Deliberate Calm audiobook cover - How to Learn and Lead in a Volatile World

Deliberate Calm

How to Learn and Lead in a Volatile World

Jacqueline Brassey, Aaron De Smet, Michiel Kruyt

★ 4.7 / 5(3 ratings)
Start ListeningDownloadQR code that opens AudiobookHub on the App StoreTry free on iPhoneScan to start in 5 seconds
Categories:
Management & LeadershipCareer & SuccessPersonal DevelopmentMindfulness & Happiness

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

Listen to Deliberate Calm — Free Audiobook

Loading player...

Key Takeaways from Deliberate Calm

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Deliberate Calm

Mind Map

Deliberate Calm
Navigating Stress & Zones+
Changing Internal Narratives+
Finding Your Purpose+
Cultivating Psychological Safety+
The Personal Operating Model+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 6
According to the text, what often happens when individuals face challenges in the 'Adaptive Zone'?
  • A. They rely on their existing skills and knowledge to easily solve the problem.
  • B. The stress of the situation triggers protective behaviors that inhibit learning and creativity.
  • C. They immediately adopt a 'skylight perspective' to regulate their emotions.
  • D. Their behavior becomes completely visible, much like the tip of an iceberg.
Question 2 of 6
What is the primary goal of practicing 'dual awareness' (also referred to as the 'skylight perspective')?
  • A. To ignore external distractions and focus entirely on your internal emotional state.
  • B. To mentally separate your professional identity from your personal identity during high-stakes meetings.
  • C. To observe both your external environment and internal state simultaneously to choose a thoughtful response.
  • D. To project a sense of outward calm so that your team does not realize you are experiencing stress.
Question 3 of 6
What does the story of Reshma, the communications director, illustrate about human responses to stressful situations?
  • A. Thorough preparation is the most effective way to eliminate the physical symptoms of anxiety.
  • B. Internal narratives and self-told stories play a critical role in shaping our emotional reactions to events.
  • C. Our brains react exclusively to external, objective threats in our immediate environment.
  • D. Leaders should avoid showing distraction, as it always leads to a decrease in employee performance.
Question 4 of 6
How did Daniel, the senior executive facing a market crisis, successfully transform his approach to leadership?
  • A. He shifted his mindset from needing to know the 'right' answer to supporting collaborative decision-making.
  • B. He doubled down on his default leadership style and forced his team to work longer hours to beat the competitor.
  • C. He eliminated all conflict within his team to ensure a frictionless and stress-free working environment.
  • D. He delegated all strategic decisions to his team so he could focus entirely on his physical health.
Question 5 of 6
According to the text, what is a key indicator that a team has established 'psychological safety'?
  • A. Team members never experience conflict or disagreements during complex projects.
  • B. The team operates primarily in the 'Familiar Zone' to guarantee consistent success.
  • C. Team members feel comfortable taking interpersonal risks, such as admitting mistakes or asking for help.
  • D. The leader takes full control of decision-making whenever the team faces significant challenges.
Question 6 of 6
Creating a personal operating model helps foster growth and navigate challenges. Which of the following is NOT one of the four key pillars of this model mentioned in the text?
  • A. Awareness
  • B. Productivity
  • C. Energy
  • D. Relationships

Deliberate Calm — Full Chapter Overview

Deliberate Calm Summary & Overview

Deliberate Calm (2022) offers a compelling exploration of leadership in an era of rapid change, introducing the concept of Dual Awareness as a tool for navigating complexity. By combining insights from neuroscience, psychology, and consciousness practices with decades of boardroom experience, it offers a fresh approach to adaptive leadership that unlocks potential and builds resilience in the face of uncertainty. 

Who Should Listen to Deliberate Calm?

  • Leaders seeking to build agile, adaptable businesses in uncertain markets
  • Professionals aiming to develop resilience and adaptive skills
  • Anyone interested in neuroscience-backed approaches to leadership growth

About the Author: Jacqueline Brassey, Aaron De Smet, Michiel Kruyt

Michiel Kruyt is the CEO of Imagine.one, focused on helping business leaders drive sustainable transformation. Previously a partner at McKinsey & Company and cofounder of Aberkyn, he began his career at Unilever and serves on the board of the Urban Consciousness Center in Amsterdam. 

Jacqueline Brassey, PhD, serves as McKinsey's chief scientist and director of research science for People and Organizational Performance. In addition to her role at McKinsey, she holds academic positions at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and IE University in Madrid.

Aaron De Smet, a senior partner at McKinsey & Company, has spent 25 years helping organizations improve performance and organizational health. He joined McKinsey in 2003 after earning his PhD in social and organizational psychology from Columbia University.

🎧
Listen in the AppOffline playback & background play
Get App