Glow: How You Can Radiate Energy, Innovation, and Success
- 3h 28m
- Lynda Gratton
- Berrett-Koehler Publishers
- 2009
For every new project or high-profile assignment, there is a mile-long line of wannabes waiting to grab the brass ring. But those consistently at the forefront have something truly extraordinary in common.
You know them at first sight: teammates or colleagues, direct reports or bosses who radiate enthusiasm, positive energy, and inspiration. Even when confronted with circumstances that work against them they, Glow with an attitude that inspires others, fosters a great working experience for themselves and everyone around them, and creates empowering relationships. And Lynda Gratton can make sure you’re one of them.
In her book Hot Spots, Gratton explored how pockets of energy and innovation are created in organizations. Now she zeroes in on how you can become a source of energy and innovation yourself. Drawing on years of original research, Gratton identifies three principles that people who Glow live by: they cultivate a cooperative mind-set, they are adept at reaching across traditional boundaries—what Lynda calls “jumping across worlds”—to gain great new ideas and powerful insights, and they are able to ignite inspiration and energy in others. For each principle, Gratton outlines three actions anyone can take to put it into practice, illustrated with dozens of examples and personal stories. Easy-to-use tools enable you to evaluate where you are now and measure your progress.
Success isn’t about just working harder—there’s always someone out there who will put in longer hours. But if you can learn to Glow, you will add tremendous value to your organization in a way that will make your work more satisfying and fulfilling.
About the Author
For thirty years, Lynda Gratton has been fascinated by work. Her thinking, writing, and consulting have focused on three interwoven strands: individuals, teams, and organizations. This book has provided a wonderful opportunity to bring all three strands together.
Lynda began by developing the first strand through a profound interest in people. Trained initially as a psychologist with a doctorate in motivation theory, she has since coached executives and students to become more energized and innovative. Many of the stories and some of the tools in Glow have been developed by working with her students and executives. In 2007 Lynda became the founding director of the Centre for Women in Business at London Business School. In working with women around the world, she has gained real insight into some of the rewards of “jumping across worlds.”
The second strand of work has been Lynda’s engagement with teams. With her colleagues she has built one of the most significant data sets on innovation and teams and is an expert in virtual team working. Her work on teams has been published in Harvard Business Review, the Sloan Management Review (where she was awarded Best Article of 2003), the Wall Street Journal, and the Economist. Lynda brings her insights into teams into this book through her experience with networks and working across boundaries.
Lynda’s third strand of interest is her work with corporate senior executives and CEOs to show them how to create more vibrant and more innovative companies. In this respect she is considered one of the most influential thinkers in business. In 2007 the London Times ranked her as one of the top twenty thinkers in the world, and in 2008 the Financial Times selected her as the business thinker most likely to make a real difference over the next decade.
In this Book
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Glow—How You Can Radiate Energy, Innovation, and Success
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Preface
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The Secrets of Glowing
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Your Glow Resources
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The First Principle—A Cooperative Mindset
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Stories About the Warmth of Cooperation and the Big Freeze
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Action 1—Developing the Daily Habits of Cooperation
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Action 2—Mastering the Art of Great Conversation
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Action 3—Acting on the “Smell of the Place”
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The Second Principle—Jumping Across Worlds
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Chocolate Stories and Connecting Different Worlds
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Action 4—Increasing the Value of Your Networks
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Action 5—Jumping Out of the Boundaries That Constrain You
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Action 6—Finding and Moving to Boundaryless Places
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The Third Principle—Igniting Latent Energy
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Action 7—Asking Questions That Spark Energy
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Action 8—Creating Visions That Compel
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Action 9—Crafting Meaningful and Exciting Work
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Glowing Every Week
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