5 Gears: How to Be Present and Productive When There is Never Enough Time

Praise for 5 Gears

"5 Gears will profoundly change the way you see yourself and your interaction with others in every area of your life. How many books do that?"
PATRICK LENCIONI, President, The Table Group; author, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and The Advantage

"One of the most important skills a leader must have is the capacity to observe oneself and self–regulate. Looking at your gears is looking at yourself. A very valuable exercise."
DR. HENRY CLOUD, speaker, psychologist, and bestselling author of Necessary Endings, Integrity, Boundaries and other books

"5 Gears is a simple, but very effective analogy. I have seen firsthand how leaders disconnect by being in the wrong gear at the wrong time. And, I realize now how much more effective I could have been had I not been so stuck in 4th and 5th gears. If you want to increase your influence and connect more effectively, read this book."
PATTYE MOORE, Board Chair, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers; author, Confessions from the Corner Office

"5 Gears is a practical system to take your emotional intelligence to a whole new level. If you want to become a more powerful connector and improve your relationships, this is a must read!"
JON GORDON, bestselling author of The Energy Bus

"I wish I had been given the gift of the 5 Gears approach to relationships before I became a husband, a dad, and a business leader. This is an outstanding framework that leads to stronger relationships."
CHRIS HERSCHEND, President, Ride the Ducks; Vice Chair, Herschend Enterprises

Introduction 1

SECTION ONE Connectivity 9

Chapter 1 Driving Too Fast 11

Chapter 2 Reality Check 23

SECTION TWO 5 Gears for Practical Connection 33

Chapter 3 Getting in Gear 35

Chapter 4 5th Gear In the Zone 51

Chapter 5 4th Gear Leading in a Task World 69

Chapter 6 3rd Gear Why Being Social Matters 83

Chapter 7 2nd Gear Connecting Deeply 97

Chapter 8 1st Gear Learning to Recharge 113

Chapter 9 Reverse Being Responsive in a Resistant World 131

Chapter 10 Ranking Your Gear Order 143

SECTION THREE Living and Leading Connected 155

Chapter 11 Master Your Settings Right Time, Right Place 157

Chapter 12 Shifting Well Learning How to Transition 169

Chapter 13 Intentional versus Accidental 183

Chapter 14 Making the U–Turn Challenge and Plan 193

Chapter 15 What Is Your Story? 205

Transformational Leadership Resources 223

About GiANT Worldwide 225

Acknowledgments 227

Index 229

JEREMIE KUBICEK is co–founder of GiANT Worldwide and the GiANT companies. He is a bestselling author of Making Your Leadership Come Alive and speaker to organizations throughout the world on transformational leadership, emotional intelligence, and personal growth. He currently resides in Oklahoma City with his wife and three children.

STEVE COCKRAM is co–founder of GiANT Worldwide and a recognized expert on personality development, applied leadership learning and culture change with executive teams and organizations around the world. Steve is a soughtafter speaker and teacher on apprenticeship, personality development and team building. He resides in London with his wife and three children.