Personal Growth

Bestselling author Bill George (True North 150,000 copies sold) and longtime corporate executive Doug Baker have participated for decades in a unique small group of peers dedicated to personal growth and leadership development. In this book they provide the first practical guide - including detailed instructions, rules, and resources - for anyone to start and manage such a group on their own.

Positive psychology and organizational guru Larry Senn shows readers how allowing room for your mood swings rather than suppressing them can lead you to be more successful and happy.


Mood swings are a common, almost universal experience-especially in a world as full of unpredictable, uncontrollable changes and chances as ours. People know they have good and bad moods, but most have never thought of them as an emotional elevator they ride and can have influence over. Perhaps they've even tried to suppress their moods and refuse to acknowledge the ride at all.

Larry Senn implores us to take our changing moods seriously and ride the mood elevator, which can help us all be more effective leaders and greatly impact our personal lives. At the top floors, we find ourselves to be grateful, wise, creative, resourceful, and hopeful. At the bottom, we can be depressed, angry, stressed, judgmental, and defensive. The Mood Elevator provides a framework and a series of simple pointers and illustrative stories that help us see that without taking the full ride, we can't access the top floor moods without remembering that we have to build up from the bottom.

The Mood Elevator shows us that we create our own moods through our own thinking and, in the end, have control over the direction we head. The book provides simple steps for readers to quickly change their thinking to create better emotional states based on their environments.

What if better questions could change everything?

The questions you ask yourself shape every decision, relationship, and result. This international bestseller—over 500,000 copies sold—gives leaders, coaches, and professionals a proven system called Question Thinking to shift from reactive, stuck thinking to curiosity, clarity, and breakthrough outcomes.

Through an engaging business fable, Dr. Marilee Adams shows exactly how—and why—it works.

The landmark fifth edition includes the following:

• 14 Question Thinking tools, including 2 brand-new tools built from reader feedback
• The Choice Map, a visual framework for recognizing where your thinking is headed
• Q-Storming, a collaborative approach that generates better questions, not just answers
• New chapter on thriving through AI and technological change
• Step-by-step practices for leadership, coaching, team development, and personal growth

Used by Fortune 500 leaders, executive coaches, educators, and therapists worldwide.

With a foreword by #1 New York Times bestselling author and world's #1 executive coach, Marshall Goldsmith.

“Chad Ford reminds us that humanity lies within all of us, and although conflict is everywhere in today's world, we have the tools we need to overcome obstacles and to thrive. This is a fantastic, timely book that I highly recommend."
-Steve Kerr, Head Coach, Golden State Warriors

Knowing how to transform conflict is critical in both our personal and professional lives. Yet, by and large, we are terrible at it. The reason, says longtime mediator Chad Ford, is fear. When conflict comes, our instincts are to run or fight.

To transform conflict, Ford says we need to turn toward the people we are in conflict with, put down our physical and emotional weapons, and really love them with the kind of love that leads us to treat others as fellow human beings, not as objects in our way. We have to open ourselves up with no guarantee that anyone on the other side will do the same. While this can feel even more dangerous than conflict itself, it allows us to see the humanity of others so clearly that their needs and desires matter to us as much as our own.

Ford shows dangerous love in action through examples ranging from his work in the Middle East to a deeply moving story about reconciling with his father. He explains why we disconnect from people at the very time we need to be most connected and the predictable patterns of justification and escalation that ensue. Most importantly, he gives us a path to practice dangerous love in the conflicts that matter most to us.

Master coach and former International Coach Federation President Marcia Reynolds helps high-achieving women who may feel frustrated and restless embrace their "wandering" impulses and come to peace with their desire for something more.

A vivid depiction and real-world example of the personal and institutional impact of the Arbinger Insititute's transformative ideas (Leadership and Self-Deception; 1.4 million copies sold) within a healthcare organization--The Plum Healthcare Group nursing homes. In general, nursing homes are scorned healthcare institutions--but it was in these transformed Plum homes that Kimberly White discovered a new way of "seeing" people and underwent her own personal transformation. Both Plum and White shifted their perspective and mindset based on their adoption of The Arbinger Institute's basic principles.

Without realizing it, we tend to treat people as objects. We see them solely in terms of their usefulness to us. This invites tension and conflict, and changing this mindset is at the heart of the Arbinger Institute's work. This book is a moving true story of an unhappy woman whose life and family were transformed when she began researching how Arbinger's ideas were being implemented in nursing homes. Kimberly White was astonished to discover that those who choose to care for the elderly and ill, earning low pay in a maligned industry, were nevertheless full of satisfaction, compassion and love because of their ability to see their patients as real and true and valuable people. White's research became a personal exploration of how to see the people in her own life as people in that same profound way. When she did, everything in her life and her world changed--and the reader's will too.

"We had no vehicle. We didn't know how or if we could continue heading south. I was in a vast, seemingly endless desert. I didn't know when or if we'd make it to the other side. I didn't even know where the other side was. It wasn't in Algeria. I knew that much. Was it in Niger? Where does the Sahara actually end?"
We live in a culture, Donahue writes, which loves "climbing mountains." We want to see the peak, map out a route, and follow it to the top. Sometimes this approach works, but not always, particularly when we are enduring a personal crisis-divorce, job loss, addiction, illness, or death. We may not know exactly where we are going, how to get there, or even how we'll know we've arrived.
And it's not just in times of crisis. There are many deserts in our lives, situations with no clear paths or boundaries. Finding a job is usually a mountain, but changing careers can be a desert. Having a baby is a mountain, especially for the mom. But raising a child is a desert. Battling cancer is a mountain. Living with a chronic illness is a desert.
In the desert, we need to follow different rules than we follow when conquering a mountain. We need to be more intuitive, more patient, more spontaneous. Donahue outlines six "rules of desert travel" that will help us discover our direction by wandering, find our own personal oases, and cross our self-imposed borders.
"The sun appears like a silent explosion, a slow motion fireworks display dazzling the volcanic crags of the Hoggar. I stand up and walk to the path and begin descending to Klaus' car. I've made my decision. Tallis and I will travel, somehow, to Agadez. I don't have a logical explanation for my decision or a plan to get to the last oasis. I know I am on the right journey-I am following my compass."
Shifting Sands shows us how to slow down, reflect, and embrace the changes of life graciously, naturally, and courageously.

“I am not enough! Not smart enough, rich enough, successful enough, or good enough!”

This is the trance of scarcity-a self-inflicted premise of ‘not-enough-ness' that successfully cripples the lives of people who would otherwise be buoyant and passionate. Here, Victoria Castle offers a prescription for realizing abundance and empowerment.

High performers get passed over every day, and this book explains exactly why, through the story of one man's quest to find out what great leaders are actually made of.

From the international bestselling coauthor of The Secret, this business fable follows Blake Brown, a driven professional who does everything right and still loses the promotion he wanted. His mentor sends him on a journey to meet five of his late father's colleagues, and what Blake discovers changes how he understands leadership entirely.

The core insight is simple but often overlooked: Skills, execution, and industry knowledge are necessary but not sufficient. What separates good leaders from great ones lives deeper, in character.

Inside this book you will find

• the five specific character traits that define exceptional leaders,
• a story-based format that makes complex ideas easy to absorb and remember,
• a clear framework for diagnosing why capable people plateau in their careers,
• practical insight for anyone who wants to lead in a way that earns genuine followership, and
• a fast, engaging read designed for busy professionals.

This book is especially useful for high performers who feel stuck, first-time managers building their leadership identity, and organizations looking for development tools that connect with readers emotionally as well as intellectually.

Leadership is not reserved for a select few, and this book is built to prove that.

Master creative thinking in the AI age with practical tools that blend imagination and discipline for better innovation in this updated, award-winning business bestseller.

Now updated with 20 percent new content, this Porchlight Business Book of the Year returns with all-new case studies and a groundbreaking chapter on creative partnerships with AI and emerging technologies. Natalie Nixon demonstrates that humans are hardwired for creativity—a competency anyone can develop by balancing wonder (awe, audacity, and curiosity) with rigor (discipline, skill-building, and attention to detail).

Drawing on interviews with professionals across diverse industries—from farming to medicine to technology—Nixon reveals how inquiry, improvisation, and intuition enhance creative capacity in every kind of work. This second edition features fresh success stories from resourceful businesses that have mastered the delicate dance between human imagination and artificial intelligence in a rapidly changing world.

Combining practical creativity tools with illuminating stories of innovative people and organizations, this book serves as a provocation, an inspiration, and an invitation to unleash the innate creativity within each of us. Nixon offers a dynamic approach to adaptation and innovation that allows the freedom to access our full human potential—even as technology continues to reshape how we work. This essential guide helps anyone cultivate the creative thinking needed to thrive in today's complex business landscape.

Sarah van Gelder and the staff of Yes! Magazine marshal fascinating research, indepth
essays and compelling personal stories to counter the consumerist party
line. It's things like healthy communities, strong relationships, and a thriving planet
that lead to lasting happiness, and this book shows how we can achieve them.

Former Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese shares powerful lessons learned from negotiating and collaborating with others who disagreed and even despised him. Takeaway: you can accomplish wonders-like achieving marriage equality-if you can use your anger strategically and channel it in the direction of the greater good.


Under Joe Solmonese's leadership, the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBT rights organization, became the model other organizations look toward to create effective social and political change. Ranked among the National Journal's top five most effective groups, HRC was instrumental in passing landmark national legislation such as the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr.
Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and the passage of marriage equality in eight states.

Beginning with a moving story of working with Matthew Sheppard's mother Virginia in passing the hate crimes bill that bears Matthew's name, Solmonese shows how he discovere that channeled anger can drive a commitment to change. Mrs. Sheppard taught him to keep his unquestionably justifiable anger from blinding him in the moment, and instead use it strategically, in the service of a larger purpose. In this book he uses the lessons he learned during tenure at HRC, as well as his previous position as the CEO of Emily's List, and his current work as a corporate consultant, to teach readers how they can affect real, lasting change in society and at work. His often-surprising lessons may not be entirely expected or celebrated by all groups, e.g., don't shame your enemies, find allies wherever you can, and ask for the doable, not the impossible. Most striking in this book are the stories of Joe's ability to draw some kind of win-however small-from seeming enemies. Many of these former enemies became stalwart allies over time. Joe's book is more concerned with the “long game” of changing culture and achieving long-term goals, not the “short game” of enforcing purity or litmus tests.

“Wonderfully profound. … It’s as if Thoreau meets Lao Tzu on the trail and we are fortunate enough to overhear their wisdom on what the wilderness has to offer 21st century civilization.”
—Jeff Salz, PhD, explorer, adventurer, anthropologist, and author of The Way of Adventure

Whether you are a world-weary worker juggling the demands of a hectic life or a seeker of soul-satisfying experiences, this deceptively simple book is your key to refresh, renew, rethink, and recharge. From an unexpectedly arduous backpacking trip, Eileen McDargh discovers truths from the experience. Deep in grime, grit, and grace-filled mornings, she finds insights for business, for relationships, for family, for life, and for the soul.

Just as the ocean inspired Anne Morrow Lindbergh's classic, Gifts from the Sea, so too can a mountain become a lyrical metaphor for coping with life's complexities. Whether musing on wild onions or mosquitoes, river crossings or thunderbolts, Eileen shares lessons for understanding the mundane and the magnificent, the difficult and the delightful, the ordinary and the extraordinary. Mountains become a lyrical metaphor for coping with life's complexities. You'll be reminded of what you may already know but have likely forgotten in the tension of time constraints, work worries, and family frustrations. McDargh will jar your memory, evoke new awareness, and spur you to action. Each two-page spread features a full-color watercolor painting illuminating these concise, graceful reflections. Gifts from the Mountain helps us pay attention to the process of life and to take joy in the journey.

Bestselling author Beverly Kaye (Love 'Em or Lose 'Em-700,000 copies sold), joins coauthors Lynn Cowart and Lindy Williams to deliver a revolutionary and motivational guide to rethinking career mobility as a kaleidoscope, not a ladder.


Over and over, managers hear employees asking, “Do I have a future here?” Many managers and leaders struggle with the fact that they simply cannot deliver vertical moves or promotions for every employee who wants or even deserves that option.

Up Is Not the Only Way introduces the concept of flexibility and agility and the multiple ways employees can grow, learn, and build a career as the way to solve the problems of immobility and retention. Managers need the tools for building rich dialogue about career mobility and dynamic workplaces that demand resilient talent at all levels. The key is communicating effectively and comfortably around the topic of career options that span a spectrum of employee engagement. From those who are ready and want to move to those who are satisfied to stay right where they are, and even for those who have no idea what the next opportunity might be, this book provides a way through these tough conversations. Up Is Not the Only Way distills the solutions to complex issues involving engagement and retention in a simple and practical way.

“A must-have book for today's quiet warriors.”
-Susan Cain, New York Times bestselling author of Quiet and Quiet Power and cofounder of Quiet Revolution

How does a self-described “extreme introvert” thrive in a world where extroverts are rewarded and social institutions are set up in their favor? Using her extraordinary personal story as a “case study of one,” Taiwanese author Jill Chang shows that introverts hold tremendous untapped potential for success. Chang describes how she succeeded-in Taiwan and in the United States-in fields that are filled with extroverts, including as an agent for Major League Baseball players, a manager of a team across more than twenty countries, and a leading figure in tech philanthropy.

Instead of changing herself to fit an extroverted mold, she learned to embrace her introversion, turning it from a disadvantage to the reason she was able to accomplish great goals and excel in tasks that her extroverted peers missed. She offers advice on the best jobs for introverts, overcoming the additional difficulties language and cultural barriers can present, thriving at social events and business presentations, leveraging the special leadership traits of introverts, and much more. Part memoir and part career guide, this book gives introverts the tools to understand how they can form relationships, excel in cross-cultural workplaces, and navigate extroverted settings without compromising comfort or personality.

Noted speaker, musician, and coach Barbara McAfee shows how to become a more effective communicator by mastering the full range of your voice and learning to match tone to content.

Transform your connections and leadership with five research-backed humor tactics to master authentic workplace comedy, boost team engagement, and lead with laughter.

Discover the secret weapon that transforms relationships, boosts creativity, and enhances leadership: humor. The Laughter Factor reveals how laughter isn't just a source of joy—it's a powerful tool for connection and success. Whether you're a leader, teacher, salesperson, or simply someone seeking stronger relationships, this book equips you with five humor tactics to captivate, connect, and inspire.

With decades of experience as a comedian and keynote speaker, author Adam Christing shares his proven methods to make humor work for anyone, anywhere. These five fundamental humor strategies include:

• Surprise—Use the power of the unexpected to delight and captivate.
• Poke—Master the art of self-deprecating humor and gentle teasing.
• In-Jokes—Foster bonds through shared laughter and unique moments.
• Wordplay—Enhance your wit with clever banter and sharp language.
• Amplify—Turn ordinary stories into extraordinary, memorable moments.

Humor is your ticket to breaking barriers, fostering trust, and standing out in personal and professional settings. From boosting your leadership presence to lightening tense situations, The Laughter Factor is your ultimate guide to wielding humor as a force for good.

The founders of Prosper Inc., a $60 million company and the largest provider of individual coaching on personal finance and entrepreneurship in the US, distill the secrets of defining, achieving and sustaining the quality of life you really want to attain real prosperity.