Leading From Within

Looking for a book to start the New Year AND support the Center for Courage & Renewal?

We invite you to check out Leading from Within: Poetry That Sustains the Courage to Lead,edited by Sam Intrator and Megan Scribner. Modeled after Teaching with Fire , leaders share how they turn to and reflect on poetry to make sense of the challenges and possibilities in their work. The poems they chose, and their commentaries, open a window into the challenges leaders face when they try to work by their best lights, to meet both the demands of the world and their own integrity. This is a book that someone, from any field, can pick up and find inspiration as well as concrete ideas on how to use poetry in their work and life.

The leaders in the book are drawn from many fields, levels, and professions – business, medicine, education, nonprofits, law, politics and government, and religion to name a few – and include many who are related to the work of the Center.

We’re delighted with the response to Leading from Within. The book has already sold over 12,000 copies since its release in late September! This is a tremendous achievement for a poetry anthology (the average lifetime sales of a poetry anthology is about 5,000 copies).

The book has received some excellent publicity and recognition. It was a semi-finalist for the first annual 2007 Best Business Book awards chosen by 800-CEO-READ, an online publication that reviews business books. It was selected from nearly 300 titles submitted to the publication’s editorial staff and represents top titles of the year. The book has also received glowing reviews in The Financial Times (Books that lead to success) and The Toronto Globe and Mail (Sage thoughts from a bard).

The book is also being promoted in creative ways: The Earth Rights Institute is offering copies of Leading from Within for donations of $100 to the Institute. Sam and Megan were also tickled to know that they had made it to the “big time” as somebody found two copies in Borders Bookstore in the Baltimore airport.

The Center has also received many heartfelt notes :

I can only say I am blown away. I couldn't stop reading it. It is absolutely beautiful.

The book has provided me with a path back to the world of poetry by linking the stories of inspiration with the individual poems. My relationship with poetry, which school had reduced to an onerous task is restored to a lively interaction through the eyes of the many contributors.

Every page is a jewel. Each commentary, in its brevity, seems to magically contain the depth of a whole life story. The poetry, a collection to treasure forever, is the best anthology one could ever dream of. I will be sharing this luminous book with everyone.

And we have heard many touching stories of how readers are using the book: some have bought the book for those they work with (several have told us they have given it to their bosses). Others have written that they plan on using the book as part of seminars, professional development experiences, or college courses; while others have shared how they read one poem and commentary a day; and others described how they've used the poems and commentaries in speeches, notes to colleagues, or in meetings.

Our favorite story-- and one we've heard frequently-- is how readers have told us they have bought the book for their children and family. “The more I get to know this book, the more I love and value it. I'm giving it to my kids for Christmas!”

As you may know, all royalties from the book support the Center. We had the same arrangement with Megan and Sam for Teaching with Fire. The sales raised a considerable amount of money in support of our work. We encourage you to help us promote the book. Here are some ideas:

Please review the book on Amazon.com. Our Jossey-Bass partners continually remind us how important this is for sales. One particular kind of review that might be helpful is a review that describes how you can use these poems in your organization, your leadership, or in other settings.

Encourage positional leaders to see the book as a 'perfect gift' for their staff, or for somebody that they mentor. We know from sales figures and from word-of-mouth that both this book and TWF have been used for this kind of gift.

If you have contact with press, book reviewers, or blog writers-- please let us know and we will send them a review copy.

If you have any other ideas -- please contact us.