What do you think?
Rate this book
The Art of Connection: 7 Relationship-Building Skills Every Leader Needs Now
These days, it’s often easier to avoid face-to-face contact in favor of technological shortcuts. But as Michael Gelb argues in this compelling, entertaining book, the meaningful relationships that come from real interaction are the key to creating innovative ideas and solving our most intractable problems. In The Art of Connection , Gelb offers readers seven methods of developing this essential rapport in their professional and personal lives. Each chapter covers specific techniques and illustrates them with memorable stories, relevant scientific research, and hands-on exercises that allow readers to apply their new skills. Most important, Gelb reminds us that developing rapport with others is not just a business tool to enhance productivity but a valuable end in itself. He guides us to cultivate the skills we all need to deepen our relationships, broaden our humanity, and transform our lives.
280 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2017
56 people are currently reading
449 people want to read
About the author
Michael J. Gelb
37 books174 followersThe world’s leading authority on the application of genius thinking to personal and organizational development, Michael J. Gelb is a pioneer in the fields of creative thinking, innovative leadership and executive coaching. His clients include DuPont, Emerson, Genentech, KPMG, Merck, Microsoft, Nike and YPO.
Michael is a Senior Fellow at The Center for Humanistic Management and a member of the Leading People and Organizations Advisory Board at the Fordham University Gabelli School of Business. Michael was also awarded a Batten Fellowship in Innovation from the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business, and he co-directed the acclaimed Leading Innovation Seminar there for more than 10 years. Michael was honored as “Brain of the Year” (1999) by the Brain Trust Charity – other recipients include Steven Hawking, Garry Kasparov and Edward De Bono.
Michael is the author of 17 books including How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci, Discover Your Genius, Innovate Like Edison, and The Art of Connection: 7 Relationship Building Skills Every Leader Needs Now.
Michael’s books have been translated into 25 languages and have sold more than one million copies. Recent releases include The Healing Organization: Awakening the Conscience of Business to Help Save the World, co-authored with Prof. Raj Sisodia, and Mastering the Art of Public Speaking: 8 Secrets to Transform Fear and Supercharge Your Career.
FUN FACTS
Author, Speaker, Consultant, Juggler!
A professional juggler who performed with the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, Gelb introduced the idea of teaching juggling to promote accelerated learning and team-building. He is the author of The 5 Keys to High Performance: Juggling Your Way to Success.
A passionate wine lover, Gelb is the originator of a unique and enjoyable approach to teambuilding as expressed in Wine Drinking For Inspired Thinking: Uncork Your Creative Juices.
Michael trained as a teacher of the Alexander Technique, (the method taught at The Juilliard School for cultivating commanding stage presence), while completing his Masters degree. His thesis became his first book – Body Learning: An Introduction to the Alexander Technique.
A fifth degree black belt in the martial art of Aikido, Gelb is co-author with Grandmaster Raymond Keene, of Samurai Chess: Mastering Strategic Thinking Through the Martial Art of the Mind.
Michael is a Senior Fellow at The Center for Humanistic Management and a member of the Leading People and Organizations Advisory Board at the Fordham University Gabelli School of Business. Michael was also awarded a Batten Fellowship in Innovation from the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business, and he co-directed the acclaimed Leading Innovation Seminar there for more than 10 years. Michael was honored as “Brain of the Year” (1999) by the Brain Trust Charity – other recipients include Steven Hawking, Garry Kasparov and Edward De Bono.
Michael is the author of 17 books including How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci, Discover Your Genius, Innovate Like Edison, and The Art of Connection: 7 Relationship Building Skills Every Leader Needs Now.
Michael’s books have been translated into 25 languages and have sold more than one million copies. Recent releases include The Healing Organization: Awakening the Conscience of Business to Help Save the World, co-authored with Prof. Raj Sisodia, and Mastering the Art of Public Speaking: 8 Secrets to Transform Fear and Supercharge Your Career.
FUN FACTS
Author, Speaker, Consultant, Juggler!
A professional juggler who performed with the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, Gelb introduced the idea of teaching juggling to promote accelerated learning and team-building. He is the author of The 5 Keys to High Performance: Juggling Your Way to Success.
A passionate wine lover, Gelb is the originator of a unique and enjoyable approach to teambuilding as expressed in Wine Drinking For Inspired Thinking: Uncork Your Creative Juices.
Michael trained as a teacher of the Alexander Technique, (the method taught at The Juilliard School for cultivating commanding stage presence), while completing his Masters degree. His thesis became his first book – Body Learning: An Introduction to the Alexander Technique.
A fifth degree black belt in the martial art of Aikido, Gelb is co-author with Grandmaster Raymond Keene, of Samurai Chess: Mastering Strategic Thinking Through the Martial Art of the Mind.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 28, 2017
I really enjoyed this book and took a lot from it, however it was not what I expected. I expected a discussion on how to better communicate and connect with some practical strategies for starting connections. It was however very focused on self improvement so that one is OPEN to forming meaningful connections. It was just more inwardly focused than my expectations, but still surprisingly helpful.
On the other hand the last chapter was all about aikido, too much focused on aikido. While it was relevant, no other topic was dwelled on as much, which to me was a little awkward to have this only in the last chapter then. Lessons from it are good, but focus was too heavy
On the other hand the last chapter was all about aikido, too much focused on aikido. While it was relevant, no other topic was dwelled on as much, which to me was a little awkward to have this only in the last chapter then. Lessons from it are good, but focus was too heavy
January 8, 2019
This was good, but a week gone by, and it's hard to remember highlights. Let's press this brain for a few... Yes, relationships are key to being a good leader. Yes, humility is essential to being a good leader. Yes, one must be vulnerable as a leader, owning up to the fact that you get it wrong and don't know everything. If you can admit this, so can your direct reports. Inspiration and passion are contagious, so bring that good stuff to work!
Annoyance: Too many acronyms. Mr. Gelb trieds to make things memorable by making everything an acronym, but, sir, it didn't help!
Annoyance: Too many acronyms. Mr. Gelb trieds to make things memorable by making everything an acronym, but, sir, it didn't help!
August 11, 2017
Endorsements:
“I love Michael Gelb’s wonderful new book. It is filled with simple yet profound practices that support us in cultivating deep relationships at work and in our personal lives — the secret to a life of meaning and joy.”
— Eileen Fisher, founder and chairwoman of EILEEN FISHER, Inc.
“A masterpiece! Gelb teaches the skills we all need to bridge the gap between the highest ideals of conscious business and the reality of its practice. In the process, he illuminates a soul-enlivening, transformational approach to deepening all our relationships. An absolute must-read for aspiring conscious leaders.”
— Raj Sisodia, coauthor of Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business and FW Olin Distinguished Professor of Global Business at Babson College
“Michael Gelb is the premier voice on creativity for the coaching profession. And, as he explains in this fabulous new book, the most powerful catalyst for inspiring creative breakthroughs and translating those breakthroughs into sustainable innovations is to connect with other people first, before trying to solve a problem.”
— Dr. Marcia Reynolds, past president of ICF Global Board and author of The Discomfort Zone
“Truly a brilliant book! I have continually witnessed the ways in which camaraderie and connection allow a workplace and its surrounding community to thrive. Communication is leadership. In The Art of Connection, Gelb brilliantly instructs us how to communicate in a compassionate and genuine manner in order to build relationships that allow us and those around us to flourish.”
— Kip Tindell, former CEO and co-chairman of The Container Store
“A compelling, inspiring, and practical guide to building better relationships. Essential reading for leaders at all levels.”
— Jon Miller, former chairman and CEO of AOL and former CEO of News Corp Digital Media Group
“Leadership is all about developing a culture that supports collaboration, innovation, and high performance. The heart of what’s really required to make that happen is brought to life in this artful book. . . . If you lead any kind of team that aspires to greatness, you’ll want to be sure everyone reads The Art of Connection. Great stuff!”
— Dennis Mannion, former president and CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Pistons
“Michael Gelb guides us to discover the surprising connections between our relationship skills and our happiness, health, and effectiveness, both professionally and personally. He illuminates the essential inner work we all must do if we want to thrive as conscious, compassionate leaders, but he manages to deal with these profound issues in a way that is fun, engaging, and, not surprisingly, creative!”
— Karen Page, former chair of the Harvard Business School Alumnae Association, two-time winner of the James Beard Award, and author of The Flavor Bible and Kitchen Creativity
“An important book on an essential topic. I appreciate Gelb’s blend of storytelling, practical lessons, and cutting-edge science. Connection may be the most important skill for leaders, and for all humans, to embrace and cultivate.”
— Marc Lesser, author of Less
“By learning the seven life-changing skills shared in The Art of Connection, readers can begin to develop powerful habits that raise their core energy. The result? Positive, mutually supportive, and highly conscious relationships. A must-read for coaches and leaders at all levels, as well as for anyone who wants to take their personal connections with others to the next level.”
— Bruce D. Schneider, founder of iPEC Coaching and author of Energy Leadership: Transforming Your Workplace and Your Life from the Core
“Michael Gelb is a genius at helping others discover and express their creative potential. Now, in this precious, profound book, he guides us to develop the skills of emotional, spiritual, and practical intelligence that we all need to translate creative ideas into action.”
— Tony Buzan, originator of Mind Mapping
“I love Michael Gelb’s wonderful new book. It is filled with simple yet profound practices that support us in cultivating deep relationships at work and in our personal lives — the secret to a life of meaning and joy.”
— Eileen Fisher, founder and chairwoman of EILEEN FISHER, Inc.
“A masterpiece! Gelb teaches the skills we all need to bridge the gap between the highest ideals of conscious business and the reality of its practice. In the process, he illuminates a soul-enlivening, transformational approach to deepening all our relationships. An absolute must-read for aspiring conscious leaders.”
— Raj Sisodia, coauthor of Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business and FW Olin Distinguished Professor of Global Business at Babson College
“Michael Gelb is the premier voice on creativity for the coaching profession. And, as he explains in this fabulous new book, the most powerful catalyst for inspiring creative breakthroughs and translating those breakthroughs into sustainable innovations is to connect with other people first, before trying to solve a problem.”
— Dr. Marcia Reynolds, past president of ICF Global Board and author of The Discomfort Zone
“Truly a brilliant book! I have continually witnessed the ways in which camaraderie and connection allow a workplace and its surrounding community to thrive. Communication is leadership. In The Art of Connection, Gelb brilliantly instructs us how to communicate in a compassionate and genuine manner in order to build relationships that allow us and those around us to flourish.”
— Kip Tindell, former CEO and co-chairman of The Container Store
“A compelling, inspiring, and practical guide to building better relationships. Essential reading for leaders at all levels.”
— Jon Miller, former chairman and CEO of AOL and former CEO of News Corp Digital Media Group
“Leadership is all about developing a culture that supports collaboration, innovation, and high performance. The heart of what’s really required to make that happen is brought to life in this artful book. . . . If you lead any kind of team that aspires to greatness, you’ll want to be sure everyone reads The Art of Connection. Great stuff!”
— Dennis Mannion, former president and CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Pistons
“Michael Gelb guides us to discover the surprising connections between our relationship skills and our happiness, health, and effectiveness, both professionally and personally. He illuminates the essential inner work we all must do if we want to thrive as conscious, compassionate leaders, but he manages to deal with these profound issues in a way that is fun, engaging, and, not surprisingly, creative!”
— Karen Page, former chair of the Harvard Business School Alumnae Association, two-time winner of the James Beard Award, and author of The Flavor Bible and Kitchen Creativity
“An important book on an essential topic. I appreciate Gelb’s blend of storytelling, practical lessons, and cutting-edge science. Connection may be the most important skill for leaders, and for all humans, to embrace and cultivate.”
— Marc Lesser, author of Less
“By learning the seven life-changing skills shared in The Art of Connection, readers can begin to develop powerful habits that raise their core energy. The result? Positive, mutually supportive, and highly conscious relationships. A must-read for coaches and leaders at all levels, as well as for anyone who wants to take their personal connections with others to the next level.”
— Bruce D. Schneider, founder of iPEC Coaching and author of Energy Leadership: Transforming Your Workplace and Your Life from the Core
“Michael Gelb is a genius at helping others discover and express their creative potential. Now, in this precious, profound book, he guides us to develop the skills of emotional, spiritual, and practical intelligence that we all need to translate creative ideas into action.”
— Tony Buzan, originator of Mind Mapping
May 8, 2022
It's no surprise that the capacity to establish relationships is one of the important variables for leadership success as command-and-control leadership gives way to "influence" leadership – the strongest leaders are those who know how to influence, persuade, and inspire their followers. It's also not unexpected that, with all of today's technological conveniences, more and more individuals, even leaders, are losing the habit and abilities of efficient face-to-face communication. Author Michael Gelb discusses seven essential relationship-building skills in his new book, The Art of Connection: 7 Relationship-Building Skills Every Leader Needs Now, which will help leaders acquire and grow their ability to connect with others.
Here are those 7 skills
• Embrace humility
• Be a glowworm “ be the leader who shines through the crowd, who draws the attention and respect of those around him or her. ”
• Achieving the three liberations.
To achieve the three liberations means to free yourself from
◽ Like and dislike
◽ Taking things personally
◽ Blaming and complaining.
• Transcend fixations involves recognizing your personality type and working to highlight the healthy facets of that type and moving away from its unhealthy facets
• Balance energy exchange “ the need for relationships to be balanced between the parties.”
• Be a rare listener (that is, to be the type of listener who Receives, Appreciates, Reflects, and Enquires)
• Turn friction into momentum. The first step in turning friction into momentum is to recognize that “conflict is a normal and natural aspect of life” and that it is “essential to the creative process,” he writes.
Here are those 7 skills
• Embrace humility
• Be a glowworm “ be the leader who shines through the crowd, who draws the attention and respect of those around him or her. ”
• Achieving the three liberations.
To achieve the three liberations means to free yourself from
◽ Like and dislike
◽ Taking things personally
◽ Blaming and complaining.
• Transcend fixations involves recognizing your personality type and working to highlight the healthy facets of that type and moving away from its unhealthy facets
• Balance energy exchange “ the need for relationships to be balanced between the parties.”
• Be a rare listener (that is, to be the type of listener who Receives, Appreciates, Reflects, and Enquires)
• Turn friction into momentum. The first step in turning friction into momentum is to recognize that “conflict is a normal and natural aspect of life” and that it is “essential to the creative process,” he writes.
November 6, 2020
Partner relationships should benefit everyone. Instead of building walls build bridges.
::: CONNECTING AT WORK :::
HUMILITY
Embrace humility. Be humble and encourage conversation.
Avoid fearing to be wrong or mistakes.
ROLE MODELING
Be a glow-worm: your feelings influence those around you. Be someone to follow and inspire others.
Have high self-worth. Connect to someone transcendent.
3 LIBERATIONS
Achieve the 3 liberations:
-Raise above like and disliking people.
-Avoid being too sensible.
-Don't criticize. Adopt a positive attitude.
Accept responsibility and accountability.
::: BUILDING ENDURING RELATIONSHIPS :::
-Transcend fixations: Know your management type (search online for theories).
-Balance energy exchange: evaluate those you want to help (givers, takers, matchers) and help accordingly to not exhaust you. Draw energizing people into your life.
-Be a listener. Be empathetic.
-Turn friction into momentum: don't make it a win/lose situation and grow from it.
Cultivate the art of connection.
::: CONNECTING AT WORK :::
HUMILITY
Embrace humility. Be humble and encourage conversation.
Avoid fearing to be wrong or mistakes.
ROLE MODELING
Be a glow-worm: your feelings influence those around you. Be someone to follow and inspire others.
Have high self-worth. Connect to someone transcendent.
3 LIBERATIONS
Achieve the 3 liberations:
-Raise above like and disliking people.
-Avoid being too sensible.
-Don't criticize. Adopt a positive attitude.
Accept responsibility and accountability.
::: BUILDING ENDURING RELATIONSHIPS :::
-Transcend fixations: Know your management type (search online for theories).
-Balance energy exchange: evaluate those you want to help (givers, takers, matchers) and help accordingly to not exhaust you. Draw energizing people into your life.
-Be a listener. Be empathetic.
-Turn friction into momentum: don't make it a win/lose situation and grow from it.
Cultivate the art of connection.
June 15, 2018
This book is pact with acronyms and relevant information. I hope it will still be applicable in the future. Rules have changed. Time management is out. Energy management is in. We are gearing towards collaborative effort where we treat everyone as equals. Teams form, accomplish a task, and then reform for a new task.
"Leadership is the art of connection! It’s about building relationships to bring out the best in others."
“Leaders are made rather than born.”
"The good life is built with good relationships."
“All real life is meeting"
"Be in nature, and let nature be in you. (By being in nature),... we come into our full aliveness, discover our true nature, and relate to the Divine through our encounters with others..."
"The greatest point of leverage for embracing humility is to engage in at least one real conversation with another human being every day."
"Assume that you don’t know and become curious to learn."
November 17, 2018
There are some parts of this book that I really love, and some parts of it that feels too gimmicky.
The parts that I love is mainly on the parts about connecting with oneself before trying to connect with others, setting yourself free, empathy for others, and finding your center and being able to blend.
The parts that I hate were the acronyms that felt to be trying very hard to be catchy. Maybe it just isn't the type of style that I like, but that style of writing was definitely not for me.
The parts that I love is mainly on the parts about connecting with oneself before trying to connect with others, setting yourself free, empathy for others, and finding your center and being able to blend.
The parts that I hate were the acronyms that felt to be trying very hard to be catchy. Maybe it just isn't the type of style that I like, but that style of writing was definitely not for me.
February 24, 2018
a great book on how to make connection with oneself and others. love the simple steps on how to do this. but the funny thing is i somehow feel i want to learn more about aikido. i need to find my centre before i can improve. maybe aikido can help me.
May 24, 2018
Connection is the secret to life...
I love this book because I am very interested and passionate about the subject of connection. I believe everyone will truly benefit from reading this book and from practicing more connection in their lives.
I love this book because I am very interested and passionate about the subject of connection. I believe everyone will truly benefit from reading this book and from practicing more connection in their lives.
September 15, 2018
This is a great book about how to connect with other people in ways that you can personally improve upon. He uses lots of acronyms which I sometimes felt were a little confusing, but I learned so much, and his advice was easy to put into practice. This will become part of my permanent connection.
May 23, 2021
The power of our project lies in including others in our dreams. We must be eternal dreamers and tireless builders of a shared future, living every moment fully.
By uniting, we build and rise as a collective entity.
Inspiring book!
By uniting, we build and rise as a collective entity.
Inspiring book!
January 12, 2020
Full of stories, facts and information. Sometimes I got lost in all of it, but I was reading it fast. If you have time to linger and absorb all the lessons, this would be a great book for you!
August 19, 2021
I like the flow of the book and as I am new to this field of psychology, this was a good read.
November 8, 2022
I enjoyed reading a variety of options in one book but I found the format to be distracting.
Author references from other books with examples sprinkled in.
Author references from other books with examples sprinkled in.
April 2, 2023
A very good book indeed
February 3, 2019
The value of this book is the link it draws between effective communication and building relationships, which is essential in business, non-profits, academia, fundraising, and just about everywhere else. Gelb's approach may seem antiquated to younger readers, but he writes from experience and knows the value of personal contact. Leaders who want to be truly successful with their teams and their clients should read this book.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews