Books
What is done to children they will do to society.
Why Love Matters. How affection shapes a baby’s brain
Sue Gerhardt
Routledge 2004
This book summarises all that is central to the philosophy and approach of the Mindful Leadership Foundation. Sue Gerhardt took a year in the Bodleian library to read all of the then latest neuroscience (2004) (Damasio, Panskeep, Pert, Schore) with a mission to communicate simply, respectfully and engagingly to the general reader. She demonstrates the unassailable logic of the nurture argument through neuroscience and compassionate and well observed case studies.
Put over simply we are born hard wired to expect a meaningful, spontaneous, playful connection to an idealised caregiver. We experience the same emotions they do through the magic of mirror neurons. We develop an internal model of self, other and the world. We get scared or anxious when the caregiver, other or world doesn’t behave in the way we expect and cortisol, the fuel of the fight/flight mechanism rushes round our bodies. Gerhardt explains what happens and uses Attachment Theory to demonstrate what can go awry, what can inform our later patterns and in some cases the psychopathology that can result.
This book was a landmark when published only 6 years ago as it made readily accessible the latest thinking and research, with a human and practical voice. Gerhardt has subsequently turned her attention to the wider societal implications of her thoughts and work in The Selfish Society (Simon & Schuster 2010).
Since its publication there have been many deeper and more detailed, philosophical or technical explorations of these patterns (Cozolino, Gopnik, Hrdy, Siegel) but for me Gerhardt’s remains the most straightforward, persuasive and human.
The physical, psychological, spiritual, emotional and cognitive aspects of our attachment patterns inform all of tMLF’s work with leaders. We contain somatic memories of these early years and our stresses caused by giving a presentation, working with a new boss, being in a foreign country where we don’t share the language were programmed them. Mindfully accepting them invites the possibility of choice and change.
Sue Gerhardt was the guest speaker at the first of tMLF’s New Days at the RSA.
Here's a very short bibliography
Attachment
Bowlby Attachment, Loss and Separation (!997, 1998, 1998), A Secure Base (2005), The Making and Breaking of Affectional Bonds (2005)
Cassidy J & Shaver PR (Eds) Handbook of Attachment, Theory, Research and Clinical Applications.New York: Guildford Press (1999)
Holmes John Bowlby and Attachment Theory (1993)
Hrdy Mother and Others, Belknap, Harvard University Press, London 2009
Gerhardt S Why Love Matters. Hove: Brunner-Routledge. (2004, 2014)
Gopnik, Alison, The Philosophical Baby, Random (2009)
James O They F*** You Up. London: Bloomsbury. (2002)
Cassidy and Shaver Handbook of Attachment(2008)
Action Learning
Revans ABC of Action Learning (2011)
Pedler M Action Learning for Managers (2008)
Coaching
Milan, West The Reflecting Glass Palgrave (2001)
Silsbee The Mindful Coach (2010)
Emotions
Ekman Emotions Revealed (2004)
Evans D Emotion: The Science of Sentiment OUP (2001)
Jeffers, S Feel the Fear (1997, 2011)
Lindenfield Managing Anger (2000)
Nettle Happiness: The Science behind your Smile (2006)
Seligman Authentic Happiness (2003), Flourish (2011)
Leadership and Work
Dalai Lama, MuyzenbergThe Leader’s Way, 2009 Nicholas Brealey London
de vries, K The Leader on the Couch, Jossey-Bass (2006)
Fraser D, Give me the Child and I’ll Give You the Leader. What can Attachment Theory Teach us About Leadership? Leadership Journal The International Journal of Leadership in Public Services Volume 3 Issue 3 October 2007© Pavilion Journals (Brighton) Ltd 42,Perspectives on Leadership.
Svendsen Work, The Art of Living, Stocksfield, Acumen (2008),
Wanless Intuition @ Work and at Home and Play( 2002)
Hamel The Future of Management (2007)
Bunting Willing Slaves: How the Overwork Culture is Ruling Our Lives (2004)
Sennett The Corrosion of Character: Personal Consequences of Work in the New Capitalism - (1998)
Mindful Approaches
Carroll The Mindful leader Awakening your natural management skills through mindfulness meditation Trumpeter Books (2007)
Gilbert The Compassionate Mind, Constable and Robinson (2009)
Gunaratana Mindfulness in Plain English (2002)
Kabat-Zinn Mindfulness for Beginners (2006)
Siegel Mindsight (2010)
Williams, Penman Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Finding Peace (2011)
Williams, Teasdale, Siegel,The Mindful Way Through Depression (2007)
Physical Intelligence
Bryner, Markova An Unused Intelligence (1996)
Damasio The Feeling of What Happens (2000)
Rothschild B The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Treatment New York W W Norton (2000)
SapolskyWhy Zebras Don't Get Ulcers. W.H. Freeman and Company. (1994)
Pert Molecules of Emotion Simon and Schuster (1999)
Psychology
Appignanesi Mad, Bad and Sad: A History of Women and the Mind Doctors from 1800 (2009)
Beck The Vicious Circle, Cognitive Theory: Basics and Beyond (1995)
Boniwell, Ilona. Positive psychology
Boniwell, Ilona., Positive Psychology Coaching, The Bulletin of the Association for Coaching Summer (2006), Issue 8, page 2
Clifton, D.Do & Anderson, E.C. StrengthsQuest Washington:The Gallup Organization (2001-02)
Erskine Attunement and involvement: therapeutic responses to relational needs. Institute for Integrative Psychotherapy, New York, NY, USA and University of Derby, UK. Published in International Journal of Psychotherapy, Vol. 3 No. 3, 1998
Frankl, V Man’s Search for Meaning (1946)
Lewis G Sunbathing in the Rain: A Cheerful Book About Depression (2003)
Lubit Coping with Toxic managers, Subordinates - and other Difficult People (2003)
MastersonThe Search for the Real Self: Unmasking the Personality Disorders of Our Age (1990)
Maddi, S.R.Personality Theories. A comparative Analysis. 6th Edition. Brooks/Cole. (1996)
Mearns and ThornePerson-Centred Counselling (2007)
Merry, TLearning and Being in Person Centred Counselling. PCCS Books (1999)
RogersOn Becoming a Person: A Therapist's View of Psychotherapy. London: Constable. (1961)
Rogers The Necessary and Sufficient Conditions of Therapeutic Personality Change' (1957) reprinted in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 1992
Seligman M, Peterson C, Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook, OUP (USA), 2004
Simanowitz and Pearce Personality Development (2003)
Spiritual Intelligence
Bloom Endorphins 2001 and SOULution (2005)
Richo, D Everyday Commitments (2008)
Zohar & Marshall Spiritual Intelligence: The Ultimate Intelligence, Bloomsbury (2001)
Transactional Analysis
Berne E Games People Play (2010)
Harris I’m OK, You’re OK (1995)
Hay J TA for Trainers (1993)
Steiner Scripts People Live (1990)
Stewart, Joines TA Today (1987)
Tilney Dictionary of Transactional Analysis (1988)
Widdowson Transactional Analysis, 100 Key Points (2009)