Lift: Becoming a Positive Force in Any Situation: Becoming a Positive Force in Any Situation (AGENCY/DISTRIBUTED) - Hardcover

"While it is commonly thought that influence is some political force that we exert upon others to get our way, the Quinns show how truly effective leadership begins with a selfless and positive influence that radiates from our inner core--our best self."
--Thomas Glocer, founder and Managing Partner, Angelic Ventures, LP, and former
CEO, Thomson Reuters

"The psychological state required for 'lift' encompasses the very essence of leadership in the public domain: a sense of being purpose centered, guided by values, caring for others, and focused on what can be done to improve programs, conditions, and services. Lift is all about making a difference--the spirit of public service in the 21st century."
--Mary Ellen Joyce, Executive Director, Brookings Executive Education

"Lift presents rigorous science in an accessible way and imparts practical wisdom that keeps the title's promise: it will lift you and the people around you."
--R. Edward Freeman, Elis and Signe Olsson Professor of Business Administration, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia

Just as the Wright Brothers combined science and practice to finally achieve the dream of flight, Ryan and Robert Quinn combine research and experience to demonstrate how we can elevate ourselves and the situations and people around us to greater heights of integrity, openness, and achievement to achieve the psychological equivalent of aerodynamic lift.

Solidly based in social science literature with a special focus on recent advances in the study of positive psychology and strengths based leadership, as well as Robert Quinn’s groundbreaking work on organizational effectiveness Lift identifies four mindsets that will enable us to become a consistently positive influence in every aspect of our lives: being purpose centered, internally directed, other focused, and externally open. Separate chapters explore each of these components in depth, analyzing the psychological and social factors that keep people from applying them and what we can do to overcome those obstacles.

Although exercises and tools are included throughout to help you understand and apply the authors’ lift framework as well as compelling stories of personal and professional applications of lift this is not a book about tactics. Instead, the Quinns challenge you to ask, “What can I do to be a positive influence, rather than simply try to wield influence in a positive way?”