Audiobook9 hours
Invisibles: The Power of Anonymous Work in an Age of Relentless Self-Promotion
Written by David Zweig
Narrated by Sean Pratt
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
5/5
()
About this audiobook
What do fact-checkers, anesthesiologists, U.N. interpreters, and structural engineers have in common? When they do their jobs poorly, the consequences can be catastrophic for their organizations. But when they do their jobs perfectly . . . they're invisible.
For most of us, the better we perform the more attention we receive. Yet for many “Invisibles”-skilled professionals whose role is critical to whatever enterprise they're a part of-it's the opposite: the better they do their jobs the more they disappear. In fact, often it's only when something goes wrong that they are noticed at all.
Millions of these Invisibles are hidden in every industry. You may be one yourself. And despite our culture's increasing celebration of fame in our era of superstar CEOs and assorted varieties of “genius”-they're fine with remaining anonymous.
David Zweig takes us into the behind-the-scenes worlds that Invisibles inhabit. He interviews top experts in unusual fields to reveal the quiet workers behind public successes. Combining in-depth profiles with insights from psychology, sociology, and business, Zweig uncovers how these hidden professionals reap deep fulfillment by relishing the challenges their work presents.
Zweig bypasses diplomats and joins an elite interpreter in a closed-door meeting at the U.N., where the media and public are never allowed. He ascends China's tallest skyscraper while it's still under construction, without the architect, guided instead by the project's lead structural engineer. He even brings us on stage during a Radiohead concert, escorted not by a member of the band, but by their chief guitar technician.
Along the way, Zweig reveals that Invisibles have a lot to teach the rest of society about satisfaction and achievement. What has been lost amid the noise of self-promotion today is that not everyone can, or should, or even wants to be in the spotlight. This inspiring and illuminating book shows that recognition isn't all it's cracked up to be, and invisibility can be viewed as a mark of honor and a source of a truly rich life.
For most of us, the better we perform the more attention we receive. Yet for many “Invisibles”-skilled professionals whose role is critical to whatever enterprise they're a part of-it's the opposite: the better they do their jobs the more they disappear. In fact, often it's only when something goes wrong that they are noticed at all.
Millions of these Invisibles are hidden in every industry. You may be one yourself. And despite our culture's increasing celebration of fame in our era of superstar CEOs and assorted varieties of “genius”-they're fine with remaining anonymous.
David Zweig takes us into the behind-the-scenes worlds that Invisibles inhabit. He interviews top experts in unusual fields to reveal the quiet workers behind public successes. Combining in-depth profiles with insights from psychology, sociology, and business, Zweig uncovers how these hidden professionals reap deep fulfillment by relishing the challenges their work presents.
Zweig bypasses diplomats and joins an elite interpreter in a closed-door meeting at the U.N., where the media and public are never allowed. He ascends China's tallest skyscraper while it's still under construction, without the architect, guided instead by the project's lead structural engineer. He even brings us on stage during a Radiohead concert, escorted not by a member of the band, but by their chief guitar technician.
Along the way, Zweig reveals that Invisibles have a lot to teach the rest of society about satisfaction and achievement. What has been lost amid the noise of self-promotion today is that not everyone can, or should, or even wants to be in the spotlight. This inspiring and illuminating book shows that recognition isn't all it's cracked up to be, and invisibility can be viewed as a mark of honor and a source of a truly rich life.
Related to Invisibles
Related audiobooks
Powers of Two: How Relationships Drive Creativity Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Humility Is the New Smart: Rethinking Human Excellence in the Smart Machine Age Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Why We Work Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Simple Rules: How to Thrive in a Complex World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Reinforcements: How to Get People to Help You Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Human Element: Overcoming the Resistance That Awaits New Ideas Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Surprising Science of Meetings: How You Can Lead Your Team to Peak Performance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Think for Yourself: Restoring Common Sense in an Age of Experts and Artificial Intelligence Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Medici Effect: What Elephants and Epidemics Can Teach Us About Innovation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Business Relationships Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Be Bad First: Get Good at Things Fast to Stay Ready for the Future Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Switch Craft: The Hidden Power of Mental Agility Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Nine Lies about Work: A Freethinking Leader's Guide to the Real World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Long Life Learning: Preparing for Jobs That Don't Even Exist Yet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBlind Spot: The Global Rise of Unhappiness and How Leaders Missed It Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Trampled by Unicorns: Big Tech's Empathy Problem and How to Fix It Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Move to the Edge, Declare it Center: Practices and Processes for Creatively Solving Complex Problems Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow: Why HOW We Do Anything Means Everything Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Disrupt Yourself: Putting the Power of Disruptive Innovation to Work Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Innovation On Tap: Stories of Entrepreneurship from the Cotton Gin to Broadway's Hamilton Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Be Miserable in Your Twenties: 40 Strategies to Fail at Adulting Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Human Side of Innovation: The Power of People in Love with People Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The 2020 Workplace: How Innovative Companies Attract, Develop, and Keep Tomorrow's Employees Today Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Sludge: What Stops Us from Getting Things Done and What to Do about It Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High-Performance Companies Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Future Starts Now: Expert Insights into the Future of Business, Technology and Society Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Workplace Culture For You
Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bullshit Jobs: A Theory Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Right Kind of Wrong Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Executive Presence: The Missing Link Between Merit and Success Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Friction Project: How Smart Leaders Make the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Outward Mindset: Seeing Beyond Ourselves Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Trust and Inspire Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Developing the Leaders Around You: How to Help Others Reach Their Full Potential Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Radical Inclusion: Seven Steps to Help You Create a More Just Workplace, Home, and World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5When You Can’t Just Talk About It: How to Navigate Difficult Conversations Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Rising Above a Toxic Workplace: Taking Care of Yourself in an Unhealthy Environment Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mean Girls at Work: How to Stay Professional When Things Get Personal Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Subtle Acts of Exclusion: How to Understand, Identify, and Stop Microaggressions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fascinate, Revised and Updated: How to Make Your Brand Impossible to Resist Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Heart of Business: Leadership Principles for the Next Era of Capitalism Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Artpreneur: The Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Sustainable Living From Your Creativity Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Burnout to Breakthrough: Building Resilience to Refuel, Recharge, and Reclaim What Matters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Persuasion: The Art of Getting What You Want Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Invisibles
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
5/5
3 ratings1 review
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5As an invisible, I felt vindicated listening to this book.