Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands: Lessons in Non-Linear Leadership

by Nancy Ortberg, Patrick Lencioni (Foreword)

Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands is an engaging and insightful look into the qualities, attributes, and practices that turn ordinary leaders into extraordinary ones. Nancy Ortberg's unique twist on vision casting; managing tensions; nurturing healthy conflict; motivating those around you; fostering creativity, passion, and trust is unlike anything you've ever read before! At times challenging, at times candid, but always inspiring, Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands will bring out the best in even the most seasoned leaders.

Genres: Leadership, Nonfiction, Business, Christianity, Christian, Religion, Ebooks

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 8, 2008

About the author

Nancy Ortberg is the Director of Leadership Development at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, in Northern California, and the author of Seeing in the Dark: Finding God's Light in the Most Unexpected Places and Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands, Lessons in Non-Linear Leadership. A highly sought-after speaker, Nancy has been a featured presenter at the Catalyst and Orange conferences, and has been a regular contributor to Rev! Magazine. She and her husband, John, live in the Bay Area and have three grown children: Laura, Mallory, and Johnny.

Reviews

[Kelly]

I loved this book for many reasons. It is an excellent book on leadership. I also was a member of Axis, an organization that Nancy led, which was referenced many times in the book. It was really interesting to me how many things were going on at Axis that I had no idea about. I was more behind the scenes with my volunteering.

Nancy writes in a very honest and direct manner that I very much appreciate. It was unfortunate to me how I could see some missing leadership traits in a previous supervisor, which she accurately described as “No, I am sure I don’t like working for you…”

Key takeaways include leadership is hard, you have to keep working at it, be clear, motivate, and help people to find where they belong.

I so want to anonymously gift this to my previous supervisor in hopes that he would improve after reading it.

[Lissa]

There are some good recommendations for leading through change in this book. I found the religious aspect a little bit of a distraction. Some good suggestions and though provoking concepts:

- Leading an organization requires a collaborative discussion about vision, reality, and strategy.

- Keep a mistake journal, so you can be aware and share your mistakes.

-Conflict is basically energy, Great teams need spirited, unfiltered debate.

[Amy Jacobsen]

Loved this book! So refreshing to read a book on leadership from a woman. A competent, gifted, smart, sensitive, courageous woman who has been entrusted with leadership and teaching gifts and is stewarding them well.

[Bruce Baker]

Enjoyed her perspectives, illustrations and insight into leadership. Recommended for new and experienced leaders. Ortberg is fun to read.

[Joe Oaster]

Honestly, I read this because I love Nancy's husband John's books. I was amazed at the great writing and simplicity of her tips. This is a book I will surely keep as a reference.

[RAKESH KUMAR]

i want become a succesful scientist for india

[Paschalis]

elibrary

[Tanya Russell]

Easy to read and great lessons.

[Sarah Powers]

Real helpful and practical wisdom for growing in leadership and leading others.

[Mckinley]

Core of leadership is hope. (to change, dispel fear, redeem mistakes, breeds confidence and contagious). What is right and real
Leader is both/and (innovation and infrastructure)
Vision and communicating it, "does this activity move us toward our vision?"
teams, let people do their work, appreciate work
Managing tensions,
create, develop, maintain; ask questions
change from past in present to future

[Steven Bullmer]

This was my second time through this book. I read it again because I had a nagging feeling that I missed some important stuff the first time through. I was right. Had I understood the importance of what Ortberg was saying and could have applied her leadership principles to my ministry, I would have saved my staff, my people, and myself a lot of unnecessary grief as I stumbled and bumbled my way through things. I take little comfort that Ortberg says when you try to be a change agent, expect resistance and mistakes. Had I taken this book to heart the first time, I could have significantly reduced both.
I found Nancy Ortberg to be a "kinder, gentler" kind of leader than the ones described in many other leadership books. Rather than "get the wrong people off the bus," she talks about nurturing your people into the right fit. Instead of "don't waste your breath talking to people who aren't listening," Ortberg lifts up the importance of valuing everyone on the team. Rather than setting stretch goals for your staff, she reminds us that rubber bands are useless when stretched to the breaking point.
Descriptive of her style of leadership is this insight: "The two most powerful things that God offers us are ... grace ... and forgiveness. So rather than avoid our sin and brokenness, we need to name them." Moreover, "deeply forgiven people are deeply grateful people." I wish I had worked for a forgiving, graceful leader like Nancy Ortberg. I would have worked harder, better and with a deeper sense of gratitude than I experienced with other senior pastors and church leaders. On the other hand, I imagine many of my former church members and staff saying the same time.
Maybe next time....

[Penny]

This started out as many leadership books. There were quite a few good examples of how a good leader can make a difference.

As the book progressed there seemed to be more and more of a religious influence to the point of quoting scripture with the verse citation. More and more of the examples began to relate to the author's experience in a ministry.

If you were looking for a leadership book with a decidedly Christian influence, this would be the book for you. If you were looking for a book to help you with leadership issues within your ministry, this would be the book for you.

If you were looking for a book on leadership in the non-profit or for profit world, you'd have to pick and choose through this book to find what you were looking for. There are some good ideas, examples and thoughful observations.

[Angela]

I liked this book overall. Her style and honesty are refreshing. The tone is unapologetically Christian, but not condemning. There are a few gems to glean from it but large it is the rehashing of leadership stories retold. I did refer to this book as a leadership book for the ADHD because the book itself flows nicely, it seems to be jumping from topic to topic. All in all a good read and I'm glad to have it in my collection.

[Rachel]

As a leader, I struggled. I wasn't always ready to lead. I've gotten better, but have been looking for a book to help me as I lead in various ways. This book gave me so many lessons and ways to improve as a leader that I'm so glad I read this book.

[Todd]

Lots of rhetoric and general thoughts, but probably worth the read just for the rubberband illustration.

[Holly]

Very good book on leadership.

[Velvetink]

Tubel