Day: August 5, 2024

How Daniel Patrick Forrester’s ‘Consider’ Challenges Conventional Thinking

‘Consider: Harnessing the Power of Reflective Thinking in Your Organization’ by Daniel Patrick Forrester

Daniel Patrick Forrester founded THRUUE, Inc., an expert consultancy that supports leaders and boards bridge the gap between strategy and culture. With the explosion of data and hyperconnectivity, Daniel’s curiosity led him to research how leaders responded to the onslaught of available data and to publish his first book, “Consider: Harnessing the Power of Reflective Thinking in Your Organization.” It centers around the role reflection can play in dramatically improving corporate outcomes. As a top nonfiction leadership book, it has impacted the lives and work habits of small and large organizations from around the world. (Amazon, 2024)

“Consider: Harnessing the Power of Reflective Thinking in Your Organization”

“STOP, THINK, AND DON’T DO SOMETHING STUPID!” This is the warning Dr. Robert Bea drills into his Civil and Environmental Engineering students at the University of California in Berkeley. Bea wants to dramatize what he terms the inevitable “oh shit” moments that present themselves—before an actual engineering calamity like the Deepwater Horizon/BP disaster happens.

There’s an intangible and invisible marketplace within our lives today where the products traded are four fold: attention, distraction, data and meaning.

The stories and examples within “Consider” demonstrate that the best decisions, insights, ideas and outcomes result when we take sufficient time to think and reflect. While technology allows us to act and react more quickly than ever before, we are taking increasingly less time to consider our decisions before we make them. Reflection supplies an arsenal of ideas and solutions to the right problems. Including interviews with leaders such as General David Petraeus, attorney Brooksley Born and global investor Kyle Bass, Forrester shows us that taking time and giving ourselves the mental space for reflection can mean the difference between total success and total failure.

Review:
This book is an insightful exploration into how reflective thinking can revolutionize organizational dynamics and decision-making. Forrester suggests that the ability to pause, reflect, and engage in deep thinking is essential for encouraging innovation and strategic clarity in today’s fast-paced business environments.

It is organized around practical strategies and real-world examples, demonstrating how reflective practices can be systematically integrated into organizational cultures. He explains that reflection is not necessarily a passive activity but an active, intentional process that can lead to more informed and creative decision-making. By introducing concepts such as “reflective leadership” and “strategic pauses,” Forrester provides actionable tools for leaders seeking to cultivate a reflective culture within their teams. One term that stands out is “plastic time,” what people are now experiencing when they are in “a constant state of interruption and movement between many different tasks.”

It is divided as follows:

Introduction: The Space between Data and Meaning
1. The Human Need for Think Time
2. Forcing Think Time
3. Thinking Out Loud
4. Promoting Think Time
5. Taking a Step Back
6. Too Big to Think?
7. Rapid Contemplation
8 .Outside the Day-to-Day
9 .Reflection and Extreme Situations
10. The Future of Think Time and Reflection

By combining theoretical insights and practical advice, the information is accessible to both senior executives and mid-level managers. Forrester’s writing is clear and engaging, with a focus on real-world applications rather than abstract theories.

Overall, “Consider” is a valuable resource for leaders looking to harness the power of reflection to drive organizational growth and resilience. It is recommended for readers interested in books on workplace culture and leadership/motivation.

“I do not wish to suggest that being alone and thinking always leads the mind to positive and beneficial outcomes… Alone time and reflection when one’s mental model of the world is perverse can give rise to the unimaginable.”

*The author received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Navigating Life’s Challenges: Brian Hampton’s ‘It’s a Great Life If You Don’t Weaken!’

‘It’s a Great Life If You Don’t Weaken!’ is Brian Hampton’s motivational new book. Photo: Amazon

Motivational books inspire readers to overcome challenges, set goals, and achieve their potential. They offer practical advice, personal anecdotes, and powerful strategies to cultivate a positive mindset and drive personal growth. By sharing stories of triumph and resilience, these books empower individuals to push past obstacles and embrace their strengths. They often provide actionable steps and reflective exercises to help readers stay focused and motivated. Whether through renowned authors like Tony Robbins and Brené Brown or lesser-known voices, motivational books can serve as a catalyst for change, encouraging people to pursue their dreams with confidence and determination.

If you’re looking for the next best self help/motivational book, consider Brian Hampton’s “It’s a Great Life If You Don’t Weaken!’ At 80 years of age, this first time author has written a life empowerment book and is dishing out advice based on his experiences. Check it out!

Brian Hampton has earned two master’s degrees, but it is through his hard-earned experience in different jobs and even occupations that he learned all the techniques he shares with his readers. He has been an Advertising Ex., Political Consultant, Federal Gov’t. employee at the national headquarters of the Federal Trade Commission, a Fundraiser with the USO World Headquarters, a Bill Collector, Telemarketer, and Entrepreneur. Earlier in his career, he earned a commission as an Infantry Officer in the US Army and taught classes in Psychological Operations and Persuasive Communications to Special Forces Majors and Colonels at the JFK Center for Special Warfare. Later in the active Army Reserve, he had tours at the Pentagon where he held a top -secret clearance. His new book “It’s a Great Life If You Don’t Weaken!: How to Deal with the Ups and Downs in Life and the Jerks In-Between” goes beyond the self and dives into the art of how to deal with the distressing predicaments and people that we encounter all too often in our daily lives. (Amazon, 2024)

“It’s a Great Life If You Don’t Weaken!”

Brian Hampton shares a treasure trove of tried and tested techniques, honed through personal experience and a successful career spanning many fields, which empower readers to triumph in the realm of office politics and handle encounters with anyone, from plumbers, veterinarians, lawyers, and doctors, to dentists, insurance companies, bad drivers, and even discourteous customer service representatives. 

The practical transactional techniques within are particularly appealing to men between the ages of 30 and 60, a demographic that has been traditionally underserved in the realm of non-fiction literature. However, women will also discover its relevance to the obstacles they have long faced. Additionally, the concise chapter index caters to the shorter attention spans of younger generations, offering them quick answers to their immediate concerns.

“It’s A Great Life If You Don’t Weaken!” stands out not only for its invaluable content but also for its reader-friendly format. Hampton’s compelling techniques for a better life are delivered in an engaging and often amusing fashion, captivating readers from start to finish. This guidebook is a must-have addition to the toolkit of anyone seeking practical strategies to conquer life’s challenges, triumph over difficult people, and find success in both personal and professional spheres. It offers a refreshing perspective and addresses a crucial interest of the audience—how to navigate the world outside themselves with confidence and resilience.