Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others by Adam Galinsky

Amazon.com

Two kinds of leaders populate the world: those who inspire and those who infuriate. Which will you be?

Whether you’re a leader, a member of a team, a spouse, or a parent, this engaging and rigorous exploration unpacks the science of inspiration. Through compelling stories, fascinating research, and practical tips for addressing the common dilemmas we face daily, Inspire reveals how all of us, regardless of status or circumstance, can be more inspiring more often.

Social psychologist and leadership expert Adam Galinsky has spent three decades building a method for determining when we are inspiring versus infuriating, and where various leaders—presidents, CEOs, coaches, teachers, parents, and a wealth of others—currently land on that spectrum.

Galinsky shows how inspiring leaders can fill us with a wellspring of hope and possibility as they guide us to become better versions of ourselves. In contrast, infuriating leaders disappoint and annoy, fueling seething cauldrons of rage. But both types of leaders are deeply connected—together, they represent a universal continuum that is rooted in the very architecture of the human brain. This means that inspiring leaders aren’t born—instead, we can inspire or infuriate in any given moment through our behavior, words, or presence.

In this captivating book, Galinsky identifies the three universal archetypes of truly great leaders and explains how each of us can develop these characteristics within ourselves to become more inspiring:

Visionaries offer a big-picture, optimistic, and engaging vision of the future;

Exemplars are courageous and calm protectors who authentically express their passion while remaining consistent in word and deed;

Mentors encourage, empower, and elevate others while challenging them to reach their potential.

Inspire is an essential guide to becoming not only a better leader but also an effective decision-maker, a dynamic problem-solver, a value-creating negotiator, and an inclusive innovator.

About the author

Adam Galinsky is one of the world’s foremost scholars in the fields of management and social psychology. He was recently selected as one of the World’s 50 Best B-School Professors. He is currently the Vikram S. Pandit Professor of Business and Chair of the Management Division at the Columbia Business School at Columbia University.

He has published more than 190 scientific papers about a diverse range of topics: leadership, power, negotiations, decision-making, diversity, and ethics. Frequently cited in the media, his research and insights have appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The New Yorker, National Public Radio, and Wall Street Journal, among others.

In 2006 he was the sole expert witness in a defamation trial, in which the plaintiff that he represented was awarded $37 million in damages. He is the Associate Producer on two award-winning documentaries, Horns and Halos (2003) and Battle for Brooklyn (2011), both of which were short-listed (final 15) for Best Documentary at the Academy Awards.