Tribes - We Need YOU to Lead Us -- Seth Godin

I love to read. I love to read books that motivate, challenge, and encourage me.

My newest book is, "Tribes - We Need You to Lead Us," by Seth Godin. It's a small book. Only 151 pages with no chapters. It is a book that I find completely unorthodox -- a NEW way of thinking, viewing, living, and leading. This book is chock-full of inspiration!

To list the quotes that provoked me would take years of blogs. However, one particular section of Tribes was entitled, "The F Word", (p. 42). F is for Fear.

This portion of the book really stopped me in my tracks because fear had been an obstacle for me since childhood. In the past, fear stopped me from accomplishing many things and diverted me from many opportunities to lead.

Godin shares that the industry does not suffer from a lack of ideas. It suffers from a lack of folks without fear. Fear stops us from sharing our ideas and initiating change.

This quote was HUGE for me, "The only short-cut in this book, the only technique or how-to or inside info is this: the levers are here. The proof is here. The power is here. The only thing holding you back is your own fear. Not easy to admit, but essential to understand."

Ok, that hit me right in between the eyes!

- When will I actually use the tools (i.e., books, sermons, blogs, etc.) in my belt?
- When will I apply what I am learning?
- When will I grasp that the world needs my leadership?

Godin paraphrases The Peter Principle by saying, "In every organization everyone rises to the level at which they become paralyzed by fear."

During a recent conversation with an acquaintance, it became clear that their parenting style catered to the "F" word = Fear. Scheduling, activities, meals, and life in general were all maneuvered around fear. I walked away from that discussion with a deep sense in my heart that the Lord was saying to me, "Don't cater to fear." Catering to fear is not a healthy way to live and is a surefire way to miss a divine moment.

The world is changing at a constant rate. It is either changing with me or without me, but it IS changing. I can either flow with or resist its circular motion.

Fear may be a factor, but it does not have to fester. Awareness is the key to making progress.