#919 - George Mack - How To Take Control Of Your Own Destiny

Leadership expert John C. Maxwell argues that today’s leaders must abandon traditional management practices and make leadershifts—changes in how they think, communicate, and act as leaders. In Leadershift, Maxwell shares lessons from a lifetime of leading organizations and coaching developing leaders, sharing common leadership mistakes, and providing guidance for becoming a transformative leader who can inspire great things from others. By making Maxwell’s leadershifts, you can maximize your leadership abilities and amplify the success of your team or organization.

In this guide, we’ll explore the leadership changes Maxwell suggests to run an effective organization. We’ll discuss how to improve your leadership mindset, manage a team effectively, earn the respect of others, and inspire new generations of leaders. We’ll supplement Maxwell’s advice with insights from other leadership experts and share additional practical tips for making Maxwell’s leadershifts in your work.

Stephen R. Covey was a business and leadership consultant and the international bestselling author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. In The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness, Covey adds a habit to the original seven: finding your voice and helping others do the same. This is the habit of leadership.

The 8th Habit examines the uniqueness of the contributions we all make as human beings, arguing that the most important job of leaders is to nurture this individuality. Covey explains that most leaders fail to lead well because they’re trapped inside outdated paradigms, and he offers advice for how to escape.

In this guide, we compare Covey’s advice with that of other prominent experts on leadership and organizational structure, discuss research that supports and challenges his views, and add practical suggestions for the implementation of his ideas.

From ancient kingdoms to modern corporations, we humans have gathered in organizations to lift ourselves from barbarism into the modern age. However, those same organizations have restricted individual freedom and led to rampant overconsumption. Is there a way to preserve the benefits of modern civilization while staying true to our humanity?

In Reinventing Organizations, business consultant Frédéric Laloux identifies an emerging breed of company that operates from a new set of rules. Instead of serving an ego-driven focus on power, these visionary organizations embody principles of self-direction and individual authenticity while following a collective higher purpose. Laloux claims that humanity is on the cusp of a new paradigm in how we organize ourselves and suggests ways that businesses can adapt to this transition that will elevate how we work and how we live.

In this guide, we explain the practices and values Laloux says are inherent in the next level of human organization. In addition, we’ll contrast Laloux’s ideas to those of other experts in leadership, business, and personal well-being.

Have you ever wondered why some employees can have a big impact at work, while others who work just as hard struggle to stand out? In Impact Players, Liz Wiseman refers to star employees as impact players—people who perform at their highest capacity and know how to make themselves valuable in their workplace. Her research reveals that many smart, talented individuals fall short of their potential because they don’t know how to better contribute. The good news is: By making small changes to your habits and mindset, you can become an impact player yourself, get more praise for your work, and make a bigger difference at your job.

In this guide, we’ll explore the benefits of becoming an impact player, the mindset that makes impact players valuable, and habits you can adopt to increase your impact. Throughout, we’ll compare Wiseman’s research with insights from other experts and provide actionable tips that can help you adopt high-impact habits.

How can you cope when life throws unexpected changes your way? To find out, Bruce Feiler traveled around the United States, interviewing hundreds of people about the ups and downs of their life stories. In Life Is in the Transitions, he discusses his findings, arguing that although popular wisdom tells you to expect one major midlife crisis where you’ll deal with upheaval, most people actually face dozens of life-changing events over the course of their lives. During his research, Feiler discovered that life's disruptions follow a particular pattern, and by understanding this pattern, we can better navigate these changes.

In this guide, we’ll explore the types of changes we encounter, why these transitions can be so challenging, and Feiler's advice for navigating them more effectively. We’ll also explore how other experts define life changes, discuss insights from people whose lives have changed dramatically, and provide psychological perspectives that can help you deal with both positive and negative life events.

Do you ever feel like there's a gap between who you are and who you aspire to be? Do you often behave in ways that prevent you from living the life you want?

In Best Self, Mike Bayer, life coach and creator of The Cast Foundation, explains that this disconnect occurs when you lose touch with your true self: who you really are at your core. He argues that reconnecting with your true self—which fosters positive feelings and drives you to effortlessly behave in alignment with your ideal life—will close the gap between who you are and who you want to be.

This guide discusses Bayer's advice for reconnecting with your true self. You'll learn:

• Why you might find it difficult to be true to yourself
• Which areas of your life tend to bring out your inauthentic self
• How to consistently behave in ways that reflect who you really are and move toward the life you want.

Additionally, we’ll expand upon Bayer’s ideas with research and advice from psychologists and self-improvement practitioners.

Positive behavior change is one of the most persistent challenges of personal growth—and in How to Change, Katy Milkman draws from the latest research and presents a powerful strategy for creating lasting change. She argues that real behavior change comes from a deliberate, scientific understanding of how human nature gets in our way and how we can leverage it to our advantage.

Milkman, an economist and professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, explains how to tailor solutions to your specific challenges, subvert common human failings, and cement lasting change. In this guide, we’ll detail her evidence-based approach to behavioral change and discuss her “playbook” for overcoming human foibles ranging from a lack of self-confidence to forgetfulness and procrastination. In commentary, we’ll look at adjacent perspectives on behavioral change from books such as Atomic Habits, Nudge, Awaken the Giant Within, and Hooked.

Happiness has many benefits—it positively impacts your attitude, your chances of success, and the circumstances that play out in your life. Despite knowing this, many people find it difficult to feel consistently happy. In The Happiness Equation, best-selling author Neil Pasricha claims you can overcome this difficulty by training yourself to feel happier. He explores common obstacles to happiness and provides solutions that help boost your enthusiasm for life.

In this guide, we’ll discuss Pasricha’s key advice for becoming happier, four common obstacles to happiness, and his solutions to overcome them. Additionally, we’ll supplement his ideas with psychological research and actionable methods from other self-improvement authors and practitioners.

In his epic 707-page Tools of Titans, Tim Ferriss shares the habits and beliefs of 101 people at the top of their game, including tech investors like Chris Sacca and Peter Thiel, entrepreneurs like LinkedIn’s Reid Hoffman and Evernote’s Phil Libin, superhuman athletes like Amelia Boone and Wim Hof, media figures like Edward Norton and Whitney Cummings, and more.

These are the principles that successful people use to achieve audacious goals, improve themselves, and be happier. The premise: if you can apply the lessons from this book, you can be more effective.

Although there are thousands of successful companies and leaders, only a few ever really change the world. What makes these different from the rest?

They start with WHY - the vision and mission behind their efforts. Starting with WHY yields benefits like a more inspired team, more loyal customers, and enduring long-term success. In Start With Why, learn how to discover your WHY and communicate it through your organization and to the outside world.