The Triangle of Truth: The Surprisingly Simple Secret to Resolving Conflicts Large and Small

by McLeod, Lisa Earle

• ISBN13: 9780399536434
• ISBN10: 0399536434
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-02-01
• Publisher: Penguin Group USA

Summary

"A must-read for anyone who wants to be more successful." -Keith Ferrazzi, author of #1 New York Timesbestseller Who's Got Your Back This engaging and eye-opening book presents a bold model for rising above either/or thinking, recasting the debate on everything from sex and politics to business and religion. With refreshing wit and honesty, business consultant and columnist Lisa McLeod reveals why most of what we've been told about conflict resolution and compromise is wrong-and why the answers to even the most complex problems are closer at hand than we might think. A rare combination of personal insight, business wisdom, and humor, The Triangle of Truthis a just-in-time read for anyone who is tired of the arguments, angst, and stalemates and is ready for real solutions to our problems, large and small.

Author Biography

Lisa Earle McLeod is a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist, keynote speaker, and inspirational thought leader. The president of McLeod More Inc., an international training and consulting firm, she writes a leadership series for Forbes.com. Visit her company website at TriangleofTruth.com.

Table of Contents

Introduction: What Do Mary Kay, Buddha, and Elvis Know That You Don't?	p. xi
Embrace and: Why Either/Or Thinking Ruins Everything	p. 1
Why Other People Drive Us Nuts	p. 3
The Flawed And Fabulous Dichotomy of Human Nature	p. 4
Either/Or: The Bane of Human Existence	p. 6
Harnessing the Power of And	p. 8
Intellectually Understandable, Emotionally Challenging	p. 12
Why a Single Triangle Solves Millions of Problems	p. 15
Filed Under Flawed	p. 18
The Truth About Other People	p. 20
Make Peace with Ambiguity: How Fear and Uncertainty Flatline Our Thinking	p. 25
This Is Your Brain on Fear	p. 26
The ôI Can't Hear Youö Brain-Lock	p. 29
Fear Ignites Either/Or, Love Inspires And	p. 31
Love Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton	p. 35
Pessimism Versus Optimism: A False Choice	p. 40
What POWs Teach Us About Choosing Our Thoughts	p. 44
Why Faith Is Different from Optimism	p. 46
A Very Expensive Lesson	p. 49
Two Game-Changing Dualities	p. 56
The Secret to Mastering the Triangle	p. 58
Hold Space for Other Perspectives: Solving the Your Agenda Versus My Agenda Quagmire	p. 61
The Sales Rep Who Loved	p. 64
Why Your Body Is Smarter Than Your Brain	p. 68
What the World of Sales Teaches Us About Assimilating Truths	p. 70
What Differentiates the Superstars	p. 73
Same Message, Different Results	p. 75
A Subtle Shift of Focus	p. 78
How You Organize Your Mind	p. 80
It's Not You, It's Me (So Please Stick to the Subject)	p. 84
Once More with Feeling	p. 87
A Question of Timing	p. 88
Interesting Versus Interested	p. 90
Who's Afraid to Let the Other Guy Talk?	p. 91
Why Love Means Never Having to Say, ôYes, Butö	p. 93
Act As If	p. 99
Can I Get a Witness?	p. 101
Seek Higher Ground: How to Rise Above the Comfort and Convenience of False Choices	p. 105
We Hold These Truths to Be Complementary	p. 112
The Myth of the Middle Ground	p. 114
The Bumpy Path to Greatness	p. 117
The ôThereforeö Trap	p. 120
Crossovers: Problematic and Successful (Sometimes)	p. 123
Why John Adams Sold the Declaration, but Garth Brooks Couldn't Sell Chris Gaines	p. 125
Are You My Thomas Jefferson?	p. 130
Male Versus Female: A Dichotomy Worth Mastering	p. 133
False Choices of Substance and Style	p. 134
The Third Path: A Call to Intellectual Maturity	p. 137
Discern Intent: Discovering the Real Truth Behind Imperfect Solutions	p. 143
Judgment Versus Discernment	p. 147
Survival Techniques of the Lizard	p. 151
Discerning Their Truth, Even When You're Annoyed	p. 153
First Truth Versus Second Truth Battles	p. 156
Imperfect Solutions: Turf Wars	p. 159
Discerning Intent in Emotionally Charged Debates	p. 161
The Either/Or Debate That Tops Them All	p. 164
Be the Hero (Somebody Has To)	p. 168
Elevate Others: How to Change the Way Other People Think and Why You Should Even Bother to Try	p. 171
Elevating the Conversation	p. 173
Big Questions, Little Stories	p. 175
The Doorbell Dynamic	p. 175
Ask And Tell	p. 178
Criticizing Versus Inviting	p. 181
Locked and Loaded Questions	p. 182
Once Upon a Triangle	p. 183
Why Some Stories Work Better Than Others	p. 186
How Sharing Perspectives Unlocks Creativity	p. 189
Beyond Balance	p. 190
A Special Note for Leaders	p. 193
Why We're All Called to Lead	p. 196
Be the Peace: How to Solve the Conflict in Our Head by Changing the Spirit in Our Heart	p. 199
The Triangle of Truth: Seven Principles	p. 205
The Triangle of Truth: Results	p. 207
The Triangle of Truth: Tools	p. 209
Acknowledgments	p. 211
The Peace Alliance	p. 215
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