Unlocking Leadership Mindtraps

Jennifer Garvey Berger believes that leadership is one of the most vital renewable resources in the world. At a time when organizations are often forging the path rather than following the path of others, leadership is about creating the conditions for people to be their most creative, connected, intelligent selves. She is a founding partner and CEO of Cultivating Leadership, a consultancy that serves executives and executive teams in the private, non-profit, and government sectors around the world. Her clients include Google, Microsoft, Novartis, Wikipedia, and Oxfam International. Jennifer designs and teaches leadership programs, coaches senior teams, and supports new ways of thinking about strategy and people with clients facing these dramatic shifts in complexity, volatility, and change in their workplaces and markets. She blends deep theoretical knowledge with a driving quest for practical ways to make leaders' lives better.Jennifer holds a doctorate in adult development from Harvard University, where she studied under and worked with acclaimed developmental psychologist Robert Kegan. She was an Associate Professor at George Mason University before she left the academy on a mission to connect powerful research and the people doing real work in the world.

"The greatest journey a leader can take is into a world of self-awareness, mindfulness, and curiosity. Unlocking Leadership Mindtraps is a pioneering handbook that I believe will help a new generation of leaders navigate complexity and find fulfillment."—Vas Narasimhan, Chief Executive Officer, Novartis "In this book, Jennifer explains key skills: listening to learn, disagreeing to expand, resolution to deepen relationships. I wish that every leader, and every person, would read this in today's increasingly interconnected yet polarized world!"—Diane Tang, Vice President, Google "This book is deceptively brilliant. It offers a host of very accessible practices that will result in creating the agile, innovative, engaged organizational conversations and cultures that can thrive amid complexity."—Bob Anderson, Founder and Chairman, The Leadership Circle "I don't know how Garvey Berger has managed to capture so much wisdom in such a small compass, but I do know we are all the beneficiaries!"—Robert Kegan, Harvard University "Thought-provoking, insightful, and empowering. This book opens up academic research to a broader audience, encouraging us all to expand the limits of our thinking. Jennifer's work continues to inspire me."—Jill Ader, Chairwoman, Egon Zehnder

• 1. The Five Quirks and How They Become Traps2. Trapped by Simple Stories: Your Desire for a Simple Story Blinds You to a Real One3. Trapped by Rightness: Just Because It Feels Right Doesn't Mean It Is Right4. Trapped by Agreement: Longing for Alignment Robs You of Good Ideas5. Trapped by Control: Trying to Take Charge Strips You of Influence6. Trapped by Ego: Shackled to Who You Are Now, You Can't Reach for Who You'll Be Next7. Building a Ladder to Escape the Mindtraps