I have learned that if I want to succeed in leading others I must first lead myself well. And for me that includes reading great books. For 2018 I set an ambitious goal for myself to read 100 books by the year’s end. I did it to invest in myself. I’ve learned so much that I wanted to encourage other small group point people to join me. But you don’t have to wait until the new year to get started. I learned, from Daniel Pink’s book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, that starting points matter. The beginning of a new month is a great time to start. I know small group point people are up for a challenge and always eager to grow, so why not join me? I’m not saying read 100 books by the end of the year, but could you do ten? Here’s a list to get you started: (For small group specific book lists)
The Gifts of Imperfection. Brené Brown is an expert on shame and vulnerability which are areas of growth for most leaders.
- Crucial Conversations. Small group point people not only have their own crucial conversations but we must equip others to do so as well. This will be a helpful resource for that.
their own crucial conversations but we must equip others to do so as well. This will be a helpful resource for that.
Building a StoryBrand. If you want to communicate better this book and framework will help you do so.
- Radical Candor. This is a GREAT practical leadership/management book and will be helpful for any point person but especially if you lead a staff team.
- To Sell is Human. Call it leadership, call it influence, call it Jedi mind tricks, but whatever call it a large part of the job is persuasion. This book will help you look at it in a fresh way.
- The Advantage. From leading teams to meeting structures to who’s on the bus reading The Advantage helps you think about organizational leadership.
The Power of Moments. If you want to captivate people and effect change start thinking and programing with moments in mind.
- Team of Teams. The Joint Special Operations Task Force was ill-equipped to handle the changing world of insurgency and had to attack the problem with new tactics. The church too faces a changing world and our teams can learn from this book.
- The Innovators. This is the account of the men and women who gave birth to the personal commuter and internet. It will help you see how fresh, innovative, and collaborative thinking changes history.
Planning Small Groups with Purpose. Steve Gladen, founder of the Small Group Network, brings his wealth of knowledge and experience of small groups and small group point people come together in this book which is a strategy for planning a groups structure.
If you read just over twenty pages per day you can read this list by years end; August 1 – December 31, 122 days. So why not start now? I challenge you to invest in yourself and your ministry by taking making a leader reader challenge.
