Some people just can't take criticism. And some people just can't give it-not in a positive, motivating, mutually beneficial manner, anyway. That's too bad, because criticism is essential to many aspects of business, such as performance appraisals, quality control, and team functioning, to name a few. This empowering book helps readers take the sting out of criticism-and transform it from a destructive, demoralizing disaster into an energizing, educating experience that builds relationships and increases individual and organizational success. Using real-life scenarios and the author's 21 tips to positive criticism, readers will learn to: Think of criticism as a positive thing Become strategic criticizers and develop their skill in using the power of positive criticism Stay cool, calm, and collected when giving or getting criticism Criticize their boss--without getting fired, and more.
This empowering book helps take the sting out of criticism and teaches how to transform it from a destructive, demoralizing disaster into an energizing, educating experience that builds relationships and increases individual and organizational success.
We are not positive because life is easy. We are positive because life can be hard. As a leader, you will face numerous obstacles, negativity, and tests. There will be times when it seems as if everything in the world is conspiring against you and your vision seems more like a fantasy than a reality. That’s why positive leadership is essential! Positive leadership is not about fake positivity. It is the real stuff that makes great leaders great. The research is clear. Being a positive leader is not just a nice way to lead. It's the way to lead if you want to build a great culture, unite your organization in the face of adversity, develop a connected and committed team and achieve excellence and superior results. Since writing the mega best seller The Energy Bus, Jon Gordon has worked and consulted with leaders who have transformed their companies, organizations and schools, won national championships and are currently changing the world. He has also interviewed some of the greatest leaders of our time and researched many positive leaders throughout history and discovered their paths to success. In this pioneering book Jon Gordon shares what he has learned and provides a comprehensive framework on positive leadership filled with proven principles, compelling stories, practical ideas and practices that will help anyone become a positive leader. There is a power associated with positive leadership and you can start benefiting yourself and your team with it today.
Many people are used to showing compassion to others. What many of us have trouble with is showing that same compassion to ourselves. Licensed marriage and family therapist Kim Fredrickson wants readers to stop beating themselves up. Grounding her advice in the Bible, she offers practical steps, specific exercises, and compassionate words to say in order to build a loving relationship with ourselves. Through inspiring stories of transformation, she helps us learn to show ourselves the kind of grace and understanding we offer to others--and to change our relationships, our outlook on life, and our view of ourselves in the process.
Using examples from his long career, a legendary basketball coach outlines the benefits of negative thinking, which helps build a realistic strategy that takes all potential obstacles into account.
We've all felt the sting of criticism . . . Sometimes painful barbs from friends, family, coworkers, or strangers can lodge in our minds and eat away at our core. When you allow criticism--even self-criticism--to affect you that powerfully, it can be toxic. And if you don't break the cycle, toxic criticism can make you sick, strain relationships, and prevent you from fulfilling your dreams. But you don't have to live that way! By using the proven strategies in Toxic Criticism, you can deflect any hurtful comment that comes your way, rationally decide whether the criticism has any validity, and, if you choose, give a calculated response or use it as an opportunity to make a positive change. Once you've mastered the techniques in Toxic Criticism, you'll be able to: Dismiss negative comments before they make you upset Take away the power of criticism by believing in yourself Live a positive life, driven by feeling of self-worth instead of self-loathing Silence your inner critic, and listen to the voice of confidence
A book about teams to help teams become more positive, united and connected. Worldwide bestseller — the author of The Energy Bus and The Power of Positive Leadership shares the proven principles and practices that build great teams - and provides practical tools to help teams overcome negativity and enhance their culture, communication, connection, commitment and performance. Jon Gordon doesn’t just research the keys to great teams, he has personally worked with some of the most successful teams on the planet and has a keen understanding of how and why they became great. In The Power of a Positive Team, Jon draws upon his unique team building experience as well as conversations with some of the greatest teams in history in order to provide an essential framework, filled with proven practices, to empower teams to work together more effectively and achieve superior results. Utilizing examples from the writing team who created the hit show Billions, the National Champion Clemson Football team, the World Series contending Los Angeles Dodgers, The Miami Heat and the greatest beach volleyball team of all time to Navy SEAL’s, Marching bands, Southwest Airlines, USC and UVA Tennis, Twitter, Apple and Ford, Jon shares innovative strategies to transform a group of individuals into a united, positive and powerful team. Jon not only infuses this book with the latest research, compelling stories, and strategies to maintain optimism through adversity... he also shares his best practices to transform negativity, build trust (through his favorite team building exercises) and practical ways to have difficult conversations—all designed to make a team more positive, cohesive, stronger and better. The Power of a Positive Team also provides a blueprint for addressing common pitfalls that cause teams to fail—including complaining, selfishness, inconsistency, complacency, unaccountability—while offering solutions to enhance a team’s creativity, grit, innovation and growth. This book is meant for teams to read together. It’s written in such a way that if you and your team read it together, you will understand the obstacles you will face and what you must do to become a great team. If you read it together, stay positive together, and take action together you will accomplish amazing things TOGETHER.
To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing. Aristotle At the age of 37 I learned to see criticism as a valuable tool, rather than something to be avoided or feared. This came about in the life-altering workshop with Dr. John Savage. My eyes were opened to the possibility, wisdom and power of intentional communication including criticism. This change improved my relationships: personally, family, socially, professionally, academically, financially and with myself profoundly. I confess that up to that point in my life, I had pretty much taken relationships for granted. From that point forward I have endeavored to continually learn about communication and relationships. I now know that it is possible to present and respond to criticism without making things worse, without adding fuel to the fire. I now know that potentially explosive situations can be skillfully defused or diffused, so that people can dance rather than fight, even in difficult situations. I now know that people can move from conflict to conversation and acknowledge the observation and experience of the person offering criticism. This approach makes way for possibilities other than the fight or flight syndrome, manifested as a skunk or turtle mode of survival. Occasionally, there are freeze responses resulting in a stalemate. Fight or flight offers the option of going into battle or waving the white flag of surrender, yielding merely a winner and a loser with no resolution. According to Dr. Hendrie Weisinger, in the introduction of his book, The Positive Power of Criticism, the Greek concept of criticism is to serve as a neutral, objective appraisal of ideas and actions. Criticism can be regarded as a judgment, evaluation or an appraisal intended to improve or advance, leading to new resources and skills. For this to be so requires moving away from the attitude and belief that ones own presuppositions, perceptions, and biases are absolute and correct.
Practical advice for making the shift to your first leadership position The number of people who will become first-time supervisors will likely grow in the next 10 years, as Baby Boomers retire. Perhaps the most challenging leadership experience anyone will face isn't one at the top, but their first promotion to leadership. They must deal with the change and uncertainty that comes with a new job, requiring new skills, and they've been promoted from peer to leader. While the book addresses the needs of any manager, supervisor, or leader, it pulls from the best leadership and management thinking, and puts the focus on the difficulties that new leaders experience. Includes practical information for new managers who must supervise friends and former peers Authors are expert consultants who work with leaders at all levels Shows how to adopt the mindset of a leader, including: communicating change, giving feedback, coaching employees, leading productive teams, and achieving goals This much-needed book can help new leaders get beyond the stress and fear to focus on becoming the most effective leader they can be-starting right now.
