Memoirs: Learning from Women Who Lead

What does it mean to lead with courage, compassion, and conviction in uncertain times? This summer, join us for a transformative reading journey through the memoirs of three extraordinary leaders:

• Jacinda Ardern, A Different Kind of Power: A Memoir
• Loretta J. Ross, Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You’d Rather Cancel
• Mariann Edgar Budde, How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith

Together, we’ll explore how power can be exercised differently, how courage is cultivated, and how communities can be transformed through empathy and accountability.

Across these stories, we’ll wrestle with questions like:

• What does faithful, values-driven leadership look like in complex, often polarized times?
• How can bravery show up in small, daily choices as well as public moments?
• How do we build communities that lead with grace and justice rather than fear or shame?
• And what might it look like to lead from the center of our convictions — not just our titles?

Whether you’re discerning your next step in leadership or seeking to be encouraged by the stories of those who’ve led with heart, this is a space to learn, reflect, and grow together.

Come for the books. Stay for the conversation. Leave with renewed courage to lead where you are.

We hope you can join us.

Cost: $25 each or $60 for all three.

How It Works

• Each book has a specific date for discussion (see below). You can sign up for just one, but we think there is value to committing to the full story arc represented by all three.
• Each individual conversation has a $25 fee, or you can pay $60 for all three. The link to the registration form is below. If this is cost-prohibitive for you, please email ironsharpeningiron@ptsem.edu; limited scholarships are available.
• Participants are responsible for purchasing or checking out the books themselves.

>>Register Today!