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Shapers. Reinvent the Way You Work and Change the Future. Edition No. 1

  • Book

  • 336 Pages
  • August 2020
  • John Wiley and Sons Ltd
  • ID: 5842205

SHAPERS is the definitive guide to elevate the way you work and live.

PRAISE FOR SHAPERS:

"Do you wish you could throw yourself into your work, become energised and enriched by it, and leave the world a better place? Then SHAPERS is for you. Altman shows that your idiosyncrasies and unique skills are not the obstacles to achievement and purpose. They are the path.”
-Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of WHEN and DRIVE

“With countless nuggets of timeless wisdom, SHAPERS gently nudges readers to envision new possibilities for them to build more meaningful, joyful work and lives.”
-Amy C. Edmondson, Professor, Harvard Business School, author of The Fearless Organisation and Teaming

"Altman mixes together case studies, anecdotes and careful empirical research to offer wise and practical advice about how to make work better, and thus to get better work. If companies followed even a quarter of his suggestions they would foster a more productive and more satisfied workplace for everyone. And his engaging, informal style makes for effortless reading.”
-Barry Schwartz teaches at Haas School of Business, U.C. Berkeley and is the author of The Paradox of Choice and Why We Work


We work in places, ways, and on things that were once the stuff of sci-fi flicks. Yet the reality is that most professionals are unhappy in their work.
Whether you want to reset your career, strike out on your own, or just ignite more joy in what you do, this illuminating productivity book shows you how to create a working life that reveals meaning while rewriting our collective future.

When we connect with something larger than ourselves, we enjoy the fruits of our labour as well as the journey - the sweat and the struggle. It’s the unyielding commitment to a purpose that gives shapers their shimmer. The benefits of this shine are plentiful: enhanced wellbeing, more community engagement, a healthier economy, better work for all, and a more beautiful world.

Altman is a workologist who guides companies to leave politics and posturing behind in favour of transparent and trusting cultures. After decades facilitating culture-defining practices for leaders, you’ll learn everything he knows:

  • Adopt the mindset for creativity, innovation, and boundless growth
  • Amplify your career and inspire others to do the same
  • Help create engaged teams through building leadership skills
  • Become a better leader through the five new modes of leadership ethics
  • Learn what underpins the most resilient organisations in the world

The stories and anecdotes in SHAPERS come from hundreds of interviews with innovators dedicated to improving our outdated system of work. These trailblazers include CEOs, organisational designers, social psychologists, workplace strategists, and start-up entrepreneurs. 

See your work from a whole new perspective and focus on what fulfils you. If you seek the freedom to approach work in your own unique way and become energised by what you do, then SHAPERS is your guide.

Table of Contents

Introduction: A Watershed Moment xv

Part I Meaning and the Nature of Work 3

1. The Magic of Meaning 5

2. A Short History of Work 15

3. Employee Disengagement Epidemic 25

4. Inhumane Resources 33

5. The Drive to Work 45

6. Work-Life Blend 51

Part II Better Ways of Working 63

7. Bad Bosses 65

8. The Pursuit of Dopeness 71

9. Vital Ingredients 81

10. Fluid Teams Work 89

11. Managing Self-Management 99

12. Back to School Without the Bull 111

13. Tools to Help You Succeed 121

Part III Principle for the Futures of Work 141

14. Learning: Wonder at Work 143

15. Feeling: An Emotional Revolution 159

16. Leading: Modes of Showing Up 181

17. Becoming: Our Social Fabric 195

18. Futuring: The Long View 211

Conclusion: The Shapers Legacy 237

Notes 241

Glossary of Work Terms 293

Acknowledgements 295

About the Author 297

Index 299

Authors

Jonas Altman