My Inspiration
These books were carefully chosen for the First Followers series because each one shaped my journey as a communicator. They taught me to see beyond fear, read emotions, understand body language, listen with empathy, and negotiate with courage. They inspired me to grow in faith, resilience, and curiosity, and ultimately gave me the tools to build agreements where I once only saw conflict. I share them here with gratitude, as companions that helped me learn to speak before the storm and invite others into abundance. My list continues to grow as I am forever a student and am eagerly seeking wisdom to perfect the conversation.
#FF9900
AMAZON
The Parasitic Mind
Gad Saad
The author explores how “idea pathogens” suppress truth and critical thinking.
This concept was used to:
Reinforces the need for fearless truth-telling and critical inquiry when building honest agreements.
AMAZON
The Gift of Fear
Gavin de Becker
The author explores how fear is a survival signal and how to recognize manipulation before it escalates.
This concept was used by: Equiping people to spot red flags and trust their intuition, helping them build safer, more honest agreements.
AMAZON
The Courage to Be Disliked
Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga
The authors explore Adlerian psychology and the freedom of living authentically without seeking approval.
This concept was used to: Inspire the courage to stay true to values during conflict and to separate tasks that aren’t ours to carry.
AMAZON
Never Split the Difference
Chris Voss
The author explores negotiation through tactical empathy, mirroring, and calibrated questions.
This concept was used to: Provides tools to guide hard conversations toward agreements without compromise, making dialogue feel safer and more productive.
AMAZON
Emotions Revealed
Paul Ekman
The author explores universal emotions, microexpressions, and how to read emotional signals in ourselves and others.
This concept: Trains “emotional detectives” to recognize rising tension and respond with empathy before conversations break down.
AMAZON
How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge
Clay Scroggins
The author explores how influence and leadership begin with self-discipline, service, and vision not titles.
This concept: Encourages people to model agreements and influence others by example, even without authority.
AMAZON
Nonviolent Communication
Marshall Rosenberg
The author explores empathetic dialogue through observation, feelings, needs, and requests.
This concept was used by: Grounding conversations in empathy and shared humanity, turning conflict into opportunities for connection and understanding.
AMAZON
Don’t You Know Who I Am?
Ramani Durvasula
The author explores narcissism, manipulation, and toxic behavior.
This concept was used to: Help participants identify and protect themselves from manipulative tactics, keeping agreement-making clear and safe.
AMAZON
Body Language
Glenn Wilson
The author explores how posture, gestures, and expressions reveal hidden truths.
This concept: Gives participants tools to read nonverbal cues and adjust their own body language to foster trust and clarity.