The Enjoyment of Leadership

Hello Everyone,

It's time to read, get others to read, and discuss the literature choice for this next period of time: The Enjoyment of Leadership by Harvey Jackins. I'll start us off, but want you all to take up Harvey's call to leadership and write something on this discussion list about this great piece of writing. There is so much in it.

I think it's appropriate to start out with one of his key points, that we so often forget: "The reality of all our experience to date is that to correctly assume leadership, to work well at it, is to enhance the possibility and the rapidity of one's re-emergence. To lead is to refresh and re-pleasure one's life rather than to degrade or overburden it. When one really takes charge of things one soon realizes that one can have one's life the way one wants it. One can delegate almost all necessary tasks to other people who are often thrilled at being asked to undertake them."

I personally have found this to be true. Before taking on a new piece of leadership, however, it never seems true. The feelings of not being good enough, not being smart enough, not being ready, already being overworked, etc. are huge. The confused perspectives seem so real. But over and over again, I have found that doing "hard" things, even if I have to do them terrified, leads to new levels of discharge of the early hurts that I wouldn't otherwise choose to feel. And unearthing and discharging those feelings, although hugely uncomfortable, takes me to new levels of connection with myself and others. And "joy" is just what I get to feel after such challenges have been taken on. It's been great to not let the oppression win. So much of what I've been able to reclaim of my intelligence and clarity, has come directly from taking on leadership.

What successes have you had in not giving in to the oppressive messages that say that you can't be an RC leader or one kind or another? And what parts of the pamphlet do you love? If you haven't read it lately, go back and re-read it. It's the best.

Gwen Brown
Wilmington, Delaware, USA

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I'm glad we are reading Harvey's incendiary pamphlet, The Enjoyment of Leadership, with Gwen this month. I recently ordered another batch to use in my RC for Social Change Activists class. Once I lead a four week series on leadership based entirely on it. To my mind, it is one of our most valuable RC publications.

Glen Hauer
Berkeley, California, USA