Last month Daniel had the opportunity to attend Leadercast in Atlanta. As part of the swag, he came home with several books written by speakers at the event. One of the books was The Power of the Other by Dr. Henry Cloud (co-author of the Boundaries books).
This book outlines the healthy relationships one must have in order to be a good leader, and how the people around you have an impact on how well you do life. I am currently not in a leadership position (not within a business anyway), but I found the concepts to be applicable to marriage and also to parenting.
Dr. Cloud's book outlines the four corners of relationships – the first three being toxic with the goal to get to Corner Four. As a parent, I felt myself nodding along with the feeling that I have definitely gotten stuck in Corner One before.
In Corner One you are disconnected from those around you and making poor decisions because you are isolated. In Corner Two you have a bad connection – for example someone is making you feel bad about yourself or you get yourself in a situation where something you are doing makes you feel guilty. And finally, Corner Three relationships offer a "False Good Connection" where your ego is being stroked but no one is telling you the truth.
The goal should be to Corner Four where you can have a real connection to the people around you; where you can give and receive honest feedback without getting your feelings hurt.
This book was a fairly easy read and I thought it had some great points. It made me reevaluate some of the ways I have been making decisions lately. This book also took me back to the days I was working in an office setting and reminded me of the differences in good and bad leadership. I actually quit a job at one point because of poor leadership. Whether working under good or bad leadership, I always walk away with a desire to learn from, and then do better in my own life.
I gave The Power of the Other 4 stars on Goodreads.
A sampling of what I've been reading online lately:
Guilt's a Punk via Marriage Confessions
This Study Could Have Reshaped the American Diet via The Washington Post
Lessons from Backdoor Friends via Under the Sycamore
Are Today's Parents Getting a Raw Deal? via The Huffington Post
To the Discourraged Mothers via We are THAT Family
How I Negotiated $15,000 More... via The Muse
Be the Boss, Not the #GirlBoss via The Broadcast
Life Lessons by the Decade via The Pioneer Woman
Dear Chewbacca Momma via Thistle and Toad
Venezuela is Falling Apart via Business Insider
How I Slowed My Family Down via The Huffington Post
15 Words Every Outdoor Lover Should Know via Outside Online
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