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Upshift

Turning Pressure into Performance and Crisis into Creativity

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Upshift

By: Ben Ramalingam
Narrated by: John Sackville
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About this listen

‘[A] creative and original book on resilience through crises’ DAVID MILIBAND

‘[A] fascinating book is full of insights … I highly recommend it’ KATE RAWORTH, AUTHOR OF DOUGHNUT ECONOMICS

From a leading international crisis management expert, a breakthrough book about performance under pressure that will change the way you think about stress

When we experience too much stress, we often feel like shutting down and escaping the source: we ‘downshift’. With too little stress, we become apathetic and disengaged. But what happens in the middle zone – when we experience what psychologists call ‘positive stress’ – and how can we use it to overcome extraordinary barriers and perform at our peak?

From his role as a globally recognised change-maker at the likes of the United Nations, the International Red Cross and the World Bank, Ben Ramalingam has a unique vantage point from which to identify the key principles that can enable anyone to use stress as an opportunity for change. We learn how a switch in mentality helps musicians dazzle huge crowds against all odds; how astronauts focus on originality to overcome life-threatening incidents; and how discovering a sense of purpose allows emergency health workers and aid experts to deal with unprecedented crises.

Through a sweep of fascinating interviews, in-depth research and inspiring human stories, Upshift provides us with an everyday toolkit that can help to improve our work, relationships and mindset, and places us on the road to success. Taking readers on an epic journey from early humans’ survival of the Ice Age to how modern social movements emerge and propagate in the digital world, Upshift is a reminder that creative solutions to complex problems will always exist – as long as we’re ready to innovate.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Ben Ramalingam (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers
Business Development & Entrepreneurship Decision-Making & Problem Solving Stress Management Career
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Critic reviews

Next Big Idea Club, Must Read 2023

Non-Obvious Books Top 100 Business Books 2023

‘Ben Ramalingam has brought all of his considerable passion and experience to write this creative and original book on resilience through crises. I will be looking for Upshifters from now on!’

David Miliband

‘How can we experience stressful situations not as a threat to avoid, but as a challenge to rise to? This fascinating book is full of insights from Ben Ramalingam's rich personal and professional experience of responding to crisis. I highly recommend it’

Kate Raworth, author of Doughnut Economics

‘A fascinating and inspiring read for everyone who aspires to harness creativity in the face of extreme constraints – which in today’s runaway world is every single one of us’

Jaideep Prabhu, author of Frugal Innovation

Upshift is an inspired book about those moments when operating on the edge of your comfort zones, when you discover not only who you really are but who you have the potential to be. It's essential for you – and for those around you’

Mike Adamson, Chief Executive Officer, British Red Cross

‘A thoughtful and insightful journey through the reality of crises and the power and value of our mindsets.’

Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, Chief Fire Officer

‘A reassuring guide to empowerment’

Kirkus

What listeners say about Upshift

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Excellent - manages to be both important and very entertaining at once.

Ben Ramalingam weaves so many varied and interesting stories together to illustrate his thoughts on how some people perform so well under pressure. It is a fascinating read / listen about how in times of stress different types adapt quickly to perform in different ways -such as bringing great minds together quickly, innovating and inventing , great management skills etc.
I think this book feels important - these skills to perform under pressure are clearly useful to everyone in our own worlds, and Ramalingam uses such diverse anecdotes to illustrate his theories that this always feels applicable and relevant as well as, and perhaps most importantly, entertaining.
I don’t listen to much non-fiction on Audible or at least I often don’t finish non-fiction books when I’m tempted to start them, I usually prefer to read them so I can dip in and out easily but I loved this book and it definitely held my interest throughout: I really enjoyed how each story revealed more about such an interesting theory and a new way of looking at high performance under pressure.

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Perfect balance of engaging storytelling & insight

Moving 'moments of truth' recounted with heart-rending detail and humanity. Lessons learned from every corner of human crises. Practical suggestions on how to deal with crisis moments more creatively and successfully. Solid evidence is offered to support the predicates of the arguments given.

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