Emotional Success

This book by David DeSteno came up once on Diary of a CEO in the episodes we index. That mention was a genuine on-air recommendation, not just a passing reference. The people who brought it up: Derren Brown. Every occurrence below links to the episode page and to the exact second it was said on YouTube.

A pioneering psychologist reveals how three emotions can provide the surest, quickest route to success in any realm. A string of bestsellers have alerted us to the importance of grit - an ability to persevere and control one's impulses that is so closely associated with greatness. But no book yet has charted the most accessible and powerful path to grit: our prosocial emotions. These feelings - gratitude, compassion and pride - are easier to generate than the willpower and self-denial that underpin traditional approaches to grit. And, while willpower is quickly depleted, prosocial emotions actually become stronger the more we use them.