By Skyler Bascom, for The Lebanon Local
Are you interested in listening to a creatively layered, thoughtfully produced audiobook about power dynamics?
If so, Adam Grant’s “Power Moves” is for you.
In “Power Moves” the listener gets to travel with Grant to Davos, Switzerland as he interviews the world’s most powerful people at the world’s most powerful event about the subject of power.
In audiobook format you get to hear short interview clips from world powerhouses such as Microsoft’s CEO, NASA’s former chief scientist, Bobby Kennedy’s daughter, the photographer of every living president, and more.
If long-format interviews are not for you, then give “Power Moves” a try. The audiobook creatively weaves together upbeat music, real sounds of the streets of Davos, and short clips of interviews.
“Power Moves” is fast-paced and keeps the listener on the edge of his or her seat.
One of the rewarding benefits of listening to “Power Moves” is that at the end of each chapter Adam Grant gives listeners “power tips.”
These are practical ways you can apply the insights covered in the chapters to wield more power in your workplace, family, or in personal relationships.
For example, at the end of Chapter 2, listeners are given the tip to negotiate higher salaries for people under your supervision rather than to negotiate only for your own salary. The idea is that people in your organization will see you as a team player.
Over the long run, team players wield more power than the “lone-wolfs” in organizations. At the end of Chapter 3, listeners are given the tip to show kindness and grace to those around them.
Analytics show that senators, governors and presidents who are kind and graceful pass more bills through legislatures over the long-run against those who are domineering.
At the end of Chapter 4, listeners are given the tip to open-source information to everyone in the company or family. Rather than keeping secret meetings only for upper-management and senior-leaders, Grant suggests open-sourcing the information shared in meetings, allowing all employees to know the ins and outs of meetings. These are only three examples, but “Power Moves” has tips like these and more after all eight chapters.
My personal takeaways from “Power Moves” is that power is not seen as being the biggest, strongest, and loudest person in the room. According to the world’s most powerful people at the world’s most powerful event, power is achieved through being gracious, kind, open-sourcing information, and fighting for those with less power.
I was encouraged to use what little power I have as a father, counselor, board member, podcast host, and family life pastor to be kind, fight for those with less power, and to not use my access to information as a leverage over others.
I can see myself applying these principles as I work with my young children, as I work with at-risk-youth, and as I work in the church. I hope you give “Power Moves” a listen.
It is short (three hours), creative, fast-paced, and helpful for anyone in a position of power or is interested in wielding power appropriately.
Title: “Power Moves”
Author: Adam Grant
Release Date: 2019
Publisher: Audible Original
Price: $5 on Amazon
Length: 3 hours, 3 minutes