BOOK REVIEW: LEADING FROM BEING

My friend and coresident, Mar, tagged along with some pedia resident to a scientific conference. The scientific conference's speaker was no other than famous motivational speaker & actress Maricel Laxa's husband, Anthony Pangilinan. When she went back to the hospital, she had a loot bag from the conference containing Anthony Pangilinan's updated book, LEADING FROM BEING: Your Personal Design for Leadership Success and Mark & Spencer cookies. I cried out," Weeee!"  when i peeked inside the loot.  The happy cries was for the cookies by the way mainly, hehe. As I helped Mar devoured the pack of cookies, I, a voracious eater & certified bookworm, surveyed the seemingly non-pretentious thin book and told my friend that I will borrow it after she is done.

Do not be fooled by this small book because like they say, "Great things come in small packages". (Ehem! Ehem!). It might be small but it is packed with a lot of punches. As another motivational speaker and trainor, Francis Kong said about this book, " Some times a light handy book packs real solid and  important stuff. Read it, Keep it and more importantly apply what you learn from it." He is right.

This book allows you to be the best person you can be and challenges you if you are where you ought to be in life. Are you doing your life's purpose and in turn pleasing God? Are you happy with what you are doing? This book hit me to the core. Life's Purpose. Happiness. Profession. Crossroads. Excellence. One of many favorite topics another coresident and i would seriously discuss. I excitedly told her of this book I was reading and she was next in line in borrowing it.

Anthony Pangilinan strongly believes in purposeful leadership, maximizing your enjoyment in life and pleasing God in the process. So this book might be a leadership book but it is also more than that.Mr. Pangilinan stated that there is a specific calling for everyone where we can provide the greatest contribution and receive the highest personal fulfillment. He laid out a simple guide for us  to go about this. 


Introducing the C.E.N.T.S framework


C- Your place of Contribution : In a team or an activity, what is your contribution or role? 


E- Your seat of Excellence: Where have you "excelled" in your lifetime?


N- Your area of Natural Gifting: Where are you a natural? What can you do well without formal training and, yet, you are able to hold own among the best?


T- Your Turn-Ons: What are your interests? your desires? your emotional longings? passions? your natural "highs"?


S-Your discernment on Spirit-Leading: Is how you are doing your work/activity pleasing God?


Anthony Pangilinan said we are all called to lead and to lead more effectively and responsibly. He also made  a work page at the end of the book using the C.E.N.T.S. framework in order to be more self-aware of one's area of gifting. C.E.N.T.S. can also be used for decision-making,to test your team to affirm their contribution as well as lead them to the right position and also for improving relationships.


At the back of the book, Anthony Pangilinan signed it for Mar:

Shine like a Star... Mar definitely is a shining star and will continue to do so... So should all of us... Shine... Soar... Excel....


Thank you Mr. Pangilinan for your words of wisdom....