LOGBOOK
Ah, summer in Maine - time to pull out the books you've wanted to read! No? Finding time to read is a challenge we face and imagine you may as well. Remember the pure pleasure of being immersed in a good book? We need that full engagement and nourishment to recharge a deep well for that is what feeds our imagination, resilience and courage. How can we find time to read - for pleasure, to keep up-to-date in our work, and to stretch ourselves as leaders? Much like getting enough Vitamin D while living in Maine year-round, reading takes intention. Here are some ideas to inspire you.
Our newsletters will support your courageous leadership by keeping you informed of:
- valuable resources we are discovering,
- relevant groups, workshops, and webinars we are initiating,
- people making change,
- useful tips and tools from the field,
- and other events worth knowing about.
We welcome your feedback and encourage you to let us know what you would like to see in these regular communications.
Carol & Deb
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RESUPPLY
Think of one of your favorite books. Remember how you felt reading it. Let yourself sink into the experience you had. What stays with you? What part of you was inspired by that book, play, poem, essay? This doesn't have to be a professional book. Some of our favorites include
* Thorton Wilder's play, Our Town,
* John Heider's The Tao of Leadership,
* Blanche Wiesen Cook's biography of Eleanor Roosevelt,
* Ursula Hegi's, Stones From the River,
*Louise Erdich's, The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse,
and as we start remembering, many more titles bubble to the surface to be savored..
Enjoy remembering your favorites and take that energy into the world.
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Scouting?
For more information,
please visit:
www.paddlingtherapids.com
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 Reading the waters
The metaphor of "reading the waters" combines years of experience of being on the water, knowing how to tell when a rock is just below the surface, reflecting on the strength of those in the boat and knowing what lies ahead. For leaders to be effective in reading the waters, they need time out of the boat, time to read and reflect, to challenge their own ideas, expand their understanding and make meaning during turbulent times.
Reading email and keeping up with new developments are requirements that we manage to fit into full lives. The reading that we are referring to here is a Quadrant II activity (Stephen Covey) in that it is not urgent, but important and truly essential. This is reading that is expansive, fueling the paradigm-shifting moments in your growth. Put guilt aside. We stand with you in this conundrum. Here are some suggestions: 1. Start with a small, achievable goal: · Create a routine that works - read for thirty minutes before work, a half-hour before bed, a chapter over lunch; · Make an unbreakable appointment to go to the library to read once a week (sounds delicious, doesn't it?); · Take a book with you everywhere you go. 2. Connect with colleagues. Start a book group. Agree to meet over lunch to discuss a book. Set a date. Read the book; a bit of competition can help. One twist - each person reads and reviews a different book for the group. This is a sure-fire way to become familiar with a number of books per year. Check out the new Paddling the Rapids Book Group below. 3. Create a reading retreat - a half-day every other week or a day a month. One friend takes his reading material and a fold-up chair to the beach regularly. 4. Let a book beguile you. Go to a bookstore. Speed read the tables of contents. Find a book you can't put down. Practice speed reading to see if it works for you (read phrases rather than words) knowing that the more you read, the faster you will become. 5. Let go of what doesn't engage you. Your brain wants to be stimulated (check out www.BrainRules.net to learn more about how your brain works). Nourish those brain cells. 6. Use audio books wisely. While audio books seem like a good idea with all the driving we do in Maine, the research behind Brain Rules finds that our brain cannot multi-task effectively (i.e., you will not react as quickly if engrossed in a book). Consider listening while gardening, cooking, or cleaning. Try Kindle or downloading books onto an iPod. Experiment. See what works for you. 7. Consider book summaries. There are several executive book summary services. Check them out. 8. Accountability. Enlist others in helping you achieve this goal. Set your intention and check in with others on your progress. What works for you? Let us know. |
Steering the Course
Interested in joining a book group and discuss compelling books with colleagues? This fall Paddling the Rapids is starting a new initiative, Paddling the Rapids Book Groups in Bangor and Portland as well as via teleconference. Groups start in mid-September. Download the pdf for detailed information. Note that reading the book is not required to participate and anyone interested can join in. We will read the following books: · Finding Our Way: Leadership for an Uncertain Time, by Margaret J Wheatley · The Path of Least Resistance: Learning to Become the Creative Force in Your Own Life by Robert Fritz · Immunity to Change: How to Overcome It and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization by Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey · Quiet Leadership: Six Steps to Transforming Performance at Work by David RockCheck out the book group and get started on Margaret Wheatley's collection of essays - perfect summer reading! What books have left you on fire and inspired you to call your closest colleagues to discuss them? Let us know and we will add them to our reading list. |
Navigation Tool
Join us on Tuesday, July 21 to learn how a Paddling the Rapids group can support your leadership and become a tool for navigating sustainability. We know that meeting with colleagues has many benefits: increasing vitality, breaking isolation, exchanging resources, building leadership muscle, defining values, celebrating successes and more. New Paddling the Rapids groups are being planned for executive directors, board chairs, managers, and emerging leaders. Groups are scheduled to start in Bangor and Portland as well as a new group near Kittery and in other areas. Want us to come to you? Join a call. Curious? Hear our plans, ask your questions, and meet other leaders. Invite others you think would like to know about these opportunities by forwarding this newsletter. We will be hosting calls monthly. The next calls are: · Tuesday, July 21, 8:30-9:30AM; (518)-825-1300, use code 271884# · Thursday, July 30, 4-5PM; (518)-825-1300,use code 271884# Email us to reserve a line at info@paddlingtherapids.com"Paddling the Rapids groups are thought-provoking, invigorating and resource-filled." ~participant Check out our website for more testimonials as well as a list of participating organizations.
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Guidebook
You are invited to the Paddling the Rapids Book Group kick-off. Join us on July 23, 2-3:30, in-person, for a teleconference conversation with Robert Fritz, acclaimed author of The Path of Least Resistance, the second book in the Paddling Book Group. Fritz will talk about moving away from a problem-solving orientation through the principle of creative tension, and explain how you can apply his Nine Laws of Organizational Structure to build enterprises capable of true advancement and real, lasting success. "Robert Fritz . . . is without a doubt one of the most original thinkers today on the creative process in business, the arts, science, and life in general. His work has deeply impacted my life and the lives of many of my colleagues." -Peter Senge, author of The Fifth Discipline Sign up for your free seat on July 23rd from 2-3:30 in Portland by RSVPing to Carol at 781-9816. Limiting seating available.
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