The World's Best Book Summaries
Why is it so important to take a break from work? How can overworking your brain actually be counterproductive? It can be tempting to spend most of your time working, especially if you have a demanding job. However, if you don’t give your brain time to relax, your work will become shallow and unproductive. Keep reading to learn why you should allow your brain to relax at the end of every day.
What is systems thinking? How does systems thinking apply to organizational management? Systems thinking is a holistic approach to system analysis that focuses on examining the system as a whole by looking into how its constituent parts relate to one another. In systems thinking management, information is shared freely across the organization’s functions to facilitate collaboration. Keep reading to learn about systems thinking in management.
How do you develop self-accountability? What does it really take to assume ownership of your life and hold yourself accountable for its outcomes? To cultivate self-accountability, you must release your beliefs that things in the external world have control over your life. External factors can’t shape positive results in your life—you are the only person able to create the life you want through your actions. Here is how to encourage self-accountability and assume ownership of your life.
What is Peak: Secrets From the New Science of Expertise about? How can Anders Ericsson teach you how to master any skill? To truly improve at a skill, you need to change how you practice. Peak: Secrets From the New Science of Expertise explores how humans develop skills and the process by which peak performers in music, athletics, and countless other fields develop their abilities. Continue on to learn more about Peak: Secrets From the New Science of Expertise by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool.
What are Michael Oher’s protective instincts? How did these protective instincts shape how Michael Oher played football? Michael Oher struggled in school and on aptitude tests— except for one. But for Michael Oher, protective instincts were part of what made him such a special football player. Read more about Michael Oher, protective instincts, and what it means.
What is the Law of Authenticity from Bob Burg’s parable The Go-Giver? Why is being sincere so important? The Law of Authenticity states that the most important thing you can offer is yourself. This means that when you sell a product or service, you’re selling yourself. You need to be sincere. Keep reading to learn how Joe from The Go-Giver learned to be sincere.
Do you find it difficult to talk about your feelings? Do you try to keep your emotions bottled up and process them internally? We tend to avoid our feelings, especially in difficult conversations, because we feel they get in the way of progress, or are embarrassing, or don’t matter. It’s also scary to talk about your feelings as it leaves you feeling vulnerable. Here’s why it’s important to talk about your feelings and how to do it constructively.
How do you hold and manage difficult conversations? What can you do to keep the conversation on track and not let it escalate into an argument? In business and in personal matters, difficult conversations come up all the time. But if we can learn how to manage difficult conversations more productively, our relationships and our lives will improve tremendously. Here are three “power moves” that can help you manage difficult conversations in spite of the other person’s lack of cooperation.
Why do you need good work habits? How can good work habits help transform a corporate culture? Good work habits are important for you personally, but you can also be effective in helping you transform your workplace. Having a positive corporate culture informs good work habits and vice versa. Read more about having good work habits and how they can improve corporate culture.
Who is Erik Erikson? How is Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory of development different from Freud’s Psychosexual theory? Erik Erikson (1902-1994) was a German-American psychologist and psychoanalyst who is best known for his theory of psychosocial identity development. Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory marked a shift from Freud’s Psychosexual Theory in that it conceptualized psychosocial development across the entire lifespan instead of just childhood. Here is an overview of Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory.