LEADER GUIDE
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Copyright © 2010 by Jason Jaggard All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher. First edition published July 2010 Published by Spark Good Studios, LLC, Los Angeles California. www.sparkgood.com www.jasonjaggard.com
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION
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VALUES Risk Community Generosity Failure Progress
10 13 16 18 20
TIPS Mistakes To Make Perfections to Avoid
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SPARK GENERATOR
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INTRODUCTION
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SCHOOL AND LIFE? IN SCHOOL, YOU’RE TAUGHT A LESSON AND THEN GIVEN A TEST. IN LIFE, YOU’RE GIVEN A TEST THAT TEACHES YOU A LESSON. TODD BODETT
TELL ME AND I’LL FORGET; SHOW ME AND I MAY REMEMBER; INVOLVE ME AND I’LL UNDERSTAND. CHINESE PROVERB
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SPARKS ARE BUILT ON THE BELIEF THAT THE BEST WAY TO LEARN SOMETHING IS TO DO IT. The best way to learn how to swim is by swimming. The best way to learn how to lead is by leading. The best way to learn how to deal with failure is to fail. So I hope you’re ready to jump in, to lead, to fail, to learn. Sparks have a different outcome for you as a leader than for the people who will be participating. You’ll still get all the benefits of being a part of Sparks, but you’ll get added value growing as a leader and impacting your friends, classmates, coworkers or family members in a positive way.
SO WHAT ARE SPARKS? They are social experiences where a couple of leaders get together with 10 to 15 people that they’ve invited for a period of 5 weeks to answer one question: “What’s one risk I can take this week that will either make my world a better place or myself a better person?” Over the last two years, hundreds of people in cities worldwide have participated in Sparks. During their experience, Sparks participants have reconnected with old friends, started new relationships, volunteered for humanitarian causes, explored their spirituality, became more focused and productive in school and work, got their finances under control, created new ventures, took bold risks or reengaged with their families. While the impact of these risks has been extraordinary, the true value of Sparks comes not from what you’re doing, but what happens while you’re doing them.
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You’ll discover that—over the course of the 5 weeks—you’ll develop your own leadership skills, create deeper relationships and serve people in a way that you might never have before. At the end of the day, Sparks are a kind of workout, where instead of working out your physical body you’ll be working out the more profound aspects of who you are: your will, your imagination and your capacity to impact the lives of others. The structure of Sparks is made to be as simple as possible. So this booklet isn’t a guide on what to do, but rather a map revealing the topography of a quality Spark experience. That’s why the following chapters are a guide to the values of Sparks rather than rules. It’s less “how to” and more “how come?” They briefly walk you through the values of initiative, community, generosity and progress—the 4 values you can expect to organically flourish in the context of a Spark experience. And then there’s a chapter on failure, just because it’s something nearly everyone hates and all of us need. If you’re a new leader (or don’t really look at yourself as a leader) then Sparks are a great way to begin developing your own style of investing in others. If you’re a growing leader or seasoned leader then Sparks are a catalyst for your own leadership life. It can break up the sometimes monotonous routines of leadership and enhance any existing leadership environment. In the end, we hope you and the people in your life begin living more profound lives of risk, friendship, and compassion.
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