"McCourt’s highly accessible self-help guide focuses on finding one’s less recognized, elevated gifts beyond “the box” into which society has placed so many of our authentic selves. Though the audience is for those attempting to grow in their workplace skills, leadership, or assessment, McCourt’s advice extends beyond the corporate world. Her unique approach urges us to recognize the humanity of employees and leaders both; she argues that when all our gifts are at last recognized and activated—revealing us as messengers, “edgewalkers,” transmitters, storytellers, and more—we “truly make a difference with our teams, business, leadership, and effectiveness.” McCourt’s personality shines through as an expert in professional growth and as an advocate for healthy people becoming great employees and leaders.

McCourt’s hope for her readers to become the best versions of themselves shines through these pages. McCourt herself has done the work she suggests to her readers, and she draws persuasively on her knowledge and experience, acknowledging that change takes time and that putting in the work today makes a difference later in overall satisfaction. Her takeaways are highly practical, as she debunks myths and advises readers to partake in original practices and quizzes—and recommends some outside material, too--to help grasp her insights and better know themselves

McCourt offers many ideas as opportunities to begin or continue in finding and embracing one’s gifts, including mediation, chakra work, coaching, mentorship, and personality testing. Her focus throughout is on the revelation of the authentic self and routes to discover it, an individualized process that can encompass some familiar visualization and mindfulness practices and other mainstays of the genre, such as understanding and facing the beliefs that limit us, as well as McCourt’s own fresh insights and ideas. Her enthusiasm and thoughtful “Make the Shift” advice distinguishes this guide, in which her commitment to helping readers change their lives powers every page."

Takeaway: This guide to discovering and embracing one’s authentic gifts argues that being true to yourself can make you a better leader and colleague.

Great for fans of: Karissa Thracker’s The Art of Authenticity, Dana V. Adams’s Live Your Gift

Production grades
Cover: B-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A