Unlocking Leadership Mindtraps, by Jennifer Garvey Berger, brings a rare fresh clarity to concepts that can be easily overdone and represented elsewhere. She has successfully distilled her years of research and writing into a small set of pointed observations: five ways our brains (due to our social evolution) intuitively lead us astray in complex modern circumstances, and the two most effective ways to diffuse each.
Concepts are explained succinctly, though the author also provides a parallel fictional story wherein a few characters discover and discuss the core ideas together. I’ve been fascinated to see friends of mine (whom I’ve given the book) gravitate toward the story angle as their preferred method. I personally prefer the author’s straightforward explanations of each concept.
The biggest draw for me over the last 6 months has been the direct applicability of the book in my day-to-day life. Rather than bog down the reader with a mish mash of different anecdotes, each trap and method of escape are easy to remember:
We are trapped by telling & believing simple stories. Solution? Challenge yourself to come up with several stories.
We are trapped by our need to feel right. Solution? Seek ways you could be wrong.
We are trapped by our desire for agreement. Solution? Seek out productive disagreement to expand options and deepen your relationships.
We are trapped by a need for control. Solution? Seek ways to influence outcomes rather than control them.
We are trapped by our own need to protect our ego. Solution? Discover who you want to become next.
These pithy suggestions are quite powerful. Once, when working to resolve a disagreement, I led with “One story I could tell myself about what happened is X, yet I also see an alternative story Y.” This prompted my coworker to dive directly into their interpretation without feeling like they were under judgment. Boom! And that was only one of many examples.
I hope you enjoy my detailed notes. If you’re inspired, I heartily recommend reading the full version so you can enjoy Jennifer Garvey Berger’s examples and way of describing her ideas.