Awista Ayub

Founder and Director,
Afgan Youth Sports Exchange

Look

• Peace Players International

  In D.C.’s Shepherd Park, the young boys learn quickly that if you want to belong, you had better play sports. Basketball quickly became Brendan, Sean, and Devin Tuohey’s game of choice and the siblings learned a lot of lessons from the game—courage, relationship building, pride, trust in others. Sean goes on to coach overseas in Belfast and realizes the game could assist in building cultural sensitivity, tolerance, and a greater understanding of how to deal with someone being “different.” Sean’s simple notion of creating global communities allows them to lead a global effort to make a difference for others with a ball.

• A Hero’s Journey

  Head coach Tony Dungy is a man of humility. He relies on his spirituality to provide him with tools to face his foes. Strength, Commitment, Preparation, and Integrity are his “weapons” of choice when he wages his battles on the gridiron. He played quarterback in college and was a leader. He wanted to be a quarterback in the NFL but was told an African-American gridiron leader was out of the question. Just not smart enough. Really not leadership material they said. Boy, did he prove them all wrong!

Read

• Primal Leadership

  by Daniel Goleman

  “The ability to inspire others to turn ideas into reality is critical to organizational success in the twenty-first century,” claims Goleman. It’s not just about managing the bottom line but it’s the ability to get a group to invest in the idea, and see the idea through, that are true measures of effective twenty-first–century leadership. (Note: I wholeheartedly agree with Goleman’s assertion!)

• What Were They Thinking?

  By Jeffrey Pfeffer

  Based on a series of columns for Business 2.0, Pfeffer asks a pivotal question: How do companies with smart people do things that are unwise?

• The Essential Wooden

  by John Wooden and Steve Jamison

  Much of legendary basketball coach Wooden’s wit, wisdom, and leadership style are shared in this must-read for all leaders. His simplicity of thought is brilliant!

• Power of Play

  by David Elkind

  Play is not an option; it has a crucial place in our physical, intellectual and emotional development. Unstructured time is the precursor to learning and is essential for a successful life. Reading this book will allow you to evaluate the organizational culture where you are asked to perform optimally every day.

Do

• “Holy Bat Cloud!”

  Visit Austin, Texas. More than a million bats fly out from under the Congress Avenue bridge in search of insects each dusk. It’s quite a spectacle and a testament to the power of unified “organization.” (FYI, they’re nearly all female bats too!)

• “Oh, The Places You’ll Go”

  In Springfield, Massachusetts, see the place where Dr. Seuss lived when he produced the whimsical literary gems that we all find joy in reading. Dr. Seuss was a leader and a visionary in delivering children’s literature in a unique, playful, and educational style that is a benchmark for the art of storytelling.