Social Change Leadership

Everyone wants to be an influencer. We all want to learn how to help ourselves and others change behavior. And yet, in spite of the fact that we routinely attempt to do everything from lose weight to improve quality at work, few of us have more than one or two ideas about how to exert influence. For the first time, Influencer brings together the breakthrough strategies of contemporary influence masters.

Beginning firmly with teachers and all those working with students, including administrators and counselors, the Plum Village approach stresses that educators must first establish their own mindfulness practice since everything they do in the classroom will be based on that foundation. The book includes easy-to-follow, step-by-step techniques perfected by educators to teach themselves and to apply to their work with students and colleagues, along with inspirational stories of the ways in which teachers have made mindfulness practice alive and relevant for themselves and their students.

This groundbreaking book shows nonprofits a new way of operating in our increasingly connected world: a networked approach enabled by social technologies, where connections are leveraged to increase impact in effective ways that drive change for the betterment of our society and planet.

Today's ways of working are not working - even for professionals in "good" jobs. Responding to global competition and pressure from financial markets, companies are asking employees to do more with less, even as new technologies normalize 24/7 job expectations. In Overload, Erin Kelly and Phyllis Moen document how this new intensification of work creates chronic stress, leading to burnout, attrition, and underperformance. "Flexible" work policies and corporate lip service about "work-life balance" don't come close to fixing the problem.

Culture change expert and diversity speaker Michelle Silverthorn explains how to transform diversity and inclusion from mere lip service into the very heart of leadership. Following the journey of a Black woman in the workplace, leaders learn the old rules of diversity that keep failing her and millions like her again and again, and the new rules they must put in place to make success a reality for everyone. 

In Timeless Learning, an award-winning team of leaders, Chief Technology Officer Ira Socol, Superintendent Pam Moran, and Lab Schools Principal Chad Ratliff demonstrate how you can implement innovative practices that have shown remarkable success. The authors use progressive design principles to inform pathways to disrupt traditions of education today and show you how to make real innovations that will have a timeless and meaningful impact on students, keeping alive the natural curiosity and passion for learning with which children enter school.

Author Monica Sharma describes how we can source our inner capacities and wisdom to manifest change that embodies universal values such as dignity, compassion, fairness, and courage. Drawing on more than 20 years of work for the United Nations and elsewhere, she presents a radical new approach to transformational leadership, one that creates systems of change where everyone can engage - not just analysts and policy-makers. 

Uncover the methods of megastars like Oprah Winfrey, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, and Sir Richard Branson, who make the world a better place through purposeful - and highly successful - business strategies. The stellar authorial team shares in candid detail the setbacks and achievements they experienced building successful enterprises and charities - with purpose.   

Get ready to question everything you've been told about charity and to find out how you can truly succeed at making the world a better place.  

Studies in neuroscience reveal that the way we learn doesn't always match up with the way we are taught. To stay competitive - academically, economically, and technologically - we need to apply the proven principles of disruptive innovation to our educational system. Disrupting Class will make you rethink your understanding of intelligence, reevaluate your current school program, and reinvigorate your commitment to learning.   

As this book shows, human beings are wired to care, and we can become more empathic with practice. Empathy increases dopamine, reduces stress, boosts self-esteem, heightens the immune system, and enriches our relationships. Empathy also improves business key performance indicators. This means that leveraging empathy on purpose can lead to better health, happier and more productive workplaces, and a more meaningful life. That's why empathy is our superpower.

Today, in an instant, leaders can find themselves face-to-face with crisis. An active shooter. A media controversy. A data breach. In You're It, the faculty of the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative at Harvard University takes you to the front lines of some of the toughest decisions facing our nation's leaders - from how to mobilize during a hurricane or in the aftermath of a bombing to halting a raging pandemic. They also take listeners through the tough decision-making inside the world's largest companies, hottest startups, and leading nonprofits.

We live in a time of unprecedented opportunity for women. Yet despite centuries of progress, true equality remains out of reach. What will it take to bring us to a tipping point? To leadership expert and social entrepreneur Claudia Chan, the key is shifting to a "me for we" mind-set, where individuals root their effort in a mission far bigger than personal success, and getting everyone—women and men—to work together for social change. By lifting others, we not only make the world better, but we can also discover our greatest meaning and achieve lasting fulfillment.

We've all seen people who are amazingly persuasive. We'd all like to be even more effective as persuaders ourselves. We've put together how some of the best persuaders we've seen at Change Masters manage this art. Their tips will help you achieve even better persuasive success.

Dealing with resistance to change when you get a promotion can make or break your first 90 days. Many people are burned out on change, and they can be glassy-eyed at the prospect of anything you suggest. Hear how three respected leaders went through the school of hard knocks, and see what you can borrow from their journey to be more successful. They can help you better navigate the corporate river.

Forty-percent of the things we worry about never happen. So why do we spend so much time thinking about them? On top of that, the average corporate employee is exhausted. A typical corporate executive has the alertness level at mid-afternoon of a 75-year-old! We'll give you tips on how to let go of the worries that are consuming your valuable energy and how to take care of yourself at work.

Conversations at the elevator, a cocktail party, or the water cooler can do a great deal to boost your career - if you know how to approach them correctly. We'll give you tips on how to increase your comfort in preparing for the spontaneous moment.

The Center for Creative Leadership has found that the number-one skill shared by top executives is outstanding listening. Listening is the single greatest connector you can have with someone. Hearing the facts and the emotion allows you to understand where others are coming from and to learn what you need to know early enough to take corrective action.

You have to deal with difficult people all the time, including whiners and bullies. Whining is one of the most difficult behaviors to deal with. Get some perspectives on why whiners whine and what you can do to help yourself and them. In addition, you might be surprised to learn that some of the most brutal people are actually extremely sensitive inside. Get tips in this piece on how to help them take down their walls so your life can be a whole lot easier.

The more experienced you become, the more roles you need to juggle. This series explains how to balance more effectively and find time for the three major roles you will face every day throughout your career: manager, leader, and coach.