Power Moves: Lessons from Davos
Written and Narrated by: Adam Grant
Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
LOVE Adam Grant, but if you’ve listened to his podcast, you’ve heard this all before.
I got to love Adam Grant and his delivery style whenst searching for possible subjects to check out when we all switched to remote Professional Development at work, waaaaaay back at the beginning of the Pandemic. I saw “WorkLife” and thought it might be good to learn about leadership (Tho’ I’m no leader) and the workplace (Tho’ I work the graveyard shift, I still have co-workers). I found each episode to be insightful, inspirational, and invigorating, I even wanted to get back to work posthaste to see if ideas discussed were applicable to my work routine.
Fast forward eeeeeeeons, and we’re still in the throes of Covid, and I’m looking for New Year’s Self-development audiobooks to assist those who miiiiiight have to be braving the world by going back into the jaws of contagion.
But slam those brakes on, my friend, cuz I looked, after listening and scratching m’ head, and this audiobook, Power Moves was released in 2018, and ‘tis an enTIREly different world out here in 2020. Plus, I’ve heard plenty of it in the podcast…
Let’s get to what all is different. And let’s look at the top reviews for it: The top (gazillion and six) reviews for this are scaaaaaathing, say it’s soooo biased, and that it pushes an anti-Trump and pro-progressive agenda. Plus, the reviewers were all ticked off in that it encourages female achievement and in women getting space at the table.
WHAT? How DARE Grant suggest women might have merit and that they’re under-represented, with women of color being even moooore under-represented than THAT! What IS his problem, and what male, who’s soooo tired of hearing about women dealing with sexual harassment at work, wants to listen to that? I mean, this is 3 hours or so of women mentioned, and that’s just toooo much for the males out there who are privy to keyboards and opinions. And to think: Trump was mentioned as a leader who’s more power-oriented than achievement-oriented. An OBVious slight to the greatest leader the country has ever known—type type type keyboards and opinions type type type (As I sit here with my own keyboard and opinions…)
Let’s just say, with all of that, that this little audiobook promotes inclusiveness and diversity and after an election where we saw well over 70 million vote for an anti-inclusive, anti-diversity agenda. See? So this is a very dated, albeit hopeful, little audiobook. Plus, it is a celebration of growth and of changing to fit modern and emerging realities. And it also celebrates science and research as a way to move to the future; this in a year where a pandemic response is to shun the science, and to where our very own CDC has backtracked and morphed its recommendations to be more politically acceptable.
What happened to all that was hoped for? So sad. I mean, this book’s dated hope makes the other stuff kinda slip through the cracks. Where corporations and entities are trying to make the workplace more open, with respect for all workers, where workers can express concerns in the name of safety, where the powers that be must adapt or die, this all gets lost. And only the concept that if you were a jerk before power, ultimately, you’ll just become a jerk who has power - if that’s the case, stands out.
I know I know. Violence has been done in many names during 2020, and that just makes this audiobook a trifle depressing barely two years after its release. Still, I applaud those interviewed here who sound so excited and enthusiastic; it gave me a boost where I’ve been feeling disheartened. And Adam Grant is just so danged affable and curious when he interviews and asks questions, it’s hard to dislike him, and indeed I don’t by a long shot. It’s just that I’ve heard all this in the podcasts which only run during the school year. As such, I’ve not heard anything new since the pandemic started, and Power Moves only made me feel sorrow for a reality that never came.
I hear tell this is a free audiobook, and that’s the ONLY reason the gruffsters haven’t returned it, tho’ they spent an entire 3 hours ticked off.
Me? I’ve spent the past 4 years ticked off so Nyah Nyah on them; I’ve got them beat by 364 days and 20 hours and 57 minutes. Therefore, says I to myself, I’ve a bit of a right to bang on my own keyboard, express my own opinions. Me? I’ll listen to this book, tho’ I’ve heard it before otherwhere, and?
I’ll choose Hope…!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.