Collaborative Intelligence

Thinking with People Who Think Differently

By: Dawna Markova, Angie McArthur

Narrated by: Ellen Archer

Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

A breakthrough book on the transformative power of collaborative thinking.

Includes a PDF of charts and graphs to help determine your personality type as well as tips on how to work better with other personalities.

Collaborative intelligence, or CQ, is a measure of our ability to think with others on behalf of what matters to us all. It is emerging as a new professional currency at a time when the way we think, interact, and innovate is shifting. In the past, "market share" companies ruled by hierarchy and top-down leadership. Today, the new market leaders are "mind share" companies, where influence is more important than power, and success relies on collaboration and the ability to inspire.

Collaborative Intelligence is the culmination of more than 50 years of original research that draws on Dawna Markova's background in cognitive neuroscience and her most recent work, with Angie McArthur, as a "professional thinking partner" to some of the world's top CEOs and creative professionals. Markova and McArthur are experts at getting brilliant yet difficult people to think together. They have been brought in to troubleshoot for Fortune 500 leaders in crisis and managers struggling to inspire their teams.

When asked about their biggest challenges at work, Markova and McArthur's clients all cite a common problem: other people. This response reflects the way we have been taught to focus on the gulfs between us rather than valuing our intellectual diversity - that is, the ways in which each of us is uniquely gifted, how we process information and frame questions, what kind of things deplete us, and what engages and inspires us. Through a series of practices and strategies, the authors teach us how to recognize our own mind patterns and map the talents of our teams, with the goal of embarking together on an aligned course of action and influence.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2015 Dawna Markova, Angie McArthur (P)2015 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Rooted in the latest neuroscience on the nature of collaboration, Collaborative Intelligence celebrates the power of working and thinking together at the highest levels of business and politics." (Arianna Huffington)

"This inspiring book teaches you how to align your intention with the intention of others, and how, through shared strengths and talents, you have every right to expect greatness." (Deepak Chopra)

"Building collaborative intelligence by putting the concepts in this book into action with my executive team was one of the most critical variables to our success." (Jeff Dunn, CEO, Bolthouse Farms)

Great read... for the "right" mind...

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes! Great insights in relationship to global economic conditions. "We are entering a mind share mentality vs. a market share mentality," (my paraphrase). One might say that the "SUB" (SUBmarine) of the SUBconcious is surfacing, and this will help equalize the playing field of life, and we can learn to value all perspectives and thus see value in others who may have been assigned a different label than we are accustomed to. Really, it is a must-read for those who desire to connect the dots and understand the seeming chaos that one sees in the media.

What did you like best about this story?

What I liked best was that what the authors shared is really confirming what many know internally, so it is said in a new and fresh way but going back to we are seeing within humanity that the world was created by a mind and it is actually being operated by a mind that, and this is important, must be connected to one's heart and really we will soon learn that the only way to live on earth is to live your life through another human being by learning to connect at, or with the heart.

Nature is our example. Roots don't live or exist for themselves nor does the tree. This goes against our human ego, but we will learn and adapt, or be recycled.

Have you listened to any of Ellen Archer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No. Performance is important, but our imagination can help if one feels that the performers performance is lacking.

What did you learn from Collaborative Intelligence that you would use in your daily life?

Too many things to list. I am primarily an introvert and attempting to write my own book and so "I" (my mind) has been open for a very long time, analyzing and sorting data, attempting to connect my mind to my heart and live a passionate life and not just one full of knowledge.

Any additional comments?

I bought this book to ready and study as a self-study course. Knowledge is not just to consume but to share and improve one's inner world first and then one will see how the world outside of themselves improves.

Genuinely intrigued me from the start

If you could sum up Collaborative Intelligence in three words, what would they be?

Understand how we think

What was one of the most memorable moments of Collaborative Intelligence?

Mind patterns

Which scene was your favorite?

Understanding how differences are manifested in behaviors

What’s an idea from the book that you will remember?

Intellectual diversity

Any additional comments?

This was so enlightening... not only for dealing with people at work but also at home... it was insightful to understand that how we think translates to how we might behave differently. I loved it!

Must read encyclopedia for new & tenured managers

Co-authors, Dawna Markova Ph.D., and Angie McArthur present an awesome and powerful toolbox to create collaboration across people who listen, focus, and analyze in different ways – kinetic/movement, visual/seeing, or auditory/listening; when their mind is open and creative when they are focused and engaged in problem-solving, and when they are sorting the information or have drifted away.

Collaborative Intelligence is a unique and specific kind of encyclopedia. Its many real-life experiences of how the authors helped their top global brand corporate captain clients and country leaders, men and women, solve dysfunction by aligning attention and intention to create natural and sustainable collaborative cultures makes it engaging and impressive. The examples not just validate the book’s tools, but also inspire excellence.

While many experts have addressed how we think, learn, communicate, and focus differently, this book goes into tremendous depth of cross-mapping individual traits, behaviors, talents, and strengths, showing how each person and collective teams can collaborate to produce harmonious and marvelous outcomes.

The book does not stop here. It goes further to connect foundational pillars of wisdom, integrity, and individual core values. This book is not a one-time simple read. It is clearly a work of a lifetime for Dr. Markova and a labor of love for Angie McArthur. It is an encyclopedia to improve team collaboration, a workbook to use as a roadmap with milestones, a culture shift manual with step-by-step detailed steps, and much, much more.

This magnificent work has in common with the wisdom shared by many sages and celebrities, the need for managers to know themselves first. Knowing one’s self is the necessary foundation to the study of building bridges between individuals and teams. This book lights the path. It is an awesome work of insights, tools, and instructions, indeed. It should be required reading for new and tenured managers alike.

Not ideal for audio

What disappointed you about Collaborative Intelligence?

This is more like a text book - lots of lists, codes, technical terms, etc. It's hard to follow in audio form. If you're interested in this topic, buy the physical book.