cover image HeadTrash: Cleaning Out the Junk that Stands Between You and Success

HeadTrash: Cleaning Out the Junk that Stands Between You and Success

Tish Squillaro and Timothy I. Thomas. Greenleaf/Emerald, $21.95 (160p) ISBN 978-1-937110-51-2

Management consultants Squillaro and Thomas offer a framework to break free of “HeadTrash”—the pattern of self-defeating and unproductive emotions and fears that undermine effectiveness. HeadTrash takes seven forms, according the authors: fear, arrogance, guilt, paranoia, anger, control, and insecurity, and they often present themselves in pairs. The authors dedicate chapters to each, identifying several ways in which HeadTrash can manifest itself. For example, the authors examine two kinds of fear: of being wrong and of speaking up. They provide a useful comparison checklist to point out differences between fearful and courageous leaders as well as a quiz to help assess whether fear HeadTrash is present. They also offer seven recommendations to overcome fear, such as gradually building up to big decisions, expecting to make mistakes, and accepting that reality isn’t always pretty. Another plus of the book is the easy, relaxed tone and the unique, open design that includes cartoons, shaded call-out boxes, and bulleted lists. Because HeadTrash, as defined, would seem to be a nearly a universal condition, this book may empower many readers to kick their mental garbage to the curb. (May)