'By nature, by instinct, by personality, people react differently and use different techniques and ways of dealing with a situation. Success in the future will come to those who see people as unique individuals, with unique talents. Rather than just selecting people with the right skills, winning organizations will be those that also focus on selecting people with the skills who are also suited by temperament to complete the task successfully. How do you discover who you really are? Who your team members really are? What role you're best adapted to play? Many systems have been devised based on the great psychologist, Carl Jung's teachings. But the best may well be a system called Kingdomality, created by Richard and Susan Silvano of Career Management International. Kingdomality links an understanding of personality - the natural/instinctive way we act and react - with role models that clearly define the whole sweep of personality types. By matching personality types to roles played by citizens in a medieval kingdom and developing a simple test - blind to issues such as gender, race, education, economic circumstance - the Silvanos have created a way of discovering who you are. By knowing your own role, and the essence of the roles of others around you, you'll understand why certain people see problems and opportunities differently. To know who you really are brings power and mastery to your life.' From the foreword by Ken Blanchard, bestselling co-author of The One Minute Manager
Customer Reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: Gain Insights in a Fun Way Comment: Reading and/or listening to this management story is a fun way to gain insight about people with whom we work and interact. I enjoyed the positive presentation about different perspectives and strenghts that people have and where the best place to deploy people with these attributes might be. The book encourages objective interactions that are win-win and non-judgemental. Customer Rating: Summary: Interesting idea, so-so execution, terrible reading in the Audio book Comment: Here we go again, another personality classification system and the author's premise that if you can stereo type people you can manage them more effectively. I don't see what this system has over other personality classification systems, such as MBTI (which has been around longer and more people seem to be familiar with).
The book tries to be humorous, but it just didn't work. The story telling wasn't bad, but I'd almost rather listen to nails on a chalk board then listen to the voices of the people reading this book.
Bottom line. I learned a little, but not much and I'd like my money back. Customer Rating: Summary: A must in personality tests Comment: I found Kingdomality (the test) almost 10 years ago. I took the test and was impressed by its accuracy. Since then, I have taken the online test 3 or 4 times more, with the same results.
So, when browsing on a local bookstore, I saw that the test creators had a book about Kingdomality, I did not hesitate and bought it.
What is Kingdomality (the test and the book) about? Well, it basically sustains that people can be grouped in 12 categories of personality types. These types are a function of how people see the world, what are their motivations, how do they interact with it. It's called Kingdomality because the personalities can be linked to "standard" professions in the Middle Ages (the time of Kingdoms...).
Those who have already taken the test and have enjoyed its simplicity and accuracy will enjoy this book. It will allow them to have a more comprehensive view of all the 12 types and how could they be used productively in a work environment.
For those who have not taken the test, but enjoy learning about new and different personality type tests, this is also a great book. The test concept is simple, and the types are clearly different among them. Still, I think I would advise all to take the test first and then read the book (doing otherwise might "contaminate" your test with your expectations for its results).
Well, as I said, I always got the same result in the test. So, in case you wonder, I seem to be a Merchant. Customer Rating: Summary: A Good Read Comment: This loosely medieval management parable about "a king at his wits' end" has several winning characteristics. First, it's relevant without taking itself too seriously. The light, self-effacing - even occasionally tongue-in-cheek - tone makes it easily readable. Authors Sheldon Bowles, Richard Silvano and Susan Silvano actively engage readers with a brief interactive online test that reveals your personality "guild type." Then they draw on their narrative's strength to move forward. Many books about emotional intelligence give readers little practical help. This one is fun, helpful and entertaining even though its guild classification system may need additional tweaking. Apparently designed primarily for workplace applications, it lacks the specificity of the more familiar Myers-Briggs test, which in comparison practically predicts how you'll want your eggs cooked a month from next Tuesday. Notwithstanding these minor limitations, we recommend this book to managers, coaches, consultants, EQ practitioners and those HR folks burdened with softening the Type A corporate hearts who run most organizations. Customer Rating: Summary: A must read for all managers Comment: I had the chance to attend a book signing by Sheldon Bowles of his book Kingdomality. When he started to speak to a large crowd there was a table loaded with books and I wondered how many he'd sell. When he finished talking, we all rushed to the front to get a book and an autograph. By the time I got to him the books were all gone! Now I have a copy. This book contains so much insider information about how different people are motivated and why people behave as they do, that it seems like you become a mind reader. It's easy. It's accurate. It has given me the tools that make me a better manager, a better father, husband son and friend. In the paper here last weekend KINGDOMALITY was #1 on the bestseller list. Go to www.kingdomality.com and find out what it's all about. You won't be dissappointed! I predict KINGDOMALITY will be the killer book of 2005.