Tim A. Gardner - The Backpack: How to Understand and Manage Yourself While Loving Others Along the Way

tim a. gardner

The Backpack is a simple, engaging story on the power of personal choice to improve your life. Tim shares his wisdom and practical steps on what it takes to fully succeed in life.

Jon Gordon, bestselling author of The Carpenter

Tim Gardner tells this memorable and clever story with humor, genuineness, and plenty of wellearned wisdom. Rare is the author who can challenge the best of leaders to be better and Tim cuts to the core of what leaders need to hear. Read it. And in the process, you'll learn more about The Backpack you carry. You will be better for it.

Flip Flippen, founder and chairman of the Flippen Group, bestselling author of The Flip Side: Break Free of the Behaviors that Hold You Back.

As the founder of a company whose only legacy is to develop leaders, I've learned that selfawareness is one of the if not the most important leadership skills. The Backpack tells a powerful and practical story on how you can grow in this critical yet often missing trait; one that is required to be a successful leader.

David P. Lindsey, founder and chairman of DEFENDERS, Inc., founder of the Super Service Challenge and trueU.

The Backpack is an inspiring book that comes out of the mind and heart of a remarkable individual as well as a great storyteller. It is an engaging, challenging book that addresses the need for us to understand, own, and tweak our behaviors to be better, to love better, and to positively impact others. It is a call to conversion! As you read the stories you will say, That's me. You will become more selfaware and challenged to be your best you guaranteed!

LTG (Ret) R.L. VanAntwerp, 39 Year Army Veteran and Leadership Coach, former Commanding General of the US Army Corp of Engineers

The Backpack is one of those precious literary gems that all of us can relate to. It represents a loving and gentle reminder to slow down, pay attention, and take responsibility. Since reading it, I find myself sharing the engaging messages and metaphors with others in general conversation and each time we laugh and reflect on all of the people we've whacked with our backpacks. I finished the book with tears in my eyes, a full heart, and empowered to pay greater attention to how well I am loving others.

Andrea Butcher, president of HRD Advisory Group

Dr. Tim Gardner remarkably frames personal improvement through selfawareness in The Backpack. Simple, highimpact, and timeless tools to help people grow personally and professionally are explained in actionable nuggets through his storytelling. I've had the privilege to personally be coached by Tim as well watch him head leadership development in multiple organizations with thousands of team members. I've consistently seen relationships healed, talent unleashed, and confidence grown.

Marcia Barnes, founder and CEO of Valve and Meter

Copyright 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

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Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data:

Names: Gardner, Tim A., 1959 author.

Title: The backpack : how to understand and manage yourself while loving others along the way / Tim A. Gardner.

Description: Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, Inc., [2019] | Identifiers: LCCN 2019003714 (print) | LCCN 2019006155 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119576419 (Adobe PDF) | ISBN 9781119576396 (ePub) | ISBN 9781119576372 (hardcover)

Subjects: LCSH: Conduct of life. | Self-consciousness (Awareness)

Classification: LCC BJ1589 (ebook) | LCC BJ1589 .G37 2019 (print) | DDC 170/.44dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019003714

Cover Design: Wiley
Cover Image: Paolo_Toffanin/iStock.com
Border: Wiley

To my parents:
Mom, who inspired my love of books and education.
Dad, who imparted a strong work ethic and a commitment to do what's right.
Thank you for everything!

Jon was late.

Again.

And he was ticked off at everything and everyone.

Again.

He had already decided that this was not going to be a good day.

His flight was scheduled to leave at 8:05a.m., which meant he wanted to be completely ready, backpack in hand, and walking out the door at 6:05. This was the plan he had laid out in his head the previous night. It would give him plenty of time to get to the airport, check in at valet parking, breeze through the TSA Precheck lane, grab a second cup of coffee from his favorite airport hotspot, and be at the gate in time for another look at his newly finished presentation and early boarding with his Frequent Flyer status.

As Jon had slipped into bed the night before, he had smiled. It was good to have a plan.

It was better to have status.

It was now 5:41. He was sitting on a stool in his closet, not smiling, and rubbing his aching foot. He was thinking about how he had not yet accomplished anything. This was not the plan at all. How did this day get so screwed up already?