HeadTrash: Cleaning Out the Junk that Stands Between You and Success

May 15, 2013

Leadership consultants Squillaro (CEO, CANDOR Consulting) and Thomas define "headtrash" as the negative voice of fear, arrogance, insecurity, control, anger, guilt, and paranoia that keeps leaders from achieving total success as thoughts manifest into actions and become their greatest adversary. The authors share their expertise gained from years working as development trainers and change-management leaders to distill practical ways of recognizing the behavior associated with headtrash to provide a strategy for getting "unstuck" and moving forward. Each chapter covers one of these seven forms of thinking and explains the role of each in stifling productivity. A checklist and real-world examples supplement the discussion. VERDICT While targeted toward those in leadership positions, this book has a message for everyone on how to evaluate the internal voice that has the ability to shape careers and relationships. Relaxed writing and short sections make this a quick read without neglecting to provide essential tools for increased self-awareness.--Elizabeth Nelson, UOP Library, Des Plaines, IL

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 11, 2013
Management consultants Squillaro and Thomas offer a framework to break free of “HeadTrash”—the pattern of self-defeating and unproductive emotions and fears that undermine effectiveness. HeadTrash takes seven forms, according the authors: fear, arrogance, guilt, paranoia, anger, control, and insecurity, and they often present themselves in pairs. The authors dedicate chapters to each, identifying several ways in which HeadTrash can manifest itself. For example, the authors examine two kinds of fear: of being wrong and of speaking up. They provide a useful comparison checklist to point out differences between fearful and courageous leaders as well as a quiz to help assess whether fear HeadTrash is present. They also offer seven recommendations to overcome fear, such as gradually building up to big decisions, expecting to make mistakes, and accepting that reality isn’t always pretty. Another plus of the book is the easy, relaxed tone and the unique, open design that includes cartoons, shaded call-out boxes, and bulleted lists. Because HeadTrash, as defined, would seem to be a nearly a universal condition, this book may empower many readers to kick their mental garbage to the curb.