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Ruth’s book, Be a Project Motivator (Berrett-Koehler 2018) brings together the concepts of growth mindset, character strengths, planning styles and learning styles to help project managers first engage themselves and then engage their teams. She shows project managers, through the character Maggie, how they too can implement the research-based practices she has implemented in her own teams. Even if all you can do is work on yourself, that is enough to influence those around you. Indeed, most project managers are working with limited authority and have only their powers of influence to make projects work.

Complete with a 3-level project plan in the last chapter, this book guides you from leveraging your own strengths to leveraging them in others.

Ruth and the book have been praised by experts in the field of positive psychology such as Dr Ryan Niemiec, Education Director of the VIA Institute on Character, and Tal Ben-Shahar, creator of the most popular course at Harvard – a course in Happiness, as well as leaders in business, such as John Garahan, Vice President Global Delivery, Broadridge Financial Systems.

Reviewers of the book have called it “my favorite book this year!” and a “must-read” for project managers, PMO managers, project leaders, managers, and even team members.
It’s the first book or offering of any kind use an example of real-life project experience to model the optimal use of each of the 24 character strengths (and don’t worry, the book is not just focused on the positive, problems and conflicts are tackled too!).
All the strategies in the book are based on research or conventional wisdom.
You’ll find points to consider and practical ways to make the reading stick.
As a bonus, the book also includes an implementation plan.