Synopses & Reviews
Why do things go wrong in companies that shouldn’t?
The answer, according to Dr. Shelley Reciniello, often lies deep beneath the surface in the unconscious processes of leaders and their employees.
Working as a sort of psychological detective, her job has been to consult with organizations and individuals to figure out what the real problem is when a poised for success corporate initiative fails, when a promising individual or team can’t perform, or when a well-conceived departmental project doesn’t deliver. When what has gone wrong doesn’t make sense, she looks for the unrecognized, underlying psychological issues that caused the problem. What’s going on unconsciously, out of awareness, is often more important than what is happening on the surface.
How can you wake-up and become conscious of secret motivations, unrecognized Achilles heels, and hidden agendas in yourself and your employees?
The Conscious Leader describes the nine most fundamental but often neglected truths about human beings and their workplace behavior in jargon-free, accessible concepts and examples. With humor and inspiration, Dr. Reciniello provides you with the principles and practices necessary for conscious leadership which you can immediately apply in your organizations.
Review
“Dr. Shelley Reciniello very astutely notes ‘we cannot become mindful if we are not at first conscious.’ Having a deep understanding of what life in organizations is all about, the author provides a wealth of information revealing how leaders can derail due to behavior patterns of which they are unaware. This book is a must for anyone interested in creating better places to work.” --
Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries, Founder and Distinguished Clinical Professor of Leadership Development and Organizational Change, INSEAD Global Leadership Center.
“The Conscious Leader is a splash of cold water in the face of sleepwalking and mindless executives and managers; Reciniello has written a thoughtful, practical, accessible, antidote for leaders committed to greater self-awareness and to more reflective organizations.”
-- Michael A. Diamond, Ph.D., Professor and Director, Center for the Study of Organizational Change, University of Missouri
“Vulnerability is one of the most powerful components for success in organizations followed by trust and transparency. Yet we push these out of our consciousness and create cultures where people can speak up and hide at the same time for fear their real selves will not be valued. The Conscious Leader provides insights that nudge us to wake up and become aware of all the subtle signals we send each other. Waking-up and becoming conscious is an essential step for new leadership everywhere.”
-- Judith E. Glaser, CEO, Benchmark Communications, Inc.; author of Conversational Intelligence: How Great Leaders Build Trust and Get Extraordinary Results
“Reciniello has taken a difficult and tricky subject - Freud and psychoanalysis - and made it understandable and approachable in the context of business and leadership. This is a welcome addition to all leadership books out there today.” -- David C. O’Leary, Former Global Head of Human Resources Credit Suisse First Boston, former Global Head of Human Resources and Chief Administrative Officer, State Street Corporation
Synopsis
As the author says: "I have spent a lifetime studying the psychology of people and work, marvelling at how much trouble we can get into when we don't understand ourselves and what makes other people tick." The Conscious Leader brings you the nine principles and practices needed to create a wide-awake and productive workplace. Doing business today requires navigating the psychological terrain of people at work: egos that run amok and put personal success ahead of corporate achievement; palpable, underlying anger that surfaces in response to company policies; ill treatment by one particular manager, or your own grandstanding; and fear so contagious that people spend most of their time trying to keep their jobs instead of doing their jobs. In the incredible pressure cooker that is the modern workplace, how do you keep your eyes on a ball that is increasingly invisible? By understanding basic psychology of people at work, you can gain the essential knowledge needed to create a more successful and productive team.
Synopsis
The Conscious Leader brings you the nine principles and practices needed to create a wide-awake and productive workplace. Doing business today requires navigating the psychological terrain of people at work: egos that run amok and put personal success ahead of corporate achievement; palpable, underlying anger that surfaces in response to company policies; ill treatment by one particular manager, or your own grandstanding; and fear so contagious that people spend most of their time trying to keep their jobs instead of doing their jobs. In the incredible pressure cooker that is the modern workplace, how do you keep your eyes on a ball that is increasingly invisible? By understanding basic psychology of people at work, you can gain the essential knowledge needed to create a more successful and productive team.
About the Author
Dr. Shelley Reciniello has spent her 34 year career as a psychologist determined “to give psychology away,” by demystifying psychological and psychoanalytic principles, and providing people and organizations with thoughtful, practical information and methods to change their lives. She has provided employee assistance programs, executive coaching, and organizational consultation to leading corporations, including Avon, Credit Suisse First Boston, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, and divisions of Exxon, Eastman Kodak, and General Electric, nationally and globally. She offers her expertise in leadership through coaching and development programs to such diverse industries as finance, fashion, education, technology, entertainment, and the arts.
Dr. Reciniello has a Clinical/Social Psychology Doctorate from the Graduate Faculty of the New School For Social Research and is a member of the International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organizations. She has appeared on television, radio, and been quoted in varied publications including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Glamour, Elle, and the Reuters international publications network. A popular speaker, her presentation goals are to inform, assist, entertain, and inspire.