Leading from the Inside Out How Self-Knowledge Transforms Leadership

Introduction: writing to be read Part 1: A CHORUS OF FOOLS 1. Weathering the self: reflections on mental health 2. The quiet erosion of wellbeing 3. The stress barometer: mapping the fractured self 4. The seven deadly sins: a field guide for the flawed and fabulous 5. The transitional world: the playground of the mind 6. Time to get back into the sandbox 7. Dreamtime: a secret weapon for self-understanding 8. Once upon a self: becoming through story 9. The money delusion 10. The greed syndrome 11. The curse of too much wealth 12. The mind’s grand theater: a journey through cognitive distortions 13. Is there a snake under the carpet? Looking beneath the surface 14. Beyond business: intimate relationships Part 2: HUMAN, ALL TOO HUMAN 15. Not knowing: the challenge of managing negative capability 16. Once-Born, Twice-Born: on leadership and change 17. The psychology of hiring down: the subtle politics of talent management 18. The art of crushing creativity: a masterclass in leadership stagnation 19. What does a woman want? 20. The psychology of everyday immorality 21. The high-flying folly: what is hubris all about? 22. Is revenge a dish best not served at all? 23. The enemy addiction: why we keep finding someone to blame 24. The leader as a visitor from hell 25. "Bullies Anonymous": from playground to battlefield 26. Choose your battles wisely Part 3: WHEN THE CURTAIN FALLS 27. It’s morning again in America—welcome to the oligarch bloom 28. Are dictatorships good for the health of a nation? 29. Uprisings: the hidden anatomy of revolts 30. Playing the wise fool 31. Why wisdom can’t be taught 32. The stealth motivator: dying to live 33. Eeyore, rainclouds, and the elusive art of happiness 34. The quiet echo of being 35. A black mamba awakening 36. Final thoughts: becoming an explorer of minds

Biography

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries is Distinguished Clinical Professor of Leadership Development and Organizational Change at INSEAD and the founder of its Executive Master Program in Change Management. He offers a distinctive perspective on the interconnected worlds of psychotherapy, organizational behavior, leadership, executive coaching, and consulting. Publications such as The Financial Times, The Economist, Le Capital, and Wirtschaftswoche have recognized him as one of the world’s foremost management thinkers. His contributions have earned him numerous accolades, including the International Leadership Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award—the first awarded to a non-US recipient. He has also received the American Psychological Association’s Harry and Miriam Levinson Award, the Freud Memorial Award, the Vision of Excellence Award from the Harvard Institute of Coaching, and honorary doctorates from four universities.