Book Review: Positive Intelligence

The most painful day of Shirzad Chamine’s professional life was the driving force behind his book Positive Intelligence and his becoming the Chairman of CTI, the largest coach-training organization in the world. His New York Times bestseller presents a power-packed punch for firing our worst enemies—what he calls mental “Saboteurs”—and cultivating our Sage to increase PQ (Positive Intelligence), the measurement of a person’s actual achievement potential. A life-altering game changer for individuals and teams that far surpasses the typical approaches of this genre.

Why are we reading this book?

Chamine tells the reader to “have high expectations” and “not to settle for anything less.” A confident request that convincingly delivers. Equally remarkable is how his Positive Intelligence tools and techniques can quickly generate results without lengthy psychological awareness. In our opinion, his distinct approach that is easy to process and even simpler to implement has more than earned our endorsement.

Backstory:

Bitter anger and resentment from his childhood fueled his drive to earn multiple degrees, including one in psychology, and a year of PhD studies in neuroscience. Neither helped him understand what impeded long-lasting success and happiness. The turning point came when the board chairman and senior management of the company he founded confronted him with irrefutable evidence of his failings as a leader. “Without this valuable gift, subsequent CEO successes, coaching and this book would not have been possible,” he states.

Challenge:

Chamine’s philosophy is based on the idea that childhood mental coping methods don’t voluntarily let go and go away. As adults, out-of-control Saboteurs wreak mental havoc—those negative voices that interfere with healthy responses during the day and keep people awake half the night. He believes everyone has the universal Saboteur he calls the Judge along with two or three other dominant Saboteurs determined by his five-minute self-assessment quiz.

Solution Steps:

According to Chamine, Saboteurs operate in one area of the brain for physical and emotional survival. It’s in another area where what he calls the Sage operates—that deeper and wiser part. While the Saboteur’s sole purpose is to undermine, the Sage offers a great reservoir of untapped powers.

Tapping into the powers of Sage, Chamine presents a three-step strategy to strengthen PQ:

• Weaken Saboteurs—interrupt the self-talk patterns; redirect thoughts; fortify mental muscles
• Strengthen Sage—explore, empathize, innovate, navigate, and activate
• Improve PQ Brain muscles—during daily routines, eating, exercise, playing sports, etc.

Summary:

Scoffing at Chamine’s PQ methods is an example of the Judge Saboteur in action. To offset this typical auto-pilot response in everyone, Chamine empowers the reader to consciously let the Sage choose responses to what happens in work and life. He skillfully teaches how with (1) concise explanations, (2) carefully placed examples to reduce skepticism, and (3) power games, that can improve your PQ performance. Is your curiosity piqued? Whether the answer is “a little” or “a lot,” you really do want to read this book!