I’ve been participating in and running Personal Mastermind book clubs since early 2021, and they have been such wonderful experiences.
Not only are they a great way to learn about and read excellent books, they’re also a great forum for discussion and building relationships with fantastic people.
The Personal Mastermind format
Each Personal Mastermind group is made up of people from a range of industries and locations. We typically cap each group at around 10 people, so that everyone gets a chance to speak up and share their thoughts.
Each year, we tackle five books in-depth, spending two months on each book. We dig into each book chapter by chapter, and meet weekly to discuss what we’ve read, what we’re thinking, what we’re learning, and what we’re working on in response to what we’ve read.
Our sessions are always fun, thought-provoking, and inspiring. And everyone who joins a Personal Mastermind group comments on how much richer their reading experience is when they have a chance to chew over the ideas, principles, and concepts with others. Each member brings their unique perspective and contribution, seeing things that others haven’t, and offering their experiences and insights to broaden and deepen our discussions.
Books we've read so far
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‘Built to Move’ by Kelly Starrett & Juliet Starrett
“Simple and proven physical practices designed to improve the way your body feels—less stiffness! fewer aches and pain!—and boost the overall quality of your life, no matter how you spend your time. From the innovators behind The Ready State and the movement bible Becoming a Supple Leopard.”
This book pushed us to be more proactive about looking after our bodies, so they can function well, right into old age. It’s based around 10 functional health indicators, with tests for assessing your current state, and strategies for improving your score. From optimising your nutrients to keeping your range of motion, there’s something here for EVERY body!
‘Big Magic’ by Elizabeth Gilbert
“Gilbert offers insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work, embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.”
‘How to Work with (Almost) Anyone’ by Michael Bungay Stanier
From the author of ‘The Coaching Habit’ and ‘The Advice Trap’ comes this excellent, practical book about how to develop your best possible working relationships.
“The quality of your working relationships determines your success and your happiness. Stop leaving it to chance. Start building the best possible relationships.“
Don’t let the small size of this book fool you – it contains a powerful framework to boost the quality of every working relationship you have. MBS shows us how to create change by asking and answering five questions, to help us work better, together.
‘Hidden Potential’ by Adam Grant
“We live in a world that’s obsessed with talent…. But admiring people who start out with innate advantages leads us to overlook the distance we ourselves can travel.
We underestimate the range of skills that we can learn and how good we can become. We can all improve at improving. And when opportunity doesn’t knock, there are ways to build a door.
This book reveals how anyone can rise to achieve greater things. The true measure of your potential is not the height of the peak you’ve reached, but how far you’ve climbed to get there.”
‘Right Kind of Wrong’ by
Amy Edmondson
From the author of ‘The Fearless Organisation’ comes this thought-provoking book on how to reduce mistakes and increase learning in your life and work.
“After decades of award-winning research, Amy Edmondson is here to upend our understanding of failure and make it work for us. In Right Kind of Wrong, Edmondson provides the framework to think, discuss, and practice failure wisely. Outlining the three archetypes of failure—basic, complex, and intelligent—Amy showcases how to minimize unproductive failure while maximizing what we gain from flubs of all stripes. “
‘Fierce Self-Compassion’ by
Dr Kristin Neff
Many of us are our own worst critics – we speak to and treat ourselves in a way that we would never dream of speaking to, or treating, our friends.
And we somehow imagine that doing so will make us more successful. But there is a huge body of research that proves the exact opposite.
“A follow up from the bestselling ‘Self-Compassion‘, this book shows why it is more urgent than ever that women acknowledge their areas of suffering, celebrate their inner voice and challenge the male-orientated status quo.
The book will draw on Kristin Neff’s own life story as well as the stories of other women to show how readers can harness self-compassion and gain the strength, clarity and courage needed to be resilient and stand up for themselves in our male-dominated society.“
‘Playing Big’ by Tara Mohr
“When women play big, we make things happen.”
“Five years ago, Tara Mohr began to see a pattern in her work as an expert in leadership: women with tremendous talent, ideas and aspiration were not recognising their own brilliance. They felt that they were ‘playing small’ in their lives and careers and wanted to ‘play bigger’ but didn’t know how.”
This book is a response to that – while not everyone aspires to the corner office, we can learn to play bigger in the parts of life that are meaningful for us.
‘Joyful’ by Ingrid Fetell Lee
“Have you ever wondered why we stop to watch the orange glow that arrives before sunset?”
In this evocatively-written book, designer Ingrid Fetell takes us on a journey around the world, and our immediate environment, to help us understand the impact of aesthetics on how we feel, and gives practical advice on how we can “harness the power of our surroundings to live fuller, healthier, and truly joyful lives.”
Want to learn more about the Personal Mastermind?
If the Personal Mastermind sounds like something you’d enjoy, why not book a free infromation session? We’ll talk about the mastermind format, your interests, and make sure it’s a good fit for you.
Got a book recommendation?
I’m always on the lookout for excellent books to add to our Personal Mastermind curriculum. If you know of (or perhaps have written!) a fantastic book that will help us on our personal and professional development journeys, send me an email. Or drop me a message over on LinkedIn.
