cover image The Career Manifesto: Discover Your Calling and Create an Extraordinary Life

The Career Manifesto: Discover Your Calling and Create an Extraordinary Life

Mike Steib. TarcherPerigee, $18 (288p) ISBN 978-0-14312-934-9

Steib, CEO of the XO Group media company, taps into the frustration overachievers feel when their career trajectories fall short in this motivating and action-oriented guide. Steib identifies what he calls the five pillars of success, namely purpose, plan, productivity, people, and presence. These five pillars, Steib asserts, will help readers reconfigure goals, increase productivity, and overcome obstacles both in and out of the office. To stimulate this transformation, he offers up a series of necessary steps, including “telling yourself the truth,” “thinking for yourself,” and “changing your stripes.” He details exercises aimed toward gaining a sense of direction and control, such as creating “impact maps” and “happiness matrices.” Steib’s chapter on increasing productivity to the point of getting “10 times as much done” is particularly sharp and widely applicable, imparting beneficial advice on following effective habits such as generating “if-then” formulas, managing willpower, and systematically measuring results. In chapters devoted to “people,” he explores “achieving impact with others” in various capacities, such as through networking, attending meetings, and collaborating on projects. For a brief discussion of “presence,” Steib brings in insights from happiness studies. His book lays out a sound and logical approach, with easily applicable and customizable advice aplenty. (Feb.)