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Book Review: DISCover the Power of You-How to Cultivate Change for Positive and Productive Cultures by Robert Adams

Book Review:  DISCover the Power of You – How to Cultivate Change for Positive and Productive Cultures

by Robert Adams

According to the blurb on the back this book is for individuals who have a desire to better understand their own personality, people who may aspire to be come leaders in whatever field of their choice.

Full disclosure: I was asked to review this book by the publisher (Business Books, John Hunt Publishing ). In truth it is not a book I would have gravitated to all by myself. Having said that, there can be great benefits in being pushed a bit out of your “natural reading habitat”!

I found this book very interesting. For me it cast light on the issues of innate personality and leadership styles. Like most people I have always had a vague awareness that there are different leadership styles (and that those have both benefits and shadow or negative aspects) but I have never spent time really reflecting on what those might be and how it all hangs together when people work together in teams or office settings.

One quote the author features early on is:

There is no truth, only personality

(- Gareth Morgan)

This book helps you identify your own professional and leadership style. The DISC in “discover” – capitalized in the title – refers to Dominant – Influencer – Steady and Conscientious. (Read the book and follow the exercises if you are keen to figure out what type you are!)

I had an interesting time reflecting on my own leadership style and priorities (including the weak aspects of those) as well as on people I have experienced in leadership roles in various settings. There were some “aha!” moments!

I was telling my husband about this and he said: ” A lot of this is on the curriculum when you study economics and business administration” (his own degree and professional background). Fair enough but most creative/artistic/spiritual types like myself will never attend business school – so this book offers you some of those key insights as a DIY program.

The book then goes on to describe different company cultures and what characterizes them. This will help people identify what culture their personality is most suited to (assuming you have the luxury of choice when applying for jobs!) and is also helpful if you run (or intend to run) your own business as it casts light on hiring people with different personality types and strengths from yourself so you can complement each other.

All in all I found this a well-researched and fascinating book and I appreciated stepping outside my comfort zone when it comes to reading and absorbing new ideas!

Imelda Almqvist, 23 August 2017

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About the Author:

Imelda Almqvist’s book Natural Born Shamans: A Spiritual Toolkit For Life (Using shamanism creatively with young people of all ages) was published by Moon Books on 26th August 2016.  She is based in London,UK and teaches shamanism and sacred art internationally. 

For her courses in Norse Shamanism (in both Europe and soon coming to the USA as well) please visit the following webpages

FORNSED IN SWEDEN

http://www.shaman-healer-painter.co.uk/info2.cfm?info_id=211324

2 YEAR PRACTITIONER OF NORSE SHAMANISM PROGRAM

http://www.shaman-healer-painter.co.uk/info2.cfm?info_id=224450

www.shaman-healer-painter.co.uk

https://imeldaalmqvist.wordpress.com/

YEAR OF CEREMONY

http://affiliate.soundstrue.com/aff_c?offer_id=124&aff_id=2260&url_id=86

FREE “HARNESS YOUR CREATIVE POWER SUMMIT” WITH GUNHILD LORENZEN

http://www.gunhildlorenzen.com/imelda-almqvist-speaking-at-harness-your-creative-power-online-summit