A Failure of Nerve

Author: Edwin H. Friedman
Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 1596272805
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 285

Book Description
An invitation and guide for leaders “to cast a courageous and imaginative vision, to lead resiliently, and to be present and steady in times of deep anxiety.” Ed Friedman’s genius was to see the individual in the family in the larger group, bringing the wisdom of his experience as a therapist and rabbi to the field of organizational leadership. A timeless bestseller, A Failure of Nerve still astonishes in this new edition with its relevance and continues to transform the lives of leaders everywhere—business, church, family, schools—as it has for more than 20 years: Offers prescient guide to leadership in the age of “quick fix.” Provides ways to recognize and address organizational dysfunction. Emphasizes “strength over pathology” in these anxious times. “The age that is upon us requires differentiated leadership that is willing to rise above the anxiety of the masses. We need leaders who will have the ‘capacity to understand and deal effectively’ with the hive mind that is us. This is, in Friedman's words, ‘the key to the kingdom.’ I am grateful for this accessible new edition.” ―C. Andrew Doyle, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Texas

Generation to Generation

Author: Edwin Friedman
Publisher: Guilford Press
ISBN: 1609182367
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 335

Book Description
An acclaimed, influential work now available in paper for the first time, this bestselling book applies the concepts of systemic family therapy to the emotional life of congregations. Edwin H. Friedman shows how the same understanding of family process that can aid clergy in their pastoral role also has important ramifications for negotiating congregational dynamics and functioning as an effective leader. Clergy from diverse denominations, as well as family therapists and counselors, have found that this book directly addresses the dilemmas and crises they encounter daily. It is widely used as a text in courses on pastoral care, leadership, and family systems.

Failure and Nerve in the Academic Study of Religion

Author: William E. Arnal
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317543955
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 270

Book Description
Failure and Nerve in the Academic Study of Religion presents a provocative critique of the unwillingness of modern scholars to publically distinguish research into comparative religion from confessional studies written within denominationally-affiliated institutions. The book offers the 19th Century founders of the study of religion as a bracing corrective to contemporary timidity. The issue was analysed and documented by Wiebe a quarter of a century ago. Here, marking Wiebe's work, a wide range of contributors reassess the methodology and ambition of contemporary religious research. The book argues that conceptualizing religion as part of the world of human action and experience is the first requirement of the study of religion.

Understanding Leadership

Author: Tom Marshall
Publisher: Baker Books
ISBN: 1585585408
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 227

Book Description
What does it mean to be a leader? How does a person lead? And what are the features that distinguish leaders from other people in the organization, and their role from other roles or functions? Based on years of proven experience and scholarly biblical insight, Tom Marshall opens up fresh perspectives on the essence of leadership. He describes how and why it is distinct from management, administration, or ministry and provides readers with the tools necessary to implement successful, long-term leadership. Christian leaders will find clear guidance on topics such as foresight, trust, criticism, caring, status, timing, failure, honor, and the dangers of power. Packed with contemporary examples and New Testament truths, Understanding Leadership also identifies the critical capacities and characteristics of a leader. It emphasizes lifestyle, attitudes, and relationships, helping today's leaders foster interdependence while maintaining identity and integrity within their church, business, or community.

Friedman's Fables

Author: Edwin H. Friedman
Publisher: Guilford Press
ISBN: 146251149X
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 203

Book Description
Edwin H. Friedman has woven 24 illustrative tales that offer fresh perspectives on familiar human foibles and reflect the author's humor, pathos, and understanding. Friedman takes on resistance and other "demons" to show that neither insight, nor encouragement, nor intimidation can in themselves motivate an unmotivated person to change. These tales playfully demonstrate that new ideas, new questions, and imagination, more than accepted wisdom, provide each of us with the keys to overcoming stubborn emotional barriers and facilitating real change both in ourselves and others. Thought-provoking discussion questions for each fable are included. See also the downloadable audiobook, Friedman's Fables: Favorites Read by the Author, featuring 15 of the tales narrated in Dr. Friedman's inimitable style.

Replenish

Author: Lance Witt
Publisher: Baker Books
ISBN: 1441232214
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 219

Book Description
Every leader functions on two stages--the front stage or public world, and the back stage or private world. One cannot lead successfully front stage when one is completely depleted back stage. In a time when pastors are leaving the ministry in record numbers due to cynicism, disillusionment, weariness, and personal scandals, there is an urgent need for soul care in the private lives of leaders. Replenish helps leaders focus on the back stage, the interior life, in order to remain spiritually healthy. In a caring, encouraging tone, it will show pastors how to prioritize matters of the soul develop healthy spiritual practices address problems that lead to burnout create a healthy rhythm in their lives improve their people skills and the spiritual climate of their team develop better systems in their churches discover how to lead an unhurried life For the many ministry leaders who feel alone, in over their heads, or simply worn out, this book will offer welcome relief and a healthy way forward.

How Your Church Family Works

Author: Peter L. Steinke
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1566995515
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 170

Book Description
Drawing on the work of Bowen and Friedman, and on his own many years of counseling experience, Peter Steinke shows how to recognize and deal with the emotional roots of such issues as church conflict, leadership roles, congregational change, irresponsible behavior, and the effects of family of origin on current relationships.

The Point of Vanishing

Author: Howard Axelrod
Publisher: Beacon Press
ISBN: 0807075477
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 221

Book Description
Into the Wild meets Walden—a lyrical memoir for nature lovers and for anyone who has wondered what it would be like to disconnect from our hyper-connected culture and seek more meaningful connections After losing vision in one eye and becoming estranged from his family and friends, a young man spent two years searching for identity in self-imposed solitude in the backwoods of northern Vermont, where he embarked on a project of stripping away facades and all social ties--and learned to face himself. On a clear May afternoon at the end of his junior year at Harvard, Howard Axelrod played a pick-up game of basketball. In a skirmish for a loose ball, a boy’s finger hooked behind Axelrod’s eyeball and left him permanently blinded in his right eye. A week later, he returned to the same dorm room, but to a different world. A world where nothing looked solid, where the distance between how people saw him and how he saw had widened into a gulf. Desperate for a sense of orientation he could trust, he retreated to a jerry-rigged house in the Vermont woods, where he lived without a computer or television, and largely without human contact, for two years. He needed to find a more lasting sense of meaning away from society’s pressures and rush. Named one of the best books of the year by Slate, Chicago Tribune, Entropy Magazine, and named one of the top 10 memoirs by Library Journal

Managing Leadership Anxiety

Author: Steve Cuss
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 1400210895
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 225

Book Description
You Can Learn to Handle the Onslaught of Internal and External Pressures Does anxiety get in the way of your ability to be an effective leader? Is your inability to notice when you and those around you are anxious keeping you "stuck" in chronic unhealthy patterns? In Managing Leadership Anxiety, pastor and spiritual growth expert Steve Cuss offers powerful tools to help you move from being managed by anxiety to managing anxiety. You'll develop the capacity to notice your anxiety and your group's anxiety. You will increase your sensitivity to the way groups develop systemic anxiety that keeps them trapped. Your personal self-awareness will increase as you learn how self gets in the way of identifying and addressing issues. Managing Leadership Anxiety offers valuable principles to those who are hungry to understand the source of the anxiety in themselves and in the people with whom they relate. Readers will be empowered to take back control of their lives and lead in mature and vibrant ways.

Some Nerve

Author: Patty Chang Anker
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 110163216X
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 342

Book Description
“A compelling story of everyday courage” (Elizabeth Gilbert). Patty Chang Anker grew up eager to please and afraid to fail. But after thirty-nine years, she decided it was time to stop being a chicken. Motivated initially to become a better role model for her two kids, she vowed to master the fears that were choking the fun and spontaneity out of life. She learned to dive into a swimming pool, ride a bike, do a handstand, and surf. As she shared her experiences, she discovered that most people suffer from their own secret terrors—of flying, driving, heights, public speaking, and more. It became her mission to help others do what they thought they couldn’t and to experience the joy and aliveness that is the true reward of becoming brave. Inspired and inspiring, this book draws on Anker’s interviews with teachers, therapists, coaches, and clergy to convey both practical advice and profound wisdom. Through her own journey and the stories of others, she conveys with grace and infectious exhilaration the most vital lesson of all: Fear isn’t the end point to life, but the point of entry.