Book Report on “Old Dogs, New Tricks 2.0”

David Specht, the publisher of Biz Magazine and Bossier Press Tribune, recently wrote a book called “Old Dogs, New Tricks 2.0.” As I read it, I realized this was great advice for all of us. All of us are leaders within our sphere of influence. In that way, each of us is the leader we depend on to develop a successful community.

Louisiana is poised for growth, and great leadership will be essential to our success. For our region and state, this book outlines the wisdom that can serve as the foundation for the next decades.

David Specht writes about new tricks that are old tricks wrapped in the wisdom of the ages. This is written to share a synopsis of the book on how we might all benefit from applying this wisdom to leadership efforts in our community and state.

Socrates said, “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” There is always much to learn from others, some of whom we agree with, and some of whom we disagree with. Arrogance is not a core character trait of a great leader. Applying Socrates’ wisdom is using the wisdom of the ages.

Doing what is right can be uncomfortable … but it still has to be done. A successful community needs people who will push, inspire and hold leaders accountable. The author illustrates this with the story of Gideon from the Bible. It wasn’t comfortable to go against the overwhelming odds of battle between his army of hundreds and the enemy’s army numbered in the thousands. It was an uncomfortable place to be and a difficult objective, but it still needed to be done, and Gideon did it.

The author tells us that gratitude is one of the main building blocks of a thriving community. Oftentimes, all we hear is the negative over and over again. We would be more successful if we identified positives and talked about them with those in and outside our community. We need to determine what is working, be grateful for it and continue it.

In an Education Check Up podcast I do with KTBS 3, every participant is asked what they love about Shreveport/Bossier. Over and over, a pattern has emerged. The answers are ease and low cost of living; the kindness of people who live here; the description of our community as a great place to raise a family; and the arts and culture offered in our cities.

“The most effective leadership requires a balance of gardeners and firefighters.” Gardeners love the idea of taking on a project and helping it grow to the final product. They simplify the problem by breaking it down into parts and scripting the critical moves. I love what Mayor Arceneau is doing in Shreveport, block by block and neighborhood by neighborhood.

Firefighters are competent at swooping in during emergencies and making swift, just decisions. Finding the right balance in our community leadership will result in sustainable progress, something we have not often seen carried over from one administration to the next over the last couple of decades.

Great leaders help keep core values and principles of integrity and servant leadership at the forefront of every decision. We need to focus on these as building blocks to new habits.

Leaders lose the right to be a jerk, lose the right to be always right, lose the right to criticize and complain, lose the right to be arrogant. and lose the right not to care. Leaders work for the people they serve.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction,” Proverbs 1:7. Leaders are judged more harshly than others. Collateral damage when a leader falls is much worse than any penalty the leader faces.

“Focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,” Philippians 3:17. We should learn from the mistakes in our past, but we have to realize we can’t change those things. The past is truly “set in stone.” We need to learn from our mistakes but not let them defeat us.

What motivates people is being part of something great that matters. The greater the goal, the greater the focus on that goal. Lofty goals inspire people to work together to accomplish something that matters. We win if we use more future optimism words than complaining words when we talk about our region and state.

When this happens, our city can believe in itself. When we believe in our leadership and each other, we set in motion a virtuous cycle of success, as in other successful mid-size cities like Greenville and Charleston, S.C., and now in larger, growing cities like Birmingham, Tampa and Austin.

“Old Dogs, New Tricks 2.0” packs a lot of wisdom in a short book that cuts right to the point. It is wisdom that will be a foundation for leaving something greater for our children and grandchildren.

Dr. Rozeman is a practicing cardiologist and co-host of a podcast, “Education Check Up.” He is board chairman of the Louisiana Committee of 100 and has recently received the Bob Hamm Distinguished Service Award from the Council for a Better Louisiana (CABL).