The Promises of Giants Buchzusammenfassung - das Wichtigste aus The Promises of Giants

Einleitung anhören

00:00

Zusammenfassung von The Promises of Giants

Name: The Promises of Giants
Rating: 4.4 (32 reviews)
Author: John Amaechi

John Amaechi

How YOU can fill the leadership void

4.4 (32 Bewertungen)

25 Min.

Kurz zusammengefasst

The Promises of Giants by John Amaechi explores the societal concept of masculinity and its negative impacts on boys and men. It offers insight into how to redefine masculinity and cultivate a healthier, more fulfilling life for all gender identities.

Themen

Selbsthilfe Führung Coaching Teamwork Arbeitskultur

Inhaltsübersicht

The Promises of Giants
in 8 Kernaussagen verstehen

Audio & Text in der Blinkist App

Kernaussage 1 von 8

What’s in it for me? Learn how to succeed by effecting positive change.

Do you dream of doing something extraordinary with your life? Perhaps you’re already doing it, pursuing your goal and tackling whatever obstacles stand in your way. But how well have you planned that journey?

For example, have you taken the time to unearth all the hidden assets and liabilities that will affect the outcome? And how much thought have you given to the people and the spaces you’re working in? Success isn’t just about personal achievement, after all. It’s about creating environments that foster the potential in everyone.

If you want to transform those environments to support success, you need to make some promises – to yourself and to others. These blinks will guide you through seven of those promises, so that you can actively support yourself in reaching your full potential, while helping others do the same.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

the most important thing you need to do to achieve success;
the truth about unconscious bias training; and
the handy acronym that’ll revolutionize your workplace.

Everyone is a giant.

John Amaechi is a giant. At over two meters tall, he has to pay attention to what he’s doing, so he doesn’t accidentally hurt anyone. A careless move on the dancefloor can break a nose. Pointing to the restroom can knock a passerby to the ground.

But Amaechi is a giant in another, more significant sense. After retiring from professional basketball, he became a psychologist. He wanted to explore and share two life-changing abilities that he’d discovered on his journey to success – both on and off the basketball court: the first was that he had the power to tap into his own potential. In fact, everyone does. No matter who you are, what you do, or where you sit in your workplace’s organizational chart, you’re like Amaechi: a giant. Whether you realize it or not.

And as a giant, it’s crucial to understand your innate power because of the second truth Amaechi discovered: that you can use this power to empower and elevate others – or leave a trail of unintended destruction in your wake.

Being a giant means committing to success – but not just your own. Giants understand that success isn’t an individual pursuit. It occurs in an environment where everyone is given the chance to thrive. That means taking a two-pronged approach to achievement.

Firstly, when you’re a giant, you commit to a journey of deep, thorough, and continually developing self-knowledge. Being armed with this knowledge puts you in a position to develop strategies that will help you achieve your goals.

Secondly, you actively build an environment where injustices are called out and addressed, so that everyone has the chance to explore and use their unique gifts and talents. This will help them on their journey to success, and may even contribute to your own.

Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? But if you want to do something extraordinary with your life – whether that’s heading up a successful business, advocating for marginalized communities, or nurturing meaningful connections with everyone you meet – you need a solid game plan. That game plan is a series of promises you must commit to keeping, every day of your life.

In the blinks ahead, we’ll explore some of those promises. Keeping them will give you a roadmap that will let you achieve your goals, distinguish yourself as a leader, and make the world a better place.

To become a true leader, promise to know yourself deeply.

John Amaechi was a clever teenager. He knew that becoming an NBA basketball player was an ambitious goal – especially for a kid from Manchester, England, who wasn’t even good at sports. So before he told his mother about his dream, he came up with a strategy that he thought was watertight, considering everything from catching the attention of a college sports recruiter to what time of day was best to tell her.

But when Amaechi told his mom his plan, she didn’t pick it apart or tell him it was a pipe dream. Instead, she asked him if he’d recognize his soul in the dark.

By promising to be vulnerable, you open yourself up to progress.

Determined to be an NBA star even if it meant giving up pie, teenage Amaechi hit the gym. He also wrote letters to coaches at American high schools. His sports prowess wasn’t impressive – yet. But he knew that if he spent a year in an American high school he’d improve his skills, giving him a better chance of being recruited by a college that would lead to the NBA.

Since this was the late 1980s, Amaechi had to write thousands of letters by hand. And he poured his heart into them, each describing his dream of playing for the NBA. [pause} He didn’t receive a single reply. Amaechi imagined coaches across the US laughing at him, a deluded kid from Manchester. Still, he gathered his courage and wrote more letters, etching his dream deeper and deeper into his heart each time he wrote it down.

You can’t eliminate your biases, so promise to monitor them vigilantly.

When Amaechi was eleven, his mom changed his first name to John; up until that point, he’d been Uzoma Ekwugha Amaechi. But it wasn’t that she was worried about what people might think of her son because of his name. She was worried about what they’d do. A hiring manager might call John in for an interview, whereas she might have tossed a resume from somebody named Uzoma in the trash. A John might be more embraced in the workplace than an Uzoma would, too.

Amaechi’s mom understood a truth about humanity; no matter how much we want to deny it, everyone has biases. But people often forget that they can choose whether or not they let those biases influence their words and actions. A giant knows how damaging biases are – and not just those of others. They understand they have to pay constant attention to their own biases too, so that they don’t cause harm.

Promise to nurture everyone’s potential so they can become their best self.

Amaechi’s name wasn’t the only thing that changed when he was eleven. He also started school in an area outside his hometown. A lot of kids find changing schools rough, but for Amaechi, it was devastating.

Up until that point, he’d seen himself through his mom’s eyes – a clever kid she was proud of. But the people in his new school told a different story. They either were afraid of him because of his size, mocked him like he was a sideshow freak, or spoke really slowly, like he was stupid or had only just arrived in the UK. For a bright kid who took pride in being studious, this was hurtful and confusing.

Promise to be consistently present for the people you interact with.

Once, after a long international flight, Amaechi used a car service to get to his hotel. Once in the car, Amaechi noticed that both front seats had been pushed forward to give him more legroom in the back.

He was touched by this level of care. The driver had clearly looked him up beforehand and thought of ways to make him comfortable. It made Amaechi feel seen and valued, and he realized how important these qualities were in the workplace.

Promise to drive your workplace culture.

From his balcony at home, Amaechi can see into a courtyard shared by some office buildings. He’s watched smokers there flick their butts to the curb while onlookers say nothing. Since the space is already littered, other employees don’t bother taking their garbage to the trash can. And more often than not, before you know it, a butt has ignited trash on the ground and everyone is upset. How on earth could a fire have started? And why didn’t anyone stop it from happening?

Workplace culture is a lot like that accumulation of trash. No one calls out a small transgression because, hey, is it really worth the confrontation? But when that small transgression isn’t called out, other people think it’s okay for them to behave that way too. It isn’t until the situation reaches crisis point and management can’t ignore it any longer that they finally clean up the mess. But they usually don’t address the behavior that led to that crisis in the first place, so the whole pattern repeats.

Promise to foster belonging to create a true team.

Amaechi’s dream of becoming a pro basketball player came true when he secured a spot on NBA team the Cleveland Cavaliers. After playing a season with them, and a few more overseas, Amaechi joined the Orlando Magic – a fringe playoff team. Then, in the year 2000, the Los Angeles Lakers tried to recruit him. They offered him millions more dollars than the Magic, and the chance to play for a team on its way to the championships. On paper, it was the offer of a lifetime.

But Amaechi turned it down. The Magic gave him something he valued more than money and fame – a team in the truest sense. Everyone working for the organization – from management to support personnel – was committed to trust, psychological safety, and individual agency. Amaechi knew these qualities foster success. But more important than success, Amaechi felt he truly belonged to the Magic family, and that was a source of deep joy. He couldn’t give that up for any amount of money.

Du möchtest die gesamte Zusammenfassung von The Promises of Giants sehen?

Kernaussagen in The Promises of Giants

Mehr Wissen in weniger Zeit

Sachbücher auf den Punkt gebracht

Kernaussagen aus Sachbüchern in ca. 15 Minuten pro Titel lesen & anhören mit den „Blinks”

Zeitsparende Empfehlungen

Titel, die dein Leben bereichern, passend zu deinen Interessen und Zielen

Podcasts in Kurzform ^Neu

Kernaussagen wichtiger Podcasts im Kurzformat mit den neuen „Shortcasts”

Worum geht es in The Promises of Giants?

The Promises of Giants (2021) offers a series of strategies that will transform you into an extraordinary leader. Regardless of what you do or where you are on your career journey, this series of practical tips will expedite your success while empowering those around you.

Wer The Promises of Giants lesen sollte

Ambitious dreamers
Success hunters
Leaders wanting to drive change

Über den Autor

John Amaechi OBE is a former professional basketball player turned organizational psychologist, executive coach, and founder of consulting company APS. Best-selling author of the memoir Man in the Middle, Amaechi is also an advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights in sports.

Kategorien mit The Promises of Giants

Management & Leadership

Ähnliche Zusammenfassungen wie The Promises of Giants

Primed to Perform

Neel Doshi and Lindsay McGregor

How to Build the Highest Performing Cultures Through the Science of Total Motivation

Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.

The secret methods to getting what you want

33 min

4.2

When They Win, You Win

Russ Laraway

Being a Great Manager Is Simpler Than You Think

14 min

4.3

The Power of Bad

John Tierney and Roy Baumeister

How the Negativity Effect Rules Us and How We Can Rule It

31 min

4.6

5 Levels of Leadership

John C. Maxwell

Proven Steps to Maximize your Potential

Mastering the Habits That Matter Most

16 min

3.4

Bedtime Biography: The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King

King's journey to becoming the leading figure in the American civil rights movement

Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull

Why Things Always Go Wrong

Accept Hard Truths, Discover Your Self, and Change Your Life

15 min

4.1

Humor, Seriously

Jennifer Aaker & Naomi Bagdonas

Why Humor Is a Superpower at Work and in Life (And How Anyone Can Harness It. Even You.)

The Secret to Love That Lasts

A Political Satire on the Corrupting Influence of Power

How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress without Losing My Edge and Found Self-Help That Actually Works

A History of the Islamic Republic

27 min

4.0

Manage Your Day-To-Day

99U and Jocelyn K. Glei

Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus and Sharpen Your Creative Mind

18 min

4.2

The Highly Sensitive Person

Elaine N. Aron

How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You

8 min

4.2

Architects of Intelligence

Martin Ford

The truth about AI from the people building it

Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think

Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive

27 min

4.6

Emotional Blackmail

Susan Forward with Donna Frazier

When the People in Your Life Use Fear, Obligation, and Guilt to Manipulate You

Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication

15 min

4.5

Can We Talk?

Roberta Chinsky Matuson

Seven Principles for Managing Difficult Conversations at Work

23 min

4.5

The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did)

Philippa Perry

Sound parenting advice based on psychology

19 min

4.5

Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety

Drew Ramsey

Nourish Your Way to Better Mental Health in Six Weeks

21 min

4.3

Happy Sexy Millionaire

Steven Bartlett

Unexpected Truths about Fulfillment, Love, and Success

17 min

4.4

It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work

Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

Reclaim your work-life balance

Learn Anything and Everything (Starting with Shakespeare and Dickens)

9 min

4.1

Search Inside Yourself

Chade-Meng Tan

The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace)

19 min

4.4

The Mythical Man-Month

Frederick P. Brooks

Essays on Software Engineering

16 min

3.8

Peak Performance

Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness

Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, And Thrive With The New Science of Success

A Manual for Surviving Worst-Case Scenarios

14 min

4.3

Never Split the Difference

Chris Voss and Tahl Raz

Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It

Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

The New Science of Human Relationships

Time Management for Mortals

23 min

4.5

The Highly Sensitive Person's Guide to Dealing with Toxic People

Shahida Arabi

How to Reclaim Your Power from Narcissists and Other Manipulators

What Every Leader Needs to Know

You Have More Time Than You Think

21 min

4.3

The Art of Resilience

Ross Edgley

Strategies for an Unbreakable Mind and Body

Why the Many Are Smarter Than the Few

The False Promise of Optimization

How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs

20 min

4.5

Allen Carr's Easy Way to Quit Emotional Eating

Allen Carr

Set Yourself Free from Binge-Eating and Comfort-Eating

Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

9 min

4.3

Extreme Ownership

Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win

Eat Smart, Feel Strong, Perform at Your Peak

20 min

4.4

Crucial Accountability

Kerry Patterson

Tools for Resolving Violated Expectations, Broken Commitments, and Bad Behavior

Rebel in an Age of Upheaval

31 min

4.5

❤️ für Blinkist️️️

Ines S.

Ich bin begeistert. Ich liebe Bücher aber durch zwei kleine Kinder komme ich einfach nicht zum Lesen. Und ja, viele Bücher haben viel bla bla und die Quintessenz ist eigentlich ein Bruchteil.

Genau dafür ist Blinkist total genial! Es wird auf das Wesentliche reduziert, die Blinks sind gut verständlich, gut zusammengefasst und auch hörbar! Das ist super. 80 Euro für ein ganzes Jahr klingt viel, aber dafür unbegrenzt Zugriff auf 3000 Bücher. Und dieses Wissen und die Zeitersparnis ist unbezahlbar.

Ekaterina S.

Extrem empfehlenswert. Statt sinnlos im Facebook zu scrollen höre ich jetzt täglich zwischen 3-4 "Bücher". Bei manchen wird schnelle klar, dass der Kauf unnötig ist, da schon das wichtigste zusammen gefasst wurde..bei anderen macht es Lust doch das Buch selbständig zu lesen. Wirklich toll

Nils S.

Einer der besten, bequemsten und sinnvollsten Apps die auf ein Handy gehören. Jeden morgen 15-20 Minuten für die eigene Weiterbildung/Entwicklung oder Wissen.

Julia P.

Viele tolle Bücher, auf deren Kernaussagen reduziert- präzise und ansprechend zusammengefasst. Endlich habe ich das Gefühl, Zeit für Bücher zu finden, für die ich sonst keine Zeit habe.