Michael Gelb, The Art of Connection: 7 Relationship-Building Skills Every Leader Needs Now

Michael Gelb

As the current workforce has become more diverse and less hierarchical, connection, and its good friend, collaboration, are more important than ever. More of us can step into the role of leaders who guide others to discover a sense of meaning, purpose, and connection in the workplace. Leaders need to be flexible and adaptable in their relationship-building and communication skills.  

Michael Gelb’s motto is "Connect before solving." He’s discovered that the most powerful catalyst for inspiring creative breakthroughs, and for translating those breakthroughs into sustainable innovations, is to guide people to connect with one another first, before trying to solve a problem.

Gelb shares his seven methods of developing this essential rapport in our professional and personal lives. He reminds us that developing rapport with others is not just a business tool to enhance productivity but a valuable end in itself. He guides us to cultivate the skills we all need to deepen our relationships, broaden our humanity, and transform our lives. 

Learn more about Michael Gelb: MichaelGelb.com

Steven Gaines, Straight, gay, bi-sexual, who decides what we are?

Steven Gaines

Growing up gay in Brooklyn in the 60s, Steven found that nobody knew what to do with him. Despairing, bullied by the guys at the corner candy store, he went to the back of his grandfather's bra and girdle store, punched the glass pane out of a window and sawed his wrists and forearms on the shards of glass, narrowly avoiding death. His grandfather got him a private room in one of the most exclusive psychiatric hospitals in the world. A young psychiatrist there promised to cure him of his homosexuality, and he found out conversion therapy didn’t work; a Broadway producer who was in the hospital opened a new world for him. He’s now comfortable with himself and a journalist, novelist and biographer who has chronicled some of the 20th century’s most notable artists such as the Beatles and fashion designer Halston. He’s been through the worst and come out on top – a truly inspiring story proving that it does get better. 

Learn more about Steven Gaines: stevengaines.com

Dr. Susan Bartell, How clutter affects our relationships and our health

Dr. Susan Bartell

Clutter: we've all got some somewhere. And it affects us. Ever gone head-to-head with your significant other over what to pack and what to trash? According to a new national study by SpareFoot, 90% of Americans in a relationship admit if they knew there wouldn’t be consequences, they’d get rid of some of their significant other’s possessions.

And why are you keeping this thing: your aunt gave it to you, it was the first thing you bought for yourself, you might need it sometime? Is there some object you’re hiding from your partner? How many things can you have in a room before you start to feel uncomfortable? How much time do you spend looking for misplaced objects in your home?

Dr. Susan Bartell gives you a perspective on where you stand with other American adults, and ways to help you make your home comfortably reflect your truest self.

Learn more about Dr. Susan Bartell: drsusanbartell.com

Stephanie Carnes, Mending a Shattered Heart: A Guide for Partners of Sex Addicts

Stephanie Carnes

Sex addicts don't always show their deepest sexual desires to their loved ones. How can you tell whether your partner is simply behaving badly or truly suffers from a disease called sex addiction? When you discover that the person you loved and trusted most in the world is hiding from you, the result can be devastating.

Sex addiction therapist Dr. Stephanie Carnes helps you face that heartbreak and betrayal. She gives you a comprehensive guide to examining the relationship, including difficult questions like “Should I Stay or Should I Go?, How Do I Set Boundaries and Keep Myself Safe?, What Does It Mean if My Partner Has Shown an Interest in Minors? and "What should I tell the kids?".

She weaves real-life stories with practical therapeutic advice and specific tasks that gently educate, empower, and guide the partner of the sex addict through a process of recovery. Both you and your partner can discover hope and healing. 

Learn more about Stephanie Carnes: iitap.com/blog/portfolio_page/dr-stefanie-carnes

Robert Weiss, Out of the Doghouse: A Step-by-Step Relationship-Saving Guide for Men Caught Cheating

Robert Weiss

Why don’t men get it about cheating? What hurts the most is the lying, manipulating, and secrecy that it inevitably requires. Cheating men are typically unaware of the depth and nature of the pain they have inflicted on their mates.

Robert Weiss speaks to the loving but clueless man who has messed up an otherwise healthy relationship, and now wants to earn his way back home. This “learn it or lose her” primer for men caught cheating is a roadmap for rebuilding trust, restoring intimacy, and salvaging a damaged relationship. The cheated-on partner can feel validated and understood for her losses, and better understand how men think about sex, cheating, and relationship intimacy.

This direct address to unfaithful men (and their significant others) is not focused on shaming or judging, but instead acts as a translator that can help an unfaithful man truly understand the blow he has caused to his relationship and how to work through that pain with his partner.

Learn more about Robert Weiss: robertweissmsw.com

James Cordova, The Marriage Checkup: A Scientific Program for Sustaining and Strengthening Marital Health

James Cordova

Marriages don’t whine like children or bosses, but we have to pay attention to them or they can get sick or just plain tired.

Professor James Cordova of Clark University wrote The Marriage Checkup to help couples assess the strengths and weaknesses of their relationship and to develop strategies for strengthening its health. It’s a two-session assessment and feedback program that helps us look at intimacy, sexuality, co-parenting, managing money, and communication, "the marital health equivalent of the annual physical or the every-six-month dental visit.”

We can avoid the emotional turmoil associated with conventional marital counseling since we are simply receiving safe and routine feedback about potential problems in our marriage. Like physical health, the health of a relationship can be developed to greater levels of fitness and resilience to illness; even healthy couples can benefit from these exercises. 

Learn more about James Cordova: wordpress.clarku.edu/coupleslab/

Winifred Reilly, It Takes One To Tango: How to Rescue Your Marriage With (Almost) No Help From Your Spouse

Winifred Reilly

What happens when your marriage is broken but you’re the only one who wants to fix it? We’ve all heard “it takes two” to make a marriage better, but therapist Winifred Reilly noticed that waiting for her change-averse husband to leap up and joyfully embrace her grand plans for remodeling her marriage wasn't working out any better for her than it was for her clients. So she decided to try to rescue her marriage by herself, even though she had no idea what that would take.

Like most couples she works with, she wanted a happier marriage, not a divorce. Now she gives us practical, effective, empowering alternatives to talking ourselves blue in the face. “I know from experience that when one partner takes that first step...behaves in a new way, challenges the status quo, the other will usually follow. Sometimes slowly, not always cheerfully, and often not in the way we imagined. But eventually, both partners become stronger and healthier, and so does the marriage.”

Learn more about Winifred Reilly: onetotango.com

Sarah Elliston, Lessons from a Difficult Person: How to Deal with People Like Us

Sarah Elliston

Sarah Elliston never realized she was "a difficult person," as she harangued people until she got her way, threw temper tantrums, and talked over her bosses. In her family, where she felt bullied, the only way she knew how to get attention was to voice her opinion, loudly!

She wasn't mean-spirited. She was just trying to do what she thought was RIGHT for herself and everyone else! Until a kind but firm boss pointed out that she was not only disrupting the office, but impeding her own professional advancement.   

Sarah started on the journey to leave behind the difficult person, and became the woman who teaches others how to deal with difficult people. She’ll share tips on how to awaken the challenging personality, and change both the relationship and the environment. You’ll learn ways to resolve personal conflict, implement negotiation skills with positive results, and relate in a non-confrontational way in working out disagreements with friends, family, neighbors and business associates.

Learn more about Sarah Elliston: www.sarahelliston.com

OolaGuys, Oola for Women: Find Balance in an Unbalanced World

Troy Amdahl and Dave Braun

Oola is that state of awesomeness you experience when your life is balanced and growing in all the key areas of health and well-being. It can be a noun or a verb, a destination or a feeling.

Troy Amdahl and Dave Braun, the OolaGuys, know that women are the ultimate multitaskers. While a circus performer might spin seven plates in a single show, women spin seven plates―figuratively―every day. They not only juggle kids, family, and home life, they also juggle work responsibilities, make constant business decisions, handle professional events, and so much more that it's truly mind-boggling what a woman can pack into a 24-hour day.

To truly live an OolaLife, it’s paramount to identify those toxic traits that hold us back from finding balance and growth in the seven F’s of Oola—fitness, finance, family, field (career), faith, friends and fun—and embrace the transformational characteristics that will help accelerate this journey to greatness.

The OolaGuys will talk about the experiences of 54 inspiring women, how to overcome unexpected hardships, and transform the juggling act of everyday life into a dream lifestyle of simplicity, tranquility, abundance, and opportunity.

Learn more about the OolaGuys: oolalife.com

Holly Parker: If We’re Together, Why Do I Feel So Alone?

Holly Parker

Living together, but your partner is emotionally absent; they are caught up in acting like a Critic, a Sponge, an Iceberg, an Emotional Silencer, a Defender? Constantly combating outright hostility or overcoming subtle distance can leave you with the sense that the give-and-take in your relationship has disappeared.

Harvard University clinical psychologist Dr. Holly Parker rescues us from the desperate, hopeless feelings that have come to define our relationship and life. She has developed a program filled with practical exercises and powerful advice for individuals on both sides of an emotionally damaged relationship. She talks about how to create healthy emotional connections and boost physical intimacy, how to eliminate habits that trigger self-sabotaging behavior, and more.

With patience, empathy, and willpower, Dr. Parker’s program can help you restore balance and peace of mind, and turn your damaged partnership back into a rewarding and joyful bond. 

Learn more about Holly Parker: drhollyparker.com

Jeanine Staples, The Revelations of Asher: Towards Supreme Love in Self

Jeanine Staples

How do you behave in love: Main Chick, Side Chick, Bonnie, Bitch, or Victim? Have you known the terror of emotional, psychological, or physical violence, and does that impact the way you show up in relationships and how you operate in the world?

As an alternative response to the five toxic lover identities, Jeanine presents a new way of loving and living. She introduces the Supreme Lover identity and illuminates its integral connection to social and emotional justice for and through Black women's wisdom. She gives us the tools to take ownership of our lover identities, and consciously seek greater emotional justice for our lives and communities.

Learn a more conscious way of loving and living in the world.

Learn more about Jeanine Staples: Jeaninestaples.com   and  thesupremeloveproject.com 

Latest hottest from Maryanne Live

What is the Maryanne Live radio show and why should you listen? Maryanne takes you into the depths of her practice and tells some of her fascinating story.

She went from a history of abuse/debilitating panic disorder/draining relationships, had an experience of awakening, and explored all the possible spiritual practices she could find to stay awake.

She'll bring on experts in the field of self-inquiry and awareness to help you stay awake, and invite us all to take the material and not theorize but live and breathe the principles in our lives. How do we take all the things we know...forgiveness, compassion, kindness...and embody them in real time?

Mark Coleman, Make Peace with Your Mind

Mark Coleman

You know your Inner Critic, the voice that says you’re not enough, not good enough, or sometimes...too much.

Renowned meditation teacher Mark Coleman helps us see where it comes from, and what strengthens and weakens it. He’ll share insights into what creates, drives, and disarms the Inner Critic; examples from real people’s healing journeys that inspire and guide; tools we need to begin turning the lens of attention toward our own minds, with kindness and clarity. You’ll learn simple exercises you can immediately put into practice to invite, cultivate, and nurture your best self and make peace with your mind.

“The good news coming out of neuroscience is that your brain and negative habits can change based on how you use your attention,” writes Coleman. “When you see how much your inner critic robs you of peace and well-being, you will be less apt to give it your loyalty and attention.”

Learn more about Mark Coleman: MarkColeman.org

Linda and Charlie Bloom, Happily Ever After and 39 Other Myths About Love

Linda and Charlie Bloom

“Couples with great relationships don’t fight” or “little things aren’t worth getting upset over” aren’t true, just common myths like the one about how the couples walk away together as the credits roll, heading for a life of "happily ever after." These misconceptions can prevent you from building the strong relationship you hope for.

Bestselling authors and relationship counselors Linda and Charlie Bloom offer compelling stories and valuable suggestions for replacing myths with realistic expectations, equipping you with behavior and communication guidelines that will enhance and strengthen your intimate relationship. It gets better...and more fun than you would have ever imagined! 

Learn more about Linda and Charlie Bloom: www.bloomwork.com

Pouline Middleton, One Woman, Three Men: Conscious dating

Pouline Middleton

Who says you have to find "the one"? How about three men; one to talk about the meaning of life with, one to be intimate with, and one to be an handyman?

Divorced single mother Pouline made up her mind to date three different men, one for each area that was important to her. She began a very transparent conscious dating search online. Every man she connected with knew her plan and needed to state which area he wished to be considered for. The interactions were fun, funny and profound. 

Since creating Modern Love, Pouline has coached hundreds of people to get in touch with their three most important areas, whatever they may be. Her process also works for men seeking women and same-sex couples. It's fun, but under the humor is a serious look at bringing our highest consciousness to modern love and sex. Laugh and learn! 

Learn more about Pouline Middleton: www.modernloveandsex.com

Marla Washington, Dating Without A Daddy: A Guide For Fatherless Women Looking For Love

Do you struggle to find a good man? If you grew up fatherless--and this is epidemic--this could have had a profound effect on your love choices. As you transition into womanhood, you may need to fill this void with any male figure.

Marla Washington steps in to tell you some of the things needed to discern the men you pursue and the men who pursue you. If you didn’t have a daddy, tune in for critical insight and practical tools to create a healthy, loving romantic relationship.  

Learn more about Marla Washington: marlawashington.com

SARK, Succulent Wild Love: Six Powerful Habits for Feeling More Love More Often

Want to love and be loved more? SARK, Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy, and her beloved, Dr. John Waddell, share how to remove the barriers to experiencing unconditional, succulent, wild love.

"Few of us have learned how to do this on a consistent basis,” they say. “Most of us have been told that the uninhibited joy and unconditional love we feel at the start of a relationship will inevitably fade. After practicing the six habits in this book, you will know that doesn’t have to be so.”

Listen in for ways to take your relationships with the most significant people in your life from "I love you anyway" to simply "I love you" — releasing tension and fear and getting the support and affection you want. 

Learn more about SARK: planetsark.com

Mike Robbins, Nothing Changes Until You Do

How can people be more kind and loving towards themselves? Mike shares a few of the stories from his book ~ some funny, some touchingly vulnerable. Here, with humor, authenticity, and ease, Mike illustrates that with a little compassion and a healthy dose of self-acceptance, anyone can turn away from the negatives that manifest because of critical self-perception. Making peace with yourself can be easier than you dreamed possible!

Learn more about Mike Robbins: mike-robbins.com

Dawna Markova, Spot of Grace

How do you find your own spot of grace? Cancer survivor Dawna Markova was given six months to live over thirty years ago, and today she inspires us with her stories and the stories of countless others who share their unique gifts with us. Inspirational speaker and writer, she is internationally known for her groundbreaking work in helping people learn with passion and live on purpose.

As one of the editors of the Random Acts of Kindness series, she helped launch a national movement to help counter America’s crisis of violence. She is the champion of the part of ourselves that we often forget. She is the torchbearer that lights the small cauldron of hope in each of us. You don't have to discover penicillin, feed the poor in the streets of Calcutta, or be the first person to swim to Antarctica to make a remarkable difference in the world!

Learn more about Dawna Markova: www.dawnamarkova.com