Tag: Performance
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Eleven Rings, by Phil Jackson
Opening Gambit I love Michael Jordan’s story and career. Growing up in the 1990s, I was too young to understand his talent beyond watching Space Jam and collecting the Tazos (yes, remember them?!) and hearing of the infamous Chicago Bulls team featuring Jordan, and led by the author of this book, Phil Jackson. Like many,…
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Hidden Potential, by Adam Grant
I love Adam Grant’s work. An organisational psychologist by trade, Grant explores motivation, teams, and potential, among many other things. In his book Think Again (blog here), he discusses how we tend to retreat to a bunker with our views and defend them till the end. He explores how we should think more objectively, seek…
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The Practice of Groundedness, by Brad Stulberg
Why I read it Over the course of Pocket Wisdom, it won’t come as a surprise to you that I have researched a lot of books. For reference, here is how I find most of them: books by authors I’ve already read; books recommended by those authors; books I discover on podcasts; personal recommendations; trawling…
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The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni
Why I read it I really enjoyed Patrick Lencioni’s The Advantage, and have since read some of his other works, and listened to interviews and podcasts featuring his words of wisdom. Since beginning my research project on teams, I had to check out The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – a unique take on teamwork…
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Team Genius, by Rich Karlgaard and Michael Malone
Why I read it I really enjoy leading teams and being part of teams. All of us have interacted within a group, be it at school, work, or in an activity such as a sports team. We’ve all been in some unhealthy, unproductive teams. And, hopefully, we’ve experienced the opposite, too. I’ve always been fascinated…
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Essentialism, by Greg McKeown
Why I read it I follow many people on Twitter who have enjoyed similar books to my favourites: Think Again by Adam Grant, or Atomic Habits by James Clear, for example. What they seem to share unanimously is raving positivity about Essentialism, by Greg McKeown. I’ve read some excellent reviews and summaries of the book…
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Decoding Greatness, by Dr Ron Friedman
Why I read it I listened to a podcast with Dr Ron Friedman and loved how he spoke about his upcoming book, Decoding Greatness. As a teacher, I often try to decode an exemplar answer, or crunch numbers when analysing literature; without sticking to rigid formulas, it spoke to me that you could strip back…
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Noise, by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, and Cass Sunstein
Why I read it I really enjoyed Thinking, Fast and Slow, and having listened to Kahneman talk about his more recent work on a string of podcasts, I was excited to pre-order Noise. I knew that Kahneman and his team would be considered, detailed, and base their work on a large volume of research, and…
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Alive At Work, by Daniel Cable
Why I read it: If you’ve read a few of my posts, you’ll know that I have a keen interest in how we thrive at work – how we find purpose, safety, enthusiasm and wellbeing in our jobs. I’ve particularly enjoyed books such as The Culture Code, Think Again, and The Human Workplace, which examine…
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Think Again, by Adam Grant
Why I read it: I enjoy reading books about psychology and behaviour, so that I can understand the mind better, and then try to transfer some of that learning to my professional and personal life. I’d heard Adam Grant speak at various events and on podcasts, and like his personable and articulate style, coupled with…
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Endure, by Alex Hutchinson
Why I read it – as an amateur runner, I’ve always been intrigued to understand more about the relationship between my body and mind. Some runs I glide, sometimes I trudge in treacle. Is that physiological or psychological? I can’t get under 20 minutes for my 5k personal best – is that a fitness issue, or…
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The Biggest Bluff, by Maria Konnikova
Why I read it I’ve been following Konnikova on Twitter for a while, and last year I noticed that Sam Freedman (yes, you should follow him too), had recommended her latest book, The Biggest Bluff. Having seen her speak a few times on the circuit, I knew she’d write with fluency, flair, intelligence and humour,…
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Legacy, by James Kerr
Why I read it – six years ago, I was preparing to move on from a position I loved, Head of English, to the much-feared Head of Year role (there was nothing to worry about, it was a brilliant job!). I made it my mission to practise my public speaking, sharpen up my knowledge of the…
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The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg
Why I read it… After years of trying to crack the nut of students revising independently, I decided to read about the science behind how we form habits. However, I was keen to skip the fad-like, motivational angle that many books about habit take; you know, the writers who promise they will break your worst…
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I Can’t Accept Not Trying, by Michael Jordan
Why I read it… I’m a huge NBA, Michael Jordan, and Space Jam (yes, that’s right) fan, and that was compounded in 2020 with the excellent documentary The Last Dance, on Netflix. Jordan doesn’t go out of his way to ingratiate himself with the public or his team mates, but his dedication to honing his…
Sam Crome 