Which Book to Start With…

People often ask me which of my books to start with or what order to read them in. The good news is that each book is standalone so any order will work. So, start with the topic or issue that is most pressing for you now.

All my books target two audiences: those wanting self-improvement and leaders (e.g., business owners, talent professionals, educators, parents, government officials, etc.) responsible for leading people and/or organizations.

Here’s a quick summary of each book to help you decide—I have listed them in the order I wrote them and included a link to a free chapter:

Wired to Grow: Harness the Power of Brain Science to Learn and Master Any Skill

1st edition: 2015 | 2nd edition: 2019

This revised and expanded edition of Wired to Grow is designed to help you fully unlock your potential, incorporating recent discoveries in neuroscience to give you new ways to maximize your ability to learn and grow. You can apply this material to your own life immediately, starting today. If you have a role where you help others learn and grow, you will also gain new tools for unlocking their potential and becoming a more effective manager, parent, leader, educator, or healthcare worker.

1. We’ll begin by looking at the significant developments of the last five years in the neuroscience of learning.
2. Next, we’ll dive into the new findings about memory (there are nine types!) and how the kind of memory determines how you set up learning.
3. We’ll explore new research about skills, habits, and behavior change.
4. Next, we’ll look at how to set up learning to maximize its effectiveness from the start.
5. We’ll focus on the latest brain-based best practices in learning design and delivery.
6. We’ll end with specific tips and strategies for creating a growth culture of learning in your organizations.

Free Chapter

I am eager to share my exciting discoveries on the many new developments in the neuroscience of learning. So, let’s take a journey together. I want to introduce you to the fascinating miracle that happens inside you every day: learning. Once you understand this brain-based process, you can use it more effectively and efficiently in your own life. You’ll also have the keys to help others learn better and faster.

Wired to Resist: The Brain Science of Why Change Fails and a New Model for Driving Success

1st edition: 2017 | Audiobook: 2020  | 2nd edition: coming 2024
Wired to Resist is also available in Spanish and Portuguese

Submit a story/case study about change

In 2015, after moving through a major acquisition, I realized something was amiss in what we know about change, so I set off to learn more. What I discovered astounded me. Several brain structures are designed to protect us from the potentially harmful results of change. Humans are wired to resist change, and we are working against our biology at every turn. Researchers at Harvard discovered that 50 to 70 percent of all change initiatives fail. We can reduce that number significantly by working with human biology and harnessing the power of our brains to thrive through change. If you are going through a significant change in life in any capacity, this is the book for you.

This book contains the results of my research into the latest findings from various academic and corporate studies and culminates in the new Change Quest model. You’ll gain practical takeaways for you to use in your life. The truth is that change affects us daily, both at work and at home. Knowing how we are wired to resist change and, more importantly, how to overcome that resistance will serve you throughout your life.

1. We’ll begin by understanding what change looks like in today’s organizations.
2. Next, we’ll dive into the brain science of change and why it drives fear, failure, and fatigue.
3. Then, I will introduce you to the new Change Quest® model that synthesizes all findings into an effective tool.
4. I will also share tips and strategies for employees and every leader responsible for designing or implementing change.
5. We’ll look ahead to the factors driving change in your organization for years.

Free Chapter

I’ve written this book for working adults everywhere. Whether you are on the leading or receiving end of change, you’ll find valuable tips and strategies you can implement today. In addition, I used this research to build new training programs for leaders, managers, and employees, and they are proving to be exceptionally effective in all kinds of organizations and industries worldwide.

Wired to Connect: The Brain Science of Teams and a New Model for Creating Collaboration and Inclusion

1st edition: 2018

“There is no I in team.” Vernon Law, a baseball player, 1960.

Most of us have heard that phrase at some point in our lives. I certainly have— that quote has sat on my desk in every place I have ever worked. But you know what? It’s wrong.

When I started researching the neuroscience of teams, I wasn’t aware that I would end up questioning such an iconic belief. But the brain science of what brings out the best in groups points us in a new and surprising direction.

The best and highest-performing create a cohesive unit by honoring each member’s unique contributions and making them feel included and valued for who they are.

There is an I in a team. There are lots of I’s. Every team comprises individuals who bring their perspectives, skill sets, and experiences. Not only do team environments need to leverage the gifts of those individuals, but the group needs to make its members feel safe enough to bring their best work forward. When this is done right, members feel they belong, and the group is set up to achieve a rarefied state of peak performance, one that is neurologically different from the rest.

As a consultant, I help organizations of all kinds work through various challenges, and team performance certainly tops the list. And of course, I have been a team member and leader many times throughout my career. Those experiences are the source of my greatest professional joys and the most difficult challenges. Now I know why and am eager to share this knowledge with you.

This book has six sections:

1. We’ll begin by understanding what teams look like in today’s organizations and the difference between collaboration, coordination, and cooperation.
2. Next, we’ll dive into the brain science of groups and teams, particularly what sets them up for “good” performance.
3. We’ll also explore the brain science of safety and belonging, two critical factors in the early development of any team.
4. Next, we’ll examine why inclusion and trust are pivotal for optimal performance.
5. Then, I will introduce you to my new Four Gates to Peak Team Performance model that synthesizes all the research into a practical tool you can use in any setting.
6. We’ll end with specific tips and strategies for building successful teams, whether you’re a member or its leader.

Free Chapter

You’ll also find several case studies throughout the book. The featured organizations cover a range of sizes industries, and many operate in regions around the world. Wired to Connect offers useful tips and strategies for team members and leaders.

Wired to Become: The Brain Science of Finding Your Purpose, Creating Meaningful Work, and Achieving Your Potential

1st edition: 2023

This book aims to help you on your journey to find your purpose and create meaningful work. I will share recent discoveries in neuroscience and other disciplines to give you new information and tools. You can apply this material to your own life immediately, starting today. If you have a role where you help or lead others, you will also gain new strategies for unlocking their potential and building more purpose-driven organizations.

What is clear is the pandemic has changed us. Permanently. It accelerated what was already in motion, creating distinct pressures that significantly magnified our need for purpose. This societal shift impacts all age groups and all industries. There is no going back to “the before times” because we are different now. We are going through an amazing transformation that has shifted what we value, how we want to work, and the good we wish to create. While it has been challenging, it is also inspiring.

1. We’ll begin by diving into new findings about the science of becoming our best selves and why happiness, purpose, creativity, and innovation are all essential elements.
2. Next, we’ll explore the unique combination of forces and pressures driving this global quest for more purpose and how it’s shifting human consciousness.
3. Then, we’ll dig into your individual journey toward finding purpose and creating meaningful work. I’ll share several tools and strategies you can use immediately to create clarity.
4. Next, I’ll share new findings from research about meaningful work and what gives people a sense of purpose in their jobs and careers.
5. We’ll continue your journey to find your sense of purpose with additional tips and tools.
6. We’ll end by looking at purpose-driven organizations as the new future of work and practical strategies for employees, managers, and executives.

Throughout every section, you will find Purpose Stories, first-person narratives from 26 individuals worldwide, including Ukraine, Brazil, The Netherlands, Australia, and the United States. They answered an open call for submissions and represented various industries, from finance to manufacturing, retail to education, technology to healthcare. Each person tells their own story of finding purpose—sometimes at a young age, but more often discovered throughout a career, learning what was not the right fit before finding what is.

So, let’s take a journey together. I want to introduce you to the fact that we are wired for purpose—it is part of our biological makeup as humans. As humans, we are wired to seek purpose, which is distinct from the feeling of happiness. The key to a meaningful life is to have them in balance.

It is also true that finding our sense of purpose is meant to be a journey that unfolds over time and shifts with life’s experiences. Some people find many purposes over their lifetime, and others focus on one. There is no one right way, but I have gathered some tools and information to help you and others along the way. Let’s get started!

Free Chapter