What do you think?
Rate this book
Lift: The Fundamental State of Leadership
The best leaders make everyone around them better—and this kind of pervasive positive impact is something we all aspire to. But often, despite our best intentions, we're tripped up by subtle psychological states of which we are not even aware. It does not have to be that way.
Just as the Wright Brothers combined science and practice to finally realize the dream of flight, Ryan and Robert Quinn combine research and personal experience to demonstrate how to reach a psychological state that elevates us and those around us to greater heights of achievement, integrity, openness, and empathy. It's the psychological equivalent of aerodynamic lift, and it is the fundamental state of leadership.
Lift draws on recent advances in positive psychology and organizational science to describe four questions that, when asked in any situation, will help us experience the fundamental state of leadership. Engaging personal stories illustrate how the Quinns and others have applied these concepts at work, at home, and in the community.
This updated edition includes two new chapters. Chapter 12 describes a learning process and a social media platform the Quinns created to help people experience the fundamental state of leadership. In chapter 13 the Quinns share new insights into tapping into human potential. More than ever, this is a book that will enable anyone, in any position, to rise to the call to leadership.
Just as the Wright Brothers combined science and practice to finally realize the dream of flight, Ryan and Robert Quinn combine research and personal experience to demonstrate how to reach a psychological state that elevates us and those around us to greater heights of achievement, integrity, openness, and empathy. It's the psychological equivalent of aerodynamic lift, and it is the fundamental state of leadership.
Lift draws on recent advances in positive psychology and organizational science to describe four questions that, when asked in any situation, will help us experience the fundamental state of leadership. Engaging personal stories illustrate how the Quinns and others have applied these concepts at work, at home, and in the community.
This updated edition includes two new chapters. Chapter 12 describes a learning process and a social media platform the Quinns created to help people experience the fundamental state of leadership. In chapter 13 the Quinns share new insights into tapping into human potential. More than ever, this is a book that will enable anyone, in any position, to rise to the call to leadership.
- GenresLeadership
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2015
19 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 14, 2021
Leadership from the inside out.
Begin by asking yourself four fundamental questions. This is about what you become that then inspires the actions of others. The last story in the book makes this quote clear. It is how Ben, an ordinary new employee changed the culture of a company and its bottom line as well. That's no ordinary leadership process.
Begin by asking yourself four fundamental questions. This is about what you become that then inspires the actions of others. The last story in the book makes this quote clear. It is how Ben, an ordinary new employee changed the culture of a company and its bottom line as well. That's no ordinary leadership process.
Read
December 9, 2022Airplanes and leadership, what do these two things have in common?
I read this book for school to do a presentation on it. I thought there were some interesting points but it wasn't groundbreaking.
I read this book for school to do a presentation on it. I thought there were some interesting points but it wasn't groundbreaking.
September 1, 2024
This book was recommended by a friend in the DORA Community. There are some really crucial concepts in here... like it's the boiled down essence of leadership. I think this could be useful in work and at home.
April 14, 2025
Transformational leadership described
I've read a lot of different leadership texts. Nothing comes close to Lift. It is the most useful and comprehensive leadership text I have read.
I've read a lot of different leadership texts. Nothing comes close to Lift. It is the most useful and comprehensive leadership text I have read.
July 16, 2020
Thought it was really good. Dragged toward the end a little bit but overall a good perspective-focused read on communication and self-awareness.
February 8, 2025
February 7, 2025:
Wow! This book is a treasure. As noted below I was introduced to these ideas in 2013 not fully realizing what a gift they are. The fundamental state of leadership is an elevated state of leadership and human influence that can be entered into through the power of questions that help us find purpose, live with values aligned, have empathy toward others, while being able to learn, adapt, and grow as we go. FANTASTIC!
Feb 13, 2019:
Contrary to some of the reviews, I found this book one of the best explanations of leadership as a state of mind and being that I’ve experienced. The 4 questions have been very helpful to me and these questions were first placed in my mind 6 years ago as I was exposed to Bob Quinn’s approach to leadership and personal change.
1. Am I results oriented?
2. Am I internally driven?
3. Am I others focused?
4. Am I externally open?
So much of the dialogue is focused on just one of these areas: getting results, living and leading by one’s values, focusing on others and being vulnerable...this book’s message brings out all of those areas. This has been well thought out and it works! I can’t get it off my mind and it will be part of my leadership approach moving forward. I highly recommend this book!
Wow! This book is a treasure. As noted below I was introduced to these ideas in 2013 not fully realizing what a gift they are. The fundamental state of leadership is an elevated state of leadership and human influence that can be entered into through the power of questions that help us find purpose, live with values aligned, have empathy toward others, while being able to learn, adapt, and grow as we go. FANTASTIC!
Feb 13, 2019:
Contrary to some of the reviews, I found this book one of the best explanations of leadership as a state of mind and being that I’ve experienced. The 4 questions have been very helpful to me and these questions were first placed in my mind 6 years ago as I was exposed to Bob Quinn’s approach to leadership and personal change.
1. Am I results oriented?
2. Am I internally driven?
3. Am I others focused?
4. Am I externally open?
So much of the dialogue is focused on just one of these areas: getting results, living and leading by one’s values, focusing on others and being vulnerable...this book’s message brings out all of those areas. This has been well thought out and it works! I can’t get it off my mind and it will be part of my leadership approach moving forward. I highly recommend this book!
May 2, 2016
This book was a little too meta for my liking. They used the process of writing the book as examples for their management philosophies. They babbled about how hard it was to write the book quite a bit, and I just don't think that was useful or necessary information. Also, this is a second edition and there are still typos. I saw several missing quotation marks, etc. It kind of made my eyes twitch.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews