Leadership Book Club Applications Available Now
Last year, The Fieldstone Leadership Network launched the Leadership Book Club as a distinctive and creative way to study leadership. The first cohort of 12 nonprofit leaders is currently in Month 8 of the 10-month program and the cohort has decided to continue to read and study leadership together through literature once the program has “officially” concluded. Their choice to continue the program is a meaningful endorsement on the value of the experience and one that has lead Fieldstone to offer another session of this program. Applications are now available for the second Leadership Book Club, which will begin in September 2017 and run through June 2018. If you would like to hear what people are saying about the Book Club experience, please view this short video
Leadership Book Club
Crafted with assistance from leadership and literary experts, including the Department of Leadership Studies at the University of San Diego, Harvard, Center for Courage and Renewal, Warwick’s and various independent consultants, the book club works with a well-cultivated and meaningful book list. This list includes fiction, non-fiction and other books we are describing as “the third sector”. This category of books will include technical, business, philosophy and poetry that will round out the other literary choices. Each book has been selected for its ability to inspire and inform personal leadership development. The list is balanced with classics and new releases from a variety of authors to provide a diverse perspective and learning opportunity. It is designed to be a living document that will continue to evolve throughout the life of the program.
The Fieldstone Book Club is led by a professional book club facilitator. This will provide both the framework for the first three monthly discussions but also the training on how to facilitate and use book discussions as a teaching tool in your organization or with your leadership team. Our facilitator will work with each member as he/she prepares to facilitate one month’s discussion with a fellow member. This part of the program cultivates trusted relationships among the book club members, while also solidifying the facilitator training with hands-on experience.
Research has shown that reading has always been an essential component of leadership development (HBR, Feb. 2016). However, even with the best of intentions, it is often difficult to get to or finish all of the books competing for our attention. Book Clubs are proven to help one commit to and develop a healthy habit of reading. This habit leads to an increase in knowledge, as the more one reads, the more one learns. Book clubs also change reading from a solitary activity to a communal one. Reading communally encourages one to read more deeply as a way to prepare to share thoughts and impressions with others in the Club. Maybe most importantly, book clubs inspire one to read books which one may not have otherwise selected or finished. Often these are the most meaningful reading experiences as one’s perspective is challenged or expanded.
We are very excited to continue this program and invite you to join us as part of this unique leadership development opportunity. We have space for 12 leaders. We expect the group to fill up quickly, so if you are interested, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. The application and more specific information is available on our website under the Leadership Network tab.