DIRECTIONS
Lauren Harbert
Hello LTEN community, and happy April! We’ve made it through another winter, and spring is here!
Spring is such a beautiful time of the year – a time of renewal and fresh perspectives — and an ideal season to focus on personal and professional development. With that in mind, I’m excited to share that soon we’ll be launching a new Book Briefs column in LTEN Focus on Training magazine. It’ll start as a quarterly feature dedicated to insightful book reports from our learning community.
First, though, I need to give credit for the idea to Sharon Lustig of CMR Institute and members of the LTEN Editorial Board. This group of industry leaders who help direct and guide this publication immediately approved Sharon’s idea for the column, then proceeded to build on the concept. I think you’ll like how this new feature is shaping up!
Here’s the concept for the series – when you read a book that you find helpful in your career, whether professionally or personally, share your thoughts with us. Ideally each Book Briefs column will have various members sharing good reads with the rest of us.
Stay tuned for more info – we plan to officially debut the column in our June issue and it’s not too late for you to get involved.
I’ll kick things off by highlighting one of my favorite leadership and development books: Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by
Emotional Intelligence 2.0 introduces the four core components of EQ — self-awareness, selfmanagement, social awareness and relationship management — and provides strategies to help individuals strengthen these areas. My favorite feature, a unique one, is the online emotional intelligence assessment, which gives you a starting point to measure your emotional intelligence and track improvements over time.
I’d also like to share two key takeaways that have stuck with me after initially reading this book:
Self-Awareness is the foundation of growth. The book emphasizes the importance of recognizing and understanding your own emotions before you can effectively manage them. One simple yet powerful strategy is to pause and name your emotions in the moment. By doing so, you gain control over your reactions rather than letting emotions dictate your responses.
Social Awareness strengthens relationships with those around you. Another critical component of EQ is tuning in to the emotions of those in your corner of the world, whether at home, with friends or at work. Practicing active listening — truly hearing and understanding others without immediately formulating your response — can deepen relationships and improve workplace collaboration.
And there you have it – our first Book Brief. Now it’s your turn; together we’ll fill a virtual library of great reads.
What leadership, sales, training or personal development books have made an impact on your work? Which one has made you want to share? What book has someone else turned you onto?
If you have a book you’d like to spotlight, I encourage you to write a short report and send it to Tim Sosbe, our editor, at tsosbe@L-TEN.org. You don’t have to be a writer yourself to capture your thoughts – we’ll give you a hand as needed.
I look forward to reading about the books that have shaped your journey – your recommendations may be just what your LTEN colleagues need to round out their “to be read” list for 2025!
Lauren Harbert is executive director of LTEN. Email Lauren at lharbert@L-TEN.org or connect with her through linkedin.com/in/lauren-harbert-25373b35.
