Book Recommendations

Welcome!  Below are a couple books I have found helpful in my own life and in mentoring others.  I hope you find them as helpful as I have.

Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well…even when it is off base, unfair, poorly delivered, and frankly, you’re not in the mood

I love this book!  I consider it a must read for everyone.  I wonder what our relationships and our fights with other people would be like if we all gained some of the skills noted in this book.  I think the world would be a better place and people would respond to each other more like Jesus.

It seems to me, we all receive feedback, whether we ask for it or not.  Most of our interpersonal conflicts seem to involve some type of feedback coming at us that we are not wanting to hear or are unable to receive.  Why can receiving feedback be so hard to take?  How can we receive feedback better, more constructively, without it getting so messy? 

I acknowledge, I still have a long way to go before I truly receive all feedback well, but thanks to this book, I’m learning how to receive feedback better, which is improving my life.  It’s a life-changer.

The Emotionally Healthy Leader:  How transforming your inner life will deeply transform your church, team, and the world

I’m a big fan of Peter Scazzero’s writings and his premise that it’s not possible to be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature.  The two are intricately intertwined.

I’ve previously recommended The Emotionally Healthy Church, which I consider a must read for all Christians.

In this book, Peter looks at four ways to develop an emotionally healthy inner life.  He then describes how our healthy inner life may impact four core tasks of leadership.

 

 

The On-Going Journey:
As I’ve explored my emotional inner life over the years, I’ve found that doing so draws me closer to Jesus and makes me aware of blind-spots inside myself that still need his forgiveness, redemption, and restoration.  Jesus saving me was not a one-time event.  It’s on-going. 

The transformation that has been happening inside me, through the help of books like these, has been naturally flowing out and helping others in their transformation.  I believe the same can be true for you.  It’s not an easy journey, but I think it’s a worthwhile one.

Happy Reading:
I’m currently using both of these books in the mentoring ministry I’m doing.

I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I have.  I hope they change your life in a positive way.

In His Love,
Randy