NEW MINDSET NEW RESULTS

A business psychologist dissects mindset in this motivational book.

Johnson (Mastering the Game, 2015, etc.) is often asked “to deliver motivational speeches to pump up employees in an organization.” If this work is any indication, it’s easy to see why: The author has the rare ability to tell stories—lots of them—that perfectly drive home his points. He also deftly interweaves insights from other experts with salient observations of his own to dramatize the importance of a “Results-Focused Mindset.” Johnson patiently leads readers on a journey of discovery, first defining mindset, then explaining the difference between mindsets (most notably “fixed” and “growth” ones), and finally delving into techniques he recommends for building a better one. Some of the lingo, such as “context and content recasting,” “submodality change,” “flow state,” and “meta-patterns,” feels like it’s straight out of a psychology textbook. While this could be off-putting to the average reader, the focus is less on the terminology and more on what it helps a person to achieve. In explaining meta-patterns, for example, the author discusses the attributes associated with five types, such as “moving toward or away” and “necessity or possibility.” He explains each meta-pattern in detail, often using stories and examples. He follows this with four specific tips for “successfully” using meta-patterns in addition to three assignments that demonstrate how to employ them. As a result, even if the concept is foreign, it is thoroughly explained and illustrated, with guidance on how to apply it to one’s own situation. This approach is very effectively used throughout the book. One of the more engaging portions is the chapter on “using behavioral contracts” since it addresses various ways to initiate self-rewards for desired actions. Here, Johnson offers two worksheets that help facilitate creating a contract. The overall message—that a positive mindset creates good outcomes—is startlingly simple, but the magic is in the process, which the author masterfully describes.

Mind-expanding—and potentially even life-altering—advice on both a personal and business level.