Workplace Motivation

Modern society is plagued by fragmentation. The various sectors of our communities - businesses, schools, social service organizations, churches, government - do not work together. They exist in their own worlds. As do so many individual citizens, who long for connection but end up marginalized, their gifts overlooked, their potential contributions lost.

Imagine walking up to a stranger on the subway and asking them for their seat. What about asking a random person on the street if you could borrow their phone? If the idea makes you squeamish, you're not alone - social psychologists have found that doing these very things makes most of us almost unbearably uncomfortable. But here's the funny thing: even though we hate to ask for help, most people are wired to be helpful. And that's a good thing, because every day in the modern, uber-collaborative workplace, we all need to know when and how to call in the cavalry.

Why is good leadership so rare? Everyone has to manage up to some extent, but, frankly, some bosses are worse than others. If you're being driven crazy by a micro-manager, frequently drown under your boss' unreasonable expectations or struggle with being handed out responsibilities but no authority, international behavioural expert Thomas Erikson is here to help.

Want to make life easier? Who doesn't? And in Easier, veteran leadership and business coach Chris Westfall delivers practical and effective ways to make progress in your life by improving your efficiency and confidence. You'll find hands-on guidance on communicating more effectively, finding motivation in the midst of uncertainty, and serving with great impact, both at the office and at home.

In Contagious Culture, Anese Cavanaugh proved that it's possible to create an energized and engaged organizational culture that spreads from person to person. Now, in Contagious You, she hones in on the individual, showing us how each of us is contagious in our own way and stressing the importance of leading with intention to achieve positive results.

We've decided by consensus that consensus is good. In In Defense of Troublemakers, psychologist Charlan Nemeth argues that this principle is completely wrong: left unchallenged, the majority opinion is often biased, unoriginal, or false. It leads planes and markets to crash, causes juries to convict innocent people, and can quite literally make people think blue is green. In the name of comity, we embrace stupidity. We can make better decisions by embracing dissent. Dissent forces us to question the status quo, consider more information, and engage in creative decision-making.

What can you learn from the most successful companies in the world? The Spanx Story will help you understand and adopt the competitive strategies, workplace culture, and daily business practices that enabled entrepreneur Sara Blakely to dominate the shapewear industry and become a billionaire.

Despite our deep desire to feel a sense of belonging, many of us feel isolated. The rise of technology and modern workplace practices have led people to be even more disconnected, even as we remain constantly contactable. And as our human interactions have decreased, so too have our happiness levels. This is sparking a crisis in mental health that will have repercussions for years, leaving people lonelier and organizations less productive and profitable, too.

"What an asshole!" How many times have you said that about someone at work? You're not alone! In this groundbreaking book, Stanford University professor Robert I. Sutton builds on his acclaimed Harvard Business Review article to show you the best ways to deal with assholes...and why they can be so destructive to your company.

According to Michelle Gadsden-Williams, a global expert in diversity, workplace culture, and career building, intention is more than just setting goals. It's seamlessly executing and achieving them. In this groundbreaking guide, she shows women how to both show up authentically and, more importantly, do the work that gets results. Her research-based insights, real-world strategies, and self-empowering exercises provide all the tools you need. Driven by Intention is a book for impact seekers who want to make a real difference at work, in the world, and in their own lives.

From the author of The Myth of Multitasking comes Invaluable, a business fable that empowers the frustrated and overworked to understand the value of their time. At the fictitious company GreenGarb, 20-something Jason is discontented with his entry-level position, feeling his skills and knowledge are being underutilized. Mid-level manager Tracy is overwhelmed by her workload and her needy direct reports. And CEO Helen needs them to sort it out productively.

In nearly every industry, smart machines are replacing human labor. It's not just factory jobs - automated technologies are handling people's investments, diagnosing illnesses, and analyzing written documents. If we humans are going to endure, Edward Hess and Katherine Ludwig say we're going to need a dose of humility. We need to be humble enough to let go of the idea that "smart" means knowing the most, using that information quickest, and making the fewest mistakes. Smart machines will always be better than we are at those things.

Effective leadership comes down to implementing everyday, common-sense practices to help organizations thrive - and yet so many leaders are still missing these fundamental principles from their personal and professional lives. Renowned business experts Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley disclose the simple truths about leadership they have gathered over their long and distinguished careers to help bring common sense into common practice.

The Fieldbook is an intensely pragmatic guide. It shows how to create an organization of learners where memories are brought to life, where collaboration is the lifeblood of every endeavor, and where the tough questions are fearlessly asked. The stories here show that companies, businesses, schools, agencies, and even communities can undo their “learning issues” and achieve superior performance. If ever a work gave meaning to the phrase hands-on, this is it.

Black Faces in White Places is about "the game" - that is, the competitive world in which we all live and work. The audiobook offers 10 revolutionary strategies for playing, mastering, and changing the game for the current generation, while undertaking a wholesale redefinition of the rules for those who will follow. It is not only about shattering the old "glass ceiling" but also about examining the four dimensions of the contemporary black experience: identity, society, meritocracy, and opportunity.

We've long been told our ability to succeed depends on our IQ, talent, education level, gender, job title, or when and where we were born. Great Work turns that conventional thinking on its head to reveal that innovation can come from anyone, anywhere.

In their best-seller Working with You Is Killing Me, Katherine Crowley and Kathi Elster taught readers how to free themselves from emotional traps created by difficult colleagues. Now they apply their research and insights to the challenges of "toxic bosses." Sooner or later, we all work for someone we can't stand. When that happens, some people quit, some suffer in silence, and others cope by sulking, obsessing, avoiding, or retaliating.

From grassroots to game plan, this book is the intersection of meaningful work, strong culture, and you. Our template called the THRIVE Model helps level-up your culture game (at work and home): helping today’s leaders succeed in tomorrow’s world. Unlike others books about workplace culture, MB builds on a heart-rooted foundation and utilizes an actionable model in order to grow. Taking culture action will change your world – for the better. Everyone wins when culture is strong. Conscious Culture helps leaders understand the importance of their most important asset – their people. ...

Our individualistic society has created an environment of fear, division, and domination, which has crushed our ability to relate meaningfully to each other and diminished our capacity to innovate and collaborate. Jean Oelwang, president and founding CEO of Virgin Unite, has been on a decade-long exploration to find out how to nurture relationships with depth and purpose. Deep connections shape who we are and have a profound ripple effect on everything we do, supporting us to achieve more, withstand anything, and amplify impact.

Stretching across 500 miles of northern Spain, the Camino de Santiago has been a pilgrimage route for centuries. Setting off as a competitive, shrewd negotiator with little patience for small talk, Victor Prince emerged as a very different person - more balanced, more caring, more present in the moment, but looking to the future. Prince translates this growth experience into seven leadership skills, each linked to values that have guided Camino travelers for centuries.