The focus of my reading, when I was employed, was on personal and professional development. That focus led to professional growth. Truly, we are what we read!
For me, my selection of favorite books is narrow. Actually, I’m not a reader of fiction, or history, or biographies. Instead, my reading selection tends to be very focused. Let me explain.
Studies in Proverbs
I write a blog based on my daily studies in the Book of Proverbs. The blog can be found at HTTPS://PROVERBSFORPROFESSIONALS.NET. Obviously, Proverbs is one of my favorite books.
Separately from the blog, I post on LinkedIn most days. For me, LinkedIn is a way to share with a larger audience, in the U.S. and globally, what I’m learning from Proverbs. Currently, I’m not using any other social media outlets.
Those LinkedIn posts always contain a verse reference from Proverbs as the basis or foundation for what I say in each post. Thus, there’s typically an observation related to life or leadership that’s paired with a precept from Proverbs.
My LinkedIn entries often stem from comments I’ve made on the LinkedIn posts of others, or on my responses to comments I’ve received on my own posts. As such, content ideas are plentiful at this early point in sharing from my life experiences.
A Growth Journey
Certainly, Proverbs has been personally impactful.
I’ve been involved in this intensive study of that book since 2015. My objective was to pair my daily Bible study with materials related to personal development. To that end, Proverbs was an obvious choice for that growth goal.
Now, part of the motivation for finding a personal growth outlet was related to my teaching of a Sunday School class. I was throwing away large blocks of material I had prepared for each lesson because there wasn’t time in class to cover everything, even when preparing a handout for the class.
The solution for the excess material was to concentrate my Sunday School lesson prep into Sunday afternoon. Limited time – limited material! Then, I spend the rest of my Bible study time during the week in the Book of Proverbs.
For Solomon, sharing the precepts came verbally and in writing. The process is also inter-generational, passed down from parent to child. Note the following references to “hearing” in Proverbs 1.8, 2.2, 4.1, and 4.4 for some examples. See Proverbs 25.1 for a reference to the precepts in written form.
I carried that study of a precept-driven life from Proverbs back into the office. That is, I looked for ways to apply the precepts in Proverbs into my daily work activities.
As it turned out, that application was fairly easy to accomplish given the practical nature of those precepts. Moreover, I’m convinced that focus on the precepts enabled me to grow professionally. Most certainly, it positioned me to become a business school dean.
Running Out of Room!
My work in Proverbs began with daily reading and marking the pages in my Bible. Over time, there was no room left to write on my Bible’s wide-margin pages for Proverbs. Therefore, I began journaling in May 2016 using a bound journal with lined pages.
Initially, my plan was to complete a detailed study of the entire book of Proverbs, journaling each chapter as I went.
So, what was the problem with that plan? By early 2019 I had crossed the 500-page mark in my third journal! Worse yet, I wasn’t even halfway through the Book of Proverbs! Now what to do?
Well, I knew I would be retiring at the end of June 2020. So, I hired a developer to build a Web site for me.
Then, on July 16, 2019 I made my first blog posts into the proverbsforprofessionals.net blog. My plan was to focus my time in retirement on blogging, using the interactions on LinkedIn as a way to direct people to the blog.
Multiple times in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes Solomon stated that his life goal was “to know wisdom.” Knowing wisdom was the focus of his character development. He made the balanced life of knowing the precepts and applying them through experiential insights the focus of his life. For some examples, see Proverbs 1.2, as well as Ecclesiastes 1.17, 7.25, and 8.16 for “knowing wisdom” references.
As it turned out, I did retire in June 2020. I changed the content of my LinkedIn posts immediately to reflect those studies in Proverbs. Previously, I had been promoting the business school when I was both associate dean and dean.
So, the blogging was an outcome of filled Bible pages and 600+ (currently) journal pages. Interestingly, I really thought I would convert the journal entries into blog posts. However, I’ve been generating so much content otherwise that I have only used a small portion of the journal entries in the blog.
How about completing the detailed study of Proverbs that’s currently unfinished? Well, maybe someday when I have some free time! There simply isn’t time right now!
Other Favorite Books
If I don’t read history, or fiction, or biographies, what else do I read? The focus of my reading, when I was employed, was on personal and professional development.
Here’s a brief recap of some of the books in my professional development collection.
Most obvious is Covey’s 7 Habits. I believe it’s essential reading for anyone who wants to start down the path of personal and professional growth. More importantly, even a recent high school graduate can gain immediate value from mastering the first three habits. You don’t need to wait ten or fifteen years to start your personal growth journey.
It’s important to become self-aware, as that sets the foundation for any growth that’s to follow. For me, as an introvert, Susan Cain’s book Quiet was very valuable regarding self-awareness.
Other self-discover books I have include one on emotional intelligence and one on developing clarity about how others view me.
As a professional, leadership was a key interest. Thus, I own several books by John Maxwell on personal growth, leadership development, and intentional living. Likewise, Crowley’s book, Lead From the Heart, pushes us to apply our entire person as a leader – using both head and heart.
An interest in personal growth and setting priorities will take you to McKeown’s book Essentialism. Sinek’s Start With Why is worthwhile. However, my study in Proverbs convinces me that we must know our WHO, that is be self-aware, before we can begin to pursue our WHY, or our life purpose.
And, one more. The book PEAK is important because it focuses on building expertise, especially the concept of deliberate practice.
Books I Don’t Own
What’s missing from my bookshelf?
For starters, I have not read any books on how to change habits. I realize they are a large component of the personal growth literature. However, my study of Proverbs convinces me that constructive habits are an outcome of personal transformation. Conversely, those habits are NOT what produces lasting personal change inside me!
Truly, personal transformation, in the form of deep change in WHO I am, comes from the inside out.
Unfortunately, the habit literature seems, to me, to get this fundamental process reversed by wanting to work from the outside-in. Simply put, I don’t believe that lasting change comes from the outside-in.
As individuals, I believe we must begin with WHO. Specifically, WHO I am as a person, paired with WHO I am before God.
Habits define WHAT I do. Consequently, habits follow WHO and WHY and HOW.
So, what’s all that mean?
Let’s start with HOW. I don’t own books on goal setting. There are plenty of useful resources available on the Web related to annual goal setting. Actually, I subscribed for several years to a service that helped me formulate and execute an annual, individual growth plan. But, similar to habits, annual planning is of limited value in changing WHO I am inside. Goal setting focuses on HOW I accomplish my WHY.
My focus is first on WHO I am as a person, and as a believer. Then, as a believer, I learn about and pursue my divinely-given life purpose, my WHY.
Here’s how I picture the key elements of personal growth:
WHO (self-aware) – -> WHY (life purpose) – -> HOW (goal setting) – -> WHAT (habits)
My reading of books has dropped drastically since retirement. I’m spending much of each day in Proverbs, writing posts for LinkedIn and the blog, and sharing with others what I’m learning in that daily study and writing.
Some Takeaways
Truly, we must begin with WHO. Thus, focus our personal development on building self-awareness and along with it, self-worth. Be guided by reverence. Begin with WHO.
Once we have developed a clear sense of self, of self-confidence, and of the value we bring to the table, we are positioned to pursue our God-given life purpose, our WHY. That purpose can change over the course of a career. For me, my purpose in this current stage of my life is very different than when I was a business school dean. WHY follows WHO.
Knowing my WHO first, then my WHY, positions me to set priorities, as reflected in goals. Get it? It’s impossible to set priorities without first knowing your WHO and your WHY.
PURPOSE DRIVES PRIORITIES! Priorities, in turn, drive the choices we make, and more importantly, the things we say NO to.
Purpose and priorities dramatically influence my goals, the HOW of life. But, goal setting must come after WHO and WHY!
Absorbing the precepts, so that my life is precept-driven, enables me to live with purpose, on purpose!