How to lead in a world of distraction : Four Simple Habits for Turning Down the Noise

How to replace inner chaos with an emotional awareness that will maximize your influence and result in a calmer, less stressful, and more fulfilling life. While many leaders train themselves on how to tune-out external distractions that keep them from being productive, they remain deaf to the inner desires and emotions churning beneath the surface. Pastor and author Clay Scroggins describes spiritual disciplines and tangible daily steps to help you incorporate four noise-cancelling habits into your daily life: Finding simplicity – how does simplicity bring clarity? Speaking to yourself – you're not crazy. Many of us do it; and there are real benefits! Getting quiet – silence is difficult. Why emotionally healthy leaders make time for it. Pressing pause – what does the word sabbath even mean, and why is it so important—on both a practical and a spiritual level? By embracing these habits—business, church, and ministry leaders will be able to identify and understand their emotions and develop a calm and effective leadership style. In this follow up to his bestselling book, How to Lead When You're Not in Charge, Clay Scroggins focuses on the real dangers of distraction and how to create space for personal evaluation and exploration. ——————- "This book is such a valuable resource - not just for leaders but for anyone longing to make a difference in the world." (Dave Ramsey) "Clay helps you move beyond the distractions to a moment-by-moment awareness that will help you regulate the way you think, act, and feel." (Ian Morgan Cron) "In this book Clay provides leaders with practical ways to turn down the noise personally and organizationally." (Andy Stanley) Maximize your influence and bring joy back to your work by turning down the noise. While many leaders have learned to tune out distractions that keep them from being productive, they remain deaf to their inner desires and emotions. In How to Lead in a World of Distraction, Clay Scroggins teaches leaders four simple habits that create space for emotional evaluation and exploration. These helpful practices will empower leaders to replace the chaos of their busy days with emotional competence and awareness that leads to a calmer, more fulfilling life. You'll learn how to incorporate four noise-cancelling habits into your daily life?finding simplicity, speaking to yourself, getting quiet, and pressing pause?that will make you mindful and aware of the vital inner desires that need your attention. Transforming the toxic cocktail of emotional distraction starts with emotional awareness?being able to identify and understand your emotions?which ultimately leads to emotional healing and transformed leadership. And it all starts here. How to Lead in a World of Distraction: Teaches leaders four simple habits that create space for emotional evaluation and exploration Empowers leaders to replace the emotional chaos in their increasingly busy days with an emotional awareness that will lead to a calmer, more fulfilling life Encourages leaders to fully embrace tangible steps each day until emotional distractions?the numbing nature of entertainment and social media and the urgency of the daily grind?are permanently replaced by calm, effective, and gratifying leadership "This book is such a valuable resource?not just for leaders but for anyone longing to make a difference in the world." ?DAVE RAMSEY "Clay helps you move beyond the distractions to a moment-by-moment awareness that will help you regulate the way you think, act, and feel." ?IAN MORGAN CRON "In this book Clay provides leaders with practical ways to turn down the noise personally and organizationally." ?ANDY STANLEY Our World is Awash in White Noise White noise is a sound-masking tool designed to cover up the things that "distract" us. And while white-noise can occasionally be helpful, there are times when the white noise in our lives drowns out the voices we need to hear. That's what happens to many leaders. We learn to tune-out distractions, but end up growing deaf to the inner desires and issues that we need to listen to. There are common white noises in leadership and ministry that we use to mask our unpleasant emotions and ignore the desires deep inside of us. Our increasingly busy lives, the numbing nature of entertainment and social media, and the urgency of ministry itself all work together to create a toxic cocktail of emotional distraction. Multiplying the problem is our emotional incompetence. Leaders are more anxious, stressed, and depressed than ever before. Emotional healing begins with emotional awareness. Being able to identify and understand our emotions requires some counter-cultural practices. Spiritual disciplines of fasting, meditation, Sabbath keeping, prayer, and hospitality are practices intended to create space for emotional evaluation and exploration. This book is a guide to help you listen to yourself, to recognize what your emotions, your body, and your spirit are saying to you by turning down the kudzu of white noise threatening to control your life