The Courageous Follower: Standing Up To & For Our Leaders by Ira Chaleff (1995, Berrett-Koehler Pub; 494 pages) This is a book about “followership,” a category that, according to Ira Chaleff, you won't find if you scroll through the subject catalog at the Library of Congress. You will find “leadership” and hundreds of books on the subject. But you will only find a handful of articles and books on “followership.” This book is one of the best on that subject and it was born out of a question about the systematic destruction of six million European Jews by the Nazis during World War II. The question was: How could a whole country follow a vicious leader to the logical conclusions of this psychosis? The author of the book explains: “This mass support for a psychotic leader may well have created the contemptuous association my generation has with the term follower.” According to the author's reflection on this, proximity and courage are the critical variables in the prevention of the abuse of power, and those are the variables he kept in mind while writing a book for and about the followers who serve closely to a leader. He affirms that there is a need for dynamic models of followership that balances and support dynamic leadership and helps us embrace rather than reject the identity of follower because the model speaks to our courage, power, integrity, responsibility, and sense of service. The book proposes a proactive view of the follower's role, bringing it into parity with the leader's role, a parity that is possible when we recognize that leaders rarely use their power wisely or effectively over long periods unless they are supported by followers who have the stature to help them to do so. Filled with practical advice and remarkable insight, and keeping in mind that everyone is a follower at least some of the time, this book is highly recommended to both leaders and followers interested in organizational transformation to fosters a climate that encourages courageous followership for the benefit of their organizations. Brilliant reading. Find this title in our catalog: The Courageous Follower Recommended by: Maite
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The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and the Others in Your Life by Helen Palmer (1988, Harper & Row; 392 pages) This is a book about a tool to self exploration and it is based on the model of the Enneagram. It is both an ancient and modern model based on an ancient Sufi teaching that describes nine different personality types and their interrelationships. The Enneagram helps us to recognize our own type, cope with issues, understand our work associates, lovers, family, and friends. It is also helpful to appreciate the predisposition that each type has for higher human capacities such as empathy, omniscience, and love. The Enneagram is considered part of an oral teaching tradition, and the material is still best transmitted by seeing and hearing groups of people of the same type speak about their lives. The book is a compendium of the model. It is divided into two parts: the first one is an orientation to the Enneagram and includes a background of the system and an introduction to the types, and chapters that explain attention, intuition structure of the Enneagram diagram, and contributors to the system. The second part focuses on the nine points of the Enneagram, and includes a chapter per personality type. There is also an appendix with empirical research on the Enneagram model. The book is an invaluable resource for those interested in practical guides to analyze systems of personality types to understand oneself and others in our lives. Fascinating and helpful, a must for those who need to work in a team. Find this title in our catalog: The Enneagram Recommended by: Maite Crafting With Feminism: 25 Girl-Powered Projects to Smash the Patriarchy by Bonnie Burton (2016, Quirk Books; 112 pages) Crafting with Feminism features 25 fun and somehow easy-to-make projects that celebrate everything about girls and women. The projects are not for everybody. You must feel comfortable wearing your ideology on your sleeve to create fierce merit badges and you need to believe that the political is personal with DIY power panties. If you are not so sure about the above, you may want to try to craft heroine finger puppets to honor great women like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, bell hooks, or Frida Kahlo. You can also make an "All Hail the Queen Crown," a "Huggable Uterus Body Pillow," or a very interesting "Nope Necklace" that invites you to stick up for yourself by saying "no," always a powerful feminist act. The book offers tips on everything from beginner sewing stitches to building an empowering party playlist. It also includes a forward by actress and writer Felicia Day, creator of the YouTube channel Geek & Sundry. She is a fan of crafting parties, especially lady friends crafting parties. She believes that feminism is about giving women the freedom to make the choices they want to make and to be what they want to be. Feminism has, according to Day, a million positive ideas that could drown the negative, and this book is a way to make sure that fun is a part of the cause. Not for everyone, but if you enjoy glitter, empowerment, and feminism, this book is for you. Find this title in our catalog: Crafting with Feminism Recommended by: Maite |
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