Salvaged: Leadership Lessons Pulled from the Junkyard

by Roy Goble, D.R. Jacobsen (With)

Successful Silicon Valley real estate developer and wealth creator Roy Goble shares the surprising lessons he learned as a boy working in his family junkyard. Skillfully uniting the teachings of Jesus with the sometimes messy realities of leading people and getting things done, Salvaged helps leaders at all levels discover powerful opportunities to follow Jesus in the real world―and in surprisingly simple ways.

Working in his dad’s junkyard as a kid, Roy had no idea what his future an incredibly successful career in commercial real estate, as well as founding and leading multiple ministries, churches, and nonprofits across the globe. So when Roy talks about what it means to follow Jesus daily as a leader, people pay attention. Entrepreneurs, pastors, and managers who learn to lead from Roy won’t parrot his jargon or practice his “system”―these men and women will simply know how to lead better.

After a no-nonsense and compelling introduction, Roy delivers 31 of his most surprising, memorable, and practical leadership lessons, many of which are culled from his junkyard days. Each focuses on a personal “junkyard” story, leadership lesson, and comparable Bible passage perfect for daily study. A growth and action section is included after each chapter that gets to the heart of the lesson through thought-provoking questions with action steps designed to be immediately put into practice.

Genres: Nonfiction, Leadership, Faith

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 8, 2019

About the author

Roy Goble is the author of Junkyard Wisdom Advent, and Salvaged: Leadership Lessons Pulled From the Junkyard. He is also the CEO of Goble Properties, a real estate investment company based in Silicon Valley, and co-founder of PathLight International, a nonprofit based in Belize—while still finding time to visit and learn from friends and ministry partners around the world. Roy lives with his wife, D’Aun, in Northern California.

Reviews

[John Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books on leadership litter the bookstore aisles and flood the results pages of a web search. Why do we need yet another book on leadership, and what does Salvaged: Leadership Lessons from the Junkyard offer that we don’t already know? Roy Goble wrote this book from the trenches, practical experience gained over a lifetime of running companies and not-for-profit organizations. His insights are not offered from the viewpoint of either the classroom or the vaulted ivory tower penthouse. Goble writes from the junkyard where callouses and dirty clothes are the norm, and he includes a section right up front, Why Another Crappy Leadership Book?, to explain his purpose.

I found the author’s style entertaining, much like a discussion I might have with a friend over a relaxing meal. Leadership principles are amply illustrated with stories from Goble’s life. The practical advice is supported with scriptural thoughts in each chapter’s Salvaged from Scripture section. Some of these seemed underdeveloped, but then this is not a Bible study. A short summary, Lessons from the Junkyard, lists the main points for those looking to do the executive summary read through the book.

I mined several gems in my time with Salvaged including the pearl that it is OK to embrace “good enough” and “get the job done”, wisdom the author learned from his father. And the solid advice that in leadership we need to “go deep before going wide.” I parked for quite a while considering that “getting over our fear of failure will allows us to do important things.”

One distraction that reduced my experience with the book was the plethora of footnotes in a font that proved extremely difficult for a bifocal-wearing reader to see. Useful content awaits the reader, but as with most leadership books not every section will excite. All in all, Salvaged: Leadership Lessons from the Junkyard is a job well-done.

Note - Tyndale House Publishers provided a complimentary copy of Salvaged: Leadership Lessons from the Junkyard to facilitate my review.

[Phillip Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a lot of books that talk about leadership, many are written to provide steps that are "sure" to make you into a great leader. They tend to stay focused on the positive aspects. Any mentions of failures are short. In Salvaged, Roy Goble takes a different approach, he tells of successes and failures, and warns that things won't always be hunky-dory.

Sharing lessons that he has learned from growing up working in a junkyard, and relating them to passages from the Bible, Goble shows the good and the bad of being in leadership. Some of what he says can be hard to take, especially if you are expecting a book that will make you feel warm and fuzzy, but it is full of helpful advice.

When I started the book, one of my first thoughts was that I'm not really a leader, and I try hard to keep that title and my name separate. However, I was quick to find out that my understanding of leadership was a bit short-sighted. Each chapter had information that was easy to understand and use. I also like that he keeps each chapter short and to the point. He shares enough of the story to make sure you can understand it, but doesn't beat a dead horse.

One key thing that I got from the book is that leaders should be leading others to Christ, regardless of what type of leader you are.

I received a free copy of Salvaged from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for this honest review.

[Pamela Hatch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I have taught and created curriculum for upward mobility / leadership classes. I am always on the lookout for books to recommend. I came across the title SALVAGED: LEADERSHIP LESSONS PULLED FROM THE JUNKYARD / by Roy Goble with D.R. Jacobsen. Very interesting title and I also liked the cover illustration with a face built from junkyard pieces. I am also drawn to leadership books that have a spiritual or godly focus, making this book look very promising.

However, I was confused by the format of the book. Each chapter was similar -- junkyard story (most of the chapter), SALVAGED FROM SCRIPTURE -- Bible emphasis for the topic shared, and then LESSONS FROM THE JUNKYARD -- a few leadership points that have been pulled from the chapter and restated.

From the title, I was expecting the main focus to be that of leadership principles. So I think the book would have been more effective with a format that started with Leadership Lessons and then giving a real life example from the junkyard and then an added example(s) from the Bible.

My favorite story was the first one about his father eating cake and pickles. I grew up in the South and knew exactly the scene he was describing and how the memory of those moments in later life brought his father back to his roots. Even though I remember the story very clearly -- I could not tell you what the leadership lesson was or what Biblical truth was attached to the story. So I went back and looked and the point was that Scripture is full of characters with cravings and the lessons mentioned that we need to understand what motivates us and others and that we need to learn to control our cravings (in a nutshell)

[Reid Mccormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Salvaged by Roy Goble

“A willingness to step into the contradiction and messiness of leadership.”

I have read my fair share of leadership books, and most of them are rather forgettable. In those books, the authors give you generic inspirational clichés about inspiration and maybe an amusing anecdote or two. These books are forgettable because they seem to lack authenticity or any basis in reality. Leadership traits and values work really well in a vacuum, but the hustle and bustle of everyday life, theoretical leadership has no traction.

Roy Goble is not interested in theoretical leadership. He only wants to talk about tried and true leadership. He wants to talk about leadership that works not only in the boardroom but in the bowels of the junkyard.

This is a fantastic book on leadership. It does not try to candy coat anything. It is real and authentic. Being a leader is rewarding but it is also exhausting and tiring. Leading is not for the faint of heart. Every chapter includes a great lesson on leadership, one Goble has learned from experience. He caps off each chapter with a tie in from Scripture which at times feel like a sudden sharp turn but I definitely appreciate his focus on the true essence of serving within leadership.

Here are a few more gems:

“Sometimes boring isn’t just good – it’s essential.”
“Hire for character because competency can be taught.”
“Don’t be afraid to go your own way, even if everyone thinks you’re crazy.”

[Joy Matteson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roy Goble, CEO of Goble Properties and inspirational author grew up in helping his dad’s junkyard business, where he learned more than a few valuable leadership lessons that he eagerly shares in his latest book. Combining biblical stories with blue-collar junkyard tales to reveal down to earth leadership strategies, Goble tells his humbling and amusing stories with warmth and practicality. Tim Gregory narrates this short audiobook with salt-of-the-earth friendly tones, inserting wry humor as he performs Goble’s reminiscences of his junkyard days. He is determined to share the failures alongside the successes, and his tales reveal a man who’s not afraid to share difficult truths he’s learned. Gregory doesn’t miss a beat with the biblical stories, using David and Goliath and Jesus’ disciples to reveal the wisdom of leadership in the daily grind. Each chapter is short and sweet, and Gregory pauses to help the listener understand when a new tale is about to begin, making it ideal for commuters who don’t normally pick up audiobooks. Goble's stories will appeal to a more masculine audience, as he has more than one story about bazookas and vintage car maintenance, even as he espouses traditional Christian leadership styles. Recommended for listeners who enjoy John Maxwell and Steven Covey leadership audiobooks.

[Judy Hardwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll admit that the quirky cover of this book is what grabbed my attention. But when I opened it up I was equally intrigued with Roy Goble’s concepts on leadership. The best part for me is that he starts with talking about the need to understand the things we crave [or motivate us] and how this can steer us toward healthy goals - Ultimately this concept can make us a better leader. Goble seamlessly weaves scripture [and a Christ-based lifestyle] as well as lessons from the junkyard throughout his leadership lessons; and I love that. I also love all the little ‘footnotes’ where he speaks truth regarding something in the context of the book, “Boring pivot, I know. But we can simply change in more areas of our lives that we sometimes admit. Not everything has to be a process or complicated,” being one I will carry with me for a while. This book has changed the way I look at leadering [is that a word?] and I will recommend it to those I know in leadership roles, both young and old. But hey, aren’t we all in a leadership role in some form or fashion in our lives whether we are working outside the home or supervising others? We all have an impact on every person we come in contact with – Roy Goble will help you re-think how we handle all relationships we share during our lives.

[Lilian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Salvaged is a compilation of business and life lessons from real estate mogul and philanthropist Roy Goble. He merges lessons that he learnt growing up in his father's junkyard, running businesses and his Christian life. There's nothing mind-blowing about the content but it is always nice to have to read the thoughts of other business leaders especially those with over 20 years of experience in their field.

It was interesting to note that Roy and his wife D'Aun started one of the first Christian-based environmental based non-profits in the 1980s; Apparently, Christians were more focused on saving souls rather than caring for God's creation while environmentalists were more about tree-hugging than religion. So the Gobles decided to bridge this gap and their organisation has since expanded internationally.

The author is quite candid in the advice and some may even call his language "irreverent". Given his conversational style, I felt that the book would be better experienced via audiobook. Since it is quite short, it would be great to un-bore a commute.

Note: This title was provided by the publisher via NetGalley

[Brent Soderstrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book through GoodReads First Read program.

I used this book as a daily devotional. It contains 31 chapters of approximately 5-6 pages each giving a lesson on leadership through a Christian perspective. I enjoyed reading my chapter each morning before I started my day.

Goble takes the lessons he learned working in a junkyard and as a real estate manager in California and converts them to lessons all people, especially leaders, can use in your life. He makes it very clear early on that all of us are leaders in some fashion.

Each chapter starts with a humorous story that is followed by a section entitled Salvaged from the Scriptures. Here Goble goes to the Bible to enforce the lesson he sets out in the story he tells.

Finally each chapter ends with a section called Lessons from the Junkyard. Here Goble reinforces what we should have learned in the chapter.

I enjoyed Goble's writing style. It is like sitting down with a good friend who shares the stories he has learned over the years. Goble also has a sarcastic side which is always fun. Great devotional that everyone should read.

[victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very inspiring, encouraging, easy and entertaining to read with that also come with a powerful of the true story that had a unique way to lead and help all the leadership to achieve their goal to be a better leader just like the teaching of Jesus. This story of this book will be discover an expanded understanding of how following Jesus on a daily basis can transform us, over time, into leaders, no matter our occupation because we are all leader and we are all had the power to have a chance to change our life for the better by leaning from your mistake and the fail that you made it will build you a stronger leader. I highly recommend to everyone must to read this book. “ I received complimentary a copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers for this review”.

[Brian Hui · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun read divided into 31 vignettes. And a powerful last chapter. The second half of the book esp oozed of wisdom.

What I appreciate is that the leadership lessons come from someone who has “skin in the game” (cf Nassim Taleb) — he’s run a junkyard, developed real estate, planted churches, launched non-profits. He subverts some popular leadership mantras—he elevates leadership but despises the worship of it. I appreciate that his stuff speaks even to me, a small church pastor and son of a small biz owner. Most of all, I appreciate his emphasis on faith, humility, people, and action.

[Tom Burkholder · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the book Salvaged, author Roy Goble, writes about snippets about leadership from an unlikely framework – a junk yard. Goble merges the teachings and work of Jesus with the messiness and salvaging of the junkyard.
I found the stories and ideas to be a refreshing take on leadership. While the ideas found in the book are not new, they are packed in a refreshing way and Goble is very honest about the struggles of leadership. I would recommend this book. I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Scott Wozniak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of stories, and some life lessons learned from them. The best part about the book are the stories. He had a childhood with colorful characters filling his life with funny adventures. Sadly, the weakest part of the book or the life lessons that come from the stories. Some of the sections are profound, some are common ideas, and two sections I actually disagree with. So, I couldn’t tell you that this book is spot on. But I can’t tell you that this book is very entertaining and will make you think a bit.

[LeAnne · Rating 2 out of 5]

It wasn't bad, but wasn't really grabbing me. DNF, in favor of the many other books on my shelves that I want to get to.

[R.A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written with a Christian readership in mind, but the lessons is offers are easily applicable to anyone who is in a leadership position, regardless of your religious persuasion. A note on the book’s layout. The chapters are short and to the point and are divided up into three sections. The first section is a short anecdote from which the author pulls his leadership lesson. The second section is called “Salvaged from Scripture” and is an example of that chapter’s leadership lesson found in the Bible. The final section of the chapter is called “Lessons from the Junkyard” which summarizes up the chapter’s lesson. So, if you’re not a Christian, you could easily skip the second section of each chapter and still get something out of the book.

I received a free copy of this book through the GoodReads giveaway platform.