Fully Human: 3 Steps to Grow Your Emotional Fitness in Work, Leadership, and Life

Packard (Rules of the Game), former COO of HGTV, offers viable ways to increase “emotional fitness” and create a “trust-building” environment in this useful guide for managers. Packard draws heavily from her experience at HGTV and on narratives from leaders in other fields, such as NPR CEO Jarl Mohn and Anisa Telwar, founder of cosmetic company Anisa International. The book is divided into three parts based on her steps—willingness, trust, and the principles of “hope, generosity of spirit, and moral courage”—and in each, Packard explores how emotional intelligence can be cultivated in a working environment. She recommends putting “trust in action” by offering colleagues a “safety net” if they are going through a tough situation. She also suggests delegating some of one’s own tasks as a sure way to get buy-in from employees, and helping with others’ work as a way of creating an empathetic environment. Packard also addresses managing pride and ego by moving from self-actualization (acting for the self) to self-transcendence (acting without selfishness). In addition to case studies of corporate leaders, Packard includes many charts, infographics, and practice exercises to illustrate and reinforce her principles. This book will be valuable for managers looking for new approaches to building an effective and supportive team. (Feb.)