Editors’
Note: For the past several months Meridian has serialized Leadership
for Saints, a ground-breaking new book by Rodger Dean Duncan and
Ed J. Pinegar. We have been exposing you to this book on Meridian
because we feel so strongly about fostering leadership among our
people and like-minded friends everywhere.
When
we first heard that our friends Rodger and Ed were doing this book
we immediately contacted them and pled with them to let us serialize
it so that it could bless our readers and that we could get the
word out far and wide.
Now
people are talking about Leadership for Saints. It has become a
best-seller in Latter-day Saint circles, and is being read by people
of other faiths, too. We’ve had so many comments from readers
of Leadership we’ve included a sampling of those
comments herein.
This
article is a follow-up interview with Rodger to see what is happening
with Leadership, where it has come from and where it’s
going.
Rodger
Dean Duncan was interviewed at his home in Liberty, Missouri.
Meridian:Leadership for Saints seems to be doing extremely well
in the market place. To what do you attribute that?
Duncan: People
know that good leadership is at the heart of everything they do.
Strong marriages and families require good leadership. Successful
work on the job and in the community requires good leadership. Effective
service in the Church requires good leadership. People sense the
need for good leadership and they’re seeking resources to
help them be better and do better.
Meridian: What
about people who don’t have a leadership role?
Duncan:
Everyone has leadership roles. Good leadership is not about titles
or position. It’s about exercising righteous influence. It’s
about connecting with other human beings and inspiring them to give
their best for a good cause. None of us lives in a vacuum. We live
in the context of other people, and to live effectively we must
be able to interact in ways that build trust and confidence. For
the committed Christian, that means behaving in ways that are consistent
with the teachings of Jesus.
Reader
Quotes
I
don’t remember ever feeling more enthused about a book.
The practical guidance in Leadership for Saints is absolutely
wonderful. I have begun to go over the book a second time to
help me develop more, by working on the challenges at the end
of each chapter, and setting the goals necessary.
Robert
G.W. Mundie
Aberdeen, Scotland
Meridian:
How is Leadership for Saints different from other resources?
Duncan: The
book’s subtitle indicates the key differentiator: “A
Practical Guide for Christlike Service.” Leadership for Saints
is a blending of spiritual ideals with traditional management principles.
It’s aimed at helping people live more effectively in their
families, in the community, in the church and in the business world.
Meridian: So
you’ve blended the spiritual with the practical?
Duncan: I suggest
that when properly applied, spiritual principles are the most practical
of all. The best leaders I know are very sensitive to spiritual
principles. For instance, empathic listening – which is critical
to effective communication – is deeply rooted in the spiritual
principles of unconditional love, caring and even sacrifice. Jesus
is our primary leadership model.
Leadership for
Saints applies the Savior’s principles and example to the
wide range of daily situations that we all face: how to plan and
organize, how to build unity, how to create a climate of hope and
energy, how to communicate in ways that build bridges between hearts,
how to exert righteous influence, how to use the spirit of discernment
and how to maintain a sense of personal balance.
Reader
Quotes
This
is a "one of a kind" leadership book. Maybe even a
first of its type. The authors’ efforts to blend the teachings
of the Savior and our Church leaders with the doctrine of management
in the world is most impressive and helpful.
The quote
"every organization is perfectly organized to get the
results it is getting" is the most powerful influence
to look at what I or my group was doing, decide if the results
being obtained was what was wanted by the Prophets and the
Lord, then realize that if there was to be a change in results
we would have to adjust how we are organized or how we did
things.
W. Brough Dorney
Mesa, Arizona
Meridian:
What are your readers saying about the book?
Duncan:
We know of Latter-day Saint stakes that are using Leadership
for Saints in their training of high councilors, bishops, priesthood
quorum leaders and auxiliary leaders. The book is being used to
strengthen ward and stake councils. It’s being used as a personal
improvement guide by Primary, Relief Society and Young Men and Young
Women workers. It’s being used to strengthen marriages and
families. It’s being used to improve parent-child relationships.
It’s being used to improve service in community work. And
it’s being used to help boost performance in professional
settings. We’re receiving many reports on the positive results
people are getting by following the principles and practices discussed
in the book. The point is that the book is not just being read,
it’s being used – and that’s why it was written.
Meridian: So
the book is striking responsive chords?
Duncan: It certainly
seems to be. One lady said she bought copies for her grown children
as a Christmas gift. But after reading her own copy she didn’t
want to wait so she sent the books immediately. Leadership for Saints
was never intended to sit on a shelf. It’s intended for immediate
and frequent use by people who want to be more effective –
more Christlike – in their service at home, in the Church
and in the community.
Meridian: What
are some examples of reader comments?
Duncan: A high
priest group leader in Scotland reports that the book helps him
conduct more effective personal priesthood interviews and prepare
better for meetings. A stake leader in Arizona says the book is
helping him with both Church and family councils. A recent convert
in California says the book helps him see the linkages between his
roles as scoutmaster and Young Men leader and his efforts to become
a better missionary and a righteous father. A temple worker in Oregon,
who also serves in a Relief Society presidency, says “the
book’s emphasis on principles more than techniques is what
I find most appealing and – by projection – most helpful.”
A bishop in Texas, a West Point graduate who’s been studying
leadership for 25 years, says the book helped him write his personal
mission statement.
Reader
Quotes
I
am a recent convert (two and a half years) to the Church. My
new calling is scoutmaster and second counselor in the Young
Men Presidency. Leadership for Saints has integrated
the message of leadership delivered with love. In reading the
book I can see how teaching, leadership and love can bring my
young men to the gospel. I can see the links from my role as
teacher and leader to missionary service, to becoming a righteous
father, to delivering Christlike service to humanity.
Steve Simon
Stockton, California
Meridian:
It sounds like you’re hearing from all over.
Duncan: Yes.
Readers are writing from Africa, Scandinavia, Australia, Europe,
Britain and South America – literally from around the globe.
And, again, the most gratifying feedback is that people are using
the book to enhance every role in their lives.
Meridian:
How is Leadership for Saints being accepted by readers
outside the LDS faith?
Duncan: We don’t
have any hard numbers on that yet, but we do have anecdotal data.
Many Latter-day Saints report that they’re giving copies of
the book to their friends and co-workers of other faiths. I’ve
even had experience with that myself.
Meridian: Tell
us about it.
Duncan: I have
a good friend, a life-long Baptist, who’s a well-respected
public official. I know he values good leadership and effective
service, so I gave him a copy of Leadership for Saints.
A couple of
weeks later he said, “Rodger, I read your book carefully and
I’d like to give you some feedback. I hope it won’t
offend you.” I assured my friend that nothing he could say
would offend me and invited him to fire away.
“This
book could have been written by a Baptist!” he said.
“Which
parts of the book are you referring to?” I asked with a smile.
“Are you referring to the counsel from Joseph Smith and all
the other latter-day prophets?”
“I’m
referring to the entire book,” he said. “And I’m
especially struck by what the book says about Jesus. You talk about
Jesus throughout the book, and there’s not a single word in
there that I disagree with. What I don’t understand is why
some members of my faith claim that Mormon’s aren’t
Christians. Leadership for Saints provides tons of evidence
that Mormons regard Jesus as Lord and Savior and that everything
Mormons do is about trying to follow his example.”
Reader
Quotes
I
love Leadership for Saints. It was just the jump start
I needed. I am currently serving in a presidency and the book
gave me the boost to see things for what they are and make some
suggestions for improvement. I've read the book and loaned it
to my bishop. I'd like to get a couple more copies. I usually
get two copies of my favorite books (one to have and one to
loan). For this one, I'll need at least two more because I'm
sure they will make wonderful gifts, and I miss my copy.
Kathy Moody
Windham, Maine
Meridian:
That response must have been gratifying.
Duncan:
Yes, and it’s another instance of serendipity. The book is
clearly written for Latter-day Saints. Most of the examples and
situations in the book are from an LDS context. But of course true
principles apply every day in every venue. People with open hearts
tend to recognize true principles when they see them. Even if their
faith tradition is different from ours, they are likely to resonate
to the principles and practices taught in Leadership for Saints.
It’s a welcome side benefit of the book.
Meridian: What
are some of the “bottom-line” principles that people
seem to appreciate in Leadership for Saints?
Duncan:
Readers seem to value the idea that you can rent a person’s
back and hands, but you must earn a person’s head and heart.
Too many so-called “leaders” try to lead by announcement
or by manipulation or even by pleading. They may get short-term
results with such tactics, but long-term effectiveness comes only
by working in genuine integrity to connect with the heads and hearts
of people. Leadership for Saints shows how to do that.
Reader
Quotes
The
book’s emphasis on principles more than techniques is
what I find most appealing and – by projection –
most helpful. I feel the spirit as I read and ponder the points
illuminated in the book. I wish every parent, as well as every
leader, could read and apply the principles.
I am very
touched by the profound effect this book is having on my thinking
regarding my leadership callings. I've been letting others
know of this great treasure as well.
Joan Thomas
Aloha, Oregon
Meridian:
Tell us more about blending the spiritual with the practical.
Duncan: Well,
again, the spiritual is by far the most practical. It’s a
mistake to compartmentalize the “management” and “spiritual”
components of leadership. People are spiritual beings. It’s
not about being a Mormon, Baptist, Catholic or Muslim. It’s
about being human, a child of God. Great leaders understand that,
and they appreciate the importance of inspiring people to tap their
potential, to overcome obstacles, and to create a greater vision
of the causes they serve. At the same time, it’s foolhardy
to ignore the “management” part of leadership. You want
to inspire people to get on the train, you want the train to be
on the right track headed in the right direction, and of course
you want everyone who desires to make the trip to have a ticket.
Great leaders have a sense of administration as well as a sense
of ministry.
Meridian: In
a nutshell, what’s your advice to someone in a leadership
role, whether the role is “official” or otherwise?
Duncan:
Listen. Listen to the people you’re asked to lead. Listen
with the eyes and heart as well as with the ears. Listen to your
own leaders. And most of all, listen to the Spirit. A call to lead
is a sacred trust. The ripple effect of one moment of inspired leadership
can bless lives for generations. We never know which of our actions
will have timeless impact, so we must do our very best with every
moment.
Contents
Section 1: Understanding the Role of Leadership
Chapter 1
- What Great Leadership Is
Chapter 2 - What Great Leaders Are
Chapter 3 - What Great Leaders See
Chapter 4 - What Great Leaders Do
Section 2: Getting
the Results You and the Lord Want
Chapter 5
- Planning the Work, Working the Plan
Chapter 6 - Councils: Strength in Unity
Chapter 7 - Creating a Climate of Hope and Energy
Section 3: Skills
That Help You Sleep at Night
Chapter 8
- Communication: Building Bridges to Their Hearts
Chapter 9 - Stewardship Delegation: The Great Multiplier
Chapter 10 - The Power of Influence
Chapter 11 - Gatherings of Saints: Think Purpose, Not Meeting
Section 4: Special
Challenges and Opportunities
Chapter 12
- Discernment: The Gift of Great Price
Chapter 13 - Personal Balance: Your "Being" vs. Your
"Doing"
Chapter 14 - Common Questions, Humble Responses
