The World's Best Book Summaries
What is the Zagrum Company from Leadership and Self-Deception? Why would this company be considered “out of the box”? In the Arbinger Institute’s leadership fable Leadership and Self-Deception, the main character Tom struggles with self-betrayal and treating others with respect—both at work and at home. He is told about Bud’s experience at the Zagrum Company in hopes of inspiring him to change. Here is the Zagrum Company’s story.
Do you want to know how to learn from failure? Do you get back up and go again, stronger and wiser than you were before? “Failure is not an option.“ You’ve probably heard that phrase in connection with the Apollo 13 Moon landing mission. That’s the attitude of rocket scientists when lives are at stake. In all other cases, failure is not only an option, it’s a valued learning experience. Read more to understand how to learn from failure.
When is the last time you took stock of your life? How could designing your life dashboard help? You want to take a certain direction in life. But, before you can know which direction to go, you must clarify where you are right now. Designing your life dashboard can help you take stock of your life and figure out what’s working and what isn’t. Read more to learn how to design your life dashboard and use it to find direction.
What is the connection between happiness and success? Can being happy increase your chances of success? In The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor shows that happier people tend to be more successful. It’s often thought that success brings us happiness, but it’s actually the other way around. Here’s the connection between happiness and success.
Does your team share in your vision of your organization’s way forward? What can you do to inspire a common vision in the people you lead? People are naturally drawn to leaders who inspire a shared vision of a better world because they want to feel like they are a part of something important. In their book The Leadership Challenge, bestselling authors and long-time research partners James Kouzes and Barry Posner outline two guidelines for inspiring a shared vision in your team: 1) envision a positive future, and 2) get others on board. Here is how you can inspire a shared
What is the Pygmalion Effect in the classroom? How do teacher expectations impact student performance? The Pygmalion Effect shows that high expectations can actually improve someone’s performance. As an example, in the classroom, the Pygmalion Effect reveals that teacher expectations can dramatically affect student test scores. Find out more about the Pygmalion Effect in the classroom below.
What is yellow hat thinking from Six Thinking Hats? What mode of thinking does the yellow hat represent? The yellow hat is the constructive hat. This means the wearer’s job is to provide proposals and suggestions to the rest of the team while staying grounded and focusing on improvement. Keep reading to learn how to use the yellow hat in your decision-making process.
What is green hat thinking from Six Thinking Hats? What mode of thinking does the green hat represent? In Edward de Bono’s book Six Thinking Hats, the green hat is the creative hat. The wearer of this hat is in charge of coming up with new ideas, whether they be realistic or outrageous. The goal of this hat is to push the boundaries of the team’s ideas without thinking of the risks or dangers. Keep reading to learn how to use the green hat and why it’s so important for growth.
Are you skilled at making life choices? What is the connection between choice and happiness? Many people use a model for making life choices that virtually guarantees unhappiness. Alternatively, the life design model for choosing is designed to maximize joy. Rather than focusing on making good choices, try focusing on a good model for choosing. Continue reading to learn the four steps of the life design model for making life choices.
What drives you? What motivates you to do big things in life? When you have a limitless mindframe, you understand that you can accomplish more than you ever thought was possible. However, believing that you can do incredible things is only the first step. The next is to figure out what you actually want to do. In other words, you have to find what drives you. Keep reading to learn where you should look in order to discover what drives you.