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Save Your Drama for Your Mama
Noted speaker and educator Charlie Sheppard shows you how management is not the opposite of leadership, but drama is. He provides a practical guide for eliminating drama from your life, your team, and your organization. The moment we feel like we don't have the power to make our own decisions, the ground is fertile for more and more drama. Included in this book is a unique code that you can use on the aChoice website to take the Drama or Leadership multirater survey. The reports generated by the survey are designed to help you learn more about yourself and your leadership potential. You can invite feedback from up to twenty people to discover how they perceive your leadership capabilities and drama tendencies. All the information is completely confidential. The concepts in the book and the survey will help you identify blind spots in your perception and begin to create drama-free zones in your organization and your life.
332 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2013
6 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 29, 2013
This review refers to the NetGalley edition.
This was a decent, if not entirely functional, book about leadership skills. I say not entirely functional because I think most of the leaders or would-be leaders reading this book probably do NOT fit into the categories of "drama" creators the author is trying to change. I wanted more information on how to deal WITH the drama queens/kings, not how to change myself in case I am one. That would have been much more helpful.
Also noticed - Sheppard does not refer to women as good examples of leadership and anti-drama personalities. I cannot off the top of my head recall one such example, but I hesitate to say that he never does because I could've missed it in the beginning before a pattern seemed apparent. But if he does, it is not more than once or twice at the absolute most. To be fair, he doesn't throw examples of women into the category of "people who screwed everything up in the drama triangle" either. Rather, it is as though women in the business world are nonexistent, or of no consequence.
A worthwhile read for entry-level college grads entering the workplace, or people with aspirations of leadership.
This was a decent, if not entirely functional, book about leadership skills. I say not entirely functional because I think most of the leaders or would-be leaders reading this book probably do NOT fit into the categories of "drama" creators the author is trying to change. I wanted more information on how to deal WITH the drama queens/kings, not how to change myself in case I am one. That would have been much more helpful.
Also noticed - Sheppard does not refer to women as good examples of leadership and anti-drama personalities. I cannot off the top of my head recall one such example, but I hesitate to say that he never does because I could've missed it in the beginning before a pattern seemed apparent. But if he does, it is not more than once or twice at the absolute most. To be fair, he doesn't throw examples of women into the category of "people who screwed everything up in the drama triangle" either. Rather, it is as though women in the business world are nonexistent, or of no consequence.
A worthwhile read for entry-level college grads entering the workplace, or people with aspirations of leadership.
January 27, 2014
“Your thinking becomes your behavior.”
Whether it’s at work, home, or play, there are plenty of people in our lives who tend to live in the midst of drama—life is just so much more unfair to them than everyone else. Whether we care for them or not—chances are we need to find some way to deal with them; otherwise, their drama becomes contagious.
In Save Your Drama for Your Mama, Charlie Sheppard talks about the natural human survival mechanisms that can create our unconscious dramatics (your primary caregiver held all of the control, and you “grew to understand that an external source would meet your needs”) and the ways in which that causes complications.
While it may be natural, as adults, we have the ability to analyze our behavior and make better choices, especially in the workplace: “One of the primary ways to create drama is through the abdication of choice. In drama, you are dependent on others and you let them limit you. […] In drama, people deflect and diffuse any responsibility.”
Sheppard discusses the three primary dramatic behaviors and the obverse leadership roles that can be cultivated: victim/visionary, adversary/catalyst, and rescuer/coach. He takes negative and productivity-impairing roadblocks and transforms them into opportunities for improvement, providing sound methods for creating buy-in for vision, accelerating action, and helping staff develop their talents.
The book is an interesting addition to anyone looking to cultivate a positive attitude.
Whether it’s at work, home, or play, there are plenty of people in our lives who tend to live in the midst of drama—life is just so much more unfair to them than everyone else. Whether we care for them or not—chances are we need to find some way to deal with them; otherwise, their drama becomes contagious.
In Save Your Drama for Your Mama, Charlie Sheppard talks about the natural human survival mechanisms that can create our unconscious dramatics (your primary caregiver held all of the control, and you “grew to understand that an external source would meet your needs”) and the ways in which that causes complications.
While it may be natural, as adults, we have the ability to analyze our behavior and make better choices, especially in the workplace: “One of the primary ways to create drama is through the abdication of choice. In drama, you are dependent on others and you let them limit you. […] In drama, people deflect and diffuse any responsibility.”
Sheppard discusses the three primary dramatic behaviors and the obverse leadership roles that can be cultivated: victim/visionary, adversary/catalyst, and rescuer/coach. He takes negative and productivity-impairing roadblocks and transforms them into opportunities for improvement, providing sound methods for creating buy-in for vision, accelerating action, and helping staff develop their talents.
The book is an interesting addition to anyone looking to cultivate a positive attitude.
July 22, 2013
This book makes the point that the opposite of leadership is drama. Illustrations given show the triangle of drama and the triangle of leadership and what can be done to get yourself away from the drama, and how each point in the drama triangle is counteracted by one in the leadership triangle.
The book also talks about the power of taking control of your decisions. When we give others the power of our decisions, that's when drama can rear it's ugly head in our lives. We can be helpless when we give away our right to make decisions.
There were examples given, but the examples were used over multiple chapters and felt a bit repetitive. There is an assessment at the end of the book that can be used to determine your level of drama. It's nice to be aware of the drama created by yourself in the workplace, but better would have been more strategies when dealing with drama from others. There are some, but more comprehensive would been nice. Also, while this is a helpful book for people struggling with drama in themselves, I'm not sure they would be inclined to pick up a book like this and read it. The title is great, but perhaps a little off-putting for someone really in need of this kind of help.
The book also talks about the power of taking control of your decisions. When we give others the power of our decisions, that's when drama can rear it's ugly head in our lives. We can be helpless when we give away our right to make decisions.
There were examples given, but the examples were used over multiple chapters and felt a bit repetitive. There is an assessment at the end of the book that can be used to determine your level of drama. It's nice to be aware of the drama created by yourself in the workplace, but better would have been more strategies when dealing with drama from others. There are some, but more comprehensive would been nice. Also, while this is a helpful book for people struggling with drama in themselves, I'm not sure they would be inclined to pick up a book like this and read it. The title is great, but perhaps a little off-putting for someone really in need of this kind of help.
August 14, 2013
It is often a rarity that excellent teachers also make excellent authors. In the case of Prof. Charlie Sheppard, I was not only fortunate to have read his book but I also had the opportunity to be his student for my Post Graduate course.
The book itself follows a narrative that is simple to understand and easy to follow. There is an almost seamless flow to the contents which take you from the internal workings of your mind to the external workings of your environment and its effect on your mind. The book can get a bit dull and dreary and I myself have ceased to read the book purely because it made me think about things that I didnt want to. However, the title of the book says it all so I decided to save the "Drama" and actually read the book and gained deep insights into the psyche of others and more importantly myself.
It is an excellent read for the young professionals who have an increasing demand to be part of a multicultural working environment and also for those youngsters who want to do a bit of soul searching but not exactly sure how to go about it. The book may tell you things you dont want to think about....but it will definitely tell you things you NEED to think about.
The book itself follows a narrative that is simple to understand and easy to follow. There is an almost seamless flow to the contents which take you from the internal workings of your mind to the external workings of your environment and its effect on your mind. The book can get a bit dull and dreary and I myself have ceased to read the book purely because it made me think about things that I didnt want to. However, the title of the book says it all so I decided to save the "Drama" and actually read the book and gained deep insights into the psyche of others and more importantly myself.
It is an excellent read for the young professionals who have an increasing demand to be part of a multicultural working environment and also for those youngsters who want to do a bit of soul searching but not exactly sure how to go about it. The book may tell you things you dont want to think about....but it will definitely tell you things you NEED to think about.
August 5, 2013
I've seen so many books on leadership claiming to be that one book about leadership you have to read. Though I enjoyed some of them, I cannot say that they have changed my worldview in a way this book did. This book is a perfect guide for anyone who faces drama in his/her personal and business life. Sheppard's Drama Triangle is a simple and yet so powerful concept that teaches you how to anticipate drama within yourself or your team. Given my origin, I would be bold enough to say - even within your country.
Reading this book will make you reflect your past and rethink your behavior. You will remember all those drama queens, and hopeless situations. Frustrated colleagues, and times of depression. After the book, you will be armed with knowledge that will help you overcome them in the future and live a life with less drama.
Reading this book will make you reflect your past and rethink your behavior. You will remember all those drama queens, and hopeless situations. Frustrated colleagues, and times of depression. After the book, you will be armed with knowledge that will help you overcome them in the future and live a life with less drama.
January 21, 2015
This was an intriguing read, though I'm not in the workplace. It's a good reminder that the individual has control of their decisions and the amount of drama they want in their life or in the workplace. I took a few good points from this but overall it doesn't apply to many areas of my life. This might be a good book for those entering work or even college for the first time.
Thanks to netgalley for the early read.
Thanks to netgalley for the early read.
May 18, 2013
Thanks to Netgalley for letting me review this one.
I can't say I learned anything new from this book. If you have ready any decent self-help book you have already read this one. I had no earth shattering or "ah-ha" moments while reading this. IMO there are better books out there. Not that this is bad, just nothing new or vastly interesting.
I can't say I learned anything new from this book. If you have ready any decent self-help book you have already read this one. I had no earth shattering or "ah-ha" moments while reading this. IMO there are better books out there. Not that this is bad, just nothing new or vastly interesting.
lost-interest
July 3, 2013Let's be honest. Now that I have a much less dysfunctional job, I am probably not going to pick this book up again.
August 5, 2013
Very enlightening concepts in this book for re-learning how to avoid drama and also how to effectively manage others who thrive on being drama queens.
June 1, 2014
One if the best leadership books I have read. Makes you accountable, and easy to implement ideas.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews