Friday Faces: Book Club — Insight

Can you believe it is October already? The passing of time sure has been peculiar this year. Well, here’s hoping for some fall-like weather in the upcoming weeks.

Today we want to introduce you to a few of our fabulous SLOCA staff as well as one of the SLOCA staff summer reads, Insight by Tasha Eurich. The full title of the book is Insight: The Surprising Truth About How Others See Us, How We See Ourselves, and Why the Answers Matter More Than We Think. (Whew!) Here is a brief synopsis of the book written by our own Curriculum Consultant, Edie Overton.  

Most people feel like they know themselves pretty well. But what if you could know yourself just a little bit better – and with this small improvement, get a big payoff…not just in your career, but in your life? Research shows that self-awareness – knowing who we are and how others see us – is the foundation for high performance, smart choices, and lasting relationships. There’s just one problem: most people don’t see themselves quite as clearly as they could.

Tasha Eurich, an organizational psychologist, reveals that self-awareness is a surprisingly developable skill. Integrating hundreds of studies with her own research and work in the Fortune 500 world, she shows us what it really takes to better understand ourselves on the inside – and how to get others to tell us the honest truth about how we come across.

Through stories of people who have made dramatic gains in self-awareness, she offers surprising secrets, techniques and strategies to help you do the same – and how to use this insight to be more fulfilled, confident, and successful in life and in work.

Joining us today to answer some questions about the book and themselves…

Truly, we are all capable of gaining insight and reaping the resulting rewards; of recognizing our self-limiting behaviors and making better choices; of knowing what’s most important to us and acting accordingly; of understanding our impact so we can improve our most important relationships. –Tasha Eurich, Insight

Why should someone add this book to their reading list?

• Cheryl: This book should be on your reading list if you are looking for hands-on, real-time tools on how to become a better listener and communicator! The practical exercises she outlines are invaluable in implementing what she has written.
• Jennifer: Not only does this book open your eyes to new perspectives and awareness, but this book also provides practical tips on many things such as how to gracefully accept feedback, provide feedback and reframe your mindset.
• Jessica: Insight by Tasia Eurich is great for anyone aspiring to be a great leader. Not only is it fun to read because she shares interesting stories of people in well-known businesses who have improved their self-awareness (and thus, their business), but she also offers action items at the end of each chapter and a workbook to engage with at the end. Self-awareness is a very important life skill, and I enjoyed digging deep and doing some important personal work, as well as practicing new strategies when interacting with my own team and family.
• Merideth: Insight is a must-read for those that are looking to become more self-aware through the study and understanding of the Seven Pillars of Insight which according to researchers, is foundational to lasting relationships, better job performance, and smart choices. However, self-awareness isn’t just about tapping into how we see ourselves, it’s becoming aware of how others experience us. The author, Tasha Eurich, explains in detail what it takes and how to get others to tell us the truth about how we come across. At the end of each chapter, she offers a summary of key concepts and takeaways as well as a 7-day Insight Challange and an Appendix with questions and exercises to guide you toward developing self-awareness.
• Colleen: This book will help you realize how important your daily actions and interactions with others are.
• Miranda: This book is an eye-opening guide to self-awareness – knowing who we are and how others see us.

How did this book impact you?

• Cheryl: I believe this is one of those books that you can (or perhaps should!) read over and over again. It challenges the deep-rooted fallacies of self-awareness and how introspection (thinking) does not necessarily equate to insight (knowing).
• Jennifer: I am always concerned about the impact I have on other people but this book helped me realize that is not the same as self-awareness. I appreciate the guidance this book gives and will implement many of the suggestions given to keep me from “ruminating”!
• Jessica: There were a lot of personal as well as professional takeaways for me. I appreciate the author’s focus on transparency and vulnerability as a leader – when your team feels that they can be honest because you are honest, then your business is much more prone to thrive because you are facilitating an environment where everyone knows that it is safe to point out where there is room for improvement both in behavior and systemically. This book was a great reminder for me to push harder to gather critical feedback on an ongoing basis (even if it’s hard/painful) in order to grow both personally and professionally. Personally, taking responsibility for what I contribute to workplace culture is important for me to examine and improve upon.
• Merideth: I am still in the process of reading it, but I would say the chapter on The Truth We Rarely Hear is one that I know I need to read. I imagine it will be challenging but leaning into the difficult instead of running away will always lead to growth.
• Colleen: This book was a wonderful reminder that your words and how you talk to others matter. This book had so many amazing ideas and tips for how to best communicate and work well with others.
• Miranda: I have been using some of the helpful exercises on improving mindfulness and internal and external self-awareness.

To gain true insight, we also have to learn how to hear the truth- not just listen to it, but really hear it. — Tasha Eurich, Insight.

What is your go-to reading spot?

• Cheryl: Anywhere quiet because having 3 active boys in the home (4 including our 1-year old pup), quiet space is a rare find!
• Jennifer: My room! It is one space that is (generally!) quiet.
• Jessica: Backyard or bathtub, for maximum relaxation.
• Merideth: Honestly, it’s wherever I can grab a place of solitude. With two teenagers who stay up late and a nine-year-old who gets up early, I need to tap into some major creativity on where I can find a place just for me. We have a vintage trailer in our back yard that works well…until someone finds me.
• Colleen: The front porch at my house 🙂 It has a beautiful view of Madonna Mountain.
• Miranda: My outdoor patio; it has lots of sunshine and quiet.

What’s the worst fashion or hair decision you’ve made?

• Cheryl: When I decided to try a pixie cut (think Alyssa Milano, back in the day!) right before my wedding!!! That was not the best idea. Or timing! Eeek!
• Jennifer: Trusting my mom that I would look good with the “Dorothy Hamill” haircut! That is the one and only time I have ever had short hair!
• Jessica: There are no mistakes – only learning opportunities. And I think we can all say we’ve learned that high-waisted pants look good on about 1% of the general population.
• Merideth: I cut my hair really short and got a perm after having my third child. It was not a good look.
• Colleen: Before I learned how to care for my bold curly hair, I use to weigh it down with handfuls of gel and pull it back into a tight bun…EVERYDAY!
• Miranda: Several short layers in my naturally curly hair was not a good look for me.

When it comes to the way we see ourselves, we must be brave enough to spread our wings, but wise enough to not fly too high… — Tasha Eurich, Insight.

Thank you, ladies, for sharing with us today.

Have you read the book Insight? Share your thoughts on the book or a favorite quote in the comments below. Or just have fun answering some of our get-to-know-you questions. (We probably have all made poor fashion/hair decisions at some point, what was yours?)