I began blogging 10 years ago. It seems that many who were blogging then are now writing books based on a decade of experience. It is a delight to me that all this work and experience is being distilled like this. Is this the 10,000 hour moment when the real experts speak their truth? Is Kindle the new Blog?
Few of us are as thoughtful as Euan Semple. Here is my review of his new book that is almost sold out in paperback but is of course available on Kindle.
At the heart of Euan's wonderful book is the context for why anyone should take the risk of going public with their lives and their organizations's lives. Euan talks about what you do so that by the doing you can learn to BE a more grown up person or organization. "Growing Up" is a central theme. For most of us - me back in my corporate stage - are so child like. So much "Look at Me!" And the "Me" is not you but what you think it should be.
Euan shows us how you can find the real you again by using social media well. He reminds us that being vulnerable and compassionate in public enables us to "write ourselves into being". So the person who does this reclaims what actually makes us most attractive as a person - that we are who we are - and this does the same for an organization.
This perspective is what is so valuable. Most of the so called Gurus miss this and focus only on the doing. I think that this reveals that they don't really understand. It is only "Look at me" on steroids.
Also most of the so called Gurus also have never achieved anything real in the field other than to collect fees. Euan is the real deal. A true pioneer whose work at the BBC in groundbreaking. This is a book born from the real struggle and the ups and downs of finding out what works or not at a time when all of this was new.
Finally Euan is true to what he asks us to try. His own humanity shines through very page. Like the true master he is, he does not have to shout out. His deep understanding also is revealed in how he has distilled his thoughts. There is a quotable gem in nearly every paragraph. I all but blew up the commenting system with my own favourite moments . [...]
My fave quote - "By changing within we can change what is outside. In fact this is the only way we can change what is outside - despite decades of management theory to the contrary. Blogging can help people to understand themselves and their work better and by doing so help them to change at a profound and fundamental level. Once more people become more self-aware you will be amazed at what starts to happen. Sure there will be an initial period of awkwardness, but over time tensions will reduce, energy will increase, and disputes will be resolved more quickly. In effect we will start to grow up and take responsibility..."
If you seek to find out how you can be more of who you are - this book is for you.
