The School Leader’s Weekly Book Spotlight

Week of August 23, 2020: The Coffee Bean: A Simple Lesson to Create Positive Change by Jon Gordon and Damon West

Leadership Principle #1: We Can Happen to Our Circumstance 

We may not be able to determine all of our circumstances. Things will happen. We can, however, choose how we respond to our circumstances. And more than that, we can impact them. This is the notion of the coffee bean. Placed in boiling water, the coffee bean responds by turning the water into coffee. Contrast this with carrots - which wilt under the heat and become soggy. Or consider the egg, which hardens as a result of the heat. In the cases of the carrot and the egg, the water ‘happens to’ the object - it literally transforms it. Conversely, the coffee bean ‘happens to’ the water. It makes coffee by transforming the water (it's environment) itself.

In the same way, we may find ourselves in ‘the hot water of life’ at times. “Life is often like a pot of very hot water. It can be a harsh, stressful, and difficult place. You will find yourself in environments and facing conditions that test who you truly are, and can change, weaken, or harden you if you let them” (p. 20). Indeed, we can allow the situation to weaken or harden us, or we can choose to ‘happen to’ the situation and transform it. 

Leadership Principle #2: We Can Rebound

The story of co-author Damon West is truly remarkable. As a young man, Damon seemingly had it all working for him. Then he experienced a sudden and tragic fall. Damon’s story did not end with his fall, however. In fact, the severity of his fall was only superseded by the size of his comeback. 

Damon’s life is a lesson for all of us that failure does not have to be final. We can choose to get up, take inventory of what we learned, pledge a renewed vigor, and get back in the fight. The question is not if we will fall. We most certainly will. The question is, how do we respond when we do? 

Leadership Principle #3: Teams Need Coffee Beans

“The right attitude can transform a barrier into a blessing, an obstacle into an opportunity or a stumbling block into a stepping stone.” - Cory Booker

Barriers, obstacles, and stumbling blocks are coming. As a result, the best teams need more ‘coffee beans’. ‘Carrots’ become useless and fold under pressure. ‘Eggs’ become rigid and bitter. Yet coffee beans not only bring positive energy to the team, they also transform circumstances. As teams, that is our challenge - to transform our circumstances for the betterment of those we serve. Just think about what a team of coffee beans can do! That hot water (substitute any challenge your organization may be facing) never had a chance:)