Susan Scott in her books, “Fierce Conversations,” and “Fierce Leadership” has my attention. Over the course of this past summer during my annual study leave, these two books managed to deeply root themselves into my mind and heart about what it means to walk and lead with authenticity and integrity, what it means to connect deeply and passionately with my team, my family, or whomever God has me in relationship with. Her clarion call to sincerely invite truth, creativity and even contrarian thinking to the table hit me with an intensity that I have rarely experienced, even under the best of preachers and Christian writers. That may have more to do with me and where I’m at in my life journey these days, than any preachers or Christian writers, but even so, there is a freshness to Scott’s approach that simply rings true. And yes I believe the Holy Spirit spoke clearly and directly to me, through the words of this secular prophet.
I owe a huge thanks to a couple of guys in my Pastoral Small Group, Mike Wilkins from West London Alliance and Garth Leno from Heritage Park who introduced me to the books and blog of Susan Scott. I was working through some of my own “stuff” and sharing that with the group, when both guys jumped with the name Susan Scott and strongly encouraged me to take a look. They were surprised that I was unfamiliar with her as so often I’m the guy recommending secular authors who have something to say to the life of the local church.
Contrary to Susan’s Scott’s strong recommendation, I read “Fierce Leadership” before I read “Fierce Conversations,” which worked well for me, but “Fierce Conversations,” is clearly the foundation upon which the next book is built. I was struck by how the virtues Scott espouses are so obviously Christian. I wondered what in her background contributed to an ethic that so often reflected the teaching of Jesus despite her obvious disdain for institutional religion as well as her colourful yet sensitive use of such language. Perhaps her expression “what fresh hell is this,” will not win her points with the average evangelical church goer, but I must admit I found it an original and winsome way to express the realities we continually encounter in church and family life.
It wasn’t until I got to her first book, “Fierce Conversations” that I discovered that Susan has a churched upbringing with a mom who has been concerned about her daughter’s rejection of their family’s faith background. That explained a lot, including her phrase, “What Would Love Do?,” likely her secularized version of WWJD. She provides an excellent exposition of Matthew 18:15-17 without ever letting you know that she’s been influenced by the Bible. Reading between the lines, I suspect the values that she holds so strongly to, that she “preaches” so passionately, which are biblically consistent, were likely sadly absent in the church of her upbringing. Like so many, she embraces many biblical values, sees herself as “spiritual,” but rejects Christianity. Someone how I found myself identifying with this jaded reflection of church culture, and it caused me to look deeply within, at where I might be contributing to the culture Scott has come to reject.
Let me just throw your way a few quick things among many that struck me as I read these two books:
• Our work, our relationships succeed or fail one conversation at a time. We build our emotional wakes for the positive or negative, one conversation at a time.
• What each of us believes simply reflects our own view of reality … and reality is unforgivingly complex. In other words, no one person owns all of the truth.
• The person who can most accurately describe reality without laying blame will emerge the leader.
• If your behaviour contradicts your values, your body knows, and you pay a price at a cellular level.
• Authenticity is not something you have, it’s something you choose.
• What are you pretending not to know???
• We must recognize that humans share a universal longing to be known, to be loved.
• What we do at work that hurts people or alienates coworkers we also do at home, hurting and alienating those we love.
• When we keep important thoughts private, our ability to learn and make good decisions is lost.
• Feedback is invaluable. Anonymous feedback is not honest. Like all toxins, anonymity should be kept as close to zero as possible. Trust requires persistent identity.
• The goal is to have open, honest, face-to-face conversations, 365 days a year, with the people central to your success and happiness.
• A careful conversation is a failed conversation because it merely postpones the conversation that wants and needs to take place.
• A central part of my job is to build a culture that includes genuine affection for and an emotional connection with coworkers and customers.
• Master the courage to interrogate reality.
• The point of accountability is to empower the other person, not for you to become the new source for his or her power.
• Tell me what you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
Well that’s just a tease that hardly scratches the surface of two books that are immensely practical, incredibly challenging, yet refreshingly biblical in an arena you might not expect it. In some ways Scott’s books were almost like reading the sequel with practical application to NT Wright’s new book, “After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters.” Wright talks about the tough work of putting to death our old nature and putting on Christian virtues, and likens it to the difficult challenge of learning a new language. Yes we have the working of the Holy Spirit who will empower us, but only as we first choose to do what we as human beings have been enabled to do by our Creator God, as His image bearers. But that would take another blog to unpack.
So I give a hearty two thumbs up to both of Scott’s books, “Fierce Conversations,” and “Fierce Leadership.” I’d recommend them for use at home, at work, in the church, or wherever you interact with people committed to some sort of mission or task. Hey, I might even suggest that “Fierce Conversations,” might be one of the better books we could use in pre-marital counseling. Go buy both books and read them NOW!! (And after that take a look at Wright’s book! )
