Christine Porath

Despite our deep desire to feel a sense of belonging, many of us feel isolated. The rise of technology and modern workplace practices have led people to be even more disconnected, even as we remain constantly contactable. And as our human interactions have decreased, so too have our happiness levels. This is sparking a crisis in mental health that will have repercussions for years, leaving people lonelier and organizations less productive and profitable, too. What Christine Porath has discovered in her research is that leaders, organizations, and managers of all stripes may recognize there is a cost but have few solutions for how to implement the cure: Community.

With her signature depth and grasp of research across myriad industries including business, healthcare, hospitality, and sports, Porath extrapolates from the statistics on the experiences of hundreds of thousands of people across six continents to show us the potential for change. Through uniting people and sharing information, unleashing them with autonomy, creating a respectful environment, practicing radical candor, providing a sense of meaning, and boosting personal well-being, anyone can help a community truly flourish. The applications of Porath’s findings are endless, and the stories and case studies are positive and uplifting. This insightful exploration of the real nature of community-building will inspire readers to unite and grow their communities—be it in the workplace, the PTA, sports, or places of worship—and make them thrive.

Forthcoming books from two members of the Center for Positive Organizations’ Research Advisory Board, Adam Grant and Scott Sonenshein, made the Washington Post’s “10 books on leadership to read in 2017.” Another book by Christine Porath, a member of the Center for Positive Organizations’ Community of Scholars, also made the list.

Option B, a collaborative work between Adam Grant and Sheryl Sandberg, finds constructive ways to act, work, and live when options are limited. It draws from Sandberg’s experience with sudden loss and Grant’s expertise in organizational psychology to offer what the publisher describes as “compelling insights for dealing with hardships in our own lives and helping others in crisis.”

Sonenshein’s Stretch is not only built on the premise that less is more, it digs further into why and how. The book is described as showing “why everyone—from executives to entrepreneurs, professionals to parents, athletes to artists—performs better with constraints; why seeking too many resources undermines our work and well-being; and why even those with a lot benefit from making the most out of a little.”

Mastering Civility: A Manifesto for the Workplace by Christine Porath combines research and evidence from a variety of fields to detail the benefits to being civil, as well as the bottom line costs of incivility. As indicated by the book’s description, it also “provides managers and employers with a much-needed wake-up call, while also reminding them of what they can do right now to improve the quality of their workplaces.”