Contagious Culture: Show Up, Set the Tone, and Intentionally Create an Organization that Thrives

by Anese Cavanaugh

GET INSPIRED. GET EXCITED. GET RESULTS. A proven approach to corporate culture that's positively contagious

You are about to enter a new era of leadership. With more competiton, more connectedness, and more opportunities than ever before, this exciting new era demands a workplace culture that is collaborative, productive, energized, and contagious. A culture that encourages extraordinary growth and innovation. A culture that starts with you-showing up, setting the tone, and lighting the fire...

This book is about answering that call and setting yourself up for success.

It's about improving your leadership presence and your impact, not just on others but yourself.

It's about creating the space you need to share your vision, state your intention, and jump-start your team.

It's about working yourself over-from the inside out-so you can become the strong, effective, inspiring leader you know you can be.

This is Contagious Culture, a game-changing guide to transforming corporate culture from within, developed by the award-winning creator of The IEP Method to strengthen your "Intentional Energetic Presence." This is more than a leadership book-this is your future calling.

Award-winning organizational advisor Anese Cavanaugh reveals the secrets of IEP-Intentional Energetic Presence-for transforming your workplace and your life.

The key to any company's success lies in its culture. This game-changing guide shows you how to shape and revitalize this culture-by setting the tone, engaging the team, and creating a dynamic working environment that encourages growth, productivity, and innovation. It all starts with you...

Using the book's unique IEP Method, you Be the kind of leader people want to follow-not have to follow Craft your intention-and make a real impact Unleash your energy-and watch it spread like wildfire Unlock greater collaboration in your teams-and greater leadership in your people Show up for Others-by setting yourself up for success Bring out the best in everyone-including yourself Create a contagious work culture that people want to catch!

With these proven step-by-step techniques, you can take control of the culture you work in and build a healthier, more functional environment-from the inside out. You'll find helpful transformative tools and exercises for improving collaborations, opening communications, and implementing changes. You'll discover the best methods for handling the toughest challenges, whether it's hiring and firing, strategizing and organizing, busyness or burnout. Best of all, you'll learn how to enhance your "Intentional Energetic Presence" (IEP) so you'll always be fully present, purposeful, and prepared to share your vision with infectious energy and enthusiasm.

Contagious Culture is so much more than a leadership guide. It's a complete cultural mind-shift that's not only exciting for you and your team-it's absolutely, positively contagious.

Genres: Business, Leadership, Nonfiction, Professional Development, Buisness

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 13, 2015

Reviews

[Coral Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed feelings - she asked some questions that have really made me think about my presence and intent at work and at home, on the other hand her "Intend and it will happen" gospel (The Secret style) just reeks of privilege. I, it is true, can likely achieve anything I put my mind to. I am also white, educated, relatively wealthy and live in the United States.

Ugh. Being aware of one's privilege can ruin things. Thankful for all those who have pushed me to the self-examination that has led me here.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned a few new things to bring to my work with my teams.

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

The use of the word “contagious” was an interesting choice to describe a positive series of attributes for a manager or leader. Of course, it is a valid use, even if we mostly associate the word contagious with a sickness or disease.

So now one is drawn in to this book, you begin to discover that the art of reading it is also contagious, or addictive. Afterwards you, as a manager that exudes impact, wisdom, drive, inspiration and other positive qualities, act as a culture and replicate it out through your company. It can also have benefits within your private life.

It was an interesting concept and a fresh approach. The author believes that there is great scope for success, especially in our ever-connected, intense and competitive world, when you can spread about your energised, intense and contagious self. Just like a disease, it could replicate and make the company even stronger, individual employees better and more “immune” to rivals. Instead of a contagious virus taking over a body and spreading around an area, imagine instead a positive “company virus” that takes over the company and slowly but surely the marketplace in which it operates.

You wouldn’t want to take antibiotics to fight off this contagion.

Often books of this kind can be rather off-putting, filled with hyperbole and spread false hope. Something about this book felt different. The book makes it clear that the changes come from within, being an change in attitude, before the positive changes are spread about and success replicates success. It was no magic step programme but something you can examine, analyse and implement at your own pace. Whether you dive straight in and try and change everything overnight, or adopt a slower, step-by-step cautious approach, this book can potentially give you a lot. It helps to be able to self-reflect and criticise as well as having the confidence to try and make changes. Just like rolling a small snowball down a hill, it can grow and grow and then become unstoppable.

The book is worthy of consideration. If you believe you are already doing everything right then it won’t hurt to read it and get “confirmation” will it? Maybe by the end you might grudgingly admit something, of course very small and insignificant, can be changed… Or it might be a night-and-day big bang for you.

A book recommended for closer scrutiny, in other words, just as the person who may read it would be!

[Kimberly Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Intentions Wrapped in Clunky WooWoo

Setting intentions and showing up responsible for our energy is about checking ourselves at the door, doing resets, caring for ourselves- all reasonable and needed work. Surface therapy is perhaps the tone and intention, but I wasn't left with a concept of what organizational culture is or what strategies make a culture contagious. I don't disagree with the need to bubble up and check our energy, but I wanted more on what makes culture contagious besides me.

[Kathy Hutchins · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are broadly two kinds of helpful self-help books: those that are clear, concise, easy to read, maybe not too deep and those that have a wealth of information, but are more technical and challenging to read. I felt that this book didn't fit into either category. Yes, it has some good reminders. However, it didn't offer much and it was not presented in a logical, easy to relate to manner.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for my school district, we have the opportunity to pick a book each year to try to apply to our own practice and share with colleagues. I picked this book as the theme resonated with me, I liked the idea of being more intentional with my presence and with the energy I gave to my students and colleagues, I left this book sapped of my mental and emotional energy.

There was a line in the book "If you do nothing else-Show Up, take care of yourself, focus on creating positive impact, and practice gratitude." I feel like that line sums up all you really need to take away from this book and it is a good takeaway, but you don't need to read a whole book to benefit from it.

I was hoping to be energized by this book, I left exhausted. That was largely due to the writing of the book itself, it just didn't resonate with me. The idea is great, but bogged down by pages of made up terms restating of the same thing in ways that do not provide any excess clarity and just muddle everything. You almost need to take notes as your go, memorizing vocab terms, lists, and diagrams.

To give an example, we are introduced to the idea of our IEP (Individual Energetic Presence) in Chapter 4. This IEP has three components to call upon as needed, rebooting your presence, creating intentional impact, and building a strong foundation. Mind you, much of your IEP improving your IEP is the Art of Showing Up, which has 5 components: intention, energy, presence, action and skills, and impact. Now, there is the more complex description of the IEP model which has the essential you at the center (mind you, most people think they need to work on this model from the outside in, but you should work on it from the inside out), then your relational, physical/environmental, mental/emotional, and vibrational energy in the second ring, then your skills and leadership prowess communication, vision and strategy, leadership, support systems, alignment, cultural health, collaboration, and communication in the third ring, which all comes together to form your impact. Which might sound like a lot, so right now just focus on your intention, energy, and presence. Did you get all of that? Because there are 14 more chapters to work through.

Now, don't get me wrong, there were things I benefitted from. It was good to take time to sit down and consider what my vision is for me job. The whole section on intentional impact was helpful. I love and have embraced the idea of creating a culture of feedback, I know that's greatly improved my success and happiness in my classroom. And working on gratitude can be a good thing, especially when it seems like a lot isn't working well in your life. For me, this book would have been more successful if it paired down the amount of information into a cheat sheet of information about a 4th of the length.

This book wasn't right for me, not because I disagreed with it, but because I don't think I ultimately needed it. I am happy with my life, my job, and really everything that's going on. I am immensely grateful for where I am right now, my family, who I work with, and my students (even when they can be difficult). I am not in a position that is over my comfort level, and don't feel like I'm either neglecting myself or my job in the pursuit of happiness or success in the other. If I were at a different point in my life, frustrated with things that weren't working well or the negativity of others and exhausted with everything, this book might be great for me (if I had the energy to really work through it all). If you decide to read this book I hope it gives you the guidance and support you are looking for.

[Celia · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you like feel-good books, then this one is for you. The message sent loud and clear is to show up with intention and just try your best to be your best. It's all about feelings and emotions and how to apply those in the workplace. If you like the work of Dr. Brene Brown, then this book will be right up your alley.

If you like books that are fact-driven, verifiable, and provide clear steps for implementation, this book is not for you. From the made up terminology, nonsensical diagrams, and anecdotal justification, nothing will resonate with a logical, evidence-based approach. If I brought up the desire to pay attention to each others' "vibrational energy" in my professional STEM organization, I'd be laughed out by my colleagues. And they'd be justified in doing so.

Frustratingly, while the book is called "Contagious Culture", the definition of culture is absent until 2/3 through the book. Therefore, a lot of time is spent guessing what one should be trying to achieve throughout the self reflection guidance discussed and description of methods recommended.

To be fair, there were some nuggets and reminders I did find helpful:
- Turn complaints into a request or suggestion so you can take action.
- As a leader, you are responsible for expecting and building growth in your employees (if you can get past the way Cavanaugh describes this with "container size" terminology)
- Give feedback at the right time, both positive and critical

Be intentinoal about the timing. If either of you is not in the right state to give and receive feedback, hold off. Wait for the right time (but not too long).

- What motivates people is autonomy, mastery, and purpose. As a leader you need to give that to them.

Despite those notes, I would not recommend this book.

[Ashley Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contagious Culture is a beautifully written, fun, and accessible book that offers the reader a unique opportunity to dig deep, and really think about the way we show up in our daily lives.

This is not a typical “self-help” or leadership book. Author Anese Cavanaugh has crafted a well-rounded guidebook that includes real life examples, and concrete action steps to help create the life you want in the office, at home, and with yourself. But, only if you do the work.

The book is arranged in five parts. In part one, the author explores how our presence, or how we decide (consciously or unconsciously) to show up is the difference between living the life and having the impact we want, or not. The author also introduces the IEP (Intentional Energetic Presence) Method in this section.

Part two is deep dive into: you. The author explores our internal game: the mental, emotional, physical energy we bring when we show up. How are you intentional about your presence? How are you setting yourself up for success? These are some of the questions the author asks us to consider. I spent the bulk of my time on this section of the book, and found the “Reflection” sections at the end of the chapter to be extremely helpful.

In parts three – five, the author shares her wealth of experience, and step-by-step techniques – gained through decades of experience – on how to grow leaders, create healthy culture within organizations, and how to launch IEP within your own organization.

I have read over 100 business, leadership, philosophical, and “self-help” books, and I can say that Contagious Culture has challenged me more, and provided actionable steps for me to reflect and take ownership of how I show up.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anese is a great speaker, and I really loved her presentation at my company's all-hands event last year, but this book wasn't really hitting the spot for me. Even doing all/most of the activities, I just wasn't getting what I wanted from it. It was nice to discuss with my mentor, though! I also have to say the advertising for Whole 30 turned me off a bit as well, and the mentions of "Bulletproof Executive," which looks like a scam. Also the bibliography cited multiple editions of several texts, which seemed like a low-effort way to bull up the references list...

[Cathy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great to read if you need a cheerleader to get you back into the game. The currently popular phrases "showing up" and "being present" may be so pervasive in our culture that they lose their meaning. But Cavanaugh earnestly emphasizes this type of encouragement in a way that resonated with me. The end result is that I gained insight on how to be a stronger, clearer communicator. And, actually, I grew to appreciate the "New Age" language when I realized how important the message of the book is.

[Samantha von Delvaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

I checked this book out after Cavanagh appeared on a webinar for the company I rep. Don't get me wrong. I love her ideas and her energy. But some of her thoughts can come off as ableist. The reboot and reset thing is something I am trying, but when you have chronic mental health problems it isn't as easy as the book makes it sound. Overall I have read most of these ideas throughout other business books, but her writing style is easy to stay attached to, which is a make or break in this genre.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as part of a book club at work. There are some interesting takeaways. The emphasis on the importance of self-care in the section “Showing Up for You” provided some interesting ideas and exercises to put the learning into practice.

[Leana Delle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like this book, at all. I thought the advice in it was regurgitated content from every self-help book on the shelf, and most of what the author had to say could have been said in half the number of pages (if not less). There was nothing unique in this for me. A complete waste of time.

[Deepak Mishra · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title of the book is so fascinating that made me to read the book. Though some of the aspects are not practical, it made me rethink about my presence, attitude and behavior at my workplace as well as at home.
Questions in the feedback system is really super powerful. 👌

[Noushin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not attract me.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had some great tips and most of it was super helpful. Good reminder for workplace energy, but also just for family and personal energy. I'd recommend to most, especially managers.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got something out of it but it feels rather outdated in parts.

[Sean Higgins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some RA RA RA, some repetition, and some good reminders about taking responsibility for oneself and showing up to serve others.

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2023

*Glad presence*. That's the standard for a good culture (home, school, business), and it's the standard for the leader who wants to set--or elevate--the tone of a good culture.

This is my second time reading the book. I picked it up again because I recommended it to a guy who's part of a team that needed some cultural heart-replacement. And while I still think some of it is repetitive rah-rah, it does put the responsibility in the right place: the one in the mirror.

I find it easier to envision than to embody. The grumblers and malcontents can get to me, and it's also been a challenge to compensate for low energy and internal *meh*. That said, not blaming others or letting ourselves off the hook are evergreen reminders. Do a "presence reboot" and *be* the person you want the group to be full of.

[J Crossley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author speaks of a concept called The Intentional Energetic Presence (IEP). IEP calls for being fully intentional about the energy you project and the way that you present yourself. People with IEP tend to thrive while those without it just survive. You have to take proper care of yourself in order to maintain your energy. Sometimes you have to do a “Presence Roboot” in order to revitalize your mood. Remember that those who are more upbeat present themselves in a more positive way. People are agents of contagion, and their positive or negative feelings can infect other people. How you show up in life has a greater impact than what you do. In order to properly show up, there are five important aspects: intention, energy, presence, impact, and action/skills.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fairly new operations manager trying to turn the cultural tide in my company, I thought this was a very thought provoking book with some good takeaways. I received affirmation of things I am doing and was challenged to take them further. For that, the author gets four stars.

However, I could not quite swallow all of the new age-y thinking of mind over matter or think it and it will be. As others have said, much of this may fly in white, middle class America, but it would not have the same impact elsewhere.

[Paulo Peres · Rating 4 out of 5]

O livro é uma boa proposta de método aplicável em empresas (e times). Existem ótimas dicas ao final de cada capítulo que resumem bem um how-to para aquele que quer fazer suas avaliação cultural.

Como é um método aplicado na IDEO, isto me interessou bastante.

Porém, acredito que o livro poderia ser escrito com mais objetividade e em alguns momentos ele se torna difícil de se diferenciar alguns temas de avaliação pessoal, na prática.

Recomendo para fazer refletir sobre sua cultura organizacional e de time.

[Candida Stamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspiring. I'm going to go back and read it again more slowly. There are lots of great tips in there. I'm going to take notes on what we can do specifically in my business to be more positive and energetic.

[Kaleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as part of a book club at work and I really enjoyed it! As someone with a passion for continuous improvement, curiosity, and building a collaborative culture I found this book to be chock full of resources, exercises, and quotable quotes. I’ll refer back often to this book!

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read! This book gives you ways to be a better you in and outside of work as well as gives you the tools to create a work culture that can flourish. A must read!

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many good reminders in this book about showing up as a leader.

[Amie Martin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Incredibly hard to follow and keep your attention. It is a constant stream of dialogue with no connection between each thought.