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A proven 7-principle framework for building communities where people genuinely belong, used by leaders at Google, Airbnb, the US Army, and beyond.
Now in a fully updated second edition with 25 percent new content, this Nautilus Award–winning guide gives leaders a practical and historically grounded system for creating communities that last, whether they're in person, virtual, or somewhere in between.
Drawing on three thousand years of human tradition and the author's own work across tech, nonprofit, government, and religious organizations, The Art of Community maps the 7 structural principles every thriving community shares:
This edition includes a brand-new chapter on virtual community building, making it as relevant for remote teams and online groups as for in-person organizations.
Ideal for managers, community builders, HR leaders, pastors, and nonprofit directors who want to move beyond surface-level engagement and create a culture where people genuinely support one another.
Now in a fully updated second edition with 25 percent new content, this Nautilus Award–winning guide gives leaders a practical and historically grounded system for creating communities that last, whether they're in person, virtual, or somewhere in between.
Drawing on three thousand years of human tradition and the author's own work across tech, nonprofit, government, and religious organizations, The Art of Community maps the 7 structural principles every thriving community shares:
- Boundary — who belongs and what that means
- Initiation — how new members are welcomed and integrated
- Rituals — the repeated practices that build shared meaning
- Temple — physical or virtual spaces that anchor community identity
- Stories — how shared narratives reinforce values
- Symbols — the objects and images that signal belonging
- Inner Rings — how members grow and deepen their participation over time
This edition includes a brand-new chapter on virtual community building, making it as relevant for remote teams and online groups as for in-person organizations.
Ideal for managers, community builders, HR leaders, pastors, and nonprofit directors who want to move beyond surface-level engagement and create a culture where people genuinely support one another.
Ditch the negative mental habits that derail conversations and destroy projects, and discover a framework for forging authentic, enduring, and productive connections.
We live in conversations like fish live in water-we're in them all the time, so we don't think about them much. As a result, we often find ourselves stuck in cyclical patterns of unproductive behaviors. We listen half-heartedly, react emotionally, and respond habitually, like we're on autopilot.
This book is a practical guide for thoughtfully reflecting on conversations so we can avoid the common pitfalls that cause our relationships and work to go sideways. Chuck Wisner identifies four universal types of conversations and offers specific advice on maximizing the effectiveness of each:
Storytelling-Investigate the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves and others
Collaborative-Explore the way our stories and other people's stories interact
Creative-See new possibilities and discover unforeseen solutions
Commitment-Make promises we know we can keep
These conversations unfold sequentially: our awareness of our and others' stories transforms our ability to listen and collaborate, which opens our thoughts to creative possibilities, guiding us toward mindful agreements.
Our conversations-at home, at work, or in public-can be sources of pleasure and stepping-stones toward success, or they can cause pain and lead to failure. Wisner shows how we can form a connection from the very first conversation and keep our discourse positive and productive throughout any endeavor.
We live in conversations like fish live in water-we're in them all the time, so we don't think about them much. As a result, we often find ourselves stuck in cyclical patterns of unproductive behaviors. We listen half-heartedly, react emotionally, and respond habitually, like we're on autopilot.
This book is a practical guide for thoughtfully reflecting on conversations so we can avoid the common pitfalls that cause our relationships and work to go sideways. Chuck Wisner identifies four universal types of conversations and offers specific advice on maximizing the effectiveness of each:
Storytelling-Investigate the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves and others
Collaborative-Explore the way our stories and other people's stories interact
Creative-See new possibilities and discover unforeseen solutions
Commitment-Make promises we know we can keep
These conversations unfold sequentially: our awareness of our and others' stories transforms our ability to listen and collaborate, which opens our thoughts to creative possibilities, guiding us toward mindful agreements.
Our conversations-at home, at work, or in public-can be sources of pleasure and stepping-stones toward success, or they can cause pain and lead to failure. Wisner shows how we can form a connection from the very first conversation and keep our discourse positive and productive throughout any endeavor.
Ditch the negative mental habits that derail conversations and destroy projects, and discover a framework for forging authentic, enduring, and productive connections.
We live in conversations like fish live in water-we're in them all the time, so we don't think about them much. As a result, we often find ourselves stuck in cyclical patterns of unproductive behaviors. We listen half-heartedly, react emotionally, and respond habitually, like we're on autopilot.
This book is a practical guide for thoughtfully reflecting on conversations so we can avoid the common pitfalls that cause our relationships and work to go sideways. Chuck Wisner identifies four universal types of conversations and offers specific advice on maximizing the effectiveness of each:
Storytelling-Investigate the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves and others
Collaborative-Explore the way our stories and other people's stories interact
Creative-See new possibilities and discover unforeseen solutions
Commitment-Make promises we know we can keep
These conversations unfold sequentially: our awareness of our and others' stories transforms our ability to listen and collaborate, which opens our thoughts to creative possibilities, guiding us toward mindful agreements.
Our conversations-at home, at work, or in public-can be sources of pleasure and stepping-stones toward success, or they can cause pain and lead to failure. Wisner shows how we can form a connection from the very first conversation and keep our discourse positive and productive throughout any endeavor.
We live in conversations like fish live in water-we're in them all the time, so we don't think about them much. As a result, we often find ourselves stuck in cyclical patterns of unproductive behaviors. We listen half-heartedly, react emotionally, and respond habitually, like we're on autopilot.
This book is a practical guide for thoughtfully reflecting on conversations so we can avoid the common pitfalls that cause our relationships and work to go sideways. Chuck Wisner identifies four universal types of conversations and offers specific advice on maximizing the effectiveness of each:
Storytelling-Investigate the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves and others
Collaborative-Explore the way our stories and other people's stories interact
Creative-See new possibilities and discover unforeseen solutions
Commitment-Make promises we know we can keep
These conversations unfold sequentially: our awareness of our and others' stories transforms our ability to listen and collaborate, which opens our thoughts to creative possibilities, guiding us toward mindful agreements.
Our conversations-at home, at work, or in public-can be sources of pleasure and stepping-stones toward success, or they can cause pain and lead to failure. Wisner shows how we can form a connection from the very first conversation and keep our discourse positive and productive throughout any endeavor.
Ditch the negative mental habits that derail conversations and destroy projects, and discover a framework for forging authentic, enduring, and productive connections.
All too often, we find our conversations stuck in cyclical patterns of unproductive behavior. We listen half-heartedly, react emotionally, and respond habitually, or what Chuck Wisner calls “sleep talking.”
Conscious Conversations explores the way we can reframe our thoughts, emotions, reactions, and interactions so we form a connection from the very first conversation and keep our discourse positive and productive throughout any endeavor. Wisner identifies four universal types of conversations and offers specific advice on maximizing the effectiveness of each:
• Storytelling-Acknowledging and investigating the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves and others
• Collaborating-Exploring the way our stories interact with other people's stories
• Creating-Cocreating possibilities and discovering unforeseen solutions to sticky problems
• Committing-Coordinating our actions with others to get things done
These conversations unfold sequentially: our awareness of our stories transforms our ability to listen and collaborate, which opens our thoughts to creative possibilities, guiding us toward mindful agreements. This framework makes it possible to identify, understand, and deactivate disruptive emotional triggers; listen with empathy to people with opposing perspectives; and forge relationships built on trust.
All too often, we find our conversations stuck in cyclical patterns of unproductive behavior. We listen half-heartedly, react emotionally, and respond habitually, or what Chuck Wisner calls “sleep talking.”
Conscious Conversations explores the way we can reframe our thoughts, emotions, reactions, and interactions so we form a connection from the very first conversation and keep our discourse positive and productive throughout any endeavor. Wisner identifies four universal types of conversations and offers specific advice on maximizing the effectiveness of each:
• Storytelling-Acknowledging and investigating the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves and others
• Collaborating-Exploring the way our stories interact with other people's stories
• Creating-Cocreating possibilities and discovering unforeseen solutions to sticky problems
• Committing-Coordinating our actions with others to get things done
These conversations unfold sequentially: our awareness of our stories transforms our ability to listen and collaborate, which opens our thoughts to creative possibilities, guiding us toward mindful agreements. This framework makes it possible to identify, understand, and deactivate disruptive emotional triggers; listen with empathy to people with opposing perspectives; and forge relationships built on trust.
“Meetings are a waste of time” is a sentiment many of us share, which is tragic because meetings bring us together as human beings. To achieve the kind of meaning or breakthrough results most of us really yearn for when we gather, the key quality needed is authentic engagement: a genuine expression of what is true for us, and an attentive listening to what is true for others. Why it so often eludes us can be a matter of habit, distrust, lack of attention, or fear.
As cofounders of Heartland Inc., Craig and Patricia Neal have led over 170 of their acclaimed Thought Leader Gatherings with leaders from over 800 diverse organizations. Their new book shares for the first time the unique and powerful Art of Convening model—developed in these gatherings and refined over six years of intensive trainings—which brings authentic engagement and meaning to any group that comes together for any purpose.
Convening goes beyond facilitating. Convening creates an environment in which all voices are heard, profound exchanges take place, and transformative action results. The heart of this book is the Convening Wheel—a series of nine steps, or aspects, that bring the practices and principles needed for authentic engagement together as a whole. The book provides exercises, stories, and questions to help you master both the inner and outer dimensions of this work—because in convening, the state of the convener is equally as important as the physical preparations.
Convening works in any setting and can be adapted to virtually any group process. With this book you have all the tools you need to develop this essential life and leadership skill, one that will lead to improved outcomes in your organization, community, family, and relationships.
"Meetings are a waste of time," is a sentiment many of us share, which is tragic, because meetings bring us together as human beings. To achieve the kind of meaning or breakthrough results most of us really year for when we gather, the key quality needed is authentic engagement: a genuine expression of what is true for us, and an attentive listening to what is true for others. Why it so often eludes us can be a matter of habit, distrust, lack of attention, or fear.
As co-founder of Heartland Inc., Craig and Patricia Neal have led over 170 of their acclaimed Thought Leader Gatherings with leaders from over 800 diverse organizations. Their new book shares for the first time the unique and powerful Art of Convening model -- developed in these gatherings and refined over six years of intensive trainings -- that brings authentic engagement and meaning to any group brought together for any purpose.
Convening goes beyond facilitating. Convening creates an environment in which all voices are heard, profound exchanges take place, and transformative action results. The heart of this book is the Convening Wheel -- a series of nine steps, or Aspects, that bring the practices and principles needed for authentic engagement together as a whole. The book provides exercises, stories, and questions to help you master both the inner and outer dimensions of this work -- because, in convening, the state of the Convener is equally as important as the physical preparations.
Convening works in any setting and can be adapted to virtually any group process. With this book you have all the tools you need to develop this essential life and leadership skill, one that will lead to improved outcomes in your organization, community, family, and relationships.
As co-founder of Heartland Inc., Craig and Patricia Neal have led over 170 of their acclaimed Thought Leader Gatherings with leaders from over 800 diverse organizations. Their new book shares for the first time the unique and powerful Art of Convening model -- developed in these gatherings and refined over six years of intensive trainings -- that brings authentic engagement and meaning to any group brought together for any purpose.
Convening goes beyond facilitating. Convening creates an environment in which all voices are heard, profound exchanges take place, and transformative action results. The heart of this book is the Convening Wheel -- a series of nine steps, or Aspects, that bring the practices and principles needed for authentic engagement together as a whole. The book provides exercises, stories, and questions to help you master both the inner and outer dimensions of this work -- because, in convening, the state of the Convener is equally as important as the physical preparations.
Convening works in any setting and can be adapted to virtually any group process. With this book you have all the tools you need to develop this essential life and leadership skill, one that will lead to improved outcomes in your organization, community, family, and relationships.
Craig and Patricia Neal share, for the first time, the processes, tools, and techniques that they have developed in hundreds of “Thought Leader Gatherings” and other events to make any type of meeting or gathering be more meaningful and rewarding for participants and more transformational in action outcomes.
We have all experienced it: the jolt of an insight arriving like a thunderclap, unexpectedly and without warning. But what if insights could be accessed more reliably? Drawing on years of research, reflection, and experiences with colleagues, friends, and clients, Charles Kiefer and Malcolm Constable present a thorough, pragmatic approach for dependably generating fresh thoughts and perspectives. Guided by their user-friendly practices and helpful exercises (both in the book and online at www.TAOI-Online-Learning.com), you'll develop your own personal approach to cultivating a mindset where insights come so readily that new or long-standing problems are solved with confidence and ease.
Inspiration Whenever You Need It
We have all experienced it: the jolt of an insight arriving like a thunderclap, unexpectedly and without warning. But what if insights could be accessed more reliably? Drawing on years of research, reflection, and experiences with colleagues, friends, and clients, Charles Kiefer and Malcolm Constable present a thorough, pragmatic approach for dependably generating fresh thoughts and perspectives. Guided by their user-friendly practices and helpful exercises (both in the book and online at www.TAOI-Online-Learning.com), you'll develop your own personal approach to cultivating a mindset where insights come so readily that new or long-standing problems are solved with confidence and ease.
“Creating insights isn't a magical process-this book provides a practical framework for generating insights for yourself and your organization. We've used many of these techniques with our innovation teams and they work.”
-Wayne Delker, Chief Innovation Officer and Senior Vice President, The Clorox Company
“Conventional wisdom holds insights to be elusive and mysterious. Kiefer and Constable turn conventional wisdom on its head with this marvelous addition to the libraries of all those devoted to improving the quality of their thinking.”
-Len Schlesinger, President, Babson College, and former Vice Chairman, Limited Brands
“In my forty-five years in business, I have found insights to be invaluable in strategy formulation and vital in forming best-in-class products and services. This book provides a simple road map of how to achieve such insights.”
-Dick Kovacevich, retired Chairman and CEO, Wells Fargo & Company
A concise guide to simple actions that can help any person have more frequent and timely insights to make better decisions, solve problems, and produce fresh thinking anything.
Planning today is plagued by a lack of imagination. It’s often difficult, when working with a business, organization, or any group of people, to upend traditional thinking and unlock new ideas and new possibilities. If you are a strategic planner, or anyone charged with managing growth or facilitating change, it is important to add to your arsenal tools that will allow you to break unhealthy groupthink, avoid old patterns, and escape narrow safe zones. In The Art of Quantum Planning Gerald Harris takes seven concepts from the scientific study of tiny particles and applies them in the larger world, showing how they can pry open minds, spur creativity, and make the planning process far more innovative and effective.
The dual nature of light—it can be both a wave and a particle—serves as a jumping-off point for a discussion of how either-or thinking can limit our sense of what options are open to us. Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, which says we cannot know both the position and the speed of an electron, reminds us that it is impossible to be aware of every variable, and so planning must be a learning process that continually incorporates new information and makes adjustments. Harris explains quantum concepts in layman’s language and, using real-world examples, gives practical advice on applying the ideas in actual planning situations—including improving techniques for scenario analyses that help managers function in an uncertain business environment.
This approach demands an open mind and a willingness to venture into unexplored territory—also keys for effective leadership. Using the lessons provided as triggers for thinking The Art of Quantum Planning will help readers to a more profound understanding of how to create successful strategies.
Stale ideas, conformity, and lack of imagination stymie strategic planning. Here, Gerald Harris uses seven concepts from quantum physics to pry open minds, eradicate unhealthy groupthink, spur creativity, and revitalize strategic planning.
Explaining quantum concepts in plain language and using real-world examples, Harris inspires innovation while providing practical guidance for applying these ideas in actual planning situations. Just as light has a dual nature—it can be a wave and a particle—so the needs and wants of a customer can be both discrete and continuous, or the market focus of an organization can be both targeted and many faceted. Likewise, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle—that we cannot know both the position and the speed of an electron—reminds us that it is impossible to be aware of every single relevant fact before we make a decision. Planning, he shows, must be a learning-forward process that continually adjusts to new information. Harris's lessons act as triggers for inquiry, giving you an opportunity to discover more innovative and successful strategies.
Explaining quantum concepts in plain language and using real-world examples, Harris inspires innovation while providing practical guidance for applying these ideas in actual planning situations. Just as light has a dual nature—it can be a wave and a particle—so the needs and wants of a customer can be both discrete and continuous, or the market focus of an organization can be both targeted and many faceted. Likewise, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle—that we cannot know both the position and the speed of an electron—reminds us that it is impossible to be aware of every single relevant fact before we make a decision. Planning, he shows, must be a learning-forward process that continually adjusts to new information. Harris's lessons act as triggers for inquiry, giving you an opportunity to discover more innovative and successful strategies.
The first book focused on applying insights from quantum physics to organizational strategy, planning, and leadership practice.
Since World War II, US presidents of both parties have relied on an economic hit man strategy.
They have used the four pillars of that strategy (fear, debt, anxiety over insufficiency, and divide and conquer) to control other nations and enrich a growing oligarchy.
In the groundbreaking Confessions of an Economic Hit Man trilogy, John Perkins exposed the complex, expansive, and clandestine global network that serves the interests of powerful corporate, financial, and political entities. In The Art of the Steal, he reveals its most dangerous evolution.
Donald Trump represents a historic shift. He is the first US president to turn the economic hit man strategy into a personal brand and governing style. He has ascended the four pillars, brought the playbook home, and reversed the march toward the American ideal of liberty, equality, justice, democracy, opportunity, and an individualism that supports family and community. At the same time, he has forced what was hidden into the open.
This book explains
Both warning and blueprint, it offers a pathway to renewing the American ideal—and using it to model a new global ideal.
They have used the four pillars of that strategy (fear, debt, anxiety over insufficiency, and divide and conquer) to control other nations and enrich a growing oligarchy.
In the groundbreaking Confessions of an Economic Hit Man trilogy, John Perkins exposed the complex, expansive, and clandestine global network that serves the interests of powerful corporate, financial, and political entities. In The Art of the Steal, he reveals its most dangerous evolution.
Donald Trump represents a historic shift. He is the first US president to turn the economic hit man strategy into a personal brand and governing style. He has ascended the four pillars, brought the playbook home, and reversed the march toward the American ideal of liberty, equality, justice, democracy, opportunity, and an individualism that supports family and community. At the same time, he has forced what was hidden into the open.
This book explains
- how this happened,
- why it matters, and
- what each of us can do to turn things around.
Both warning and blueprint, it offers a pathway to renewing the American ideal—and using it to model a new global ideal.
Since World War II, US presidents of both parties have relied on an economic hit man strategy.
They have used the four pillars of that strategy (fear, debt, anxiety over insufficiency, and divide and conquer) to control other nations and enrich a growing oligarchy.
In the groundbreaking Confessions of an Economic Hit Man trilogy, John Perkins exposed the complex, expansive, and clandestine global network that serves the interests of powerful corporate, financial, and political entities. In The Art of the Steal, he reveals its most dangerous evolution.
Donald Trump represents a historic shift. He is the first US president to turn the economic hit man strategy into a personal brand and governing style. He has ascended the four pillars, brought the playbook home, and reversed the march toward the American ideal of liberty, equality, justice, democracy, opportunity, and an individualism that supports family and community. At the same time, he has forced what was hidden into the open.
This book explains
Both warning and blueprint, it offers a pathway to renewing the American ideal—and using it to model a new global ideal.
They have used the four pillars of that strategy (fear, debt, anxiety over insufficiency, and divide and conquer) to control other nations and enrich a growing oligarchy.
In the groundbreaking Confessions of an Economic Hit Man trilogy, John Perkins exposed the complex, expansive, and clandestine global network that serves the interests of powerful corporate, financial, and political entities. In The Art of the Steal, he reveals its most dangerous evolution.
Donald Trump represents a historic shift. He is the first US president to turn the economic hit man strategy into a personal brand and governing style. He has ascended the four pillars, brought the playbook home, and reversed the march toward the American ideal of liberty, equality, justice, democracy, opportunity, and an individualism that supports family and community. At the same time, he has forced what was hidden into the open.
This book explains
- how this happened,
- why it matters, and
- what each of us can do to turn things around.
Both warning and blueprint, it offers a pathway to renewing the American ideal—and using it to model a new global ideal.
Since World War II, US presidents of both parties have relied on an economic hit man strategy.
They have used the four pillars of that strategy (fear, debt, anxiety over insufficiency, and divide and conquer) to control other nations and enrich a growing oligarchy.
In the groundbreaking Confessions of an Economic Hit Man trilogy, John Perkins exposed the complex, expansive, and clandestine global network that serves the interests of powerful corporate, financial, and political entities. In The Art of the Steal, he reveals its most dangerous evolution.
Donald Trump represents a historic shift. He is the first US president to turn the economic hit man strategy into a personal brand and governing style. He has ascended the four pillars, brought the playbook home, and reversed the march toward the American ideal of liberty, equality, justice, democracy, opportunity, and an individualism that supports family and community. At the same time, he has forced what was hidden into the open.
This book explains
Both warning and blueprint, it offers a pathway to renewing the American ideal—and using it to model a new global ideal.
They have used the four pillars of that strategy (fear, debt, anxiety over insufficiency, and divide and conquer) to control other nations and enrich a growing oligarchy.
In the groundbreaking Confessions of an Economic Hit Man trilogy, John Perkins exposed the complex, expansive, and clandestine global network that serves the interests of powerful corporate, financial, and political entities. In The Art of the Steal, he reveals its most dangerous evolution.
Donald Trump represents a historic shift. He is the first US president to turn the economic hit man strategy into a personal brand and governing style. He has ascended the four pillars, brought the playbook home, and reversed the march toward the American ideal of liberty, equality, justice, democracy, opportunity, and an individualism that supports family and community. At the same time, he has forced what was hidden into the open.
This book explains
- how this happened,
- why it matters, and
- what each of us can do to turn things around.
Both warning and blueprint, it offers a pathway to renewing the American ideal—and using it to model a new global ideal.
Master the essential actions that create lasting trust in any relationship, from the world's leading experts in workplace trust.
Trust is essential to all relationships, but knowing how to build and maintain it remains elusive. Drawing from three decades of research and consulting, trust experts Dennis and Michelle Reina provide a comprehensive roadmap for creating lasting trust in any relationship.
Through actionable frameworks, tools, and stories, readers will learn:
With the groundbreaking Reina Individual Trust Scale Assessment and concrete strategies for implementation, this essential guide equips readers to forge powerful bonds of trust that endure through uncertainty and change.
Trust is essential to all relationships, but knowing how to build and maintain it remains elusive. Drawing from three decades of research and consulting, trust experts Dennis and Michelle Reina provide a comprehensive roadmap for creating lasting trust in any relationship.
Through actionable frameworks, tools, and stories, readers will learn:
- Essential behaviors that build trust in character, communication, and capability
- How to foster an environment of openness where people feel heard and valued
- Ways to rebuild trust after breaches or betrayals
- Techniques for strengthening self-trust as the foundation for trusting others
- The role of gratitude in nurturing reciprocal trust
With the groundbreaking Reina Individual Trust Scale Assessment and concrete strategies for implementation, this essential guide equips readers to forge powerful bonds of trust that endure through uncertainty and change.
Master the essential actions that create lasting trust in any relationship, from the world's leading experts in workplace trust.
Trust is essential to all relationships, but knowing how to build and maintain it remains elusive. Drawing from three decades of research and consulting, trust experts Dennis and Michelle Reina provide a comprehensive roadmap for creating lasting trust in any relationship.
Through actionable frameworks, tools, and stories, readers will learn:
With the groundbreaking Reina Individual Trust Scale Assessment and concrete strategies for implementation, this essential guide equips readers to forge powerful bonds of trust that endure through uncertainty and change.
Trust is essential to all relationships, but knowing how to build and maintain it remains elusive. Drawing from three decades of research and consulting, trust experts Dennis and Michelle Reina provide a comprehensive roadmap for creating lasting trust in any relationship.
Through actionable frameworks, tools, and stories, readers will learn:
- Essential behaviors that build trust in character, communication, and capability
- How to foster an environment of openness where people feel heard and valued
- Ways to rebuild trust after breaches or betrayals
- Techniques for strengthening self-trust as the foundation for trusting others
- The role of gratitude in nurturing reciprocal trust
With the groundbreaking Reina Individual Trust Scale Assessment and concrete strategies for implementation, this essential guide equips readers to forge powerful bonds of trust that endure through uncertainty and change.