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The Compassionate Achiever: How Helping Others Fuels Success
A powerful, practical guide for cultivating compassion—the scientifically proven foundation for personal achievement and success at work, at home, and in the community.
For decades, we’ve been told the key to prosperity is to look out for number one. But recent science shows that to achieve durable success, we need to be more than just achievers; we need to be compassionate achievers.
New research in biology, neuroscience, and economics have found that compassion—recognizing a problem or caring about another’s pain and making a commitment to help—not only improves others’ lives; it can transform our own. Based on the most recent studies from a wide range of fields, The Compassionate Achiever reveals the profound benefits of practicing compassion including more constructive relationships, improved intelligence, and increased resiliency. To help us achieve these benefits, Christopher L. Kukk, the founding Director of the Center for Compassion, Creativity and Innovation, shares his unique 4-step program for cultivating compassion.
Kukk makes clear that practicing compassion isn’t about being a martyr or a paragon of virtue; it’s about rejecting rage and indifference and choosing instead to be a thoughtful, caring problem-solver. He identifies the skills every compassionate achiever should master—listening, understanding, connecting, and acting—and outlines how to develop each, with clear explanations, easy-to-implement strategies, actionable exercises, and real-world examples.
With the The Compassionate Achiever everyone wins—we can each achieve success in our own lives and create more productive workplaces, and healthier, less violent communities.
For decades, we’ve been told the key to prosperity is to look out for number one. But recent science shows that to achieve durable success, we need to be more than just achievers; we need to be compassionate achievers.
New research in biology, neuroscience, and economics have found that compassion—recognizing a problem or caring about another’s pain and making a commitment to help—not only improves others’ lives; it can transform our own. Based on the most recent studies from a wide range of fields, The Compassionate Achiever reveals the profound benefits of practicing compassion including more constructive relationships, improved intelligence, and increased resiliency. To help us achieve these benefits, Christopher L. Kukk, the founding Director of the Center for Compassion, Creativity and Innovation, shares his unique 4-step program for cultivating compassion.
Kukk makes clear that practicing compassion isn’t about being a martyr or a paragon of virtue; it’s about rejecting rage and indifference and choosing instead to be a thoughtful, caring problem-solver. He identifies the skills every compassionate achiever should master—listening, understanding, connecting, and acting—and outlines how to develop each, with clear explanations, easy-to-implement strategies, actionable exercises, and real-world examples.
With the The Compassionate Achiever everyone wins—we can each achieve success in our own lives and create more productive workplaces, and healthier, less violent communities.
241 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 7, 2017
40 people are currently reading
854 people want to read
About the author
Christopher L. Kukk
1 book18 followersChris Kukk, Ph.D. is Professor of Political Science/Social Science at Western Connecticut State University, a Fulbright Scholar, HarperCollins author of "The Compassionate Achiever," founding Director of the Center for Compassion, Creativity and Innovation, Director of the Kathwari Honors Program, founder of the University’s Debate Team, and member of Phi Beta Kappa. He received his Ph.D. in political science from Boston College and his B.A. in political science from Boston University. He was also an international security fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. His research and publications combine neuroscience with the social sciences and focus on education issues, the political economy of natural resources and the creation and sustainability of civil society. Dr. Kukk was also a counter-intelligence agent for the United States Army, a research associate for Cambridge Energy Research Associates, and has provided the Associated Press, National Public Radio, The Economist magazine, NBC-TV, and Connecticut media with analysis on a wide range of topics and issues. His forthcoming children and trade books are based on the idea of weaving values such as compassion into our learning, civic and business communities.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
May 13, 2017
A child is bullied every seven minutes. Over 150,000 school kids miss school each day because they’re afraid of being bullied in class. One out of two students drop out of school because of bullying. Over a third of adults say they’ve experienced incivility at work and 26-percent have quit their jobs because of it. Stress costs American businesses approximately 300-billion dollars each year. Is it safe to think we need a little compassion in our lives? I think so.
In his book THE COMPASSIONATE ACHIEVER: How Helping Others Fuel Success (HareperOne) by Christopher L. Kukk, PhD, argues compassion creates more construction relationships, improves health and creates and more productive work environments. It’s not about becoming a Saint or a door-mat, but having the strength to be rational and not giving into rage or indifference.
The Book teaches The LUCA four-step program for cultivating compassion.
*Listening to identify to problem.
*Understanding to discover what options can help.
*Connecting to capabilities that can address the issue or obstacle.
*Acting to solve.
With the THE COMPASSIONATE ACHIEVER everyone wins—we can each achieve success in our own lives and create more productive workplaces, and healthier, less violent communities.
After reading THE COMPASSIONATE ACHIEVER, I’m practicing my listening skills. I’m trying to respond instead of react. It may take time, but I appreciate what this book points out for me. Dr. Kukk’s book is wake-up call for anyone who wants to WAKE-UP. It’s not didactic or “super-self-helpy,” so I may give it as a gift to friends.
In his book THE COMPASSIONATE ACHIEVER: How Helping Others Fuel Success (HareperOne) by Christopher L. Kukk, PhD, argues compassion creates more construction relationships, improves health and creates and more productive work environments. It’s not about becoming a Saint or a door-mat, but having the strength to be rational and not giving into rage or indifference.
The Book teaches The LUCA four-step program for cultivating compassion.
*Listening to identify to problem.
*Understanding to discover what options can help.
*Connecting to capabilities that can address the issue or obstacle.
*Acting to solve.
With the THE COMPASSIONATE ACHIEVER everyone wins—we can each achieve success in our own lives and create more productive workplaces, and healthier, less violent communities.
After reading THE COMPASSIONATE ACHIEVER, I’m practicing my listening skills. I’m trying to respond instead of react. It may take time, but I appreciate what this book points out for me. Dr. Kukk’s book is wake-up call for anyone who wants to WAKE-UP. It’s not didactic or “super-self-helpy,” so I may give it as a gift to friends.
May 14, 2017
Before I had Lucy I had really struggled with people. I was that mom who volunteered at every opportunity at my kids' school, any time a friend needed help with something I immediately offered to help out. I took on far more than I should have onto my plate and there were many nights that I would stay up far later than I should have getting things done for other people. I felt tremendous guilt saying no to someone, even for minor things, because I knew what it took to ask for help so I assumed if someone was asking me it was because they really needed it. I hated to let someone down. I did this for years. I felt so unappreciated, unrecognized, unacknowledged, and frankly- abused. It got to the point where I started actually resenting the very things I used to enjoy doing. I wanted to be helpful and now I hated it. I hated being dependable. I hated being organized. I hated all of these things because now people just expected me to take care of it all.
Then I died. And the world stopped. And crisis happened. I had no idea any of it was happening, but all around me, people rallied. They rallied small and they rallied big. People I did a lot for, people I did nothing for but who recognized that I had done a lot for others. But they rallied all around me and my family and they helped us get through a really horrific event.
My act of dying reminded me that compassion is still out there. People still have it. It's maybe not practiced every day, or maybe we just aren't seeing it anymore, but it's still there. Somewhere in all of us compassion sits, waiting to be reached. Which is why when I saw this book I immediately jumped on it because I am absolutely convinced all of the positives that have come to my family in the aftermath of Lucy's birth don't have much to do with a greater power but more so in the fact that I am a good person. Matt and I are good people. We do good things for people as often as we can. We don't ask for repayment or recognition, we just hope that someday if we ever need help you'd be willing to help us- and it actually worked.
As I went through this book I was pleased to find that it isn't just business speak that you read, nod your head, and then it sits on the shelf in your office totally useless. It gives you practical uses. How do you pull compassion from people? How can you turn conversations, that could easily be heated and uncivil, to calm and reasonable? How do you get each side to see each other's point of view, not necessarily to agree, but to actually listen to all points. The book talks about how compassion isn't just a great quality to have as a human being but how it actually improves a work place (or a school environment) and the quality of life in a community. I was reading this thinking this would actually make a great textbook in a humanities class in college but why wait? Why not have this as part of a high school curriculum? As part of a social studies class? I know compassion, and empathy, are things we should be teaching at home but let's face it- we're asking parents to teach something they themselves don't have. The book mentions how compassion starts to really dip in the 1990's but that we are at an all time low right now, so that means those kids of the 90's (me, for example) are now parents- no wonder it's at an all time low. We're asking people to teach and pass on something that they themselves don't have. This book gives us a four-step, totally easy, common sense program, to do that. You can do it with your kids, your friends, your co-workers, or the people you supervise. It's really such a great book to read for anyone because there are so many ways to use it in your life.
Then I died. And the world stopped. And crisis happened. I had no idea any of it was happening, but all around me, people rallied. They rallied small and they rallied big. People I did a lot for, people I did nothing for but who recognized that I had done a lot for others. But they rallied all around me and my family and they helped us get through a really horrific event.
My act of dying reminded me that compassion is still out there. People still have it. It's maybe not practiced every day, or maybe we just aren't seeing it anymore, but it's still there. Somewhere in all of us compassion sits, waiting to be reached. Which is why when I saw this book I immediately jumped on it because I am absolutely convinced all of the positives that have come to my family in the aftermath of Lucy's birth don't have much to do with a greater power but more so in the fact that I am a good person. Matt and I are good people. We do good things for people as often as we can. We don't ask for repayment or recognition, we just hope that someday if we ever need help you'd be willing to help us- and it actually worked.
As I went through this book I was pleased to find that it isn't just business speak that you read, nod your head, and then it sits on the shelf in your office totally useless. It gives you practical uses. How do you pull compassion from people? How can you turn conversations, that could easily be heated and uncivil, to calm and reasonable? How do you get each side to see each other's point of view, not necessarily to agree, but to actually listen to all points. The book talks about how compassion isn't just a great quality to have as a human being but how it actually improves a work place (or a school environment) and the quality of life in a community. I was reading this thinking this would actually make a great textbook in a humanities class in college but why wait? Why not have this as part of a high school curriculum? As part of a social studies class? I know compassion, and empathy, are things we should be teaching at home but let's face it- we're asking parents to teach something they themselves don't have. The book mentions how compassion starts to really dip in the 1990's but that we are at an all time low right now, so that means those kids of the 90's (me, for example) are now parents- no wonder it's at an all time low. We're asking people to teach and pass on something that they themselves don't have. This book gives us a four-step, totally easy, common sense program, to do that. You can do it with your kids, your friends, your co-workers, or the people you supervise. It's really such a great book to read for anyone because there are so many ways to use it in your life.
October 29, 2018
Good message (be compassionate) and lots of interesting studies and quotes.
Overall read, though, just not for me.
Overall read, though, just not for me.
July 30, 2022
Not sure it it was the soporific tones of the reader but I found this very repetitive and hard to remember what I’d heard. I think a condensed version would have done me as the messages were quite obvious and some of the research was interesting but not practical (which was what I was expecting). Gave up in the end. I just found some of it really obvious and the bits where I got value were laboured so much that I was impatient to get through it.
January 2, 2019
Given the title of this book, the “Compassionate Achiever”, it could have gone about anywhere. Much of the book ended up being about decision making and looking for mutual benefit, listening skills, as well as thinking outside the box or perspective shifting. If those topics sound familiar, you’ve probably been reading self help books written in the past decade or so. These are common topics. The author comes at this from a different angle – using these tactics to do compassionate things for others. I didn’t find that angle to be that different from how I normally approach my life, so this didn’t cause any life changes here. At least at times, the author was writing for an audience of leaders, which also limited my appreciation. But I did enjoy the voice of the author and the anecdotes he used to illustrate various concepts, and I would consider reading more by this author.
December 16, 2023
This book is a phenomenal way to jump start your path to building on your emotional intelligence. I've heard time and time again that finding a way to understand the emotions of others is the best way to succeed. Chris Kukk has an excellent way of providing a framework to build your capability to not only understand others, but also to actively play a part in helping others. He includes detailed instructions on how to build on your EQ skills. I would recommend everyone read this to gain an understanding of yourself and the importance of the role you can play in society by playing an active role in helping the people you encounter. 10/10
March 3, 2021
I found Kukk’s ideas around compassion to be well-intentioned. I do agree with him that compassion and cooperation are very important to success. However, Kukk’s ideas seemed contradictory at points. He claimed humans were wired to be compassionate while simultaneously claiming compassion was in decline. This didn’t add up to me.
I think Kukk could have been clearer with how he means there. Furthermore, I think this book could have been more concise at times.
This book also does dive into many of the cliche self-help type rhetoric. This was a turn off for me.
I think Kukk could have been clearer with how he means there. Furthermore, I think this book could have been more concise at times.
This book also does dive into many of the cliche self-help type rhetoric. This was a turn off for me.
June 10, 2017
The author covers a lot of ground in this one book. Most of the research was familiar to me because I'm a psychology professor, but it was good to read some new information and have it all tied together by Chris Kukk. Looking forward to learning more about what he does as a teacher and leader at his university.
November 10, 2018
A really good book about a framework for having more compassion and doing what is at the heart of compassion, taking action. From our communities to our employees, how to go beyond empathy and into action. Great leaders are such because they do some very specific things, this book builds a system for doing this and cultivating more. Helping others does indeed fuel success.
November 16, 2018
The idea of compassion and compassionate leadership is well made and presented throughout the text and something everyone can improve in thier organizations. This book is well worth the time spent reading it and I would recommend it to everyone regardless the type of organization they are involved.
February 20, 2019
The concept of being compassionate and in your thoughts of others all achieve is beautiful. Christopher L. Kukk gives both personal as well as international examples both present and in the past to illustrate this concept. This is a book that gives some practical examples of how you can increase your abilities to be more compassionate. I know that I looked up some of his examples.
April 25, 2019
I read this for a monthly work-related discussion group. I appreciated many of the ideas in the book, but it definitely seemed like work to get through it at times. It had some interesting view points and examples, but the principles themselves probably could have been communicated in shorter chapters. I don't think I would recommend it to my friends.
February 27, 2018
For those of us for which compassion seems an abstract concept and it doesn’t come out as easily as it comes to others, this is an excellent book to train, develop and expand the “muscle” of compassion.
April 29, 2018
The book is on how taking care of others not only helps your bottom line but your life as a person. There is a lot of good advice not only on why this is but also on how to build compassion into your life and why compassion protects you from burnout in your job and as a human being.
January 20, 2019
It's a slog, but I think that's due to my expectations for the book. I was wanting information on how compassionate leadership could help groups/companies. But what I got was a how-to on developing compassion. I made it to chapter 3 before calling it quits. Maybe I'll pick it up again later.
October 25, 2020
Full of useful tactics to help yourself and others. Anyone in a position of working with people could benefit from the message here. As a school bus driver, I feel equipped with new tools to guide young people with, but I also feel equipped to respond with compassion in everyday situations too.
March 15, 2022
Makes a comprehensive argument for Survival of the kindest over the fittest. Some are a bit old-school philosophical, but there are some scientific proofs to some. Good reminder read as we suffer with me my tendency.
June 29, 2018
Everyone should read this book.
August 27, 2018
Lots of information, so difficult as an audio version. Some topics in the middle seem irrelevant and unnecessary.
March 30, 2019
This is a good read with practical advice based on sound research. I found it a bit long-winded but the message is great.
December 24, 2019
another great inspiring book that supports and enlightens my vision highly recommended
December 30, 2019
Highly recommended! Easy to read, approachable, and immediately applicable. This should be a standard text/resource for anyone in education!
December 26, 2020
This book was extremely informative and helpful. There is no reason that it should not have five stars from everyone. I wish I could have given it a million stars.
October 22, 2021
Interesting perspective with an overview of various models and frameworks on collaboration and cooperation.
February 9, 2023
Couple good points and interesting insights but extremely disorganized
May 7, 2018
Somehow manages to be both overly expansive in scientific citations and thoroughly unconvincing. Maybe it's because the book is a rotting word-salad easily summarized by "look at how great of a person I am, here are a few basically disconnected things I happen to do, be like me. Here are unrelated research efforts explained in tedious detail."
The only other thing of note are the nauseating platitudes. At one point he actually spells out meaning of the "glass half-full" proverb. It's like a ninth-grader trying to reach a two-page word count in his remedial English class.
I've come away from this book less likely to be compassionate than I was going in.
The only other thing of note are the nauseating platitudes. At one point he actually spells out meaning of the "glass half-full" proverb. It's like a ninth-grader trying to reach a two-page word count in his remedial English class.
I've come away from this book less likely to be compassionate than I was going in.
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April 27, 2019Well, we all have the things we THINK we should read, and the things we actually read...this falls into the former category.
April 15, 2017
This is a valuable addition to any leader or entrepreneur who already knows the business side of things but is in need of something intrinsic to fuel success.
April 10, 2018
As someone striving to be a compassionate and positive leader in the healthcare industry, I found this book extremely valuable. Some of the greatest leaders of our time demonstrate compassion towards everyone. It is important not to confuse kindness with being a weak person. Kind words conquer.
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April 14, 2018Didn't finish book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews