Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change Book Review

There are many who are ready, willing and able to provide advice on how to lead. There are few who act on that advice.

Earlier this year, former Georgia minority leader and gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams published her new non fiction book, Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change. Using her personal and professional experience as a background, Ms. Abrams writes about how real change is possible, especially when one is an outsider or has self doubts stand in the way of being a leader.

I enjoyed this book. Instead of providing pie in the sky advice, Ms. Abrams not only provides real world guidance, she provides worksheets to the help the reader work through the examples in the book. She is also humble and not afraid to use her flaws and past mistakes to inspire the reader in their own leadership quest.

I recommend it.

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Instead of Running the Country, He is Feuding With Bette Midler

When one is President, one has many issues on their plate to deal with. In an ideal world, the President or the leader of any country is focused on their job. But in America in 2019, our President is not focused on running the country. He prefers to feud with those who disagree with him on social media.

The newest name on the list of persons of whom he is feuding with is Bette Midler. Her response to his tweet (which I will not repeat on this blog) is spot on.

“I want to thank everyone who came to my defense last night during my personal Battle of the Bulge with he who must not be named. Your wit and good nature really lifted my spirits; as a newly washed up psycho, I am very grateful for your thoughts and prayers.”

Two things bother me about this “feud”. First of all, he was in Europe to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day. One would hope that maturity and respect would be the feelings of the day, to remember the men who gave their lives for our freedom. But then again, you know who is not exactly known for either being respectful or mature.

Second of all, he is President of the United States. He should be concerned about doing the job that we, the voters hired him to do. He should not be concerned with feuding with others via social media. But after two and a half years in office, I expect nothing less.

Late Thoughts On the 75th Anniversary of D-Day

Dearest readers, I apologize for this late post. I was on a lovely vacation last week and perfectly happy to take a break from the real world.

The definition of a hero is often vague and used as per the perspective of the individual or individuals who are speaking. But there is one definition of a hero that is universally accepted: one of gives his or her life to defend their country.

This past Thursday was the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Also known as the Normandy landings, the Allies stormed the beaches of Normandy. Their goal was to liberate Europe from the stranglehold of the Nazis. Thousands of Allied troops jumped off the boats; many did not have the chance to step on the beach. If they did, getting to the beach and living to free Europe was a lesser possibility.

D-Day changed the course of the war. Without D-Day, history and the world that we have today would have been completely different. The men who gave their lives on that day are the reason that we continue to live in a free society and a free world.

The clip below is from Saving Private Ryan (1998). I do have to warn that the clip contains graphic elements of war. Watch at your own risk if you are sensitive to such scenes.

May the memories of the men who died that day forever be a blessing. Z”l.