Shortform Books

Dissolving the Emotional Pain Body

What exactly is a “pain-body”? What experiences trigger your emotional pain-body to activate? In The Power of Now, the emotional pain-body is an abstract entity composed of all the negative and painful emotions you’ve experienced throughout your life. Your pain-body is triggered when you encounter a stimulus (e.g. a conversation, a thought, a situation) that hits a nerve with a familiar pain pattern from the past. Keep reading to learn about the concept of the pain-body. We’ll discuss what the pain-body is, what triggers it, and how you can separate from it.

The Top 4 Business Model Evaluation Strategies

How to Have an Effective Strategic Discussion

Why is it important to evaluate a business model? How do you know your model will actually work given your product/service and your target market? Once you’ve defined your business model, you’ll need to evaluate if your organization is prepared to move forward with it. There are a number of tools that you can use to evaluate the viability of your business model. In this article, we’ll explore four business model evaluation strategies you can use to analyze and optimize the effectiveness of your business models.

The Oz Principle: Review, Background, and Impact

Is The Oz Principle worth reading? What does the story of Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz have to do with leadership? In their book The Oz Principle, authors Roger Connors, Tom Smith, and Craig Hickman use the story of The Wizard of Oz to show how being accountable for your successes and challenges is the key to improving results on both an individual and organizational level. This The Oz Principle review takes a look at the book’s impact, background, and key strengths and weaknesses.

To Sell Is Human: Review, Context, and Approach

What is Daniel Pink’s book To Sell Is Human about? What is the key message of the book? To Sell Is Human explains the history, evolution, and significance of sales. Pink asserts that all people are salespeople, whether they like it or not. That’s because we’re always selling something—whether that be a product or ourselves. Continue reading for our To Sell Is Human review.

Why Male Friendships Are So Important for Men

Why are male friendships so important? Why do men sometimes struggle to form friendships? What are some great tips that can help? Everyone needs friends—in fact, research has shown that friendships (or a lack of them) affect our physical and mental well-being. For men, building friendships can be difficult, which can lead to loneliness, mental health problems, and an unfair dependence on romantic partners. Keep reading for the ultimate guide to male friendships, including why they’re important, why men struggle to form them, and some tips for men who are struggling.

Leading From Inside the Box: The Deception Trap

What is the deception box in the book Leadership and Self-Deception? How do you know if you’re leading from the box? In Leadership and Self-Deception, the Arbinger Institute tells a story of a manager named Tom who is “stuck in the box.” However, Tom can’t escape the box unless he first realizes that he is in it, and recognizes his habit of self-betrayal. Keep reading to learn what it means to be in the deception box.

Milton Friedman’s Capitalism Philosophy—Explained

Who was Milton Friedman? What was his economic philosophy? Milton Friedman was an American economist who was best known for his devotion to the ideology of free-market capitalism. Friedman believed in the power of the market to regulate itself, was strongly against government intervention, and was in favor of privatization and maximization of corporate profits. Keep reading to learn about Milton Friedman’s capitalism philosophy, and his efforts to realize his vision of perfect-market capitalism—efforts that would, in time, lead to the modern disaster capitalism complex.

The Economics of Shock Therapy

What is shock therapy in the context of economics? What measures does economic shock therapy entail? In economics, shock therapy is a way to quickly improve a country’s economy through rapid privatization, deregulation, and severe cuts in government spending. It imposes strict free-market policies on the country in question as quickly as possible. In this article, you’ll learn about the concept of shock therapy, and how it relates to economics.

6 Principles of a Healthy Startup Culture

How does a company culture develop in a startup? How do you ensure a healthy company culture in a new business? A startup company culture develops over time through consistent positive actions, not by installing foosball tables or espresso machines. Once established, company culture solidifies and becomes very difficult to change. Therefore, it is important to keep your eye on its evolution and intervene when necessary. Here are six principles to cultivating a healthy startup culture in which staff members do their best and enjoy their jobs.

Stop Giving Unsolicited Opinions to Your Colleagues

Why is giving unsolicited opinions to colleagues a bad habit you should break? How can you use observational feedback to improve your workplace demeanor? When you give your unsolicited opinions to your employees, you may be doing more harm than good. This type of feedback may lead to frustration, shame, and even outbursts. Here is why you should keep unsolicited opinions to yourself.