Brene intended for this to be a short book that could be read in a single flight's time. I think given the "meat" of the book, it could have been shorBrene intended for this to be a short book that could be read in a single flight's time. I think given the "meat" of the book, it could have been shorter. Similar to lots of other self-help books, this book has both plenty of fluff and some gold buried beneath everything else. My 3 key takeaways are: 1) Focus on people, people, people. No matter who you are dealing with, what their background is, they are first and foremost just people, like you and I. 2) BRAVING framework for trust: Boundaries, Reliability, Accountability, Vault, Integrity, Nonjudgement and Generosity. 3) Trust is not earned with big acts, but rather with small ones, for example, when we demonstrate empathy. The level of trust earned can be thought of as the amount of stones that we put slowly into a jar. A plus to be said about this audiobook is that I felt Brene was speaking to me, rather than simply reading the book. I highly appreciated when she repeated some things knowing well that the retention when we listen is lower than when we read....more
I have always loved Plutarch's quote "What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality". Today, after reading The Anatomy of Peace, I came to betterI have always loved Plutarch's quote "What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality". Today, after reading The Anatomy of Peace, I came to better understand how this quote applies to solving conflicts and influencing people. At any moment in time, we can choose to act in an I-Thou and I-It mode, or what The Arbinger Institute calls Out-of-the-Box and In-the-Box modes. In the former case, our heart is at peace, and in the latter our heart is at war.
Even if some of our battles might be unavoidable, we should always remember to bring our hearts at peace, as Saladin did. We can achieve this by reminding ourselves of a time where our heart was peaceful and by treating people as people, rather than objects. Such a vantage point will allow us to examine the situation with fresh eyes and give us proper sense of what we should do. By setting our heart at peace, we also liberate ourselves from our justifications, blames, and excuses.
The best of all is that we can exercise influence by choosing our starting point. It might take some relationship building, listening and learning, teaching and communicating and to a lesser extent, correcting, but as we change our own foundation, so will others and the rest of the world.
"May you have the honesty and courage to do what our homes, our workplaces, and our communities most need: to see all as people -- even, and perhaps especially, when others are giving you reason not to." ...more
Through Kathryn's story, I not only understood Patrick Lencioni's model but also felt what it meant to deal with a dysfunctA quick yet powerful read.
Through Kathryn's story, I not only understood Patrick Lencioni's model but also felt what it meant to deal with a dysfunctional team.
The 5 dysfunctions of a team are: 1) Absence of trust 2) Fear of conflict 3) Lack of commitment 4) Avoidance of accountability, and 5) Inattention to team results...more
A wonderfully researched biography, so rich in detail that I felt I was closely observing Sergio's life from the comfort of my window. I especially liA wonderfully researched biography, so rich in detail that I felt I was closely observing Sergio's life from the comfort of my window. I especially liked Samantha's epilogue, in which she so brilliantly summarized the teachings that Sergio left us. By reading this book, I grew in understanding about the UN, which Sergio so strongly identified with throughout this life, and the conflicts around the world. Along with Sergio, I became less naive about some of the "evils" of human nature and power/powerlessness of institutions. This is a thought-provoking book I should revisit in the future....more
Reading this book by Prof. Shell made me feel as if I were back in his classroom, this time learning about personal success. Prof. Shell always offersReading this book by Prof. Shell made me feel as if I were back in his classroom, this time learning about personal success. Prof. Shell always offers great stories and invites us to think about important and life-defining topics like nobody else can. In this book, he invites us to define what our own personal success means and how we could reach it. Starting from Chapter one and ending with his last sentence, I kept on discovering new aspects about myself. For anyone exploring the path forward, I would highly recommend this book. ...more
I learned through this book that patience is a decision we make again and again, and that it helps when we put things into perspective. Does this 'waiI learned through this book that patience is a decision we make again and again, and that it helps when we put things into perspective. Does this 'waiting' mean anything in the larger perspective of the world and of our entire life? If not, maybe we should learn to breathe and to react calmly, patiently and in control. In addition, remember that some things are worth waiting for and that some things will take whatever time they will take. If so, why not enjoy the journey? Alternatively, we could find something else to do to distract ourselves until that which we are hoping for comes....more
In this book, Dr. Cloud talks about many concepts that help a leader be ridiculously in charge. My key take-away is related to how the executive brainIn this book, Dr. Cloud talks about many concepts that help a leader be ridiculously in charge. My key take-away is related to how the executive brain works. There are three main functions: directing attention, inhibiting attention and being aware of the process. This means defining the right focus, identifying the things that are 'forbidden', and being able to tell the progress.
The concept of inhibiting attention can be related to the concepts discussed in his book Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life. Both books propose that being able to say no is essential; in this case, Dr. Cloud talks about 'saying no' in the corporate setting. What are the things that leaders should not do? One should not waste time agonizing over things that are outside of one's control (e.g. financial crush). A 'simple' pill he recommends to bringing attention to things one can control is to draw two columns and write down in one column things that one cannot control and in the other column things that one can control, and then put all of one's attention on the things that one can control.
Using our executive brain functions of directing attention, inhibiting attention and keeping a working memory is analogous to using a GPS that guides us to our end goal, and is ultimately what will make us ridiculously in charge....more
The book is a quick read of 20 emotional skills. Each of them is addressed very briefly. While the thoughts are not deep, they can be quite refreshingThe book is a quick read of 20 emotional skills. Each of them is addressed very briefly. While the thoughts are not deep, they can be quite refreshing.
Here are some of the skills addressed (not exhaustive and based on my understanding of the text): � Perfection: There is no such thing as perfection. We choose among different types of sufferings. There is only a good enough, not a perfect. By tuning down our expectations, we can enjoy life more. � Diplomacy: Trading emotional currency for the deeper issues at hand. Being diplomatic means being able to view the emotional human being as an otherwise loveable person. � Effectiveness: Regarding the aim as the end and willing to adapt to any means. � Leadership: We admire the Jesus-type leadership, where the leader is both superior and akin to us. � Empathy: Embracing the deeper recesses of ourselves that can help us relate to people that seem distant to us at first sight. � Eloquence: Bringing forth emotions that move us to action, and recognizing that using only logic is not enough. � Purpose: Can be found through the right narrative of how our work pieces come together. We must remember that real work can be disjoint and slow but not necessarily void of purpose. ...more
'You learn by living' is a book of big wisdoms. Eleanor's words are thought provoking. As soon as I finished reading chapter 1, I became more interest'You learn by living' is a book of big wisdoms. Eleanor's words are thought provoking. As soon as I finished reading chapter 1, I became more interested in the world around me.
This book is certainly going to be one of my favorites and one that I shall revisit in the future....more
If you want to know what this book is about, go to the last chapter. It provides all you need to know.
While the book is about getting to yes with oneIf you want to know what this book is about, go to the last chapter. It provides all you need to know.
While the book is about getting to yes with oneself before one can get yes to others, the book feels less of a 'negotiation' and more of a 'self-help' book. The book would have been more helpful if it provided concrete examples on how we can change from a no-deal to a deal with oneself....more
The content in this book is repetitive, but definitely worth reading! This book came timely to my life. I had recently come from rejecting meditation The content in this book is repetitive, but definitely worth reading! This book came timely to my life. I had recently come from rejecting meditation to having daily 10-minute meditation sessions. Through this book, I have understood why and how this transformation happened. I had tried a one minute meditation, went to 3 minutes and finally found that I could even enjoy 10 minute-meditation! Now that I know how this happened, I could perhaps apply mini-habits in other areas of my life....more
I initially read this book about 10 years ago upon a teacher's recommendation. At that time, I read it as it were a novel and could not recall much ofI initially read this book about 10 years ago upon a teacher's recommendation. At that time, I read it as it were a novel and could not recall much of it. Now, I have re-read this book in the French audible version. I realize that this is not a book for "entertainment"; rather this is a book for serious study. It contains so much wisdom. If we were only to follow these habits, I am sure we would be not only more productive and effective, but also more happy and satisfied. I will be revisiting this book again soon....more
It is refreshing to hear Chris Voss' perspective, because he has participated in high-stake life and death negotiations. He uses his experiences as exIt is refreshing to hear Chris Voss' perspective, because he has participated in high-stake life and death negotiations. He uses his experiences as examples and teaches us the various available tools chapter by chapter.
My key takeaways are: - We should always negotiate with empathy and try to understand the counterpart (ask open-ended calibrated questions, use mirroring) - We should bravely confront situations of conflict (making ourselves human, e.g. introducing ourselves, can elicit empathy; "no" does not always mean "no" - it could be the beginning of negotiations) - We should try to achieve the best for us without compromising (i.e. not wearing a brown and a black shoe: never split the difference; say "no" without saying "no"; use odd numbers)...more
This book is intense and profound. I give it a three-star rating because while the teachings are extremely valuable, the content is not easily accessiThis book is intense and profound. I give it a three-star rating because while the teachings are extremely valuable, the content is not easily accessible. I will have to read the book one more time to fully absorb its messages. ...more
Amy's voice is inspiring. She tells us that by learning the 6 essential skills, anyone can become an extraordinary entrepreneur. Her book is worth stuAmy's voice is inspiring. She tells us that by learning the 6 essential skills, anyone can become an extraordinary entrepreneur. Her book is worth studying; not only does it contain multiple case studies, but it is deeply captivating.
The skills Amy found through 200 interviews with entrepreneurs that scaled their businesses to 100 million dollar in revenue in 5 years are: 1) Find the gap 2) Drive for daylight 3) Fly the OODA loop 4) Fail wisely 5) Network minds 6) Gift small goods...more
Ray Dalio is a believable person. In this book, he is outlining principles that helped him succeed in life and at work. It provides us an intimate looRay Dalio is a believable person. In this book, he is outlining principles that helped him succeed in life and at work. It provides us an intimate look at what made him successful; yet each one of us should find our own paths. Ray laid out a blueprint and it is up to us to adjust it.
Ray broke down his principles in sub-principles for easy understanding and provided ideas for tools that can aid in our experiential learning process. Some of the key concepts discussed are: Meritocracy, believability, and principled-based living/working.
I “read� this book through Audible and found the audio version very enjoyable. While the content is deep, the voice and reading are easy to follow. I recommend this book to people who like self-improvement and business books. ...more
Loading...
