In her book Ms. Catron defines Clout as “the influence that God has given to you and no one else.”She says that we all have God-given influence inside of us that makes us long to make a difference. Catron writes that we are designed to impact the world like no one else can. She says that we each have Clout but may not have discovered it yet.
The first few chapters list “The Clout Killers” that challenge us. These are fear, comparison, jealousy, scarcity, insecurity, pride and control. She explains how each one impacts our influence on others. She does this through story-telling, Bible passages and sharing moments from her own journey to leadership. At the end of each chapter are some exercises for you to complete.
The next chapters list ”The Cloud Cultivators”. These chapters are meant to have you do some soul searching. Discovering your own identity, developing confidence, coming up with a personal mission statement and goals and figuring out where your passion is are the focus of these chapters. Catron gives examples from her own life and offers Discovery Steps to help you.
The first few chapters didn’t seem to hit home with me. Had I read this book years earlier when I was considering a leadership role they would have been more meaningful. However, the last few chapters were filled with more down to earth, practical information that could apply to almost any life situation. I think at any point in our life it’s good to take an inventory and see if we are still on track with our life goals.
I’d recommend this book for anyone in a leadership position or anyone involved with influencing others. Catron gives good advice along with Bible quotes that fit the topic of each chapter. It’s a good read to help keep in mind that God calls us all to shine.
(I was given this book to review by HarperCollins Christian Publishing. All opinions are my own.)
