Rad Magpie Book Club #1 - Aug 2020
Research and professional development are a huge part of our workflow here at Rad Magpie! So, we decided to put together something of a “book club” to share what we’re up to every couple of months. Watch this space to see what we're reading and what we’d recommend!
And without further ado, here’s what the exec team is reading lately:
Dana: Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
Right now I’m reading an incredible book on leadership by Brené Brown. Brown is a self-titled “shame researcher,” and she’s got about a million books out on the subject. Her newest one Dare to Lead is her first book based in the business sector, which was, interestingly enough, her area of study before she dove into shame full-time. In Brown’s other books (of which I’ve dabbled through a few) she writes about how shame - feeling “not enough” - is the antecedent to authenticity and is therefore the most pernicious factor standing between us and happiness and fulfillment. In this book she describes how shame keeps us from being “daring” leaders and in turn robs us of the potential to do real good in our communities and enterprises.
My favorite section of the book so far has been about “armored leadership” versus “daring leadership” which breaks down with precision a number of behaviors which help or hurt an organization (pictured below). Anyone who has ever collaborated with anyone else is likely to recognize some of these behaviors. I resonated so much with this list that I baked it into my own Leadership presentation to the Rad Studio cohort this year. The ones that stuck out most for me were: “being a knower and being right” versus “being a learner and getting it right,” and “zigzagging and avoiding” versus “straight talking and taking action.” It makes me think about the opportunities lost when we are too insecure to say “I don’t know,” so we default to the most obvious answer. It makes me think about all the tough conversations that are tantalizingly avoidable but cause so much harm if they are skipped. Brown goes into detail for each item of Armored Leadership mentioned here and also how we might remediate it to something transformational.
I’m still working my way through the book. Next up is a guided exercise for determining a personal value statement and a chapter on trust. Two big thumbs up from this lady if you’re looking to put some words and concrete actions to becoming a transformational leader. And we always need more of that.
Megan: How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
I picked this book up last year because 1.) I liked the bold colors in the cover and 2.) I didn’t know what “Antiracist” meant. I knew full well what racism was, and I was passionate about dismantling it, but ironically I had never heard of Antiracism. Now that I have read this, I have learned that I never would have been able to effectively contribute to dismantling racism without first learning about antiracism. In the moment when I first picked the book up, though, Antiracist had a nice ring to it; it sounded like a title I wanted to work for. Of course the first step was to learn about it, and it was right there in the beautiful title that this book was going to teach me.
With chapter titles like “Biology,” “Power,” “Class,” and “Gender,” How to be an Antiracist is extremely organized in dismantling specific themes of racism, one at a time, and replacing them with themes of antiracism. Each topic is met with a combination of statistics, historical accounts, and personal accounts from Kendi’s youth. Additionally, each chapter starts with a clear definition of what is racist and what is antiracist regarding that topic so you know what to expect right off the bat.
This book’s structure is extremely effective. I have started to walk through life differently because I am better equipped to recognize and identify when I am having a racist thought and replace it with an antiracist one. I can take things slowly as I learn, one topic at a time, and move back and forth through the book as though it is a dictionary instead of a linear story. Furthermore, It has provided me with a small library of specific, effective history that I can share with my friends to continue the conversation about racism. If the conversation becomes difficult I am better equipped to continue having it. Kendi’s book is just really eye-opening, even if you think you already know it all. It’s a great introduction to how many areas of our lives have always been and continue to be affected by racism. I recommend this book to all of my friends who want to do better and be better starting now.
Maggie: 10 Simple Fundraising Lessons by Jim Eskin
Okay, so maybe my pick is a little boring compared to the others this time around. But honestly, it was totally worthwhile! I’ve been spending a lot of research time exploring the art of fundraising. I have a lot to learn -- the idea of making asks terrifies me, and like many others working in nonprofit development, I have no training in this. Bite-sized books from expert fundraisers have been particularly helpful, like this crash course by Jim Eskin.
10 Simple Fundraising Lessons was a great read for a couple of reasons. First, I love the way each chapter ended with exercises. This made the learning really actionable and showed me how the lessons can be applied in a practical way. I’m planning to bring these exercises to Rad Magpie development meetings and focus on one lesson a week, so I can share this book with the rest of the team.
I also really appreciated the honesty and understanding with which the author approaches the audience. He has been in the position of fundraising for a brand new nonprofit and really seems to understand how challenging it can be. Check out the excerpt below that I sent to Dana immediately after opening the book! The voice made it really easy to read the book quickly despite stopping to take notes after every chapter. Overall, a great addition to the small collection of fundraising books I’ve got started 😜
