Lessons for leaders on resolving the ongoing struggle between instinct and the creative mind Kings, heads of government, and corporate executives lead thousands of people and manage endless resources, but may not have mastery over themselves.

Preface vii Acknowledgments ix Part One The Two Selves 1. The Problem of Managing Yourself 3 The Conflict Between Knowing and Doing The Universal Failure of Willpower The Divided Self: Executive and Elephant Learning to Lead from Your Inner Executive Purpose of This Book 2. Recognize Your Two Selves 15 Levels of Consciousness Two Voices Within Why Your Mind is Filled with Automatic Thoughts Unfocused Elephant Mind Versus Focused Executive Presence Small Box Versus Large Mind Part Two Ways You May Mislead or Delude Yourself 3. Three Tendencies That Distort Your Reality 37 Your Internal Judge Your Internal Magician Your Internal Attorney 4. Every Leader’s Six Mental Mistakes 52 Reacting Too Quickly Inflexible Thinking Wanting Control Emotional Avoidance and Attraction Exaggerating the Future Chasing the Wrong Gratifications Part Three How to Start Leading Yourself 5. Engage Your Intention 71 Visualize Your Intention Verbalize Your Intention 6. Follow Through on Your Intentions 90 Write Down Your Intentions Set Deadlines Design Tangible Mechanisms 7. Calm Down to Speed Up 107 Get Connected Let ItHappen Sit by Your Problem Relax Your Body Calm Your Elephant by Acting the Part or Making a Gentle Request 8. Slow Down to Stop Your Reactions 125 Stop and Think Stop Interrupting Detach from Your Emotions and Impulses Just Say No Employ Punishment Part Four Become Aware of Your Inner Resources 9. Get to Know Your Inner Elephant 147 Know Yourself Solicit Feedback Take Advantage of a Setback 10. Expand Your Awareness 162 Review the Day Contemplate Creatively Part Five Reach for the Heights 11. Sharpen Your Concentration 177 Focus Your Attention Focus on Means, Not Ends Slow Down, Look, and Listen Focus on People 12. Develop Your Witness 192 Turn Inward to Develop Your Witness Use Radical Self-Inquiry Who Am I? 13. Reprogram Yourself 209 Repeat a Mantra Prayer May Help, but Not the Way You Think 14. Mend Your Mind with Meditation 223 Why Meditate? An Easy Way to Start Two Essentials Mindfulness Meditation Try Visual Rather Than Verbal Contemplative Meditation Part Six Can You Lead from a People Frame of Reference? 15. Change Your Frame to See People 243 What is Your Frame? From Leading Objects to Leading Humans How to Change Your Frame 16. Change Your Frame to Ask Questions 261 From Answering Questions to Asking Questions In All Things, Consult 17. Living and Leading from Your Inner Executive 275 Higher Consciousness Revisited When Her Mind Went Quiet Answers to Individual Questions Final Thoughts Notes 294 About the Author 311 Exercise Index 313 Index 317

“Kings, heads of government, and corporate executives have control over thousands of people and endless resources, but often do not have mastery over themselves. From a distance, larger-than-life leaders may look firmly in control of their businesses and their personal behavior. What about up close? Personal mastery is a difficult thing.”—FROM CHAPTER ONE LEADERS KNOW WHAT they should be doing, so why aren’t they doing it? When a leader knows the preferable behavior, why stick to an old pattern and fail to perform as desired? The answer is that each of us has two selves: one self is thoughtful, circumspect, and rational (the inner executive), and the other self is habit bound, impulsive, and emotion driven (the inner elephant). In this groundbreaking book, leadership expert Richard Daft reveals how leaders can recognize the two parts of themselves and learn to calm down, train, and guide their inner elephant toward the desired successful behavior. Inner excellence means removing the personal flaw that is holding you back as a leader—such as procrastination, avoiding confrontation, a short attention span, perfectionism, tactless remarks, weak resolve, overreacting, criticizing, chasing the wrong gratifications, or not following though. This important book is filled with lessons for leaders on resolving the inner struggle between impulse and self-discipline, between blind reaction and big picture wisdom. Dozens of proven exercises will empower you to direct yourself and others more productively. With a little practice, your inner executive will learn to choose correct actions rather than let your unwanted behaviors have their way. Through compelling real-life coaching examples of dramatic personal changes, along with recent findings in psychology, management, neuroscience, and Eastern spirituality, Richard Daft provides guidance to all of us who want to follow our best intentions when leading ourselves and others.

"The book is terrific – it identifies an important issue for leaders, and tackles it in a very practical way, with plenty of techniques to choose from and many examples of them being used successfully. We all struggle with our inner elephant, and if you want to help get more control by your inner executive, this book would definitely help." (Globe and Mail, September 2010)