Books Recommended by Entrepreneurial Leadership Faculty on Finding Self
After all, adventure fell in love with lost.” — Erin Van Vuren.
Losing one's way may not exactly be categorized as fun, but it is definitely a process. So much so, one might even call it an art of navigating through one’s mind and soul.
Now imagine arriving in a new country for the first time, suitcases containing your “must-haves” by your side, reading the address of where you are expected to stay but, the confusion is real — you need direction. Regardless of the city, you find yourself, knowing your destination does not guarantee a hitch-free arrival. You will need to be aware of several bus stops or the right place to take a cab.
You’re left with two choices: Asking people, who may speak a different language, or reaching for Google Maps on your phone. If you do not choose the option of asking questions, you could get lost. Getting lost results in instinctively returning to the option of seeking help with directions.
A new country could take shape of one’s state of mind, a phase in life, or an actual place. A new cohort of students have spent close to two months on both ALU campuses: African Leadership University, Rwanda and African Leadership College, Mauritius. From my personal experience, the excitement of starting a whole new chapter of university life is tremendous. But as most things in life, excitement can be elusive and fleeting, if grounded in transient moments and not rooted in the self. My initial weeks, if not months, were spent in fervor of new faces that quickly became friends. Soon thereafter, the excitement waned, and the struggles of student life got real, leading to craving a sense of direction. Of purpose. There are few students who confessed to succumbing to identity crises, trying to find their feet on the ground, having been exposed to too much, too fast. They tend to question their identity and how they fit into the campus as a whole.
We all had something in common: the need to pursue a sense of self-direction. However long it took, its pursuit took place at different times in our lives.
In my search for a sense of direction, lessons from my Entrepreneurial Leadership(EL) classes became a source of inspiration. Like the stranger in a new country, I found comfort in concepts such as “Identity”, “Self-awareness”, “Empathy — for myself” and “Values”. I had so many “light-bulb-moments”, it felt like discovering the panacea to everything.
Like EL was to my journey, books can be to yours. To share appreciation for all the EL facilitators, here are a few treasure troves recommended by our EL facilitators, who have found the words between the pages as the guiding beam of a lighthouse. Review of the books are written in their own words.
#1 — Katleho Mohono, Mauritius campus
Who Moved My Cheese by Dr Spencer Johnson
The book is a very short and simply written parable which teaches fundamental lessons for dealing with change.
I read this book when I was in my teens but the lessons and principles learnt from the book still resonates deeply with me even at this age and have become useful in how I navigate difficult times and act proactively in complex situations. We live in a world filled with a lot of complexity and ambiguity, the book has some useful tips for how to cope and thrive despite the ambiguity.
I think this is a book that everyone should read as it is simple to read but can be very useful in dealing with life’s never-ending ebbs and flows.
#2 — Alioune Fall, Mauritius campus
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
An inspirational friend of mine referred to it in one of his public speeches.
Favorite quote from the book: “Don’t aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one’s personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see that in the long-run — in the long-run, I say! — success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think about it”
The Power of Vulnerability: Teachings on Authenticity, Connection, & Courage by Brené Brown
I love podcasts and I one day stumbled upon Brown’s life-changing interview with Krista Tippett on the theme of vulnerability.
Favorite quote from the book: “Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy — the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”
#3 — Tolu Agunbiade, Rwanda campus
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
A friend who I respect and whose opinions I value recommended these two books to me. I like both books because they speak on being comfortable with one’s self and their emotions… among other things.
