The Power Of Us

If you're like most people, you probably believe that your identity is stable. But in fact, your identity is constantly changing - often outside your conscious awareness and sometimes even against your wishes - to reflect the interests of the groups of which you're a part. And that fluid identity has a powerful influence over your feelings, beliefs, and behaviours. In THE POWER OF US, psychologists Packer and Van Bavel integrate their own cutting-edge research in psychology, neuroscience and economics to explain what identity really is and show how to harness its dynamic nature to: Increase our productivity - Improve physical and psychological health - Overcome our individual prejudice - Unlock our altruism - Break the political gridlock - Galvanize others to solve controversial global problems Along the way, they explain such seemingly unrelated phenomenon as why men cry at football games but not funerals, why the history of slavery in U.S. counties is one of the best predictors of current day racism, and why Canada keeps a national reserve of maple syrup. Packed with fascinating insights, vivid case studies, and pioneering research, THE POWER OF US will change the way you understand yourself - and those around you - forever.

Updated edition with fresh insights for 2022 ‘PUT THIS ON EVERY LEADER’S DESK NOW!’ Jack Milner, Executive Coach Fans of Matthew Syed, Angela Duckworth, Simon Sinek, Brené Brown, Timothy Ferris and Malcolm Gladwell should read The Power of Us now! Why do some organisations thrive while others seem paralysed by inaction? How do we become more innovative? The Power of Us is the result of a three-year journey around the world seeking out highly successful companies from BrewDog and Patagonia to inner city schools and renewable energy co-ops to find the answers. Cultivating people-powered innovation enables everyone to collaboratively work to figure things out. We just need to nurture the mindset and culture that makes innovation an everyday occurrence. Consultant, global thought leader and author David Price shows you how with a practical toolkit of ideas centred on 8 key principles: Trust and Transparency Engagement and Equity Autonomy and Agency Mastery and Meaning Thought-provoking and incisive, The Power of Us is an urgent call for leaders, teams and individuals to challenge the status quo, transform our lives and rebuild a better world for the future. Praise for The Power of Us: ‘Brilliant… If you only read one book this year, make it this one.’ Jamie Smith, CEO C-Learning ‘One of the most important titles of our time on one of the most important topics of our time.’ Jeff Ikler, Getting Unstuck podcast ‘Packed with fascinating case studies showing that innovation often comes from unexpected places and is the result of ordinary people who are willing to go against the grain. Essential reading if you want to imagine a better future and get inspired.’ Sam Conniff Allende & Alex Barker, Be More Pirate ‘…the closest thing we're going to get to a single handbook…of all of the things that we need to do and consider as organisations and leaders…Funny, helpful and engaging and full of actionable ideas and anecdotes. Do yourself and your organisation a favour and read this book!’ Dave Coplin, CEO Envisioneers Ltd ‘Whether you lead thousands or are looking to make a personal contribution to the planet, The Power of Us… is for us!’ Peter Hutton, Director, Future Schools Alliance ‘Thought-provoking and incisive…an urgent call for leaders, teams and individuals to challenge the status quo.’ Tom vander Ark, CEO Getting Smart ‘Truly inspired… A magnificent learning book for now.’ Garry Ridge, CEO & Chair, WD-40 Company ‘A book of our time… will inspire you, drive you and ultimately connect us all.’ Dr Richard Gerver; speaker, author, educator ‘The Power of Us is the first book that captures the cultural forces that power innovation, the structural elements to fuel people power, and the tool-kit to nurture mass innovation.’ Annalie Killian, sparks & honey

A revolutionary new understanding of identity, showing how our groups have a powerful influence on our feelings, beliefs, and behavior--and how these shared identities can inspire both personal change and social movements

"The most important book at the borderland of psychology and politics that I have ever read."—Martin E. P. Seligman, Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology at that University of Pennsylvania and author of Learned Optimism Why are we devastated by a word of criticism even when it’s mixed with lavish praise? Because our brains are wired to focus on the bad. This negativity effect explains things great and small: why countries blunder into disastrous wars, why couples divorce, why people flub job interviews, how schools fail students, why football coaches stupidly punt on fourth down. All day long, the power of bad governs people’s moods, drives marketing campaigns, and dominates news and politics. Eminent social scientist Roy F. Baumeister stumbled unexpectedly upon this fundamental aspect of human nature. To find out why financial losses mattered more to people than financial gains, Baumeister looked for situations in which good events made a bigger impact than bad ones. But his team couldn’t find any. Their research showed that bad is relentlessly stronger than good, and their paper has become one of the most-cited in the scientific literature. Our brain’s negativity bias makes evolutionary sense because it kept our ancestors alert to fatal dangers, but it distorts our perspective in today’s media environment. The steady barrage of bad news and crisismongering makes us feel helpless and leaves us needlessly fearful and angry. We ignore our many blessings, preferring to heed—and vote for—the voices telling us the world is going to hell. But once we recognize our negativity bias, the rational brain can overcome the power of bad when it’s harmful and employ that power when it’s beneficial. In fact, bad breaks and bad feelings create the most powerful incentives to become smarter and stronger. Properly understood, bad can be put to perfectly good use. As noted science journalist John Tierney and Baumeister show in this wide-ranging book, we can adopt proven strategies to avoid the pitfalls that doom relationships, careers, businesses, and nations. Instead of despairing at what’s wrong in your life and in the world, you can see how much is going right—and how to make it still better.

“The world needs this book.” —Brené Brown, Ph.D., New York Times bestselling author of Dare to Lead and Atlas of the Heart An instant New York Times bestseller As featured in The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post Named a Must Read of 2022 by Forbes, Newsweek, and Goodreads From the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of When and Drive, a new book about the transforming power of our most misunderstood yet potentially most valuable emotion: regret. Everybody has regrets, Daniel H. Pink explains in The Power of Regret. They’re a universal and healthy part of being human. And understanding how regret works can help us make smarter decisions, perform better at work and school, and bring greater meaning to our lives. Drawing on research in social psychology, neuroscience, and biology, Pink debunks the myth of the “no regrets” philosophy of life. And using the largest sampling of American attitudes about regret ever conducted as well as his own World Regret Survey—which has collected regrets from more than 15,000 people in 105 countries—he lays out the four core regrets that each of us has. These deep regrets offer compelling insights into how we live and how we can find a better path forward. As he did in his bestsellers Drive, When, and A Whole New Mind, Pink lays out a dynamic new way of thinking about regret and frames his ideas in ways that are clear, accessible, and pragmatic. Packed with true stories of people's regrets as well as practical takeaways for reimagining regret as a positive force, The Power of Regret shows how we can live richer, more engaged lives.

This practical and visionary guide helps you discover that the more you give, the more you have. Simple and easy to use, The Power of Giving provides a wealth of down-to-earth ideas, exercises, and real-life stories that reveal to each reader the unique gifts he or she has to give?including kindness, ideas, advice, attention, hope, and more?and the many ways you can benefit from giving them, from better health to better job prospects.

Sir Ray Avery, with Cameron Bennett and Adrian Malloch, has produced a very special book - words of wisdom from great New Zealanders, packaged with stunning photographs and a beautiful, classic design. 'Nobody is as clever as all of us.' This is one of Sir Ray Avery's key philosophies - the importance of teamwork and harnessing the talents of a group. This book is a celebration of 50 New Zealanders who are extraordinary in their own fields, both locally and internationally. Drawn from all fields - science, business, writing, film, sport, art, technology - it includes both the very well-known such as Sam Neill, Rhys Darby, Barbara Kendall, Neil Finn and Susan Devoy and the lesser known but equally talented. Each person is a high achiever and a risk taker and Cameron Bennett's interviews with them are inspiring, surprising and delightful.The book captures them through truly amazing photographs taken by Adrian Malloch - these images show both their strengths and their weaknesses and speak volumes. With a foreword by Sir Ray Avery, this beautiful hardback is something to cherish and draw strength from.

“William Ury brings a marvelous blend of experience, insight, integrity and warmth to his work. In this wonderful book he teaches us how to say No—with grace and effect—so that we might create an even better Yes.” —Jim Collins, author of Good to Great No is perhaps the most important and certainly the most powerful word in the language. Every day we find ourselves in situations where we need to say No–to people at work, at home, and in our communities–because No is the word we must use to protect ourselves and to stand up for everything and everyone that matters to us. But as we all know, the wrong No can also destroy what we most value by alienating and angering people. That’s why saying No the right way is crucial. The secret to saying No without destroying relationships lies in the art of the Positive No, a proven technique that anyone can learn. This indispensable book gives you a simple three-step method for saying a Positive No. It will show you how to assert and defend your key interests; how to make your No firm and strong; how to resist the other side’s aggression and manipulation; and how to do all this while still getting to Yes. In the end, the Positive No will help you get not just to any Yes but to the right Yes, the one that truly serves your interests. Based on William Ury’s celebrated Harvard University course for managers and professionals, The Power of a Positive No offers concrete advice and practical examples for saying No in virtually any situation. Whether you need to say No to your customer or your coworker, your employee or your CEO, your child or your spouse, you will find in this book the secret to saying No clearly, respectfully, and effectively. In today’s world of high stress and limitless choices, the pressure to give in and say Yes grows greater every day, producing overload and overwork, expanding e-mail and eroding ethics. Never has No been more needed. A Positive No has the power to profoundly transform our lives by enabling us to say Yes to what counts–our own needs, values, and priorities. Understood this way, No is the new Yes. And the Positive No may be the most valuable life skill you’ll ever learn.