Deepening Engagement: Essential Wisdom for Listening and Leading with Purpose, Meaning, and Joy

Educator, spiritual director, and consultant Millis (Conversation: The Sacred Art) proposes a new method to help individuals and communities connect more honestly with one another. Millis suggests a way to move from deep listening to deep engagement on any scale. Chapter titles are short maxims, like %E2%80%9Cbe who you are" and %E2%80%9Cuse everything," that are developed into invitations to pause, ponder, and practice each chapter's core concept. Some ideas help readers examine their own lives, while %E2%80%9Clisten generously" and %E2%80%9Cask meaningful questions" are guidelines that can be applied to relationships with others. Drawing on her work teaching leadership skills with the Fetzer Institute and the Lilly Endowment, Millis writes that strong communities can be founded on honest engagement and the willingness to improvise. Appealing to both corporate leaders and self-help readers, Millis writes with heart and compassion without veering into fuzziness or jargon. She includes a good bibliography for those wishing to deepen their explorations of her ideas. (Apr.)