This is amazing advice! I think more leaders would be willing to help and/or mentor younger leaders if they knew their time would be respected and their emotional investment returned.

I would love to read this book because I feel as a pastor that my life's work is to tell stories. I have been studying the art of story writing for the past three years and have been implementing those skills into my sermons, meetings and vision casting. What Gostick and Elton wrote in this post confirms my belief that stories not only convey a message, but they also carry the passion necessary to live out the message. After reading this book, I would be able to inspire my people better by the stories I tell.

Thank you, Michael, for exposing me to this resource!

This is exactly what I need to begin doing in my elders meetings at our church! After reading your post, I copied the bulleted points into my agenda template to remind me of your advice when planning a meeting. I am my own worst enemy when it comes to getting the creative solutions I'm looking for in my leaders. In my impatience, I quickly spill out my ideas and shut down everyone else's voice.

What a wake up for me this morning! Thanks.