-Barriers-to-Student-Understanding-Threshold-Concepts-and-Troublesome\/Meyer-Land\/p\/book\/9780415514187&amp;sa=D&amp;source=editors&amp;ust=1676398342572476&amp;usg=AOvVaw34TM_AZgZ-ZQkqssZLdo1A\">\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"c13\"><a id=\"ftnt7\" href=\"#ftnt_ref7\">[7]<\/a><span class=\"c2\">\u00a0Poole, Eve. <\/span><span class=\"c2 c17\">Leadersmithing: Revealing the Trade Secrets of Leadership<\/span><span class=\"c5 c2\">. London\u202f; New York, NY: Bloomsbury Business, 2017.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c7\">\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"c13\"><a id=\"ftnt8\" href=\"#ftnt_ref8\">[8]<\/a><span class=\"c2\">\u00a0Poole, Eve. <\/span><span class=\"c17 c2\">Leadersmithing: Revealing the Trade Secrets of Leadership<\/span><span class=\"c5 c2\">. London\u202f; New York, NY: Bloomsbury Business, 2017.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c7\">\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"c13\"><a id=\"ftnt9\" href=\"#ftnt_ref9\">[9]<\/a><span class=\"c2\">\u00a0NIV Bible. \u201cThe NIV Bible.\u201d Accessed February 13, 2023.<\/span><span class=\"c2\"><a class=\"c14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.thenivbible.com\/&amp;sa=D&amp;source=editors&amp;ust=1676398342574421&amp;usg=AOvVaw1LYU1bkJqgnapJsbIvcrue\">\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Annie Dillard, in her beautiful book The Writing Life, says, \u201cHow we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour and that one is what we are doing.\u201d[1]\u00a0 Every time I begin the process of writing this blog I pick up a book and hold it [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":180,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2489,2613,2528,2092,1886,101,2102,1252,651,2615,2614],"class_list":["post-31059","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dlgp02","tag-annie-dillard","tag-coaching-leadership","tag-eve-poole","tag-fear","tag-jesus","tag-leadersmithing-revealing-the-trade-secrets-of-leadership","tag-liminal","tag-liminality","tag-parable","tag-the-writing-life","cohort-dlgp02"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31059","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/180"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31059"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31059\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31062,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31059\/revisions\/31062"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31059"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31059"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31059"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}