Power

The path toward ethical, authentic, and effective use of power is illuminated in this comprehensive crash course in developing external authority, navigating high-power roles and responsibilities, and finding personal power. The book combines cutting-edge psychological theory with practical exercises, stories, and examples from the author’s experiences as a leadership coach and consultant to provide readers with the tools and instructions to find their unique map of powers. From bosses to parents, politicians to protesters, power rests in the hands of everyone, everywhere.

“Power: A User’s Guide is enormously helpful both to those in positions of power and those who wish to be. Full of enlightening examples, Julie Diamond’s book will inform you and inspire you to demonstrate your strengths in a positive, authentic way.”  —Marshall Goldsmith, author, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

“Power: A User's Guide is a tremendously practical guide on how to navigate organizational life via deeper self-awareness and active management of ourselves and those around us. Get ready to get better.”  —Sydney Finkelstein, author, Why Smart Executives Fail

“Reading Power: A User’s Guide is like engaging in multiple coaching sessions with a wise and trusted therapist—for the price of a book and your time. It is a deal well worth the cost.” —Pat McLagan, author, The Shadow Side of Power

“This is a manual for anyone and everyone, not just those in leadership positions, where the mindful exercise of power is a daily challenge . . . As a leader of an environmental organization, where campaigning for positive change is most often about empowering others or seizing opportunities to shift power dynamics, this is a book that all activists should read.”  —Bunny McDiarmid, Executive Director, Greenpeace Aotearoa New Zealand

Julie Diamond, Ph.D. is a leadership coach and consultant who has spent 30 years working around the world in the field of human and organizational change. She is a founder of the Process Work Institute and the cofounder of the Power2 Leaderlab. She lives in Portland, Oregon.