Cheering For The Good: Leading When It Matters
About the author
Karen Lueck is a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration. She has spent much of her life recognizing the goodness in herself and others. As an educator, mental health counselor, spiritual director, and leader in her congregation of Catholic Sisters, she acted as a cheerleader for the people with whom she ministered. “Cheering for the Good: Leading When It Matters,” is Sister Karen’s first book, available locally at Pearl Street Books, on Sister Karen’s author page on Outskirts Press and online retailers including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. It urges all of us to step up and be the change.
When asked about her favorite message from this book, Sister Karen said, “I love a paragraph in the last chapter of the book, entitled Standing on Holy Ground: ‘I am cheering for you to be the best leaders you can be. Remember, everyone is a leader, so you have plenty of partners in this mission. If any of you decide to sit this one out, to let someone else do it, to count on the experts to carry out our mission, we as a whole will be immensely poorer. And the earth and its creatures will suffer. We’re counting on each other. Together we commit ourselves, a tiny band of pilgrims, united in love, on a journey of transformation, to bring life, love and presence to a world aching to be healed and transformed.’”
Sister Karen reads from "Cheering For The Good"
Loyola University Chicago: "Alumni Author Spotlight"
Listen to the podcasts
The Franciscan Spirituality Center, located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, recently featured Sister Karen on its podcast, "What is Spirituality?" (episode 10), hosted by FSC Spiritual Director Steve Spilde.
Sister Karen was also featured in the Diocese of La Crosse's podcast, "Connecting the Diocese," hosted by Jack Socha.
Where to purchase "Cheering or the Good: Leading When It Matters"
Online at Outskirts Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble Available in La Crosse, WI at Pearl Street Books
Step up and be the change
According to Sister Karen, “People are hungering for a different view of leadership, one where they can embrace hope. And that's what we've seen lately. Many leaders have come to the fore during the COVID 19 crisis. They have put the common good ahead of their own comfort and safety. They have spread the message that we are all in this together and that we must look out for everyone. They have used their creativity to serve the needs of the whole. When the pandemic is behind us, we will need to make decisions about who we want to be as a people. Will we go back to who we were before, or will this challenging time have been a point of transformation for all of us?”
Using the metaphor of cheerleading, Sister Karen urges readers to exercise leadership in their own corner of the world, using their unique gifts, collaborating with others, embracing our oneness, and focusing on what's right with the world. Good leaders inspire us to be our better selves. The models of leadership which can do this call for much more collaboration, compassion, inclusion, humility, and integrity.
“In order to become leaders, people need first to believe in themselves as good, with unique gifts and wisdom,” Sister Karen adds. Throughout the book, she cheers for the readers to claim their power. She gives examples of good leadership in today's world and provides reflection questions at the end of each chapter to help the readers further delve into their own call.
Invite Sister Karen to a book discussion
Sister Karen welcomes opportunities to discuss her book as a guest in online book clubs or hosted gatherings, either virtual or in-person when it is safe to do. Contact us for more information.
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