Participants wanted for the first annual CASTLE summer book club

I’m going to try something new this summer. I just finished reading Influencer: The power to change anything. It’s possibly the best leadership book that I’ve read in years and I’m itching to discuss it with someone. So I decided to see if I can get an online book club up and running this summer. If you’re interested, read on…

Getting started

• E-mail me by June 1 that you’re interested in participating
• Buy the book!

Commitments

• Keep up with the reading
• Be an active participant in our online discussion area
• Dissect ideas vigorously but also be nice to other discussants

Schedule

1. 6/9 to 6/15 – Part 1 Introduction, Chapter 1, and Chapter 2 (44 pages)
2. 6/16 to 6/22 – Chapter 3 (28 pages)
3. 6/23 to 6/29 – Part 2 Introduction and Chapter 4 (38 pages)
4. 6/30 to 7/6 – Chapter 5 (26 pages)
5. 7/7 to 7/13 – Chapter 6 (30 pages)
6. 7/14 to 7/20 – Chapter 7 (26 pages)
7. 7/21 to 7/27 – Chapter 8 (26 pages)
8. 7/28 – 8/3 – Chapter 9 (34 pages)
9. 8/4 to 8/10 – Chapter 10 and Wrap-Up (20 pages)

This offer is open to all leaders and change agents, at whatever level they’re operating (hint: might be a good summer activity for some of your local principals or superintendents?)

I’m looking forward to some powerful discussions. Hope some of you will join me this summer!

Comments

[Brittney]

1.

Hi Scott-

You may be interested in also reviewing the Influencer blog written by co-author David Maxfield. It has some great application of the skills and strategies found in the book.

http://www.influencerbook.com/influencer/blog

Check it out.

[David Maxfield]

2.

Scott,

Thanks for your kind words about our book. I'm one of its co-authors, and I'd love to participate in your book club. It might be fun for people to think of a real-life influence challenge they can bring to the discussion. A few I've been working on lately include: improving my own fitness, improving handwashing in hospitals, and improving the numbers of women on major account teams.

thanks,

David

[Scott McLeod]

3.

@Brittney, thanks!

@David, we'd LOVE to have you participate with us! Just send me your preferred e-mail and I'll be in touch in a few weeks. I'm guessing you won't need to go out and buy yourself a copy of the book. ;)

As I read through the book, I too thought it would be important to have people think about / focus on one specific change initiative in their school organizations. It will be interesting to see what people come up with...

Also, I sent Brittney a note with a question for you. THANK YOU!

[Kimberly McCollum]

4.

Will the book club discussions be synchronous or asynchronous?

[Scott McLeod]

5.

@Kimberly: Asynchronous. I haven't decided on the best tool yet. Leaning toward a blog or Lefora.com. Anyone have other suggestions for how best to facilitate our book club discussions?

[Ryan Bretag]

6.

I would model sound practices and use a discussion forum like Lefora.com for asynchronous discussions to work through thoughts and ideas. Then, I would encourage individuals to write at greater depths about area of interests on their blogs. Finally, we might be able to do a culminating webcast in real time for those interested.

If they don't have a blog, I'm sure people would volunteer to have someone on as a guest blogger. At least, I know I would.

[Arnie]

7.

Thanks for a new word - "discussants".

I am not a school leader of much import, but I will be picking up a copy of the book and following along. I don't want to clog up your already overflowing group size. I'd like to just lurk, if that is possible.