The Samurai Listener

by Cash Nickerson

From white belt to black belt—how to become a more confident and effective negotiator, listener, speaker, and leader using the way of the Samurai.

Justice, courage, loyalty, these are more than words limited to the study of ancient wars and the martial arts. They are essential to the workplace wars we face daily. So, what if you could use the way of the Samurai in your daily life—especially at work? The martial arts skills of the Samurai revolve around politeness, self-control, and honesty. By using these traits as business strategies, you will develop an especially powerful tool for dealing with the subtle attacks we often face from colleagues, clients, and others competing for control, eager to succeed at our expense. By learning how to recognize these attacks, you’ll be ready to handle unexpected challenges. And by mastering these techniques, you will become a more confident and effective leader.

The Samurai Listener provides specific physical and mental exercises to improve all of your interpersonal interactions, particularly in professional settings. Cash Nickerson draws upon more than thirty years of experience in human resources, the workforce, and his training in martial arts to offer expert instruction to help anyone eager to be more successful.

Genres: Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

Published March 6, 2018

About the author

With over $440 million in annual sales, PDS is the fourth largest engineering and Information Technology staffing firm in the United States. In addition to his work with PDS Tech, Nickerson has held a variety of legal and executive positions in his 25-plus-year career including serving as an attorney and marketing executive for Union Pacific Railroad and as an associate and then partner at Jenner & Block, one of Chicago s five largest law firms. He founded a human resources company, Workforce Strategies, which he sold in three years for high seven figures and later founded an Internet company he took public through a reverse merger. Nickerson holds a JD and MBA from Washington University in St. Louis where he was an editor of the law review and a recipient of the U.S. Steel Scholarship. Nickerson is actively licensed to practice law in Texas, California, Illinois, Nevada and Nebraska. He received the Global Philanthropy Award in 2010 from Washington University in St. Louis for his support of the Crimes Against Humanity Initiative and is a member of the Law School National Council. He is an avid martial artist, ranked as a third degree black belt in Kenpo Karate, as well as being a Russian Martial Arts instructor.

Reviews

[K.J. Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book. Simple, approachable, and powerful stories of leadership excellence. I feel like I've spent a month soaking in Cash Nickerson's wisdom over a series of working lunches. Thank you for writing this book! I may just gift this to my boss, lord knows she needs it.

[Matthew Krause · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We have given dignity to the art of being distracted. We call it 'multitasking' and that makes it sound like an achievement." This is just one of the many a-ha moments I experienced while reading Cash Nickerson's entertaining and invaluable book, ‘The Samurai Listener.’ In clear, stream-lined prose, Nickerson breaks down the “soft skill” basics of listening. By drawing upon his knowledge of martial arts, as well as throwing in a geeky movie reference here and there, Nickerson illustrates each element of the equation, organizing them in an easy-to-remember acronym (ARE U PRESENT). The book works on multiple levels, first as a general instructional tome for developing one’s communications skills, but to a deeper degree, it is a set of spiritual lessons on how to break free from delusion, eschew absolutism, cultivate awareness, and navigate this fast-paced, tech-dependent culture with a bit more Zen. I went in fancying myself a pretty good listener; I not only learned some new listening skills, but the practice of those skills enhanced my own spiritual life. Highly recommended for anyone looking to improve his or her life.

[Emiie Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Samurai Listener is a great informational book that had me looking at both my listening and communication in both my business/work life and my personal life. The book is full of great tips and advice, and more importantly understanding on listening that allowed me to change and rethink how I communicate with others around me. A great read for business owners, employees and everyone alike