Don't Swear at Work

Kirsty Hulse runs companies that make work better. She's helped more than 60,000 leaders, teams and C-suite executives to build confidence and communicate better. She has spoken in more than 20 countries, sharing her wisdom with companies like LinkedIn, Amazon and Meta.As CEO of Neuroworx, Kirsty is fixing hiring by making it simpler and fairer. She also runs Roar!, turning boring corporate training into something people actually enjoy. She created Confidence Live, the world's largest conference dedicated to confidence, where CEOs share stages with comedians, and drag queens perform alongside poets, drawing people from around the world to the unlikely setting of her hometown, Stoke-on-Trent. Her first book, The Future is Freelance, predicted the flexible-working revolution back in 2016 (nobody believed her then, yet here we all are, directing global operations in paint-splattered yoga pants).On top of all that, Kirsty is a stand-up comedian and brings that energy to everything she does. When she's not fixing workplaces, she's making corporate PowerPoints funny – because someone has to.

• IntroductionOur professional lives are a minefield of unwritten rules Robots can’t hugWe are here to break (and rebuild) The RulesChapter 1 – THE RULE: Stop doing that Legit changing your life through start motivation Actions win! How to cheat code new habits What gets celebrated gets repeated Integrating your growthChapter 2 – THE RULE: Be professional "Be professional" is inherently sexist, racist, and exclusionary “Be professional” makes us worse at our jobs Ambiguity will always be perceived negativelyChapter 3 – THE RULE: You’re not on the playgroundThe opposite of play is not work. The opposite of play is depression.What is play and how can we do more of it?Life playDay-to-day playHumourChapter 4 – THE RULE: Just give me the factsYou are a messy, irrational hot messUnderstanding (and using) the power of emotionsModeling emotionsA quick “vibe check” exerciseThe TFAR frameworkChapter 5 – THE RULE: Never let them see you scared Emotional suppression doesn’t workWhen are emotions positiveYou are great at your job BECAUSE...Emotions are InformationChapter 6 – THE RULE: Because I said soFeedback sucksYou are not listeningStop telling people what they should doChapter 7 – THE RULE: You're an idiotPractical self-compassionEveryday growth mindset (that actually works)Building growth mindset teamsChapter 8 – THE RULE: People are the worst Why we "other" othersEmpathy, but not as you know itDealing with toxic situations and peopleYou are being seen anywayMaking networking less awfulChapter 9 – THE RULE: Don’t waste timeStaring out of the window is a valuable use of your timeThe shit middleBusy-ness and self-esteemIt is not the volume of work, but the way we workAway-state motivationChapter 10 – THE RULE: Nobody likes a showoffMost of us struggle with confidenceWhy your internalized idea of confidence is a dumpster fireConfidence is not a fixed traitIt is not binaryIt is not “loud”Confidence is a habitChapter 11 – THE NEW RULESecondary GainsREFERENCES