Positive Intelligence

Why Only 20% of Teams and Individuals Achieve Their True Potential and How You Can Achieve Yours

By: Shirzad Chamine

Narrated by: Shirzad Chamine

Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

In his popular Stanford University lectures, Shirzad Chamine reveals how to achieve one's true potential for both professional success and personal fulfillment. His groundbreaking research exposes ten well-disguised mental Saboteurs. Nearly 95 percent of the executives in his Stanford lectures conclude that these Saboteurs cause "significant harm" to achieving their full potential. With Positive Intelligence, you can learn the secret to defeating these internal foes. Positive Intelligence (PQ) measures the percentage of time your mind is serving you as opposed to sabotaging you. While your IQ and EQ (emotional intelligence) contribute to your maximum potential, it is your PQ that determines how much of that potential you actually achieve. The great news is that you can improve your PQ significantly in as little as 21 days. With higher PQ, teams and professionals ranging from leaders to salespeople perform 30-35 percent better on average. Importantly, they also report being far happier and less stressed. The breakthrough tools and techniques in this book have been refined over years of coaching hundreds of CEOs and their executive teams. Shirzad tells many of their remarkable stories, showing you how you too can take concrete steps to unleash the vast, untapped powers of your mind.

Discover how to:

• Identify and conquer your top mental Saboteurs. Common Saboteurs include the Judge, Controller, Victim, Avoider, and Pleaser.
• Measure the Positive Intelligence score (PQ) for yourself or your team--see how close you come to the critical tipping point required for peak performance.
• Increase PQ dramatically in as little as 21 days.
• Develop new brain "muscles," and access 5 untapped powers with energizing mental "power games."
• Apply PQ tools and techniques to increase both performance and fulfillment.
• Applications include team building, mastering workload, working with "difficult" people, improving work/life balance, reducing stress, and selling and persuading.

New York Times bestselling author Shirzad Chamine is Chairman of CTI, the largest coach-training organization in the world. CTI has trained coaches and managers in most of the Fortune 500 companies, as well as faculty at Stanford and Yale business schools. A preeminent C-suite advisor, Shirzad has coached hundreds of CEOs and their executive teams. Prior to running CTI, he was the CEO of an enterprise software company. His background includes PhD studies in neuroscience in addition to a BA in psychology, an MS in electrical engineering, and an MBA from Stanford, where he lectures.

©2012 Shirzad Chamine (P)2012 Gildan Media, LLC

Critic reviews

“Shirzad delivers a simple, doable, groundbreaking set of exercises that can help you develop your ‘performance’ muscles, increase your PQ score, and gain access to previously untapped mental resources. Working out was never so rewarding or so much fun! So if you’re ready to get even better, get this audiobook—today.” (Marshall Goldsmith, New York Times best-selling author of Mojo and What Got You Here Won't Get You There)

“ Positive Intelligence can change your life and transform your business. A real game-changer.” (James D. White, Chairman and CEO, Jamba Juice)

the ultimate skeptic

Man, did this book hit home. What do I hate most about myself? I am such a hater, a real critic. I'm 46 and for at least a dozen years, while showering in the morning, I've told myself that I want to stop judging people for at least one day - just one day. The result: sometimes I don't make it out of the shower without already being critical of someone.

This book was an excellent example of my horrid thought process. I read the reviews, and decided to give it a try. As soon as I began, I told myself, "What? Are you kidding? Not one reviewer mentioned that the narrator was the author, with his awful accent?!" For the first few minutes, I was seriously considering not listening. Obviously the author has an accent, but why am I so critical? Am I a bigot? No. In fact, I have had great relationships with individuals from that part of the world. The author actually answered this for me - it's the "judge" in me - this idiot in the back of my head who has me so pissed off, always highly critical of everyone and everything. I am actually a pretty positive guy, and the "sage" in me needs to be more active.

I have listened to this audio book half a dozen times. I can honestly say that it has had more impact on me than any book I have ever read - and I've read perhaps a hundred self-help or motivational books in my life.

It's really funny. I have no idea how I found this book. I wasn't trying to find a book about being positive. But this book has made me want to be a better person - in the month that I've owned it. I can feel the change already; I know my girlfriend can tell the difference. Tonight, she asked where the bread knife was, and suggested, "We must have thrown it away in the garbage that was picked up today. I'm sure it was left in the pizza box that you threw away." My girlfriend is the most wonderful woman on the planet; my attraction to her is her positivity. What I hated about myself was that even someone as strong as her can succumb to negativity. Because of this book, I thought about my response for a second, and answered, "Honey, I'm sure I'll find it. I'll look for it right now!" Sure enough, I found it in a drawer and went over and hugged her afterwards. Before, my response would have been, "What are you talking about? We didn't throw away the knife! Jeeezz..."

This book, and the book the author recommends, Positivity, have really been the one-two punch I needed. I feel I'm doing better in other parts of my life. Obviously, it's me, the guy that wants to improve, that is the catalyst. But, this book really happened to make a great deal of sense to me, and brought to my attention, how ineffective I was in dealing with my internal demons. I don't want my college kids to be as critical as I am; I don't want to negatively influence anyone. This book, along with Barbara Frederickson's Positivity, have shed light on a byproduct of positivity - success in other areas due to a better thought process.

To conclude, positivity is contagious. I have a friend, who doesn't even know that I'm reading/listening to such books, tell me, "Oh... Here comes Mr. Positive..." LOL! I've received more smiles from passers-by the past month than I have in years.

I'm a happy guy again. This is the reason my girlfriend of ten years and I clicked in the first place - we're both positive and happy people. Thank you Mr. Chamine.

-Erick

Change yourself, change the world

Shirzad did a great job calling out the saboteurs present in all of us. By identifying and understanding them, we can minimize their negative affects on us and on those around us. The concepts behind PQ and all the tips in the book opened up my mind to how to improve myself and increase the amount of time spent in Sage mode. Shirzad's philosophy will give you new perspective on life.

LOVE THIS BOOK, LISTEN, READ, WATCH VIDEOS!

Where does Positive Intelligence rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

top, I highly recommend this

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

everything, it's changed my life

Which character – as performed by Shirzad Chamine – was your favorite?

SO GLAD HE READ HIS OWN BOOK. His voice is perfect for this.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

everything, it's changed my life

Any additional comments?

JUST LISTEN AND DO IT.

at the top of my list of best books I've ever read

Chamine is clear. He articulates and provides proof, solutions, and clear methodology about how to turn the learning into action and results.

I have recommended this book to everyone I know. I am inspired to hit the reset button and listen again.

nooooo no no no no no

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

This thing is just really this guys life story. His voice is not pleasant to listen to and it doesn't get better.

Would you ever listen to anything by Shirzad Chamine again?

no

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Shirzad Chamine?

somone with a nice voice

Excellent...if you can survive the narration

Would you consider the audio edition of Positive Intelligence to be better than the print version?

No...with all due respect to Mr. Charmine he should have let a professional narrate. His accent and enunciation really distracted the listener from the content...which is excellent.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

We can train our brains to avoid sabotaging ourselves.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Accent and enunciation.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not extreme but thoughtful and positive.

Great Listen

Where does Positive Intelligence rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the Best. Great audio for improving one's performance in areas of your life you have not been able to improve.

What did you like best about this story?

Covers the whole gamut of life and all it's issues I've encountered. An excellent audio to get to the things that matter most in life.

What does Shirzad Chamine bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Not sure.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Getting to What Matters Most

First Purchase

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

Yes! It had very good ideas.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The mental techniques to reduce stress and anxiety.

What three words best describe Shirzad Chamine’s voice?

Slow. Precise. Drowsy.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The explanation of 'The Judge'

Book on thriving instead of surviving

This book was recommended to me to help me understand how to have empathy for myself. This book is much more than that. Shirzad explains simply techniques that have helped us to survive up to now but at the same time keep us from thriving. If you are ready to thrive he helps provide simple and easy techniques to improve positivity by mental exercises that can be accomplished.

He is explains in simple terms how the brain works based off of science. I have been using techniques for only a month and have been able to at least understand why I often react the way I do. I have tried other anger management books but this book it more broad than the one topic.

Overall great techniques to increase positivity while simultaneously helping me to reflect on why I do the things I do.

Great book to help identify and explain surviving vs thriving. I am still surviving but trying to move to thriving in my current conditions.

This has been more help than discussions with psychologists that I have seen to try to help control my emotions.

Great content

Another way of looking to master positive thinking with impact for personal and professional life. He leverages a variety of research creating a solid argument both easy to understand and implement.