Lesley Stiles Scearce is president and CEO of United Way of Greater Chattanooga, where she leads a nonprofit team committed to addressing social service issues to build a stronger and healthier community.
Before coming to United Way in 2015, Scearce served as president and CEO at On Point: Direction for Life, where she led the organization to reach 240,000 local youths with skills and support necessary to avoid risky behavior and be prepared for life.
She holds a master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and a bachelor's degree in Leadership Studies from the University of Richmond.
What books have you read and recommended to others that influence your leadership style?
The books that have influenced my leadership style the most are undoubtedly the ones I read over and over again as a young leader early in my career, and still return to regularly today. One of those books is "Visioneering" by Andy Stanley. My leadership roles have been charged with casting a new vision and crafting a plan to get there. Not just reading, but really working through the story of Nehemiah tackling an epic calling helped me stay practical and realistic, while also leaning on my faith for the road ahead.
I'm also working through Brene Brown's "Dare to Lead" for probably the fourth or fifth time. This time around I'm listening to the audiobook on my daily walks which has given me a brand-new point of view. Perhaps it is Brene's actual voice, but there are so many nuggets of wisdom in this book. One that sticks in this season is: "Leaders must either invest a reasonable amount of time attending to fears and feelings, or squander an unreasonable amount of time trying to manage ineffective and unproductive behavior."
Finally, every leader must read "Start with Why" by Simon Sinek. We started a book club at United Way early in my tenure and "Start with Why" was the beginning of a significant transition for the organization where we were tackling a big, bold change for our community. We had to stop communicating "what" we did at United Way and instead focus on "why" we show up for community each and every day. Sinek helped us all see how our own roles mattered, whether we greeted guests at the front door or answered the call for help at 211 and aligned us in our shared vision.
What books have you recently read for pleasure that you're telling others about?
Reading is a favorite way for me to take a break and relax. Some of my favorite recent novels are written by Ruth Ware, who writes thrilling mystery and psychological crime stories.
What is next on your to-read list?
Truthfully, my Kindle and its recommendation engine are my best friends when it comes to deciding what I'll read next! Stay tuned! I am also about to start reading my favorite childhood series "The Chronicles of Narnia" with my boys Sam and Charlie.