Description
Book SynopsisA timely and compelling guide to managing the anxiety that comes with succeeding and leading—from entrepreneur, mental health advocate, and top-rated podcaster Morra Aarons-Mele.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses in the world. But in our workplaces, anxiety has been a hidden problem—there in plain sight but ignored. Until now.
The Anxious Achiever is a book with a mission: to normalize anxiety and leadership. As leadership expert and self-proclaimed anxious achiever Morra Aarons-Mele argues, anxiety is built into the very nature of leadership. It can—and should—be harnessed into a force for good.
Inspired by the popular podcast of the same name, The Anxious Achiever is filled with personal stories, research-based insights into mental health, and lots of practical advice. You'll learn how to:
- Figure out your own anxiety profile so that you can recognize and avoid common thought traps and triggers
- Confront bad habits and unhealthy coping mechanisms
- Resist perfectionism, manage social anxiety, and set boundaries to prevent burnout
- Deal with feedback, criticism, and impostor syndrome
- Model—and communicate—healthy behavior as a leader
Whether you're experiencing anxiety for the first time or have been battling it for years, The Anxious Achiever will help you turn your stress and worries into a source of strength for yourself, your career, and the people you lead.
Trade ReviewIncluded in HR Magazine's list of "terrific new workplace books."
Advance Praise for The Anxious Achiever:
"If you are a high achiever and you know—you just know—that you could achieve even more and be happier if you could wrestle your anxiety to the ground, this is your playbook. Aarons-Mele's book is well-researched, highly practical, searingly candid, and deeply empathic. Riveting." — Whitney Johnson, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Smart Growth
"Aarons-Mele has written an astonishing book. She moves from stories to data to advice in a page-turning way. This is not a book for just anxious achievers—it's a book for any human being who wants to transform their mental health." — Andy Dunn, cofounder and former CEO, Bonobos; entrepreneur; and author, Burn Rate
"Readers will experience a deep and grateful sigh of recognition soon after diving into this wonderful book. Morra Aarons-Mele gently and intelligently guides readers through the different facets of anxiety and shows us how to tame negative self-talk and experience more joy and more success. Wise and practical, The Anxious Achiever is a game changer." — Amy C. Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management, Harvard Business School; author, The Fearless Organization
"Anxiety can be debilitating in our work and in our lives. In The Anxious Achiever, Aarons-Mele shares real-life examples and pragmatic ideas on how we can successfully manage anxiety and convert it into a superpower to help us build meaningful relationships with colleagues and friends and lead with empathy and purpose. This book will help leaders and teams thrive in our deeply uncertain world." — Vivek Bapat, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Brand Purpose, and Sustainability Solutions, SAP
"A helpful deep dive for leaders looking to understand anxiety and perfectionism. Full of practical advice." — Jenny Lawson, #1 New York Times bestselling author, Let's Pretend This Never Happened
"In The Anxious Achiever, Morra Aarons-Mele bravely uncovers a reality that we rarely talk about: success is often accompanied by great anxiety. It's a horrible feeling. But armed with the concepts in this well-researched, raw, and vulnerable work, you will learn how to take anxiety and channel it toward a powerful purpose." — Rita McGrath, professor, Columbia Business School; author, Seeing Around Corners
"The Anxious Achiever is a must-have for all emerging and experienced leaders who live with anxiety. Deeply relatable and with fresh perspective, this book provides practical strategies and real-world examples that help reframe how we think about and deal with anxiety in the workplace." — Muriel Wilkins, executive coach; coauthor, Own the Room; and host, Coaching Real Leaders podcast
