Shortform Books

The Ultimate Guide to Innovation in the Workplace

Are your teams stuck in the old ways? What can you, as a leader, do to encourage innovation in the workplace? Contrary to popular misconception, innovation doesn’t require special talents or genius. Everyone on your team has the potential to bring innovative ideas to the table. You, as a leader, just have to create the necessary conditions to make it happen. In this article, we’ll look at a few innovation strategies you can use to spark innovation in the workplace.

What Is the Hero Archetype—and Who Is His Evil Twin?

What is the Hero archetype in mythology? What does it tell us about human behavior? Jordan Peterson contends that the human capacity for learning, discovery, and exploration is embodied as the mythical Son—the Hero of the story. Like all mythical archetypes, however, the Son has a dark side. Continue reading to learn about these two aspects of the Son in myth.

Brené Brown and Shame: 3 Outcomes of the Toxic Feeling

What are the three feelings shame produces? How does shame affect our everyday lives? According to Brené Brown in her book I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn’t), shame takes shape in three ways: fear, blame, and disconnection. Brown’s definition of shame further claims that sometimes we allow shame to consume our minds. Keep reading to read shame-breaking advice by Brené Brown and shame’s hold on our mind.

What Does a Life Coach Do, Exactly? Marcia Reynolds Explains

What does a life coach do, exactly? What’s their role in helping clients to improve their personal and professional lives? Marcia Reynolds is a leadership and executive coach who has worked with a range of clients—including corporations like AT&T and American Express, universities, and government agencies. Through her work, she discovered exactly what a life coach does to create lasting change in a client’s life. Read on to learn what exactly a life coach does, based on Reynolds’s coaching experience.

Shortform Reads: Finding Elements of Reality in Fiction & Fantasy

What novelist is also a philosopher? What’s the problem with most self-help books? Conner could tell you. Based in Colorado, he’s a content writer at Shortform. We interviewed him recently to learn a bit about his relationship with books.

10 Must-Read Books About Letting Go and Moving On

Why is it important to learn to let go? How can you put the pains of the past behind you? We all carry things that weigh us down—grudges, blame, painful memories, emotional burdens, or attachments to the things that are no more. The inability to let go of the things that don’t serve us traps us in a state of stagnation and prevents us from turning the page and moving on with our lives. If this sounds like you, check out our roundup of the best books about letting go and moving on.

Epictetus: Stoicism Is Dignity & Discipline—4 Rules for Living Well

Is there value in small talk? What’s the Stoic view of dignity? How should you spend most of your time? According to Epictetus, Stoicism is about living well through dignity and discipline. He offers four rules for living as a Stoic: speak less, maintain an air of seriousness, focus on developing your mind (while not neglecting your body), and start practicing Stoicism now. Continue reading to learn more about these four rules.

Writing for Your Audience: Focus on Usefulness & Connection

What’s the “so what” factor? How can you, as a writer, advocate for your readers? In Everybody Writes, Ann Handley discusses writing for your audience. She explains that your writing must help your reader by providing useful content and that it should build a strong relationship with your reader. Keep reading to learn more about these two critical aspects of writing.

Positive Affirmations for Success That Will Change Your Game

What’s the purpose of affirmations? How can repeating affirmations help you rewire your thinking? Repeating affirmations is a great tool to envision your ideal reality and motivate you to take action to achieve it. With regular practice, repeating positive affirmations for success can make a tremendous difference in your life by reinforcing more positive and effective ways of thinking. Here’s how repeating affirmations can help you reprogram your mind for success along with some examples of affirmations you can use for your practice.

The 4 Unexpected Problems With Remote Work

What are some unexpected problems with remote work? What are the biggest problems, according to research? Remote work has many proven benefits—like reducing commuting headaches or allowing employees to work wherever they want—but it has created some drawbacks, too. If you’re considering working remotely, it’s important to know about some of the emerging problems with remote work. Read on to discover the four unexpected problems with remote work faced by remote employees.