Read to Lead Group Book Study

“Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” – Margaret Fuller

Dragonfly Consultants is offering a series of Read to Lead group book study sessions, starting next January 2018. Join us in the Dragonfly Reading Room (virtual) as we explore and discuss books on a variety of interests that will be sure to engage, challenge and inspire you as a leader. With each selected book, participants will read on their own and then join in on a lively 90-minute discussion led by a Dragonfly moderator and special guests, the authors of each book. The reading room is limited to 20 participants. You can still register for the last session for Humble Inquiry with Ed Schein on May 7th for $25. To sign up, get tickets here.

What participants will get out of the book study sessions:

• Study guide questions
• Post meeting recording
• Access to a private Dragonfly Reading Room Linkedin group where you can continue the learning
• Overall, the ability to connect, discuss and learn with other leaders, the books’ authors and experts

Layout of each virtual session:

• First 45 minutes – Book discussion facilitated by Dragonfly Consultants
• Last 45 minutes – Q&A with the book’s author

Featured books and sessions: 

Michael Papanek’s From Breakdown to Breakthrough on January 12, 2018 from 5:00pm – 6:30pm PST 

In From Breakdown to Breakthrough, Papanek introduces the concept of the heat curve, a graphical representation that shows how relationships perform under stress. There comes a point where the “heat” – in the form of creative tension, interpersonal conflict, and extreme emotions – becomes too much for the relationship to handle, which leads to breakdown. The goal of building resilient relationships is to shift the heat curve as far as possible, so that it can withstand heat before breaking down.  “The more resilience you have, the higher you are able to ride the heat curve and leverage the benefits of increasing stress, without the costs,” he says.

Michael Papanek, grandson of the pioneer of group dynamics and organizational psychology, Kurt Lewin, draws from the latest research and his thirty years’ track record of success with clients, including Apple, Facebook, VMWare, Salesforce, Kaiser and Google to reveal the success strategies of the most resilient leaders.

Florence Williams’ The Nature Fix on March 12, 2018 from 5:00pm – 6:30pm PST 

For centuries, poets and philosophers extolled the benefits of a walk in the woods: Beethoven drew inspiration from rocks and trees; Wordsworth composed while tromping over the heath; Nikola Tesla conceived the electric motor while visiting a park. Intrigued by our storied renewal in the natural world, Florence Williams sets out to uncover the science behind nature’s positive effects on the brain in The Nature Fix. 

From forest trails in Korea, to islands in Finland, to groves of eucalyptus in California, Williams investigates the science at the confluence of environment, mood, health, and creativity. Delving into completely new research, she uncovers the powers of the natural world to improve health, promote reflection and innovation, and ultimately strengthen our relationships. As our modern lives shift dramatically indoors, these ideas—and the answers they yield—are more urgent than ever.

Edgar Schein’s Humble Inquiry on May 7, 2018 from 5:00pm – 6:30pm PST 

Communication is essential in a healthy organization. But all too often when we interact with people—especially those who report to us—we simply tell them what we think they need to know. This shuts them down. To generate bold new ideas, to avoid disastrous mistakes, to develop agility and flexibility, we need to practice Humble Inquiry.

Ed Schein defines Humble Inquiry as “the fine art of drawing someone out, of asking questions to which you do not know the answer, of building a relationship based on curiosity and interest in the other person.” In this seminal work, Schein contrasts Humble Inquiry with other kinds of inquiry, shows the benefits Humble Inquiry provides in many different settings, and offers advice on overcoming the cultural, organizational, and psychological barriers that keep us from practicing it.