Positive Intelligence: Why Only 20% of Teams and Individuals Achieve Their True Potential AND HOW YOU CAN ACHIEVE YOURS [Hardcover]

Shirzad Chamine (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 3, 2012

New York Times Bestseller!   In his popular Stanford University lectures, Shirzad Chamine reveals how to achieve one's true potential for both professional success and personal fulfillment.  His groundbreaking research exposes ten well-disguised mental Saboteurs.  Nearly 95 percent of the executives in his Stanford lectures conclude that these Saboteurs cause "significant harm" to achieving their full potential.  With Positive Intelligence, you can learn the secret to defeating these internal foes.

 

Positive Intelligence (PQ) measures the percentage of time your mind is serving you as opposed to sabotaging you.  While your IQ and EQ (emotional intelligence) contribute to your maximum potential, it is your PQ that determines how much of that potential you actually achieve.  

 

The great news is that you can improve your PQ significantly in as little as 21 days.  With higher PQ, teams and professionals ranging from leaders to salespeople perform 30-35 percent better on average.  Importantly, they also report being far happier and less stressed. 

  

The breakthrough tools and techniques in this book have been refined over years of coaching hundreds of CEOs and their executive teams.  Shirzad tells many of their remarkable stories, showing you how you too can take concrete steps to unleash the vast, untapped powers of your mind.

 

DISCOVER HOW TO:

 

* Identify and conquer your top mental Saboteurs. Common Saboteurs include the Judge, Controller, Victim, Avoider, and Pleaser.  

* Measure the Positive Intelligence score (PQ) for yourself or your team--see how close you come to the critical tipping point required for peak performance.

* Increase PQ dramatically in as little as 21 days.

* Develop new brain "muscles," and access 5 untapped powers with energizing mental "power games."

* Apply PQ tools and techniques to increase both performance and fulfillment.  Applications include team building, mastering workload, working with "difficult" people, improving work/life balance, reducing stress, and selling and persuading.  

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Positive Intelligence can change your life and transform your business.  A real game-changer.”
—James D. White, Chairman and CEO, Jamba Juice

“Positive Intelligence ranks in the top three most influential business books I have ever read.  If I could give only one book to the thousands of team members in my organization to enhance their performance, it would be this book.”
—Lisa Stevens, Region President, Wells Fargo Bank

“I’ve worked closely with Shirzad and experienced him walking the PQ walk.  Most change initiatives fizzle because of our mental “Saboteurs.”  Shirzad gives us the tools to conquer them and create positive change that lasts.  This is a must-read for any individual or team serious about unleashing peak performance.”
---Dean Morton, former COO, Hewlett-Packard (HP)

“Shirzad delivers a simple, doable, groundbreaking set of exercises that can help you develop your ‘performance’ muscles, increase your PQ score, and gain access to previously untapped mental resources. Working out was never so rewarding or so much fun!  So if you’re ready to get even better, get this book—today.” 
—Marshall Goldsmith, New York Times bestselling author, Mojo and What Got You Here Won't Get You There

“Developing a personal leadership model is one of the most practical, energy-saving, and stress-reducing things that anyone can do for themselves.  Leaders at every level can use the PQ approach to get, and stay, on a more ‘winning’ trajectory. This is such a usable, lively, and compelling book.”
—Douglas R. Conant, former CEO, Campbell Soup Company, and New York Times bestselling author

“ I have worked with Shirzad personally and seen him work with many other Presidents and CEOs.  His impact is often game-changing for a team and life-changing for the individuals.  Positive Intelligence is a must-have for anyone who leads or coaches a team.”
—Jed York, President and CEO, San Francisco 49ers

“The PQ model provides a solid basis for bringing meaning and significant change to one's life.  If you want to create major positive change in yourself, your team, or loved ones, read this book.”
—Crittenden E. Brookes, MD, PhD, Stanford University, and Distinguished Life Fellow, American Psychiatric Association

"Working with Shirzad has had a profound impact on me.  The tools and techniques to raise PQ are simple, concrete and pragmatic, yet incredibly effective.  They help me remain focused on what truly matters and grounded amidst the swirl of daily life.  This book is a gift.  Make sure you share it.
--Jim Lanzone, President, CBS Interactive (CBS Corporation)

About the Author

New York Times Bestselling author Shirzad Chamine is Chairman of CTI, the largest coach-training organization in the world. CTI has trained coaches and managers in most of the Fortune 500 companies, as well as faculty at Stanford and Yale business schools. A preeminent C-suite advisor, Shirzad has coached hundreds of CEOs and their executive teams. Prior to running CTI, he was the CEO of an enterprise software company. His background includes PhD studies in neuroscience in addition to a BA in psychology, an MS in electrical engineering, and an MBA from Stanford, where he lectures.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press (April 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1608322785
• ISBN-13: 978-1608322787
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 1.1 x 6.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,596 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > Business & Investing > Management & Leadership > Teams
  • #15 in Books > Business & Investing > Business Life > Motivation & Self-Improvement

More About the Author

Shirzad Chamine is Chairman of CTI, the largest coach-training organization in the world. CTI has trained coaches and managers in most of the Fortune 500 companies, as well as faculty at Stanford and Yale business schools. A preeminent C-suite advisor, Shirzad has coached hundreds of CEOs and their executive teams. Prior to running CTI, he was the CEO of an enterprise software company. His background includes PhD studies in neuroscience in addition to a BA in psychology, an MS in electrical engineering, and an MBA from Stanford.

Shirzad lectures at Stanford on Positive Intelligence and has also been a visiting professor at the University of San Francisco. He has been speaker at the Commonwealth Club and a regional board member for Young President's Organization. He lives in San Francisco with his wife and two children.

Find Shirzad's blogs, keynotes, and free assessments of your Saboteurs and your Positive Intelligence score (PQ) at www.PositiveIntelligence.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational yet Pragmatic: A Must-Read! March 28, 2012

By Michael Terrell

Format:Hardcover

What a gold-mine of a book! An extremely useful text for increasing performance, success and happiness. As the author states: much like Sisyphus--the mythological king who was forced to roll a boulder to the top of a hill every day only to watch it roll back down in the evening--our best efforts to achieve our goals or increase our happiness often unravel. Though we frequently try to attribute our failure to others or uncontrollable circumstances, Shirzad Chamine shows in this book that it's usually due to our own self-sabotage.

Over the course of his engaging and incredibly pragmatic text, Chamine hammers home the point that though our minds are sometimes our best friends, they are often our worst enemies. He describes our minds as having both Sage and Saboteur powers, each corresponding to different regions of our brains: the PQ Brain (Sage) and the Survivor Brain (Saboteurs). The more we are able to activate our PQ Brain and our Sage, the higher our Positive Intelligence Quotient (PQ) becomes. Chamine uses numerous research and anecdotal examples to make a compelling argument that people and teams with higher PQ achieve more and are happier across all aspects of their lives. Through both his sound argument and a myriad of my own personal experiences, I believe it!

The thing I love most about this book is how serious it is about affecting positive change. It's not some loose framework or a series of things to "think about." It's actually about giving the reader an accessible toolkit to improve the way they experience life, affect their colleagues, and pursue their goals. From tools like Sage Power Games to the Three Gifts Technique, Chamine presents easy-to-do, CEO-tested techniques that actually make a difference. In fact, I've been so pleased with his PQ Reps technique (10 second intervals of returning my focus to my breath and five senses) that I've shared it with multiple of my fellow entrepreneurs, friends, and family.

Chamine states at the beginning of the book, "I encourage you to have high expectations for this book...[it] can change your life and be a game-changer for your team. Please don't settle for anything less." I haven't settled and, thus far, it's been a terrific ride!

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, Exciting Information, Highly recommended April 18, 2012

By John Chancellor TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

One of the real mysteries of life is why so many people fall short of their potential. Shirzad Chamine, the author of Positive Intelligence, has studied the difference between potential and accomplishment and gives some very compelling insights into the causes and solutions to the problem.

According to Mr. Chamine, "Your mind is your best friend. But it is also your worst enemy. The reason so many of our attempts at improving our success or happiness fizzle is that we sabotage ourselves. With Positive Intelligence you can both measure and significantly improve the percentage of time that your mind is serving you rather than sabotaging you."

For a long time we have known about IQ and the impact intelligence had on success. A couple of decades ago, we were introduced to the concept of emotional intelligence - EQ - and the fact that EQ had more impact on our success than IQ. Now Mr. Chamine has introduced the concept of PQ - Positive Intelligence and shows that we can measure PQ and by following some simple exercises, dramatically improve PQ.

Most who have studied personal development have been exposed to the concepts of different parts of the brain. Mr. Chamine takes a simple and easy to understand way to describe the conflict that happens in the brain. The primary function of our limbic system - the emotional part of the brain - is to ensure our survival. The prefrontal cortex - the rational, reasoning, thinking part is designed to help us grow and thrive. He calls the two basic parts the survival brain and the sage brain. And unfortunately they are often at conflict. When we are under stress, angry, feel pressure, the survival brain hi-jacks the sage brain, controlling our actions.

There have been studies that show that our ability to reach our potential greatly increases when the sage brain is in control at least 75% of the time. 75% is the tipping point - any time the sage brain is controlling at that level or above, our ability to perform close to our potential greatly increases. Operating below that percent guarantees that we will fall significantly short of our potential.

If you are familiar with the concepts of judger/learner in the book, Change Your Questions, Change Your Life by Marilee Adams, you will find this books goes into much greater depth exploring the Judge operating in our brains and all the other saboteurs - stickler, pleaser, hyper-vigilant, restless, controller, avoider. hyper-achiever and victim.

There are plenty of examples of PQ in real life applications. You will come away from this book with a much greater understanding of why we do not achieve our potential. You will also learn some very simple steps to help you move away from the survivor brain and more into the sage brain.

The book is well written and a breeze to read. It is based on Mr. Chamine's years of experience as an executive coach and his own struggles with his own personal development. He learned PQ firsthand from his own experiences - and he generously shares his knowledge in this book.

There is also a link to the Positive Intelligence website where you can take a Saboteur Assessment which will reveal how the various saboteurs are showing up in your life. In addition you can take a Positive Intelligence Assessment to discover your own PQ score. Actually I recommend taking both these assessments before reading the book. I believe you will get a more meaningful reading from the assessments. Then taking the assessments after reading the book will show some immediate change.

This book provides some exciting insights which I feel have been missing to solving the gap between potential and performance. I believe that anyone who wants to improve their own performance would gain significantly from reading this book. It also should be read by all those responsible for managing/leading others, including parents.

Very Highly Recommended - should be required for all coaches, managers, leaders and parents.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Having a huge impact on my personal and professional life... March 28, 2012

By RMoser

Format:Hardcover

I have been experiencing some challenges recently in my business and personal life and I have been looking for something to help me regain my focus. This is exactly what I have been looking for.

The tools in this book are simple yet have had a tremendous impact on my personal and professional life. I was able to have a productive conversation with my son tonight by focusing on my sage voice and quieting the saboteurs. He opened up to me and I was able to guide him without him feeling judged.

The impact on my professional life has been just as amazing. I sell real estate and the challenges in the market have really brought out the worst in everyone. I can see how my low PQ (positive intelligence score) has a tendency to bring out the judge saboteur in my clients and prospects. This past week as I met with new prospects and spoke with my clients, I was able to truly listen from a sage perspective and connect with them on a deeper level. Now, instead of trying to convince them, we are working together to find solutions where everyone wins. I have been able to get a yes on each of my last 7 presentations. Prior to reading this book, I was listing about 50% of my presentations.

I have already recommended this book to some co-workers and as soon as it is published, I plan on buying it for each of my children. Thank you for teaching this concept so simply and effectively. This will be a staple on my short list of resource books.