Week 39 of 52. Welcome to Drucker Mondays, a 52-week journey through the new book, A Year with Peter Drucker: 52 Weeks of Coaching for Leadership Effectiveness, by Joseph A. Maciariello. Each Monday, we'll feature a Drucker fan and his or her favorite snippet from the week's topic. (Subscribe on this page.) Suzy West is our guest writer today.
Week 39: Work in an Area of Your Unique Contribution
THE BIG IDEA FROM THE BOOK: Our unique contributions will be found at the point where our strengths and our values meet, although it may take a while before we identify our area of uniqueness and make it a reality.
SUZY WEST'S FAVORITE DRUCKER INSIGHTS from Week 39, pages 312-317:
• “Life is no ‘brief candle’ to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.” (G. Bernard Shaw)
• “Success and significance offer many of the same benefits but one brings a better night’s sleep and a true level of contentment.” (Bob Buford)
• “What one does well—even very well and successfully—may not be worth devoting one’s life to (or even a substantial portion thereof).” (Peter Drucker)
SUZY WEST'S COLOR COMMENTARY:
I went through a change in attitude towards my work in my mid-40s. I had spent my working life using the training I had obtained to be a paralegal. But the time came when I chose to search out an opportunity to use my strengths, and especially my values, working where the results would be for Kingdom significance.
There can be many reasons to hesitate in making a move like this—uncertainty, financial security, and the idea that there will be plenty of time “later.” But as stated in this week’s topic, “The clock is running! What do you want to be remembered for?”
Today is the day to take that first step.
THIS WEEK'S QUOTES & COMMENTARY BY SUZY WEST:
Suzy West is vice president of operations and finance at Christian Leadership Alliance. She received her black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu in July, a week before her 60th birthday!
TO-DO TODAY:
1. Make a list of your strengths and talents as they relate to your vocation.
2. Consider how and where those same strengths and talents could be used for Kingdom significance. (Take the StrengthsFinder assessment from Gallup.)
3. Set a goal to spend some quality time—soon!—to consider how God would have you use your unique gifts and talents in the second half of your journey.
NEXT MONDAY:
On Sept. 28, 2015, watch for Don Schoendorfer’s color commentary on Week 38’s topic, “Pursuing Significance After Success,” one of six chapters on “Developing Oneself from Success to Significance.” (Editor’s Note: We intentionally flipped Week 38 and 39.)
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