The Daily Six: Six Simple Steps to Find the Perfect Balance of Prosperity and Purpose Book

More books about spiritual renewal have hit the shelves of business and management literature in recent years, as a generation of kinder, gentler leaders comes of age. Compared to earlier practitioners of the proverbial stiff upper lip, this new group of leaders grapples more openly with issues of burnout and emotions generally, and finds solace in books such as Resonant Leadership and The One Minute Manager Balances Work and Life. Following in this tradition comes The Daily Six, which offers its own recipe for business leaders seeking to preserve their mental health amid stressful environments. Author John Chappelear writes from personal experience. A classically driven, Type A personality, he opens his book by telling readers about his own entrepreneurial adventures, first in building a 50-person company, then his subsequent fall from the grace of a "multi-million dollar business, a beautiful home on the Potomac River, luxury cars, and more." Chappealear lost his way, he explains, due to a lack of perspective on his own situation, which in turn rearranged his values and left him making poor, ill-considered decisions. Without the ability to balance prosperity with purpose, he quickly felt the strain of a difficult and unsustainable life, not to mention business situation. Fortunately for readers, from the crucible of his experience, Chappelear has forged recommendations on how they can avoid fates similar to his. They come in the form of 6 values, or strategies, which he counsels business leaders to practice on a daily basis. The values are: willingness, quiet time for reflection or meditation, love and forgiveness, service to others, gratitude, and action. How individuals will practice the book's "Daily Six" recommendations may differ. What Chappelears offers is commentary on why they should adopt these six values or practices over others. Not every reader will enjoy the emotionally open, psychologically candid nature of this book. However, those who want a tonic from the everyday humdrum of business, and who want practical suggestions on how they can turn toxic situations into tolerable ones, could do worse than to consult Chappelear's manual for self-improvement. The small steps it recommends can lead to big changes. --Peter HanRead More