Mini Review: Obstacles Welcome by Ralph de la Vega

I just finished Ralph de la Vega's Obstacles Welcome: Turn Adversity to Advantage in Business and Life, published by Thomas Nelson.  This biography and self-help book chronicles the life of Ralph de la Vega who is currently President and CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets.

De la Vega's life is nothing short of inspiring, moving from Cuba to the United States and living with the uncertainty of ever seeing his family again.  He climbed the corporate ladder and most recently oversaw the merger between AT&T and Cingular.  His story is absolutely amazing!

Unfortunately, his career and life advice leaves readers feeling a bit disappointed.  It's not that his advice is bad.  It's not.  It just feels generic and unless you're really, really, really passionate about wireless communications, you'll find yourself skimming more and more.

If you can only read one chapter, go for Chapter Fourteen, The Power of Sacrifice.  De la Vega explains the importance of both corporate sacrifice and the personal devotion to being committed to something larger than you can currently see.  This chapter also gives you a glimpse of De la Vega's life story, one of tremendous courage and sacrifice.

For more info about the book, find it on Amazon.

For more info about Thomas Nelson Publishers, visit their website.

Mini Review: Derailed by Tim Irwin, Ph.D.

If you are a blogger and are looking for a good source of books, Thomas Nelson Publishers provides a Blogger Review program.  Sign up, review their books and share some blogger love.  It's good for Thomas Nelson and provides the writer with a steady flow of quality reads.

I received Derailed by Tim Irwin, Ph.D. a few weeks back and read the entire book in less than two days.  It's my kind of read, blending business concepts with old-fashioned values.  Readers of The Daily Saint will find Dr. Irwin to be a friend to the spirituality of work movement.  He obviously gets it and is committed to helping folks find meaning from their work.

I enjoyed the overall structure of Irwin's book as he profiles six corporate leaders and how they fell from grace.  His examples ranged from one CEO who walked away from millions due to impropriety to another who spent millions on personal luxuries.  You read about these women and men and pray to God that you don't end up the same way.

Irwin's message is simple- learn from the mistakes of these leaders and you won't end up the same way.  Stay humble, emphasize character and focus on self awareness.  I think you'll enjoy Derailed not out of fear but out of the hope it will build in you to stay on track in your leadership path.

Mini Review of By Way of Grace by Paula Huston

I first came across Christian author Paula Huston a few years ago.  Huston's The Holy Way: Practices for a Simple Life spoke to me in ways that few non-fiction pieces could.  As someone who has always been fascinated by monastic living, Huston touched a chord with me as her own life has been enriched by engagement with a group of Catholic monks near her home in California.

The Holy Way captured a sense of one woman's struggle to break away from the stress of daily life and better ground it in Christian ideals.  I was blown away by her ability to weave personal story with tried-and-true Catholic perspective.

By Way of Grace: Moving From Faithfulness to Holiness is a bit different from The Holy Way, but just as satisfying.  It's a more gradual read and draws the reader into its meaning rather than capturing you right from the start.

The book is organized into a simple structure:

• The author's struggle with a particular issue (i.e. justice, temperance, fortitude)


• Discussion of a virtue as taught and lived by a Catholic saint


• Application to daily life via ordinary practices

Huston is adept at introducing an ancient figure as if they just moved in next door to you.  You want to learn more about them and hear the rest of their story.  Whether it is Edith Stein talking about charity or Francis de Sales on faith, Huston describes her encounter with each saint's writings.

One of my favorite chapters dealt with fortitude, or what Huston calls "the art of courageous continuing".  As a Catholic educator, I feel the daily pressure of the bottom line and the challenge of ongoing recruitment.  Continuing is a concept that I found encouraging.

If you're looking for a quick read, By Way of Grace may not be for you.  On the other hand, if you are struggling in the Christian walk and want to taste the fruit of virtuous living, Huston's work is just the ticket.  You'll walk away having learned about some phenomenal saints but more importantly, you'll glimpse the real possibility of living like them.

Other Mini Reviews
Soul of a Leader, Margaret Benefiel

Who's Got Your Back?, Keith Ferrazzi

What's on my Reading List? Here's a Look.

I love books and with a longer commute, I have the opportunity to listen to a ton of content.  I also like to putter through books in the early hours of the day and also before bed.  If you ask my wife, she'll tell you that I probably read too many books at once.  A bad habit of mine, I admit!

So what's on my just-completed and current list?

Just Completed

Simplicity Marketing, Steven Cristol

What Got You Here Won't Get You There, Marshall Goldsmith

The Bourne Betrayal, David Ludlum

Killing Cockroaches, Tony Morgan (click here for the video promo for Tony's book)

Currently Reading

The Bancroft Strategy, David Ludlum

By Way of Grace, Paula Huston

Rule of Apostolic Life, Missionary Cenacle Apostolate

Making it All Work, David Allen

The Big Moo, Seth Godin

*Photo by AK Photography

Mini Review: Tribes by Seth Godin

I just finished Seth Godin's latest, Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us and it's a gem.  If you're unfamiliar with Godin's books or writing style, you'll find Tribes to be a pretty good example of what he does: zero in on one key concept and hammer it home.  Tribes is simple, to the point and repetitive.  There are no chapters.  No photos.  No complex points. Why does the author frame his points this way?

Godin just gets it.

He knows that book readers have the equivelant to ADD so he makes things short and sweet.  He knows that social networking is more than about connecting with others.  He knows that marketing is about more than just making money.  It's about tribes.

A tribe is a group of folks with a similar interest and way of communicating with one another.  These might be conspiracy theorists or pastry chefs.  They may be religious or agnostic. They may be Southerners or part of Red Sox Nation (come on, who isn't?!).

I found Tribes to be an affirmation of what we're trying to do at work and what The Daily Saint is all about- expanding the spirituality of work movement.  I also found Godin's latest to be somewhat irreverent at times.  He's all about faith and not about religion.  He has probably not experienced a healthy brand of organized religion and rests solely on a stuffy, changeless style that left a bad taste in his mouth.  Too bad.  My religious tradition is full of life and integrates the best of a two thousand year old tradition with all that is relevant in today's society.  What's stuffy about that?

I think that you'll enjoy Tribes.  Available through Amazon and any number of other venues, you'll take away all of Godin's genius perspective on marketing and will feel emboldened as a leader.  One more thing- your tribe will thank you for it.

SOME MEMORABLE QUOTES

"It turns out that the people who like their jobs are also the ones who are doing the best work, making the greatest impact, and changing the most."

"The organizations of the future are filled with smart, fast, flexible poeple on a mission.  The thing is, that requires leadership."

"If you're not uncomfortable in your work as a leader, it's almost certain you're not reaching your potential as a leader."

"So great leaders don't try to please everyone.  Great leaders don't water down their message in order to make a tribe a bit bigger."

"Leadership is a choice.  It's the choice to not do nothing."

Meaningful Work Through Passion: A Gladwell Perspective

This clip is courtesy of BNET.com. To say that Gladwell is on to something would be an understatement. His latest, Outliers, is helpful to anyone to is trying to integrate their spirituality with their work.