September 14, 2006
Dear Friends,
My week in Alaska with 40 of our parishioners was a wonderful experience. It was a time for prayer, reading, sightseeing, and great gatherings with friends, new and old.
The beauties of Alaska are legion. The train ride from Scagway, Alaska into British Columbia was a sight to behold. In a single vista you could see a glacier at mountaintops, with mountain goats grazing on the lower hills, and lush forests below that, all ending in the shoreline of river. And nowhere in sight was a person to be found apart from those of us in the 20 railroad cars feasting on the landscape.
The scenery notwithstanding, I’d have to say the most transforming thing I did the week away was read a book entitled: “Leadership and Self-Deception.” The quote of Steven Wheelwright, Professor and Associate Dean at the Harvard Business School sums it up for me, “Fascinating, thought provoking, and insightful! This book is a wake-up call to all those who think they’re good with people, and a must-read for those who know they need to be better. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down.”
“Leadership and Self-Deception,” authored by the Arbinger Institute, shows how most personal and organizational problems are all the result of a little-known problem we all are involved in to some degree called “self-deception.” Through an entertaining and highly instructive story, the book shows what self-deception is, how you and I get trapped in it, and how it undermines our personal achievement and organizational performance. Perhaps most importantly, it offers you the surprising way to solve it. An amazing read!
An important lesson learned was that I could have stayed at home and still had the transforming experience. Ah, the wisdom that comes with years.
Best regards,
Father Nick Amato
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