The Power of the Other: The startling effect other people have on you, from the boardroom to the bedroom and beyond-and what to do about it

by Henry Cloud

Overview

Wall Street Journal bestseller

An expert on the psychology of leadership and the bestselling author of Integrity, Necessary Endings, and Boundaries For Leaders identifies the critical ingredient for personal and professional wellbeing.

Most leadership coaching focuses on helping leaders build their skills and knowledge and close performance gaps. These are necessary, but not sufficient. Using evidence from neuroscience and his work with leaders, Dr. Henry Cloud shows that the best performers draw on another vital resource: personal and professional relationships that fuel growth and help them surpass current limits.

Popular wisdom suggests that we should not allow others to have power over us, but the reality is that they do, for better or for worse. Consider the boss who diminishes you through cutting remarks versus one who challenges you to get better. Or the colleague who always seeks the limelight versus the one who gives you the confidence to finish a difficult project. Or the spouse who is honest and supportive versus the one who resents your success. No matter how talented, intelligent, or experienced, the greatest leaders share one commonality: the power of the others in their lives.

Combining engaging case studies, persuasive findings from cutting-edge brain research, and examples from his consulting practice, Dr. Cloud argues that whether you’re a Navy SEAL or a corporate executive, outstanding performance depends on having the right kind of connections to fuel personal growth and minimize toxic associations and their effects. Presenting a dynamic model of the impact these different kinds of connections produce, Dr. Cloud shows readers how to get more from themselves by drawing on the strength and expertise of others. You don’t have a choice whether or not others have power in your life, but you can choose what kinds of relationships you want.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061777141
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/03/2016
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	342,084
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Dr. Henry Cloud is an acclaimed leadership expert, psychologist, and New York Times bestselling author whose books have sold over 10 million copies. In 2014, Success magazine named Dr. Cloud one of the top 25 most influential leaders in personal growth and development. He graduated from Southern Methodist University with a BS in psychology and completed his PhD in clinical psychology at Biola University.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 The Neglected Truth 1

Chapter 2 The Science of Connection 11

Chapter 3 The Four Corners of Connection 27

Chapter 4 Go to Corner Four 51

Chapter 5 The Fuel for High Performance 69

Chapter 6 Freedom and Control 89

Chapter 7 Freedom Requires Responsibility 103

Chapter 8 Defanging the Beast 129

Chapter 9 The Right Kind of Push 145

Chapter 10 Bringing the Outside In 165

Chapter 11 The Bermuda Triangle of Relationships 185

Chapter 12 Trust 197

Conclusion: Nice Guys Don't Finish Last 213

Acknowledgments 219

Index 221

Editorial Reviews

03/21/2016
According to this well-intentioned but undernourished self-help manual from Cloud, a clinical psychologist and prolific author (Never Go Back), “The right kind of relationships wire us for resilience and success.” He believes he has cracked the code of how some people are able to surpass limits and in the process become better, more fulfilled versions of themselves. Rather than acting as if only our own performance mattered, he writes, we need to accept the fact that others affect what we do. This leads to his theory of self-help through strongly connected relationships: finding them, forming them, nurturing them. Those relationships will formulate the basis for high performance, he writes, and it’s essential to understand their power. Cloud walks readers through the “four corners” of connection, offering advice on how to achieve genuine connections. The emphasis on developing toughness, drive, and commitment is worthwhile, but the slim, repetitive content offers more pompom-waving than advice. Agent: Shannon Marven, Dupree/Miller & Associates. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Henry brings the heart and the mind together, showing that constructive relationships support us in making our own lives and the lives of others better. There is no singular success; we all need to work with ‘others’ to become our best selves. This book shows you where to look.” — Maria Shriver, journalist, founder of Shriver Media, the Women's Alzheimer's Challenge, and A Woman's Nation

From the Publisher

Henry brings the heart and the mind together, showing that constructive relationships support us in making our own lives and the lives of others better. There is no singular success; we all need to work with ‘others’ to become our best selves. This book shows you where to look.

Maria Shriver